I was asked recently by a friend (and elemetary school art teacher) to create a short video for her students of my life as a professional illustrator: How does one day unfold for me; where do I collect inspiration; what sort of tools are specific to what I do; what DO I do - and what ever do I even look like?! These are big questions, with potentially complicated answers, and the truth is - I do a wide variety of things in order to keep the lights on and Oscar well fed. It seems I have fewer and fewer... Continue reading

... this gorgeous Beast said hello to the world. Three months later "Ricky" (yeesh, right?!) rocked into my life... and within a week of becoming "Oscar" he had launched his modeling career by doning an XL baby tee and posing in front of the lens in the Zutano photo studio... Continue reading

NOTE: This is not a portrait of Oscar as a puppy. Nor is it a portrait of yours truly cheating on my Ridgeless wonder with (gasp!) someone else's Ridgeback babe. Nay, this is beautiful Alison and her adorable boy, Nigel (who is likely too big already to hug at this... Continue reading

At long last, there is a tree on our block that has erupted into frilly yellow blossoms - they're the odd little flowers that "regular" trees make, but they are also a bona fide sign that wicked old winter has finally taken a step towards the exit, and spring is... Continue reading

Last summer a mural went up on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, just next door to South Station. Created by the twin Brazilian street artists known as Os Gemeos, the work covers the entire 70 x 70' asymmetrical end of a Big Dig ventilation building and was erected in conjunction with... Continue reading

Best of Breed at the 2013 Westminster Dog Show. Wears the name well - Handsome fellow. Continue reading

Match boxes designed by Shane Schneck + Clara von Zweigbergk. Office accessories by Hay. Continue reading

This blog spends a fair lot of time discussing edibles of the pastry, cookie and sweet variety - swell subjects, near and dear to Oscar's taste buds, but not terribly natural (or healthy) for dogs... To date, I have made little mention of Oscar's proper, day-to-day diet, but I assure... Continue reading

Thanks to winter storm Nemo, over 24" of pretty glorious fresh powder fell on Boston Friday night. It was a proper blizzard, with clapbord-rattling wind and impressive drifts. The city, erring on the side of prevention, shut down public transit and enforced a 24-hour driving ban - effectively creating a... Continue reading

If you live anywhere in New England, you know it's been FLIPPING FREEZING for the last week or two. The kind of cold that renders sunshine "ineffective" (apparently that's a weatherman term - and shockingly appropriate!). The kind of cold that crystallizes your tears as you weep at the numbing... Continue reading

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project Featured Canines: Storm (left) & King (right), 4 y/o Great Danes Rescue Facilitator: Great Danes Around New England & Big Fluffy Dog Rescue King and Storm, a steely-blue Great Dane brother and sister pair, first appeared on my radar when... Continue reading

After an indulgent (and much needed) long holiday break, reveling in knee-deep fresh snow (WE HEART YOU, VT!!) and snacking on way too many cookies, Oscar and I are back in the hood - and a bright, shiny New Year is upon us! We hope you enjoyed a similarly cozy-fied,... Continue reading

Sooo, even with a holiday to-do list already busting at the seams, inspiration struck last week when I stumbled on this kinda amazing, albeit ambiguously simple, novelty gingerbread cookie-cutting set. I've made my share of spice-cookie architecture and smiling ginger-boys and girls, but this was something new, something special -... Continue reading

Thanksgiving-time brought some heavy sentiment from me this year... so in the essence of keeping today's jingly, ribbon-tied magnificence short, sweet, and full of activities other than sitting at the laptop: To all our friends, family, and followers: May you enjoy an exceptionally merry, and thoroughly happy, healthy, and hopeful... Continue reading

Sometimes you just need to muck around with materials and try things out... and when your studio muse is Oscar, your tests often end up as portraiture: This is a colored pencil drawing with a watercolor overlay. Continue reading

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project Featured Canine: Brady, 9 y/o Shar-pei Rescue Facilitator: North American Shar-pei Rescue When most people think of a Shar-pei, a blocky, hippo-faced, pig-eared critter with a bristly coat comes to mind... At least that's what present-day breed standards would have... Continue reading

When the season of giving thanks rolled into town this year, I couldn't resist the call of fresh pumpkins, suddenly plentiful at the grocery store: I love roasted pumpkin myself, but Oscar might be a bigger fan than even I. Since I had been interested for some time in making... Continue reading

From the Punjab Camel Fair. Continue reading

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project Featured Canine: Callie, 7 y/o herding mix Rescue Facilitator: Northeast Animal Shelter, Salem, MA, & Save a Sato If there is one dog in our neighborhood that can get Oscar's grumpy old bones running, it's Callie. A pistol of a... Continue reading

At long last - and just in time for the gifting season - Oscar's first product review is ready for prime time! As a proud new member of the inubar5, Oscar's treat-tasting, canine coat-wearing, plush toy-thrashing talents will now be put to professional use - as bona fide product testing... Continue reading

The photo above was taken 2 years ago, for a Thanksgiving post to my other blog. It directly followed a downright AWFUL event that involved Oscar being in the equivalent of the dog-hospital ICU for a full week (if you look close you can see where both of his forelegs... Continue reading

On this day of remembrance, honor, and deep, deep gratitude, we salute not only the sacrifices of brave humans, but the massive hearts and incredible loyalty of the canines who have stood by them: charging the front lines with infantry; bomb-seeking with security patrols; assisting search and rescue teams; providing... Continue reading

Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good: 'Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Today's the day, friends, you know what to do. Continue reading

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project Featured Canine: Serafina, 5 1/2 y/o Plott hound mix Rescue Facilitator: Northeast Animal Shelter, Salem, MA Serafina, since day one of her introduction to the neighborhood 3 years ago, has been a total love of a dog... a snugglebug... a... Continue reading

We (OK, "I") had grand plans for this year's Halloween dress-ups... One wacky and random spark of an idea set off a few late nights of sewing, copious fit-testing, and great buckets of treats consumed (to keep one of the most patient dogs on the planet well compensated for his... Continue reading