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McLoughlin’s Illustrated McLoughlin Advertising News Sporting Classics “Life on a Raft” Spring Fishing in the
Great
I can’t thank you enough for your continued support of my work through your purchases of my originals and prints, and your shared memories of recent adventures afield. Your anecdotes are inspiring, thought provoking, and recalled fondly as I put brush to canvas . . . Email anytime for a chat! |
From the Studio by Wayne
McLoughlin Blue Loon Fine Arts News and Events |
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| Welcome to my studio! Some artists focus on one type of painting, but if you’ve been touching base here for a while, you know that I’m always involved in a mix of things, usually fine art, humor, advertising, and writing. This overview of recent activity in the studio presents quite a combo under those headings and more -- certainly enough to keep things hopping and very interesting!
Original Lesters Ammunition Bear and Lion Paintings Sporting Classics’ May/June issue carries the announcement that the originals for “Lesters Ammunition” (Bear) and “Lesters Ammunition” (Lion) are now for sale. The framed originals are thumb nailed here; click on them to see the detail of each piece. If you’ve had some dismal returns from stock market investments lately, these pieces are guaranteed to be far more rewarding. They’re sure to keep you happy (and laughing) for years to come! To make your set complete, there’s “Lesters Ammunition” (Moose), which has a matching frame and can be viewed on site in “Golden Age Parodies.” [Back to top]
I’ve been very fortunate over the past several months to be involved in several projects which have provided the opportunity to step back from my serious painting and pause for a period of recharging and reflection. It’s a chance to review and assess the work and make adjustments in order to keep the work challenging, and, most importantly, interesting.
McLoughlin Illustrated Books: Warriors and Seekers Quite a few of my outdoor clients might not know that I’ve illustrated over thirty books for children of all ages. Most of them feature animals in the wild, a natural transition from my outdoor painting. One of the projects I’ve been involved in during my recent break actually began several years ago when HarperCollins asked me to paint the first book cover for a new fantasy series for young readers, aged 9-13. The subject of the series was cat clans on a quest and featured realistically rendered cats in varied landscapes with dramatic lighting. I thought it could be amusing and agreed. Well, that book was titled Warriors #1: Into the Wild and I’ve now painted more than twenty covers and illustrated several graphic guides for that hugely successful series. The enthusiastic response from the young readership has been an inspiration to bring their favorite characters to life in a memorable way.
To see a list of books in both series, visit www.HarperCollinschildrens.com. If you have children or grandchildren who are Warriors or Seekers fans and would like a volume signed by the artist, send the book, along with $5 for forwarding postage and the address of the recipient to: Wayne McLoughlin,
Blue Loon Fine Arts, Inc. In the near future I’ll be creating a web page that includes the artwork and perhaps a few signed posters that can be ordered from Warriors, Seekers, and other books I’ve illustrated for young readers. Originals are owned by the artist and the artwork may not be reproduced. [Back to top]
I’m also enjoying a ‘Blast from the Past’ experience. Back in the early ‘70’s, I wrote and illustrated quite a few satirical articles for National Lampoon magazine. In those days it was the magazine read by American college students. One of the most prolific artist/writers during Lampoon’s Golden Age, and one of our generation’s finest cartoonists, is Rick Meyerowitz. It turns out that Mr. Meyerowitz is producing a coffee table book with Abrams featuring many of those who contributed to Lampoon’s early years. Rick visited our studio a couple of weeks ago to review my stored originals that he’s decided to include. If you were a fan of the old Lampoon, this will be a must-have volume. It will be a 300+ page gathering of the most memorable work of the artists, cartoonists and writers who made Lampoon such a phenomenon and I’m very honored to be included. See Rick’s work and that of his talented partner, Maira Kalman, at www.rickmeyerowitz.com and www.mairakalman.com. If you happened to see the ingenious New Yorker cover, “New Yorkistan,” that lifted Manhattanites spirits after 9/11, these are the people who created it. [Back to top]
Yet another intriguing project occupied much of the fall of ’08. For many years, I’ve produced advertising art for companies like Ford, Adidas, CBS, Burger King, Citibank and even artwork used in the introductory segments of big football games. The last several years’ advertising work has tended to focus on those companies in the outdoors industry like Knives of Alaska, Cabelas, Jarrett Rifles and Talley Manufacturing. Many of you have seen the “classic ads” I’ve painted for Jarrett Rifles in several styles popular at the turn of the century. They’ve appeared in Gray’s Sporting Journal, Sporting Classics, Safari Magazine and Sports Afield.
