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ART & ILLUSTRATION
Welcome to my portfolio, where careful observation meets symbolic realism. Through detailed draftsmanship, my work explores the tangible world through a lens of technical precision and allegorical intent.
Deer Skull with Ferns
Deer Skull with Ferns is a delicate watercolor study created for the Muse 12 x 12 Member Exhibition at the Grand Marais Art Colony. Exhibited in September 2024 at Studio 21 in Grand Marais, Minnesota, this piece explores the intersection of natural decay and vibrant regrowth.
Working within the exhibition’s uniform 12" x 12" format, the painting utilizes the fluidity of watercolor to contrast the stark, structural elegance of the deer skull with the soft, intricate textures of woodland ferns. The work serves as a quiet meditation on the Northwoods landscape, capturing a moment of stillness and organic transition characteristic of the region’s wilderness.
(SOLD)
Working within the exhibition’s uniform 12" x 12" format, the painting utilizes the fluidity of watercolor to contrast the stark, structural elegance of the deer skull with the soft, intricate textures of woodland ferns. The work serves as a quiet meditation on the Northwoods landscape, capturing a moment of stillness and organic transition characteristic of the region’s wilderness.
(SOLD)
Pink Lupines
Created during the Graham Studio Residency in Grand Marais, Minnesota, Pink Lupines is a cornerstone of an ongoing materials study that redefines watercolor’s delicate reputation. By applying absorbent ground to lauan plywood, creating a durable, paper-like surface that allows for larger-scale, physical "objects" rather than traditional works on paper. This piece belongs to a broader project focused on upcycling, where plywood and discarded thrift-store frames are transformed into single, cohesive panels. Finished with wax or matte varnish, these pieces move watercolor away from glass-fronted frames and into a more intimate, touchable format.
Sandhill Cranes
Commissioned by Free Range for the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, this watercolor and graphite piece portrays a tender Sandhill Crane family at their nest. The artwork is rooted in the cranes' natural history, utilizing pure minerals like azurite, hematite, and orange ochre to mirror their environment. In a direct tribute to the birds' behavior of staining their feathers with iron-rich soil for camouflage, paint made from local iron oxide was used. This material-driven approach creates a literal and tactile connection between the cranes and the earth they inhabit.
Rhombus
This watercolor on paper, created for Brian Friedland’s project Rhombus, is a complex composition that bridges botanical imagery with geometric abstraction. The artwork features a vibrant, chartreuse-edged rhombus that dominates the upper left, while smaller, glowing white diamond shapes sprout like pods from a central vertical stem. Luminous geometric forms contrast sharply against a deep indigo and teal background filled with layered leaves and intricate, white concentric line work reminiscent of topographic maps or ripples in water. This blend of fluid watercolor washes and sharp, angular shapes visually mirrors the ensemble's musical style, which fuses the structured complexity of modern jazz and classical development with the high-energy improvisation of rock and avant-garde music.
https://www.brianfriedland.com/rhombus.html
https://www.brianfriedland.com/rhombus.html
Fractal Skies
The Fractal Skies album cover is an exploration of cosmic and mathematical themes. Utilizing a combination of watercolor and mixed media, the artwork mirrors the atmospheric and experimental nature of the music, which features Conwell's violin and looping pedals. The cover prominently features intricate, web-like fractal patterns that bridge the gap between organic biological structures and celestial phenomena. This visual metaphor aligns with the album's title and its exploration of patterns within the natural and cosmic world. A central element of the design is the use of silhouetted figures against vibrant, watercolor nebulas. These figures provide a sense of scale and human perspective amidst the vastness of the "Fractal Skies." The layout incorporates a dark, star-speckled background that connects the front, spine, and back panels. The use of deep blues and purples, contrasted with sharp white geometric lines, creates a sense of deep-space immersion.
https://alexconwellcreative.bandcamp.com/album/fractal-skies
https://alexconwellcreative.bandcamp.com/album/fractal-skies
For The Future...
The final print layout for The Alchemystics’ album, For The Future…, showcases a visual narrative that emulates the band's "new roots" sound. The artwork utilizes watercolor and graphite on paper to create a cosmic, ethereal aesthetic. The composition integrates classical imagery with mystical motifs. The front cover features a central female figure, representing a modern alchemist or contemporary oracle, framed by a stained-glass-style halo and a white dove, symbolizing peace and spiritual clarity. The artwork incorporates Greek-style columns marked with the Roman numerals MMXII (2012) and MMXV (2015), referencing the album's production timeline. Background elements include celestial charts, constellations, and geometric patterns that suggest a connection between the earthly and the divine. The delicate graphite line work provides structure to the fluid, atmospheric watercolor washes in shades of deep indigo, teal, and earthy ochre.
About The Alchemystics
The Alchemystics are a prominent musical collective from the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, known for their high-energy, "new roots music". The band is celebrated for a seamless blend of reggae, dub, soul, and hip-hop. Their sound often incorporates pulsing Jamaican, Cuban, and Trinidadian rhythms paired with intricate wordplay and old-school vocal harmonies. Deeply rooted in their community, the group views music and art as essential tools for social change. They are known for fostering a "conscious community" through their diverse, multi-generational following.
