Jack O' Lanterns of Years Past

It's almost Halloween, and although I normally don't dress up for it these days, I've started to enjoy carving pumpkins. Since I might not have time to carve one this year, I thought I'd post some pics of the ones I've done recently. Hope you enjoy them.

2008
Barack O'Lantern (Yes We Carve.com):



Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight:



2007
Pale Man monster from Pan's Labyrinth:


2009?
If I end up having time, I'd probably stay with my "movie I've enjoyed that year" theme and do a pumpkin of Dr. Cockroach from Monsters vs. Aliens:

Hm, that was easy. Maybe I'll just Photoshop pumpkins from now on...

Cousins on beach

Cousins on beach. 2003. Oil on panel. 16"x20".

The fourth oil painting I did, this time of three of my cousins. The size comparision is between the finished piece and the 4"x6" (?) photograph I based it off. I gave it as a gift to my aunt, and had a great time painting it in my Chicago studio, where my workspace was a card table set up in my kitchen (it was also the dinner table, when it didn't have supplies on it).

Draft Wes Clark Political Cartoon

Wes Clark Cartoon. 2003. Digital painting.

In 2003 I was recruited to do some political cartoons. This relay race handoff scenario signified the possibility of General Wesley Clark being drafted into the race that Governor Howard Dean was then leading. It angered some Howard Dean fans, but at the time Clark looked like the stronger candidate to many. Eventually Senator John Kerry won the primary race, and lost in the general re-election of George Bush (seen casually walking on the track in the background). I really enjoy doing political cartoons because of the way they challenge an artist to communicate complicated issues and ideas with simple and often funny imagery. I hope to do many more.