Remembering the Oil Spill

© Heidi Younger

IF- Modify

Let's all modify our carbon output.

© Heidi Younger

Opening Mills Pond House St James NY

A M M E N D E D III
It seems that my image from the show made the cover of the local news paper. I am guessing because it's an illustration. Thus proving illustration says sooo much more....
(kidding fine artists out there). It was a nice surprise, they even make mention of the piece in the article. I only wish it came with a check. cheers


----- P A R T 1 ------

Inspiring Ecological Awareness Through Art; this show investigates the recycling of materials to create new art. I however, always the illustrator, show my version on reuse.
This image was created last fall read about it - c l i c k -
Hope to see you there.

Reception is 2-4 this Sunday, July 20th.

A M E N D E D --- P A R T II -----

Despite the Heat and Humidity (which you can plainly see in my hair) people came to the opening. My piece was the most different of the entire show as it wasn't created from anything recycled, but alas it was an illustration depicting the reuse of shopping bags. A rule at which I live by. If you examine my piece you will notice that the guy drives a SUV.


The gallery had set aside a room for kids to create their own art. I was taken by this piece.

Paul and Maria D'Amico, Paul is creative director of Pen Pixel design.

Me and my niece Elizabeth who will be turning 12 in September.

Chris my nephew (turning 9 very soon) with his creation, a house for his 3 pet gerbils. Below, Christ diligently working.


Chris's friend Joe with his "robot" we ended up staying the entire time and I can say everyone had such fun. What if every gallery opening had a room where people can create right there on the spot after being inspired?

That's me helping out with the technical aspects.

Chris proudly displays the house, the gerbils names are Max, Chester, and Chewy, see accompanying illustrations.

The End!

Flee Tree – Otherwise known as good intentions.

Fake or Real? A perplexing question for those who sort of care about the environment. We have been told that to purchase a real tree for Christmas is more ecological as it preserves more “green space” to farm the trees. But a lover of trees has to watch the poor thing shrivel up during its month long dying period. Instructed to water it each day, and notice how it sucks it up, yes the tree is alive… for now.
As it begins to die the watering becomes less and less. The pliability of the branches becomes noticeably harder and brittle. A fake tree has all sorts of environmental alarms, as it is like one giant plastic bag when you finally throw it out.
You can’t recycle that material, however for a real tree its carcass can be used to help stop beach erosion, or be made into mulch.

Good intention? Kill a tree, preserve a green space? Or make room for yet another unsightly strip mall?
Ink drawing from my sketchbook, digital color © Heidi Younger

Go Green, a continuation...

More rants from me. Keep less carbon from the atmosphere and reuse and recycle, don't waste. You've heard me say it before, many times.
I've been "adjusting" my illustration style, over the past few months, to integrate more textures. Textures that I discovered doing relief printmaking.
It's weird that I haven't gone completely linear from my experiences with relief prints, but the painter in me wants more form.
I do love the line, and my life drawings are nearly all ink line, perhaps that is what frees me to just focus on textures and forms in my illustration work.
Well, whatever the case, I am enjoying the process completely. If only I can conquer my chocolate addiction.
© Heidi Younger

* Cookie jogs along as seen in photo- healthy and very active despite her paralyzed condition. It will be a year the end of January, I think she has forgotten how to walk.

Reusable Bags

As taken from my actual life, this illustration is derived from my experience, as most are. Months ago I've ditched using plastic bags at the supermarket and bought reusable bags, it is my small effort to help save the planet. There are a few of us who bring our own bags to the grocery store, other people look at us and some send off hostel messages "just who do you think you are?" while others think "I can do that too, wow that's cool, chíck even!"
Either case many local politicians are talking seriously about making it mandatory, such is the case in the city of San Francisco, CA when they banned plastic grocery bags.
As trendy New Yorkers sport reusable bag from shops like Trader Joe's which markets its 'designer' reusable tote, this phenom is becoming more about fashion and heck, if it's good for the planet BIG thumbs up.
Not only does this effort stop the use of these polyethylene bags that some experts say are one of the biggest sources of pollution, and environmental hazards, they are also costly to discard (recycle), they are made from petroleum, which is oil based, as all plastics are. As my small effort I urge everyone I know to pick up a few cheap cotton, hemp tote bags and follow suit.
I bought a few from my local grocery store very inexpensively, 99 cents to $1.99 for the insulated ones. I've also discovered that I had a bunch of tote bags laying around, which are now being used, thank you very much.
On a side note: Kudos Mr. Al Gore on your Nobel Peace Prize!

Painted on illustration board with acrylic paint, I am enjoying working with acrylic and have mumbled to myself that my gouache days are over, don't get me wrong, I do love gouache but now I've evolved to appreciate two things 1. under painting and 2. dry brush; a bit difficult to do with opaque water color.
11x14 acrylic on illustration board © Heidi Younger 2007







Dachshund update: Cookie, my 9 year old long haired dashie, still enjoys walks in the park despite her condition. She gets quite a lot of attention and completely enjoys all the new friends she has met.

Carbon Neutrality

What is your impact?
Have you ever thought about your impact on the fragile world? With Global Warming taking precedence over most other environmental headlines, and rightfully so, as it seems to be one thing that we can change. Or at least try to change while there is still time or hope left.
I’ve always thought of myself as an environmentally sensitive person. I use mass transit, when I drive I use a tiny Honda hatchback, for the most part I am vegetarian, I recycle and use reusable shopping bags and compact florescent light bulbs, but what was my carbon output? With more research into this topic I found that for the estimated 22 tons of carbon that I output per year I can neutralize this by purchasing carbon credits. This works by offsetting my used carbon with carbon absorbing activities to compensate, an example would be planting trees, or investing in renewable energy like wind, solar etc.
Example, you are an American that must drive your super sized SUV, but that tinge of guilt hits, especially after you experienced one of the hottest summers on record. You can become carbon neutral by buying enough carbon credits to neutralize your SUV output. You can have your Cake and eat it too.

Sounds a bit familiar, much like the ancient Catholic practice of purchasing indulgences, which helped bring about the protestant reformation movement.

Although my usage is below the national average, which is 27 tons, it is vastly more than the world average, which is only 5.5 tons. That is something to think about it. As a modern American I am seemingly required to use lots energy, I need to be glued to my computer nearly 24/7 and I need to drive to my jobs which is also computer necessary, as well as, stay up late working with lights on.


I am embarrassed that the United States refused to sign the Kyoto treaty, with our 2% of the world population and 80% use of the world’s resources. Pretty ballsy of us Americans, the least we should do is attempt to become carbon neutral on an individual basis. Find out more.
What is your carbon footprint? Calculate your carbon output.
Buy carbon cards click.


Illustration © Heidi Younger

smoke?

Air Quality- this dimensional piece created in the early 1990s when I was exploring dimensional art, mainly for the use of natural shadows. I did a bunch of these type of illustrations back then. In 1995, BEHOLD photoshop entered my life. And creating natural shadows became more convenient than finding a photographer to shoot the piece. I do miss the tactile quality. I used cotton for the smoke, the rest is gouache on cut out bristle with foam core underneath to add the depths. Oh, I used some collage with the type "Air" and lots of glue. This piece has been available for reuse, but was never used. I wonder at the words of my former rep. "It's too scary, the red...." Perhaps that and the subject is a turn off? I should do a piece addressing global warming. That is an issue ridiculously debated (FYI- I side with the scientists).
© Heidi Younger