Alphonso Wetmore Chapter 1

Alphonso is another Notable Missourian to be featured in the Truman State University Press series by the same name (Notable Missourians). This book was written by Mary Barile.

Alphonso was a veteran of the war of 1812, a leader of expeditions on the Santa Fe Trail and an all around adventurer.  Even better, he was a good story teller too.  I suppose one has to live up to a name like Alphonso.  I can't even imagine anybody named Alphonso being a couch potato.  Heck, when naming my kids, I kind of wish I would've thought about the name Alphonso.  Alphonso Hare.  Yeah, lucky for them that never crossed my mind.

This illustration shows young Alphonso studying hard in his families cabin.  Alphonso was smart and curious even at a young age.

Original rough sketch showing evening life in the Wetmore cabin.

Alternate rough sketch showing the tension between the new settlers and the Native Americans.

Another sketch illustrating the tension.

And another.

A plane picnic

This is an illustration showing Marie Meyer Fower and her husband having a picnic under the wing of one of their private aircraft.  They continued to get enjoyment out of their aircraft long after retiring from the barnstorming business.

This illustration is for the Notable Missourian book on Marie Meyer Fower written by Christine Montgomery and published by Truman State University Press.

Final Art

Orignal rough sketch

Wing Walker

Here is another illustration for Truman State University Press book on Notable Missourian Maria Meyer Fower (Written by Christine Montgomery).  Here she is shown climbing out onto the wing of her JN-4 Jenny.  A common thing for her, but this time was different.  They were flying through downtown St Louis on a particularly gusty day while attempting to whip up crowds for a show.  The intense wind made it harrowing enough that the pilot cut it short and returned to the open air in short order.  

Final Art

Rough Sketch

Alternative Rough Sketch

Barnstormstress

I made that word up.  Its kind of a cool word methinks, but I suspect anything made feminine by adding "stress" to the end is understandably pejorative.  I mean you're adding the word stress to something to a title to denote its a woman!  Sheesh.  All that said, if there's one word I think could easily have stress woven in to it its barnstormer.  Hmmm Is that one word or two?  Anyways, ironically I don't think stress was part of Marie Meyer Fowers vocabulary when it came to anything flight related, it was her love and she was incredible at it.  Here is an illustration of her after jumping from another JN-4 Jenny while impressing a gathered crowd.

This illustration is for the Notable Missourian book on Marie Meyer Fower written by Christine Montgomery and published by Truman State University Press.

Finished art

Initial rough sketch

Marie Meyer Fower Learns to Fly

This illustration for Chapter 2 of the Notable Missourian book on Marie Meyer Fower (written by Christine Montgomery and published by Truman State University Press) shows Marie being instructed on how to fly the famous and at the time ubiquitous Curtiss JN-4 Jenny.  The Jenny was designed as a trainer aircraft during WWI. After the war thousands were sold as surplus for next-to-nothing prices.   All these easy easy to fly aircraft were suddenly in the hands of civilians brave enough to fly them in an almost completely unregulated environment.  Thus began the barnstorming era!   That period really helped put the plane into the public consciousness....although not always for the good.  In the daredevil world of Barnstorming, dramatic accidents were not uncommon.

Rough Sketch

Rough painting, acrylic on panel

Final image

Marie Meyer Fower, a Missouri Barnstormer

This Notable Missourian book (written by Christine Montgomery and published by Truman State University Press) is about Marie Meyer Fower. Not only was she one of the rare women pilots in the early days of flight, she was also a barnstormer, wing walker, and all around daredevil with a true love of aviation. This first illustration shows Marie playing with the other kids in St Louis and noticing an early airplane flying in the distance.

Rough Sketch

Colors roughly blocked in by hand in acrylic

Finished art, completed in Photoshop

Stan the Man Musial

Before working on these Notable Missourian story illustrations for Truman State University Press, I honestly had no idea who Stan Musial was.  So I was surprised when I'd mention this project to people and if they had so much as an inkling of Cardinals fandom they would indignantly declare that Stan was not a Notable Missourian, he was a Famous Missourian.

So How did this amazing baseball player who grew up in poor coal mining country in Pennsylvania to Polish parents become one of the best known names in baseball in the 40s, 50s and 60s?  If you mentioned "Stan the Man" during that time, everybody knew exactly who you were talking about.  So why don't folks remember him now with the other baseball greats?

Young Stan and other AAA baseball players trying to keep up with a tight game schedule.

Stan in the 1942 World Series

Stan always made time to sign autographs

After reading this story and watching some videos I honestly think its because he was simply a nice guy!  He wasn't a tortured soul, he wasn't an ass, he wasn't a drunk or a womanizer.  Basically he didn't have that juicy backstory that makes for great movies.  He married his high school sweetheart, he went to church, he was warm and welcoming when the league started to integrate and many players were...well.. not warm and welcoming.  He even befriended a young cardinal in Poland who just happened to end up becoming Pope John Paul the II. Their friendship was a close, casual one that lasted their lifetimes.  I mean think about that.  The guy was a buddy with the pope.  Nice guy!

So anyways, Learning about Stan Musial was refreshing.  His legacy stands on his excellence in his profession and his being a nice guy.  It may not linger like the legacy of more dramatic and controversial figures in sports, but I don't think he would want it any other way.  Hell I don't know why any of us would?

While retired, Stan and his wife spent a lot of time doing charitable work in Poland...and introducing them to baseball.

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, 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..

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'.  

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.

Jean Bartik gets news of the War

This is an illustration showing Notable Missourian Jean Bartik and some of her friends learning about the attack on Pearl Harbor.  This illustration is for the Notable Missourian series published by Truman State University Press.  The story of 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.

City Market

Who doesn't love the city market?

I'm pleased with how this one turned out,  Still, its another case of me liking the rough sketches nearly as much as the final. 

Rough sketch of market

Another rough sketch of market

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.

Plaza Lights

Ahhh the twinkling Christmas lights of Kansas City's Country Club Plaza.  I'm not thrilled with this illustration but it will do. Mentally I still have some stuff to work out with this one.  Me and this painting need couples therapy.

Plaza Lights rough idea sketch

Plaza Lights rough idea sketch

Plaza Lights rough idea sketch

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 and friends learning about the attack on Pearl Harbor

Working on aircraft during WWII

Small town girl in the big city of Philly

Jean working as a human computer

Jean and another woman working on the ENIAC

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.

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.