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This illustration was created for Discover magazine and was to accompany an article about how the medical use of marijuana might help people manage physical conditions, rather than psychological ones. I was given a free hand with the interpretation of the image with the stipulation that a marijuana leaf should be included as it would provide a quick visual 'read' for the piece.

I was aiming to create strong representational image that would compliment the title of the article and knew that I wanted a figurative pose that would be arching in some way as a reaction to the pain. The first sketch, left, was well received but because I'd got so caught up in the figure drawing I'd overlooked the fact that I had not highlighted the neck area. I revised it by bringing the head right forward while keeping the figure position the same. The pain referred to is essentially nerve pain so I was able to include the nervous system while relating it colour-wise to the healing powers of the green leaf.

This illustration was for Life In Balance magazine and was to accompany a fascinating article about healing trauma through visualisation techniques. Part of the technique involves the cradling and manipulation of the 7th vertebrae which then enables the trauma sufferer to 're-frame' the colours surrounding the 'icon' of pain.

All pretty dense visual stuff but in this case I was lucky enough to get an image right away - the hand touching the vertebrae leading to an abstract chain of events with suggestions of frames and icons. A reference in the text to Neverland lead to the inclusion of Tinkerbell wings. Below left is my quick sketch to capture the idea and on the right is the more refined sketch that was sent for client approval.

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This illustration was for Running Times magazine about the psyche of runners and how they are never satisfied with their achievements, always wanting more.

The editorial team wanted to incorporate the illusion of M C Escher's 'Infinite Staircase' to convey the runners mindset. It was then a question of the setting and how best to integrate the staircase with other elements.

I always start out with the intention of producing a simple graphic image (believe it or not) so positioning the staircase within a silhouetted head seemed a good way to go. Adding the runner on the stairs for the main focal point and then including a stopwatch face to emphasise the theme and that felt enough.

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One from a small series of new images for Scientific American Mind magazine for a feature on pregnancy and the physical effects on the brain. Not just of women but men too. The idea here is to show the working relationship between the pregnancy itself and the mind with the red wedges implying disruption.

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Just completed this opener and a couple of spots for NYU Physician magazine. Essentially an overview of recent medical news. They liked earlier medical pieces of mine and wanted something in a similar vein (no pun intended!).
References in the copy to breast cancer, genetics, epilepsy, dirty clouds and research were all included in the illustration. Here's the finished piece dropped into the dummy layout.

Below is a closer look at a section of the finished art together with my initial pencil sketch.

Here is one of the two spots for the same issue of NYU Physician. The news item was about breast cancer. An 'elegant' treatment of the subject was requested together with a pastel coloured palette. I have a tendency to veer towards strong vibrant colours and it was felt that would not be an appropriate treatment for this piece.



The pattern on the dress is made up of X chromosomes showing the tips (telomeres) which can decay causing DNA issues as seen in cancers. The DNA is referenced in the earring.

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