Bird, Bug, Flower and Plant Art at WSJ
Aside from the ever-present Hedcut Portrait assignments we got, there was a lot of demand for Bird, Bug, Flower and Plant art at WSJ during my years there. This post will feature some of the many images I created at The Wall Street Journal of flora and fauna.
Audubon Bird Illustration
I’ll begin with a bird. This charming avian creature was rendered from an Audubon print.
Gipsy Moth
Above, a simple drawing of the Gipsy Moth, in half-column format, 1.25” wide. Next a couple of full-column images from the WSJ, depicting a Pepper plant, and a Kiwi plant.
Pepper Plant
Kiwi Plant
I always had a love for plants and gardening, so these were a breeze to create. My mentors in the garden were my Mother, and her Danish Gardener, Vetus Boyesen. I recall turning the leaves into mulch with Vetus in my parents’ rather large raspberry patch. He was an inspiration, like many of my masters. Vetus’s son, Hans, was a graphic designer, and my guide in applying to art school.
White Fly
I don’t know why I signed the illustration above. Probably testing the waters as to what I could get away with — you have to look for it to see it! This is a rather humble half-column drawing. Sometimes, you have to try putting lipstick on a pig, I suppose.
Bowl Weevil
Okay, this is bit more elegant. The bowl weevil above was also in half-column format.
Hibiscus Flower
I always found it a challenge to create accurate miniature drawings of beautiful blooms. The hibiscus above reminds me of those I admired on the isle of Montserrat, where my wife and I spent an idyllic 5th Anniversary. Next up, a flower that graced my family’s mailbox when I was a youth…
Tiger Lily
I found it a priviledge to work at The WSJ, where my main duty was to create beautiful drawings.
Mosquito
This is another creature I was very well familiar with, having grown up near the Swamps in Northern New Jersey, now known as ‘The Meadowlands’. My Mom used to spray our bedrooms with insecticide some nights. My sibs and I had to remain outside for a good hour before regaining access!
Finally, I end as I began. with a bird. This is an image of a Falconer with his charge…
Falcon and Falconer
I show this image somewhat enlarged, as it contains some nice detail. This drawing, likely created at about 8” wide, printed at roughly 2-½” wide. Note the horizontal lines contributing to the background texture. My signature appears at the bottom left. I consider this to be a good drawing, in Classic WSJ style! Thanks for joining me this time.
More next week…
