Old Stuff

Back in the 90s I did a string of illustrations for National Geographic, usually for Geographica, up in the front of the book. They were great people to deal with, with long deadlines, interesting stories and occasional lunch invitations. This was one of the earliest ones I did and it's one I still like (it's pen & ink, colored pencil and alkyd, for those who care). What I remember most from this one is, in the first sketch I sent in I had penguins in it, that is, penguins in the north Pacific. The National Geographic is awfully particular about factual matters, especially those having something to do with nature, and they informed me most emphatically that there are no penguins in the north Pacific (maybe I knew it but had forgotten). So these are some kind of seagulls, which, as experts can attest, do live in the north Pacific. 

I also remember this; after a year or so, when they'd gotten enough drawings down in the art department to ship back, they would package up the pile in an actual wooden crate and have it delivered to the artist. In my studio closet I've still got one of the big flat wooden crates, carefully constructed of some kind of pine and screws, full of National Geographic drawings. And each drawing has assorted stamps and markings on it or paperwork attached, as though it had taken a long journey into a more exotic world.