Dr. Suess & The Wonderful World of Illo Confidential!

This is the first in a new series of portraits I am doing entitled “Influences”, honoring all of the great artists that have inspired my work and imagination throughout my lifetime so far. They’ve all touched me in a really positive & deep way, and this is my sincere and humble attempt to say thank you.

The group includes writers, illustrators, video game creators, animators, painters, puppeteers, comic book artists and film directors, some of them many of these things rolled into one. So far I have 16 portraits lined up, and will release a new one each week or so for the next couple months. The list may grow, there are so many!

At the culmination of this collection, I will be launching a website showcasing the imagery of a fantastic new world I’ve created full of monsters, heroes and villains, all of which are somehow inspired by their work.

I’ll be releasing the portraits in a ‘round about chronological order from when I was initally introduced their work, so first up is Theodore Geisel aka Dr. Suess! I remember his books at a very young age, my parents reading them to me, then me flipping through them, absorbing them, soaking up the buoyant world and wondering where it was. I remember splashing fish, and green eggs, bursts of color and lively lines. Suess was there before me was me, pointing the way towards childhood and beyond.

I’m doing this series digitally in a sketchier, more impressionistic & loose/ painterly style, which hopefully infuses them with more of a sense of playfulness. I hope you enjoy! I’m really looking forward to doing them all.

On another note, I want to announce that I was recently asked to be part of a new collective of award winning illustrators called Illo Confidential! It's really great, full of very talented and savvy illustrators, way more established than I am. I'm thrilled to be part of it.

Check out all the excellent work @ http://www.illoconfidential.com Follow us on FB & Twitter!