For The Future... is the band’s second full-length studio album. It is dedicated to the memory and vision of Demse Zullo, the band's founding drummer and producer, who passed away in early 2015. While the group has evolved over time, it typically features a large ensemble, including vocalists such as Force and Ras Jahn, and has shared the stage with icons including Damian Marley, Busta Rhymes, and Bonnie Raitt.
https://thealchemystics.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-future
About The Alchemystics
The Alchemystics are a prominent musical collective from the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, known for their high-energy, "new roots music". The band is celebrated for a seamless blend of reggae, dub, soul, and hip-hop. Their sound often incorporates pulsing Jamaican, Cuban, and Trinidadian rhythms paired with intricate wordplay and old-school vocal harmonies. Deeply rooted in their community, the group views music and art as essential tools for social change. They are known for fostering a "conscious community" through their diverse, multi-generational following.
For The Future... is the band’s second full-length studio album. It is dedicated to the memory and vision of Demse Zullo, the band's founding drummer and producer, who passed away in early 2015. While the group has evolved over time, it typically features a large ensemble, including vocalists such as Force and Ras Jahn, and has shared the stage with icons including Damian Marley, Busta Rhymes, and Bonnie Raitt.
https://thealchemystics.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-future
Emergence
This concept illustration serves as a visual bridge between the subconscious narratives of personal dream journals and formal artistic representation. This is an exploration of "emergence"—the moment an abstract thought or dream-image takes tangible form. The composition centers on a high-contrast, mandala-inspired iris layered over a realistic human eye, trapped within a dense thicket of organic gold and violet filigree. These fluid, intertwining lines mimic the shifting nature of memory and sleep, translating the complexity of the written word into a vivid, multi-layered visual experience.
Incrementum
Created in Grand Marais, Minnesota, in April 2022, the album cover for Rootz Within’s Incrementum is a fusion of watercolor and mixed media. The artwork features a primordial landscape where fiery, lava-like textures in deep reds and oranges meet a cool, celestial purple sky. This visual contrast perfectly captures the band’s signature "island-reggae" energy, using organic, fluid textures to represent the natural growth and rhythmic "roots" at the heart of the album's theme.
↓ Watch the Creation Process: Timelapse Video ↓
https://youtu.be/bI37poeOL1M?si=NkDQEDLnQFu1T2TQ
Rootz Within promotes positivity, community & personal growth through relatable lyrics & catchy hooks. Delivered with their signature easy-going island style, they combine elements of rock, funk, and jamband-like improvisation with a smooth reggae foundation.
https://rootzwithin.bandcamp.com/album/incrementum
↓ Watch the Creation Process: Timelapse Video ↓
https://youtu.be/bI37poeOL1M?si=NkDQEDLnQFu1T2TQ
Rootz Within promotes positivity, community & personal growth through relatable lyrics & catchy hooks. Delivered with their signature easy-going island style, they combine elements of rock, funk, and jamband-like improvisation with a smooth reggae foundation.
https://rootzwithin.bandcamp.com/album/incrementum
Sophia
In this watercolor on paper, Sophia—the Gnostic personification of Divine Wisdom—is depicted as a bridge between the celestial and the material. Featured in the 2012: The Year of the Goddess exhibition at the MAC650 Gallery in Middletown, Connecticut, the portrait centers on her piercing violet eyes and flowing, silvery-blue hair. She is enveloped in voluminous, earthy-toned drapery that provides a grounded contrast to the ethereal white filigree and starlight-like speckles swirling around her. Through this interplay of rich textures and delicate ornamentation, the piece captures the powerful presence of the feminine archetype and the enduring mystery of divine grace.
Multicultural Teacher Cards
Illustrated commission for a collection of teacher cards centered on representation and practical classroom use. Designed to celebrate and support multicultural educators. These visuals are crafted to be high-impact for social media and high-resolution for physical printing as a desktop calendar and card deck. This was a collaborative effort with other illustrators and teachers. The selected pencil concepts were then completed for the final project.
Hatch
This watercolor painting was created for an Illustration Two assignment at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. The assignment challenged us to build a visual narrative around a single word; for this illustration, that word was 'Hatch.' The illustration depicts a surreal and evocative scene: a pair of hands, rendered with careful anatomical detail, hold the two jagged halves of a broken eggshell. Rising from the center is a russet-colored bird in mid-flight, its wings spread wide as if freshly hatched or liberated from the shell. The composition uses a clean, white background to emphasize the delicate texture of the watercolor and the stark, symbolic contrast between the empty shell and the sudden movement of the bird.
Mystic Cookbook
Created for New York Spirit Magazine, this illustration reimagines the kitchen as a site of alchemical transformation. The composition centers on a glass alembic and a rack of vibrant elixirs surrounded by an abundance of fresh produce, artisanal bread, and blocks of cheese, all rendered with great detail. Hand-painted textures of purple grapes and leafy greens contrast with the glowing warmth of a single candle and a celestial, geometric sigil hovering over a flaming pan. This blend of culinary ingredients and arcane symbols, including an open grimoire featuring sun and moon iconography, suggests that the act of preparing food is both a sacred ritual and a spiritual art form.
