Mural Design at the Bridgewater Commons Mall, NJ

If you've shopped at the Bridgewater Commons Mall, NJ lately, you might have seen the mural that my studio designed for General Growth Properties. The piece is eighty feet long and was unveiled last year. The structure and title is based on the Lenape Indian's ingenious method of agriculture that plants corn, beans and squash simultaneously on the same plot of land. This method was called "The Three Sisters."

Two intro panels tell the whole story behind the mural.

There's a section for every season.

GGP wanted fashionable imagery that would compliment their high-end retailers as well as something that would illustrate the history of the Bridgewater community.

These two cuties can give you a sense of the mural's scale.

It's great when shoppers stop to look.

This is one of the mall's busiest entrances.

The artwork started on my drawing board with the biggest roll of Canson paper I could find. This roll is 60" wide and is terrific stuff to draw on. I picked it up at New York Central, a very cool supply store, where the paper department is top notch and highly recommended.

We created high resolution scans of my final artwork which was then reproduced on scratch resistant vinyl that was installed at the site. With the art being reproduced to 80 feet long, I needed to work large to be sure the design would be clear.

A detail from Autumn.

Springtime means Easter, rebirth and shopping!

Detail from Winter; President Washington and valentine's Day.

Detail from Summer.  A June bride.

Detail from Spring.

The final art was done with a combination of Pentel Brush Pen, Rembrandt Soft Pastels and Prismacolor Pencils. They all worked well together on the Canson paper.

These Stad One Push pencil holders were handy for using a Prismacolor pencil right to it's very end. Find them at Jet Pens.

Just some of the Rembrandt Pastels that were passed on to me from my late uncle Tom Cutter. He kept a grand, meticulous set that was invaluable for this illustration. I am so pleased to be able to used them for a project like this! 

These Faber-Castell pastel pencils had very good reviews on Blick. I was glad that I picked them up for this project.

Detail from Spring

Summer in Bridgewater, NJ

Detail from Spring.

These are just a few of the preliminary sketches of The Three Sisters. The preparation and design for the whole job entailed weeks of research. The sketches and thumbnails could fill a post alone.

These intro panels stand at either end of The Three Sisters and describe it's design details and philosophy. If you have a chance to see the mural, I 'd love to hear what you thought!

Schrade Tactical Pen

I saw a review of the Schrade Tactical Pen and was intrigued. And wouldn't you know it, Santa put one in my stocking! I gotta say it's a terrific pen and make no mistake, it's also a well crafted weapon, a version of a Kubotan. But it's got a German made nib that draws nicely. A great carry pen just for it's toughness, it would take a lot to scratch or damage it.

It's heavy and feels more like a tool than a pen, but what it lacks in finesse in makes up for in style... it looks like The Dark Knight would carry one. And besides, what other instrument can write like a fountain and crush a man's sternum?!?

See a detailed review at No Pen Intended and  Multi Pens Dimensions

The Schrade Tactical is a knockout of a pen... and slammed against the temple of a would-be attacker, it's lights-out.

I broke in my Scharade with some quick sketches while watching a great classic film, The Ox-Bow Incident. Check it out for the beautiful lighting alone. Great characters and story.

The characters in this film are terrific.

The Schrade uses the standard international cartridge, but I'm going to try a standard converter.

We're formin' a posse sheriff!

Major Tetley

The Schrade is a big pen, I've compared it above to: a Noodler's Ahab, Lamy Vista, and a Twsbi Diamond 530. For under 30 bucks it's a pretty good value. I recommend it.
I'd be interested to hear what other Schrade owners think.

New tools!

Santa's elves (and Mrs Clause) were very generous and thoughtful this year... as always, and I've got a lot of new stuff to keep me busy for a while. I'll have reviews of these items posted soon. They're all awesome additions to my studio/carry bag. Links to some item are below if you want to check them out for yourself.

A nice bundle of items from my thoughtful family.

Great new drawing tools that I can't wait to get into!

Pictured above:

• Edison Hudson fountain (from Goulet Pens)
• Pilot Prera fountain (from JetPens)
• Sharade Tactical Pen
• E+M Pocket Clutch Pencil and sharpener (from JetPens)
• Noodler's Dragon's Napalm ink (from Goulet Pens)
• Field Notes 3 pack, grid notebooks (from JetPens)
• Quo Vadis 4x6, blank sketchbook (from Goulet Pens)
• Rodia 5 3/4 x 8 1/4 side stapled, lined journal (from Goulet Pens)
• Derwent Sketch Pod
• Sennelier soft pastels with a pad of Sennelier Pastel Card
• A Chronicle sketchbook
• Package of Flower Dot mixed crayons (from JetPens)

Let me know if you've gotten a great new addition to your writing/drawing tools!