Katy Days 2015. I'm back!

Its Katy Days time!  Katy Days is a festival celebrating the railroad heritage of the town of Parsons, Kansas (where I was raised). The town was founded by the MKT railroad (the Katy) and since its founding trains have continued to play a big role in that town.  Everybody there knows a railroader.  Or 10. 

Last year I skipped being a demo painter at Katy Days because I was feeling swamped with work. I was about to skip again this year for the same reason, but I had some time in between projects to whip something up.  The paintings that resulted are modeled after the old black and white images of locomotives that I used to love to look at as a kid. There was something about those engines in black and white that really gave them personality.  Anyways.  These are the ones I came up with in a pinch.  

While there I will be selling many other train paintings as well as art featuring regional people and themes.  I'm going to be selling them cheap because I need to make some room!  So those folks in my beloved PK come out and get some cheap original art!  And oh yes, I will be doing a paintings demonstration too.

Acrylic Black and White, 22" x 22"

Acrylic Black and White, 22" x 22"

Acrylic Black and White, 48" x 24".  I had to throw in the water tower for good measure.  When I was a kid I was convinced that thing was going to collapse and flood the town.

Acrylic Black and White, 48" x 24".  I had to throw in the water tower for good measure.  When I was a kid I was convinced that thing was going to collapse and flood the town.


Jean Bartik and the Glass ceiling. And other stuff.

Here's the last in the series of chapter header illustrations for the Notable Missourian book on Jean Bartik.  This illustration attempts to give a sense of the glass ceiling felt by many women, especially during the 40s and 50s. Jean and her fellow women programmers did a lot of the heavy lifting in programming the ENIAC.  Their work was often attributed to the male supervisors. In fact, the hard work of these women was not fully recognized and appreciated until many years after their accomplishments.  After working on the ENIAC jean entered the corporate world and felt the effects of the glass ceiling there as well.  

Next up in the Notable Missourian series is Stan Musial. Some of you may be saying "Who is that?" and some others are no doubt saying "Pfff....he's not a notable Missourian, he's a famous Missourian!" Ahh such is sports!  He was a star Cardinals baseball player and was one of the most famous people in the country for years.  You ever hear of "Stan the Man?" Well thats this guy! Stay tuned for those. 

I also need to say a bit more about THIS IS KANSAS CITY, the book I recently illustrated for the awesome Angela Kmeck of Possum Trot Productions. It seems like I showed some of the art but didn't really talk about what it was for other then mentioning a "Mystery Kansas City project". THIS IS KANSAS CITY is a board book for kids of all ages showing the awesomeness of our town. The printing has been completed and it is getting ready to ship now. We will have a debut coming up soon at the Hilliard gallery down in the crossroads. More info to come on this.

Other stuff too. Maybe Katy Days even. Been busy and haven't been posting as much as I'd like. In fact I need to end this because I only have a few more hours to work this morning and I don't want it all to be blogging.  


From super rough to finish - Jean Bartik and the ENIAC

Rough hand painting.  Rough rough rough..

Rough hand painting.  Rough rough rough..

So the way I'm going about this year's round of notable missourians is way different then the way I did the recent "This Is Kansas City" illustrations.  The TIKC illustrations we're made completely by hand on panel.  The Notable Missourians are hybrid hand/computer illustrations.  First I start with a rough hand painting. Really rough. I mean people think my kid did it and I don't correct them rough.  The main purpose of the rough painting is to give me some good textures and colors and the basic location of the illustration elements.  I digitally bring the rough painting into photoshop and thats where I chip away at it.  Its a great method that makes experimenting, editing and changes no prob, and I think it gives a nice hybrid look.  

The Notable Missourian series is published by Truman State University Press.  The book on Jean Bartik was written by Kim Todd.

The illustration after some computer lovin'.  

The illustration after some computer lovin'.  

Small town girl in Philly

This illustration is for chapter 3 of the Notable Missourian book on pioneering programmer Jean Bartik.  It shows the former farm girl taking in the big city of Philadelphia for the first time.

The Notable Missourian series is published by Truman State University Press.  The book on Jean Bartik was written by Kim Todd.

Heart of America

This is the last of the Kansas City series that I will post.  That project is now  in the loving hands of its mama.  Idea mama that is.  If a project is someones baby then the person with the idea is the project mama or daddy right?  Hmm I'm onto something here.  I need to make new business cards.  John Hare: Project Daddy.  Wait...when I think about that for two seconds I suddenly feel like it sounds more like an on-the-market divorced dad who's somewhat likeable but has some issues.  See this is why I don't tweet much.  Everything I type I feel like can be read a thousand ways.  Probably because it can be!  

So anyways I think this heart may be closer to where Topeka is then KC...but its close.

heartOfAmerica_FL1_web.jpg



Hayloft Daydreaming

This is the first illustration for the Notable Missourian (Truman State University Press) book on Jean Bartik written by Kim Todd. Here a young jean is shown looking out of her family barn's hayloft and doing a bit of daydreaming about her potential future.  If that was me in that loft I would be daydreaming about hitching a ride to town and getting a box of Claritin.

Busy Artsy City

I need to make a fun illustration about how Kansas City is a town of arts and big ideas. Should I focus on the visual arts? performing arts? First Fridays? architecture? the loved/loathed shuttlecocks and sky stations?  Yes.  

