Pixie Elves

Inspired by retro vintage knee-hugger Christmas pixie elves made in Japan and glass indent ornaments from the 1950s and ’60s, this Christmas card illustration shows Santa’s helpers making the holidays sparkle.

Pixie Elves

Flexible Design

Are you Lord of the Dance or a Warrior? King Pigeon or Half-camel? With these illustrations in my Yoga series, I wanted to depict the grace and serenity — as well as fitness and flexibility — required for various yoga poses, with a touch of retro style.

Upward Facing Dog Pose

Ūrdhva mukha śvānāsan, Upward Facing Dog Pose

Low Lunge Pose
Ashwa Sanchalanasana, Low Lunge Pose

Inverted Tiptoe Bow Pose
Viparita Prapada Dhanurasana, Inverted Tiptoe Bow Pose

Urdva Dhanurasana, Upward-Facing Bow Pose
Chakrasana, Urdva Dhanurasana, Upward-Facing Bow Pose

Warrior 1 Pose
Virabhadrasana I, Warrior 1 Pose

Half-camel Pose
Ardha Ustrasana, Half-camel Pose

King Pigeon Pose
Raja Kapotasana, King Pigeon Pose

Formidable Face Pose
Ganda Bherundasana, Formidable Face Pose

Lord of the Dance Pose
Natarajasana, Lord of the Dance Pose

 

Cool as a Keyboard

Austin-based keyboardist Basil McJagger commissioned an original illustration for a CD cover for his musical act The Basil Trio, with him on the Hammond organ, a guitarist and a drummer. Like me, he appreciates Mid-Century Modern style, and he was looking for a retro-inspired image that would evoke the early 1960s and portray the groovy vibe and cool stylings of his music. I chose a harmonious color palette of verdigris and various sepia shades and subtly incorporated basil leaves in the admiring fan’s cocktail.

Basil Trio CD cover illustration

 

Mid-Century Modern Entertainment Triptych

Also from my “Rock Art” series is a triptych entitled “Mid-Century Modern Entertainment” that visually brings to life three songs: Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” The Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress,” and Van Morrison’s “Moondance.”

Mid-Century Modern Entertainment Triptych

Unwilling to bid adieu to the Mid-Century Modern visual aesthetic that I love so much, I was intrigued by the idea of extending those design motifs another decade to songs from the early 1970s. I also wanted to explore merging three individual songs into one scene, in this case of a nightclub.

Mid-Century Modern Entertainment Triptych Stairway To HeavenStairway to Heaven

Mid-Century Modern Entertainment Triptych Long Cool Woman in a Black DressLong Cool Woman in a Black Dress

Mid-Century Modern Entertainment Triptych MoondanceMoondance

Sights & Sounds Converge on the Beach

Another work from my “Rock Art” series is a triptych entitled “Psychedelic Beach” that visually brings to life three emblematic, feel-good rock songs from 1966: The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer,” The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” and the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” In this trio of illustrations, I wanted to continue my exploration of merging three individual songs into one scene, as I did a few years ago in a triptych depicting a nightclub scene.

Psychedelic Beach Triptych

The visual treatment for this triptych was inspired by 1960s pop culture, beach party movies and poster art from the San Francisco Bay Area. I also drew inspiration from social trends emerging at the time, including the second wave of the feminist movement, peace activism, the concept of the Age of Aquarius, and hippie and psychedelic culture.

Psychedelic Beach Triptych I'm A Believer

I’m a Believer

Psychedelic Beach Triptych Tomorrow Never Knows

Tomorrow Never Knows

Psychedelic Beach Triptych Good Vibrations

Good Vibrations

Huichol Art Reinterpreted III

These two illustrations are partially inspired by Huichol spiritual beliefs and legends, with important symbols reimagined in a harmonic pattern.

Spirit Guides

Spirit Guides

Spirit guides (represented in this design by the half-man/half-deer figures) are intermediaries between the spiritual world and the human world. They appear in dreams and visions to Huichol shamans (mara’akame), who follow their spirit guides and serve as ambassadors to the gods for humans.

Creating Daylight

Creating Daylight

One Huichol legend tells the story of how daylight was created (several variations exist, but I was inspired by the version related by Ronald A. Barnett in the e-magazine Mexconnect). When people realized that fire alone could not illuminate the world, they chose a magical boy to help them create daylight. The boy played a game with a hoop and arrow that made the Sun God appear, but he was too close to the Earth and burned everything. The snake people then flew up to the sky and tried to eat the sun, but that did not help. So the people implored Great-grandfather Nakawe to raise the sun. He asked the four cardinal directions to help him lift the sun. As he did so, he asked the people where they wanted the sun, and when at last they were happy, he secured the sun so that it would stay at that elevation forever, giving them light without burning them.

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