Eric Shalley

I am absolutely in love with the work of Pascal Campion. I recently came across some of his work and I can’t get enough. He is definitely a very talented artist, but with two kids of my own, the stories he tells are so familiar and dear to me. You can check out more of his work on his personal website: pascalcampoin.com There is also a great video interview here.

An unlikely duet.
Ballpoint pen on paper.

Our family is expanding, which meant the chance to create a new room for my 3-year old son. I really wanted to paint a special mural that would commemorate his favorite things to do in our town. So with this crazy idea, some paper, and a pen, I got to work. I interviewed my son and together we came up with a list of possible locations.

Sketching out the buildings and transferring them to the wall was by far and away the easiest part for me. When I began to paint I quickly realized how steady my hand would have to be to create the level of detail that I was going for. Frustrated, I tried painter’s tape and was thrilled at the crisp lines it produced. As you can see from the image above, I went through a ton of tape. I’m fairly certain that I could give a master’s class on creative use and application of painter’s tape after this project.

So, after a coat of primer, 2 coats of blue and green sky/landscape paint, 7 transparencies (to transfer the sketches to the wall), 3 jumbo rolls of tape, 19 different tubes of acrylic paint, 100+ hours and too many Diet Dews to count, here is the finished product.

View of the left side wall.

Detail of  the art museum, clock tower, Sample Gates, and Assembly Hall at my alma mater, Indiana University.

The courthouse on the square in Bloomington.

My son is a big fan of construction equipment, so he requested a huge crane.

The firehouse that we pass each day on our way to preschool and the Kirkwood Observatory since he is interested in space shuttles and the moon.

His first request was Target, which is his favorite store in the entire world. (Sounds odd for a 3-year old, but it’s true.) And Curious George flying a kite to the left.

WonderLab, a local science center for kids and some playground equipment from his favorite park.

I knew this would be a rewarding project to take on, but when he gave me a huge hug and said it was beautiful, it made it all that much more worthwhile.

I have doodled on my notebooks and in the margins of papers for as long as I can remember. Today this little dino came to life somewhere between a global conference call and lunch. I feel the need to note that I am listening and participating while I doodle. It helps me stay creatively balanced and fresh through the stresses of the day.

Just a couple of germs that have been captured for research. In fact, they seem quite happy about it.

Graphite on graph paper. Color added in Photoshop.

Here is a cube pattern I came up with a while back. Created with a ruler, pencil, and my trusty Design 2 markers. Actual size: 32″x24″

This little gear head can’t wait to modify his wheel.

Ballpoint pen on paper

Stunningly rich illustrations by Alberto Cerritento. I really admire his artistic style, use of texture, and the vivid colors he utilizes in his illustrations. He can come decorate any room in my house with his artwork. You can view much more of his fantastic work on his site.

Having a bit of fun with type and came up with this little pink piggy. Constructed from different sizes and weights of Bembo.

Inspired by Bembo’s Zoo.

A 5 min study sketch from a news stroy about troops comming home from overseas. Ballpoint pen on paper.