Ted McGrath

Ilana Kohn

Brooklyn-based illustrator — and Lost At E Minor contributor — Ilana Kohn creates vibrantly coloured works which practically glow in their playfulness. A graduate of Pratt Institute, Kohn’s regular clients include the New York Times, The Deal, Utne Reader, and The Advocate. Read more

Matthew Smith

Vivid technicolor dreamscapes emerge from Brooklyn-based illustrator Matthew Smith’s clever imagination. Always expect the unexpected in his bright, unique, and colourful world, which he builds with detailed line work and bold powerful marker strokes. Yes, I said marker strokes, which is his medium of choice. This allows him to finish his lush pieces with whimsical speed and passion, leaving behind him a stack of imaginative work. His fresh approach and voice are both inspiring and well-appreciated in a world where everyone is trying to be like everyone else. Read more

Fernanda Cohen’s New York portfolio class

The brilliant New York illustrator, Fernanda Cohen — who just happens to live down the road from me in Brooklyn — is teaching a portfolio class at Third Ward starting this coming Tuesday. The course, Illustration Portfolio, ‘helps students build a professional portfolio strong enough for them to feel confident to show it to art directors in the illustration field, including editorial and advertising’. She will lead the class in discussions about ‘what goes into a portfolio, and how to choose your best work, and talk about art directors, who they are, and what they expect from illustrators they are looking to hire’. Visit the Third Ward website for more details.

Sixth Pommery Exhibition Sons & Lumieres

How much better can it get than little dollops of contemporary art interspersed throughout the breathtaking setting of Champagne Pommery’s Domaine in Reims, France. The most interesting part here is that this is an ongoing tradition at Champagne Pommery, going all the way back to the 19th century ‘when Madame Pommery commissioned sculptor Gustav Navlet to carve four bas reliefs for the estate and later had the famous cabinet maker and glass artist Emile Gallé create a solid oak Pommery barrel that holds up to 19,816 gallons (100,000 bottles). This barrel was displayed at the 1904 Worlds’ Fair in St. Louis’. The upcoming Sixth Pommery Exhibition, Sons & Lumieres, will be curated by French artist Bertrand Lavier and will include ‘everyday objects often set in difficult spaces’. Read more

Ben O’Brien

Color heaven! Perusing UK illustrator Ben O’Brien’s portfolio feels a lot like wandering the aisles of a giant candy store. I could buy one of everything in sight. Read more

Art Decks

I love it! With the CD now being eclipsed by the MP3, I find myself feeling even more nostalgic for the simple charm of the cassette. Australian artists Andrew Smart and Jared Schmidt create ‘large scale hand-made wooden cassette tapes, routed, sanded, bogged, primed, and painted with a high quality paint finish’. Aha! The perfect way to memorialize my old mix tapes. Read more