Down But Not Out
Created for the December 2011 issue of New York Spirit Magazine, this editorial illustration titled "Down, But Not Out" serves as a visual reflection of resilience. This work showcases a blend of traditional technique and editorial storytelling, highlighting the city's vibrant creative scene.
New York Spirit Magazine is a quarterly publication centered on "enlightened urban living," personal growth, and holistic health within New York City. The magazine serves as a local resource for individuals seeking spiritual and physical well-being.
New York Spirit Magazine is a quarterly publication centered on "enlightened urban living," personal growth, and holistic health within New York City. The magazine serves as a local resource for individuals seeking spiritual and physical well-being.
Strings
Detailed graphite illustration featuring a surrealist study of hands and bows that captures the fluid, synchronized energy of a live performance. The design balances fine-art textures with clean typography to showcase the Lydian String Quartet's repertoire spanning from Beethoven to Kurt Rohde. By merging delicate line work with a warm, parchment-inspired palette, the layout reflects the quartet’s 40-year legacy of technical mastery and their reputation as one of the country’s premier chamber ensembles.
Eclipse
This editorial commission for New York Spirit Magazine explores mixed media techniques and layered watercolor textures. The piece was designed to complement the magazine's spiritual themes by referencing images from illuminated manuscripts.
Sailfish
During my time as an Artist in Residence and Inventory Point Person at Joy & Company in Grand Marais, MN, I served one of the largest professional art supply collections between the Twin Cities and Canada. This Sailfish study was created as a performance test for the newly arrived Posca Oil-Based Colored Pencils on paper, allowing me to evaluate their pigment saturation and layering capabilities. I provided expert guidance to local and visiting artists, ensuring they had first-hand insights into some of the newest professional-grade materials.
Float Like A Butterfly
This concept study merges the precision of graphite realism with the impact of ink illustration. The drawing captures a dancer in a moment of poised suspension, her form physically merging with the expansive pattern of a butterfly wing. This piece of art was created to define a visual style that balances anatomical weight with ethereal lightness.
Self Portrait
Created for an Illustration 2 assignment at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, this watercolor self-portrait offers a surreal and literal interpretation of the prompt "jam" by depicting the subject’s face and hand as if they are physically pressed and flattened against the paper’s surface from within. The composition is dominated by a dense mass of curls that fill the frame, creating a sense of claustrophobic pressure that reinforces the concept of being "jammed" into a confined space. The goal was to transform the two-dimensional paper into a physical barrier between the subject and the viewer.
Dried Flower
This concept study, titled Dried Flower, was created for the Drawing 1: Observation course at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. The objective of this assignment was to take something small and expand its dimensions in graphite. The piece is a technical exploration of botanical decay, using graphite to render the intricate textures and skeletal structures of a withered specimen on paper. Through direct observation, the study focuses on the interplay of tonal values and fine detail, capturing the fragile, paper-like quality of dried petals. With layering and varied pencil grades, the work transforms a simple natural object into a complex exercise in light, shadow, and three-dimensional form.
Dragonfly Sunrise
Created live at Joy & Company during the Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour, Dragonfly Sunrise captures the spirit of Grand Marais, Minnesota. This oil on canvas piece was developed in real-time, inviting the public to experience the process through a live painting performance. Painting among the aisles of the local art supply store transformed the creative process into a shared conversation, allowing for meaningful connections with curious visitors and fellow artists alike. This work blends the rich, luminous textures of oil paint with the atmospheric beauty of a North Shore sunrise.
Harvest
"Harvest" is a vibrant watercolor on paper that celebrates the peak of the growing season in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota. This piece was featured as the cover illustration for the Oxbow Newsletter by the Louisville Foundation at Old Crossing. The composition centers on a dark, woven basket overflowing with an assortment of heirloom tomatoes in deep reds, bright yellows, and greens. Behind the basket, the garden feels lush and alive. To the left, bright red peppers hang heavily from leafy vines. To the right, large, ribbed pumpkins sit nestled among broad, textured green leaves. The watercolor medium allows for soft, dappled light and a rich variety of green tones, capturing the natural organized chaos of a healthy garden. The grounding of the scene on dark mulch or soil contrasts with the bright harvest, drawing the eye to the rich colors of the vegetables.
Fight for the Oceans
The "Fight for the Oceans" storyboard project is a visual narrative that highlights the devastating impact of human negligence on marine ecosystems. Through intricate, realistic line drawings, the series follows the journey of a sea turtle as it navigates an increasingly hostile environment filled with industrial waste and fishing debris. The project uses whimsical elements to contrast the natural grace of sea life with the harsh, mechanical nature of man-made pollutants, ultimately serving as a powerful environmental plea. By illustrating the literal "fight" for survival, the project aims to spark a conversation about ocean conservation and the urgent need to address plastic pollution and unsustainable fishing practices.
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