To celebrate Jarrett Rifles’ 30th year in business, Kenny Jarrett commissioned a new catalog marking the anniversary. It was a large project involving graphic design, illustration, copywriting, editing, photo direction and a host of other aspects to showcase Jarrett’s legendary hunting rifles and the people who build them. I created the layout, illustrations, edited and created new copy, while Todd Lista, of Lista’s Studio of Photography, contributed the beautiful photographs, and Jill Gainer, of JLG&A Marketing Communications, lent her considerable computer graphic skills to the creation of the printing files. Phoenix Printing in Augusta, GA, brought the project in on deadline with handsome color and special gloss effects. To learn more about Jarrett Rifles and obtain a new catalog and a “vintage” ad poster, contact Rissa Jarrett at 803-471-3616. Visit their website at www.jarrettrifles.com and review a sample of the catalog here:
Contact me if you’re considering a project to refresh and revitalize your company’s image, develop a new logo (or refresh an old one), or create branded promo pieces like tin signs and posters, and I’ll put together an approach that you and your customers will find refreshingly different from the cookie cutter “computer art” that is so ubiquitous in today’s advertising. Contact me via info@blueloonfinearts.com. [Back to top]
It’s difficult for a dedicated fisherman like myself to imagine a better experience than fly fishing in Alaska for Coho Salmon, Dolly Varden, and Steelhead. However, when a Super DC 3 picks fishermen up in Anchorage for the flight to Alaska Expedition Company’s Driftwood Lodge on the Tsiu River . . . well folks, you’re well past “trip” and solidly into “adventure”! Your hosts, Charles and Jody Allen, have a staff of outstanding guides, an excellent chef, and the equipment and facilities on hand for a trip of a lifetime. Visit their lodge site, www.alaskaexpedition.com, for an overview of everything they offer. Charles, a registered Alaskan Guide and bush pilot, is the founder and president of Knives of Alaska, www.knivesofalaska.com. His new company DiamondBlade is literally the leading edge in advances in knife technology. Check out www.diamondblade.com for the amazing story. [Back to top]
Sporting Classics “Life on a Raft” Winter wound down with yet another publishing project. Sporting Classics’ Chuck Wechsler wanted to feature my artwork in an eight-page article – but with a twist. Once he learned I was a writer, he wanted me to write about my own work, how it evolved and how I felt about it. The resulting piece in the March/April 2009 issue both surprised and pleased me. I’d chosen to write something much more personal and revealing than any of the prior articles I’d done. It offers a lucid explanation of why I’m unwilling to focus on one creative area or subject matter. If I’m to spend a sunny day in the studio, it better be interesting! Apparently it struck a note with many readers; their kind words truly meant a great deal to me. Thanks so much to all of you for your generous responses! [Back to top]
Spring Fishing in the Great North Woods A month from now I’ll indulge in my annual pilgrimage to the Connecticut Lakes with a few friends for a couple of day’s fishing. It is the time of the landlocked salmon run, an occurrence in some of the most beautiful country in New England, The Great North Woods. We are all avid fly fishermen and are devoted fans of the ‘landlocks,’ truly one of the finest game fish in North America. They are beautiful, fast, acrobatic fighters that respond to the classic smelt patterns like Grey Ghost and the Nine-Three. Lately a variety of nymphs have been the most productive. I’m not overly wild about ‘nymphing,’ but the fact is, it works! Our group practices catch and release, but each year we’ll usually keep a couple of salmon to cook for dinner our first day out. Invariably chilly (to say the least!) with snow and ice in the shadow of the trees, it is a wonderful time to mark the beginning of the season. Fine friends, fine fish; it rejuvenates us all after the long New England winter! This outing and others to follow over the season will provide the grist for a new series of paintings which I will begin upon my return. The subject matter will focus upon the northern landscape, its people and the river I know so well, the Connecticut. I can hardly wait to begin! [Back to top] Cheers to you all! |
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| © Wayne McLoughlin, Blue Loon Fine Arts, Inc. | |||||||||
Lion Framed: 31" x 22"
Another series, Seekers, from the same author but featuring bears, is now reaching the bookstores and I’ve been asked to illustrate that as well. Because of the bears’ habitats and territories, I’m able to include many areas I’ve camped and fished, making the project very enjoyable. Both series have reached the New York Times’ bestseller list several times, so it is a real pleasure to contribute to a project which has instilled a love of reading in young people. 
