100 Degrees and Snowing

  A cover for High Five magazine. 

   We've had record heat temps the last few days! But it's winter already in Illustration Land! 

 Uh-oh, hold on, little squirrel! I think she'll be OK. 
 It's January now. Record chill.  Polar vortex  descending again, making outdoor activity actually dangerous! Keep warm, kids. Here's the final printed cover:

An article for Ranger Rick about snow and how the right conditions of precipitation make the perfect packing snow. I really had fun with these kids;  playing around with the expressions and the spirit of the fight.

Thanks to Billl Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes for some snowman inspiration. 

Shel's Bat

About a month ago I was asked to illustrate a page for a first grade poetry anthology.  An  interesting thing happened. I sketched the bat as requested but the publisher found out they could not legally print another illustration along with a poem by Shel Silverstein. So my bat was left out in the printed piece and replaced with  Shel's bat, which is OK, but heck, I like my bat better ( apologies to Shel, rest his soul). But it's all good.

This inspired me to write a bat poem, which was too long for the layout, but  I may show it later, along with a caterpillar poem. Poetry is fun when you are in the flow.

 I  embellished the caterpillar a bit for art's sake.