As I prepare to start another series of Black History portraits — for a 12-month calendar this time around — I wanted to share the original series of five that led to this new project.  This being a new blog & all, I’d hate for the old ones to get lost in the shuffle… So here they are (again).  Featured are: Kenneth Clark (psychologist), Marian Anderson (singer), Paul Robeson (athlete/actor), Mary Church Terrell (writer/civil rights activist), and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Courtesy of your good friends at CollegeHumor.

Why does this work for Illustration Friday‘s “old-fashioned” topic, you ask?  A few reasons.

1. It’s not quite my newest work.
2. It’s got an old-school feel to ‘er.
3. We’re 4 weeks into the college football season, where kids hand out good old-fashioned beatings to other kids.

Seemed like a natural fit to me!

If you’re new to my work or have happened upon this blog by following links from elsewhere, allow me to give you a tiny peek inside a children’s book I recently finished illustrating called “Petunia Pepper’s Picture Day.”  A bit more about the story from the publisher:

Poor Petunia Pepper! Every year, disaster strikes on her school picture day. Puffy hair, pumpkin-style smiles and pink eye help her take pictures that only her family could love. But this year, Petunia promises herself things are going to change. She carefully plans for the perfect picture day. But when she misses the school bus, a series of misadventures begins that leads to yet another picture day fiasco. Will Petunia’s perfect picture be ruined, or will she finally take a picture everybody in her class will love?

For those who haven’t picked up the book yet, here’s a glimpse inside (without giving too much of the story away):

The book was a blast to be a part of, and having met the author in person at ICRS in St. Louis not long ago, I can tell you what a genuine person she is — she’s got a heart for young people!  Here’s hoping this isn’t the last you’ve seen of Petunia Pepper.

To get a copy of the book for yourself, go to Amazon or Warner Press.