So this one is a bit busy, but I like to think its fun and vibrant too.  That's what I tell myself anyways.

Jean Bartik Rough Sketches

Work has begun on illustrations for the 2015 Notable Missourian series published by Truman State University Press.  First up is the story of Jean Bartik, written by Kim Todd. Jean was an early pioneer in computing. In fact, for awhile she was literally a computer. Yes I said that right. It's weird to think now, but in the middle of last century a computer or calculator was a job description, not a device. One of her many notable accomplishments was her work programming the ENIAC, the first general purpose electronic computer. I really want to emphasize how important those early room sized, vacuum tube laden, punch card programmed computers were in getting to where we are today, but I would be in way over my head.  I'm just glad I don't have to replace vacuum tubes and patch cables into switch boards to use my iMac.  

Speaking of vacuum tubes, when I was a kid I found an old box full of them and thought they were incredibly cool. Not for any practical purpose...I had no idea what they actually did.  I just thought they made great doomsday weapons for my toy GI Joes. If you came across  my Cobra Commander action figure holding a vacuum tube, some bad stuff was about to go down and GI Joe had some work to do.  

Back on topic, here are some rough sketches for Notable Missourian Jean Bartik

Jean as a teen daydreaming in the hayloft

Jean as a teen daydreaming in the hayloft

Jean and friends learning about the attack on Pearl Harbor

Jean and friends learning about the attack on Pearl Harbor

Working on aircraft during WWII

Working on aircraft during WWII

Small town girl in the big city of Philly

Small town girl in the big city of Philly

Jean working as a human computer

Jean working as a human computer

Jean and another woman working on the ENIAC

Jean and another woman working on the ENIAC

Jean up against the glass ceiling

Jean up against the glass ceiling

Pride in the Home Team

When I think baseball, I think cheap seats but a great time!  The seats here don't look terrible, but while painting it I was thinking of the angle I'm most used to seeing at Kauffman Stadium while watching a Royals game.  The view from around section 403.  High up and left field.  Still for some reason its one of my favorite places to sit.  All that said this is not necessarily the Royals or Kauffman.  Cough.  We contacted the Royals about what we were allowed to do without having to pay royalties.  They said we could use the colors, but we had to make the ball park indistinct (couldn't show the big crown or fountains) and we couldn't show the Royals logo anywhere.  That may sound harsh to some but in reality that was very generous of them and awesome news!  I do wonder if the numbers are pushing it.  We are passing this back by them to get approval so the numbers may go away and this post may be different soon.  I do like how the numbers together are 85.  That was not intended at all but is a happy accident as the late great Bob Ross would say.


Lunch at the fountain

The boy before being asked to vacate the premises.

The boy before being asked to vacate the premises.

Originally there was a boy walking on the ledge of the fountain in this illustration. After awhile I began to feel like he was paintingbombing (like photobombing but more 14th century). The copy is about the fountain and he was right in front of it breaking up the lines so I removed him.  Poor kid. I feel like I ran him off. I should make another illustration showing him sulking away carrying a skateboard and giving me the finger.


Paris of the Plains and KC Cable Cars

This look like a loud and smelly place to have tea.

This look like a loud and smelly place to have tea.

So this illustration plays off the idea of Kansas City being a Paris of the Plains.  I always thought Paris of the Plains referred to KC in its youth being a cultural hub and bustling city on the plains. Then I read it referred to the fact that KC is second only to Paris in miles of boulevards and parkways.  Next I read it referred to the decadent prohibition era of Boss Tom Pendergast, when KC was a city that never slept.  Well I've come to realize its all those things so it doesn't really matter.  Also with all the recent Cuba hubub I heard Havana being referred to as the Paris of the Western Hemisphere it became clear that its  just one of those phrases people like to throw around to classy something up.  It must be good to be Paris!  

So anyways for this illustration we opted to go with a bustling downtown scene from the turn of the last century.  The centerpiece is a cable car running down 9th street. I knew Kansas City had a huge network of street cars but until recently I had no idea about the cable cars!  What's the difference you ask?  Well, cable cars get their locomotion by gripping an always-moving cable located in a slot centered between the rails (think San Francisco trolleys).  Street Cars are powered by electric motors which get their electricity from a grid of wires suspended above the road.  The cable lines had a short, but extensive run here in town.  In fact, at one time KC had the 3rd biggest network of cable cars in the country.  Its like we were the San Francisco of the Midwest!  See, I don't know about that kind of phrasing.  Its like saying "Hey!  You're like that other guy who does that thing better!"

For the final I went with a grip car pulling a trailer.  The grip car is the open car.

For the final I went with a grip car pulling a trailer.  The grip car is the open car.

KC - Town of arts and big ideas

Here is another rough sketch for the KC project. Deciding the best way to illustrate how KC is a town of arts and big ideas was a bit of a challenge. In this sketch I wanted to try out a bustling First Friday feel with the Kauffman Center for the Performing arts in the background.  I always want to call it the Kauffman Performing Arts Center.  Seems like better economy of words. Haha me talking about economy of words! 

Anyways I'm excited.  I think I'm caught up enough on projects to get some make up sleep tonight.  Hmm, I'm realizing that my make up sleep is still less than most peoples normal sleep. But I'll take it!