March 16, 2012

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: Shades

As per this week's theme, here's a watercolor of Jerry Muskrat in his finest shades. He is a part of a series I did to illustrate the classic Old Mother West Wind Stories by Thornton Burgess.

Happy Friday!



March 14, 2012

THINGS I LIKE: Antique Dutch Darning Samplers

I am in the midst of a new illustration project that has me researching everything from sloths to Hmong Hill Tribe fabrics. My brain is having a blast! I was recently looking for some traditional Dutch textile patterns to incorporate into my drawings and I came across these beautiful antique samplers.


Darning Samplers were prevalent in the Netherlands in the late 18th and early 19th century as sewing was a vital skill for 12 - 17 year old girls to learn. Young girls were taught how to embroider by their mothers as well as in school. Working as a linen seamstress could provide a steady living for these young women and their families. It was especially important for the girls in orphanages to master these skills so they would have an occupation to support themselves upon leaving the home. The training was so serious that these darning samplers were considered a sort of final exam in the orphanages. Because of the bright thread used to show the stitches and craftsmanship more clearly, the patterns and layers of color make beautiful combinations!



















March 12, 2012

THINGS I LIKE: Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

(Photography by Chris Cassidy / PBS)
To know him is to love him. That's how I feel about Astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. To put it simply, he's a super cool dude. He is the Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, has been hosting Nova scienceNOW on PBS since 2006, and is a regular guest on the Daily Show, Colbert Report and Real Time with Bill Maher, breaking down crazy science for the rest of us! 

He was asked in an interview with TIME magazine in 2008, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" This was his answer.

The Most Astounding Fact from Max Schlickenmeyer on Vimeo



The man knows how to give a pep-talk!


For more of Dr. NdGT's thoughts, you can go to his site and follow him on facebook or twitter


(Photography by Dan Deitch)

March 8, 2012

THINGS I LIKE: Moonrise Kingdom

I am so excited for this movie to come out. I feel like Wes Anderson and I live in the same little world. I love his aesthetic, his humor, his color palette, his art direction, his casting- I could go on. It's all too perfect. His last movie, Fantastic Mr Fox, was a mix of three of my very favorite things, stop-motion animation, Roald Dahl, and foxes. Thank you, Wes! This time around we have a camping and scouting adventure!

Hello there, new favorite movie!





For updates on the movie and release dates you can go here.