Blast from the Past #247: Fertility symbols

This is one of my favorite drawings from my freelance days. I'm pretty sure it was commissioned by and published in "The Real Paper", a somewhat short-lived "alternative" weekly paper out of Boston, MA.



I did this during my "stipple" period. -- PL

Tricky treat

Hallowe'en is now officially over for 2009, and I hope everyone who celebrated it had a great time. While going through a batch of files today, I stumbled across this funny illustration relating to the holiday that I drew years ago (back in the 1970's) for the "Hampshire Life" weekly supplement to Northampton's newspaper, "The Daily Hampshire Gazette". This was probably drawn for one of several columns I regularly illustrated -- probably "Life Line".



The thing I like most about this piece is how the grimace on the cheap molded-plastic "Hulk" mask accurately captures the likely disappointed reaction of the kid wearing the mask, who is given carrots instead of candy on Hallowe'en. -- PL

P.S. -- Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour today! (For those of you in "daylight savings time" regions.)

Happy Hallowe'en!

I was planning on digging up some old drawing I had done for a Hallowe'en card or some such, but while scanning some old photographs for my mother today, I came upon one of my favorite photos of Emily when she was tiny, and thought it appropriate for the occasion.



Jeannine made the little pumpkin "belly" part, and the hat/cap was a store-bought item. It all came together quite nicely for her first Hallowe'en. (And I still call her "Pumpkin" from time to time.) -- PL

"Arngrim entrapped by Gorilon's monster" (early fanzine drawing)

This is another one of those fantasy fanzine drawings I did back in the late 1970's and early 1980's -- some of the actual FUN stuff I did as a freelancer. I can't remember which fanzine this was done for, but a penciled note at the bottom of this art refers to it as an image of "Arngrim entrapped by Gorilon's monster". I vaguely remember some Conan-like barbarian character named Arngrim in a story I was hired to illustrate. I like the lighting effect in this drawing. -- PL

A morning visitor

I had just finished my second waffle this morning when our dog Parker jumped up, paws on the window sill to my left, and started barking. I looked out the window and saw at the edge of our lawn... a coyote.



Although I have seen these critters a few times on our property or in the neighborhood, usually briefly as they slip into the trees and brush, this was the first time I'd seen one that close to the house. I guess this means I have to keep a closer eye on little Louis when I let him out. -- PL

Fall colors

Taking a break from thinking and writing about the sale of the TMNT property, I thought I'd share this image from a bicycle ride I took with friends yesterday. It was a gorgeous, color-drenched sunny New England autumn day, about as perfect weather-wise as one could hope for.

There were a lot of trees exhibiting spectacular color, but I was particularly taken with this large one in Look Park. As usual, a mere photograph does not do justice to the glorious, almost incandescent glow of a specimen like this in the bright sunlight.



By the way, to answer one of the questions recently posed in the comments sections of my last two posts -- yes, I intend to continue doing this blog. -- PL

Ask PL #4

I haven't done one of these in a while, and it seems like an appropriate moment to do so. -- PL