The Ghost Army of WWII

This is a project I have been involved with for a few years which has nothing to do with my illustration, but instead is about an Army unit my Dad was in during WWII.  I have just co-authored (or curated as my co-author calls it) a book with Rick Beyer called "The Ghost Army of WWII: How One Top Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects and Other Audacious Fakery"  It is now being developed as a motion picture by the team that brought us "American Sniper"–– Bradley Cooper, Andrew Lazar and Todd Phillips!  Watch the TRAILER for the Book.

One of my Dad's (Bill Sayles) pieces, painted in Wittlich Germany towards the end of the war.

ABFE Gala at BEA

Here is another piece from "Malala" (Random House, Jan. 2016).  I donated a print of this to the ABFE  (American Booksellers for Free Expression) which held their annual gala and auction Tuesday night in conjunction with BEA.  It was a fun night at the Grand Hyatt, very crowded, and LOTS of great artwork!  I went with my friend, Sue Truesdell, who is herself a terrific illustrator. She was excited to meet this year's honoree,  Judy Blume, since she had illustrated a bookjacket for "Fudge-a-Mania" many moons ago. This is one of my favorite pieces in the book.  I loved working on the architecture, costumes and mountains.

Malala

 

Sneak peek at one of the illustrations for "Malala", written by Shana Corey, to be published by Random House, January 2016.  I was amazed at the beauty of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, were Malala is from; such a beautiful place, afflicted by such conflict.  Malala is now the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize and she continues to inspire with her courage to speak out for the rights for girls to be educated.  It was an honor to illustrate her story.

Prints, Books and Original Art

Limited Edition Prints, Books and original Artwork.


Also Prints of work by Bill Sayles...

Travelers Series : Elk Dog

This is second in my travellers series. I'm painting on old road  maps.  The texture makes a nice starting point.  And the colors give me ideas of where to go.  The roads are like veins.
Part 1 : Wolf Scout, is here, if you missed it.

Original Art Exhibit opens Wednesday

I was lucky enough to be one of the jurors for this year's Original Art exhibit at the Society of Illustrators http://www.societyillustrators.org/The-Museum/2014/OA/The-Original-Art.aspx The exhibit opens this week, can't wait to see show! The hardest part of jurying, besides flying through 600+ books, was choosing the medal winners. In the end three gorgeous books were chosen.  Here we are, bleary eyed but still smiling!
‪#‎TheOA2014‬

Just So Stories

I'm working on a series of illustrations for Rudyard Kipling's many animal tales.  My favorite so far is Rikki Tikki Tavi, the bold snake killing mongoose, "who was completely eaten up by curiosity." I will post some sketches soon.

This is an illustration for a book series I'm working on, which involves five kids, some time travel, a magic camel and a monkey or two.

Goodbye, Gabriel

So sad to hear of the passing of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of my favorite authors. Some of my earliest illustration attempts were  of trying to make representational pictures of his elusive images.  I imagine him now inhabiting that in-between world of Not-Quite-Here-or-There.

Under the Lilies

Here is an older piece that makes me think of summer on the first day of Spring.  Working on some things that I can't post right now, so hope you enjoy the Frog Prince.

Wolf Scout

Here is the first attempt my Traveler series. I've been playing around with painting on road maps, mainly because I love maps, and the texture and color of the old road maps are really great to work on top of.   It's acrylic & pastel on a map mounted on a board.

ABFFE Auction starts today!

For Banned Book Week, the American Booksellers Fund for Freedom of Expression is holding an online auction of children's book art.  I've donated this print from "Moon Child", which they are featuring on their banner ads! Bid early and often!

Here's more info.

Anne Frank's Chestnut Tree

My latest book has just arrived from Random House, and it looks great.
Anne Frank's Chestnut Tree is a Step-Into-Reading book, written by Jane Kohuth.
Based on Anne Frank's diary and it "explores Anne's strong belief in the healing power of nature..."
Available  from Amazon in hardcover and also in paperback (but the hardcover is really pretty.)

One Ton of Fun

Hot off the press, "The NeoIntegrity Omnibus," is the 712-page catalog documenting the 2010 exhibition at The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art: "NeoIntegrity: Comics Edition," curated by Keith Mayerson.   

The exhibit was magnificent, overwhelming, amazing and joyous.  The walls of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in NYC. were plastered floor to ceiling with original artwork by Maurice Sendak, Charles Addams, R. Crumb, Dr. Seuss, Winsor McCay, Roz Chast and over 200 more artists, including me and many of my colleagues at the School of Visual Arts.  

Keith and the NeoIntegrity team pulled off a herculean job of putting this exhibit together– and fitting it into the space.  Artwork hung floor to ceiling, edge to edge, wrapped around corners and down the sides of tables.  And now it has all been stuffed into this book.  These are three (of the four) of my pieces included in the book. It is a treasure trove. Check out NeoIntegrity  HERE.

Books you can walk into.

Lately I've been designing exhibits, which is a little like
making a life size picture  book that you can WALK INTO!
Here are 2 of my latest exhibits:

The Ghost Army (When you send Artists to war, they bring back Art)
Edward Hopper House Art Center
82 North Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960
Now thru June 9
more info

And Greetings from Summer Camp
at the Historical Society of Rockland County
20 Zukor Rd. New City, NY
May 18 – Sept 15

more info

I recently finished the illustrations (all 30 of them) for "Anne Frank's Chestnut Tree," a Step-into-Reading book for Random House. Although she is one of my heroes, it was a hard book to work on emotionally.  It will be published this fall.

Among the Stars in Los Angeles

I'm excited that this piece has received honorable mention in the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles' 51st Annual Illustration West Competition

It will be on view at Gallery Nucleus in LA , March 8 - 12, 2013.

This is one of the last spreads, and jacket art, for my latest book: How Does Sleep Come?

It was published this fall by Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. Here are more pictures from the book. 

Another Peek

Thanks for all the amazing feedback on the last post! Here are two more peeks at my latest book, "How Does Sleep Come?" arriving at bookstores this September.  See more pictures HERE.