Last week I was sitting at the coffee shop, drawing people as usual. The man below and a friend of his sat down at the table next to me and started a cheerful conversation beginning with what a nice city Providence is. When I had finished drawing him I put my sketchbook down to drink some tea and he noticed my drawing...
"Let me see that," he said. I don't usually mind showing, so I handed him the book. Then he said, "Let me see your pencil."
Now I was a little uneasy, expecting that he might scribble over the drawing and write something like "That'll teach you to draw unsuspecting people!"
But instead, he steadied the book on his knee and began to look at me intently. In a few minutes, he handed it back to me and said, "Ah well, I'm just a photographer." He then explained that his name was Irving Schild and he has been the primary photographer for MAD Magazine for the last 30+ years! I said "Wow, well then you have to sign your drawing of me!"...
We had a nice conversation and it was a really fun chance encounter.
Here is the cover of last month's issue of MAD where Irving is credited for it as "Irving 'Schenanigans' Schild."
Three hour study, oil on board
"Let me see that," he said. I don't usually mind showing, so I handed him the book. Then he said, "Let me see your pencil."
We had a nice conversation and it was a really fun chance encounter.
The above image is for the opera "Rusalka," A predecessor of "The little Mermaid." although I don't know which came first, the opera, or Has Christian Andersen's story. Either way, I believe it began as a Russian folk tale.
The above image is for "Don Giovanni," as is the image below. The painting below was mostly complete when the needs of the Boston Lyric Opera suddenly changed and a new painting was required. They're only using the one above, but you get to see both.
Above is the cover for the season brochure.
...the day job
My girlfriend recently returned from a trip to Australia and she found this for me while she was there! So if you've ever wondered what a wallaby vertabra looks like, now you know.
