Money for Life - Illustrations for AARP Bulletin

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have been terrible at keeping up with the blog lately. SO I’m posting two different entries today, one focusing on the article in the title above and a separate post about my entirely different oil painting/fine art. Two posts in one day! Making up for lost time! ANYWAY…..

I created a series of illustrations for the December 2018 edition of the AARP Bulletin. The article by author, Jane Bryant Quinn, is called “Money For Life” which is her simple, easy-to-use formula to make sure you never run out of cash. The article is split up into different case studies with illustrations that I’ll list below. Scroll down to see.

Portrait of author, Jane Bryant Quinn by Michele Melcher

Case study 1 - Worried Couple Retiring Sooner Than They’d Hoped.

Case Study 2 - Retiree Living On Social Security Benefits

Case Study 3 - City Dwellers Living Well

Case Study 4 - Working Woman Ready to Quit and Have Fun

Illustration for Seattle Met

I was recently asked by Seattle Met to create an illustration for an article about the city's 15 +  year political "war" going on over the Burke-Gilman bike trail between the shipping industry and those who are champions of the trail. You can read the full story here.  Many thanks to Sara at Seattle Met for the art direction!

Smart Phone Separation Anxiety - for Washingtonian Magazine

Here is an illustration that I did for the February issue of Washingtonian Magazine. The Article, written by Courtney Vinopal, is about how many summer camps ban electronics, creating both happy and unhappy campers and parents.  Thanks to Kellie at Washingtonian for the Art Direction!

"Stop Telling Women and Girls to Smile" - illustration for Main Line Today.

This illustration for the article, "Stop Telling Women and Girls to Smile", by Katie Kohler is for the February/March issue of Main Line Today.  I personally do not know any woman who has not had to deal with a man giving unwarranted and unwelcome "helpful and well intended advice" of this sort at one time or another. From the article:

"Smile, honey. You would be prettier if you smiled," is one of the first interactions I remember having with a "stranger." It's not that I was a miserable kid, quite the contrary. I was happy...and still am but I don't have a perma-pageant grin glued to my face.

Over the years, it has happened to myself and others who are approached by a usually older male telling us to smile. I've had this happen while carrying out trays full of food during dinner service when I was a server and recently, when I waited for a press conference to start and was going through my notes.

I have never seen a man being told to smile. But women who don't are often accused of "resting bitch face."

Wrinkle treatment illustration - Unpublished Philadelphia Magazine.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, an illustration will go unpublished. There was a last minute design change for the layout of the page where this one would have run. It is a funny picture though, so I'm posting it here.

The article, about wrinkle treatment, is a professional's advice on the different options which are available that give the best result. It also talks about how to pick a qualified provider who won't make you end up looking like one of the "Real Housewives" when you get botox or other cosmetic injectables. (Hint - a qualified provider doesn't need to lure patients with a Groupon).