My friend, Jefferson Pitcher, asked me to contribute a portrait to his gorgeous three-disc CD package, “Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies” by J. Matthew Gerken, Christian Kiefer, and Jefferson Pitcher (Standard Recordings, 2008). It comes with a book, showcasing a portrait for each President. Lots of great art.
You can read about the project HERE!
You can buy the CD at AMAZON.COM!
I was given a few choices for a President I could do. I was on the fence between drawing Coolidge and Cleveland. There’s a fantastic shot of Coolidge on the farm, in overalls and a silly hat, with a scythe or something, whacking at grass. And I was so tempted to use that pose. But I ultimately chose Cleveland for some reason. I was transfixed by a portrait Eastman Johnson painted, in particular with Cleveland’s face (that expression!) and his delicate, pudgy hands.
I referenced the image for my portrait, but just took the parts I was interested in – the face and the hands – and truncated the rest to fit in a square “CD case” format.
I was working on the piece at DragonCon 2007, and Frank Brunner (sitting at the table next to me) looked over my shoulder and commented on the strange hands.