Bright Future on the Horizon: Appleby College Illustration

It was a thrill kicking off the year by helping Appleby College, near Toronto, tell the story of their arts program with this sunny cover illustration for their quarterly magazine.

The private secondary school prides itself on the wide range of skills that their arts education provides students as they step into life beyond the classroom.

I had the pleasure of working on this with the design agency Bhandari & Plater in Toronto.

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Inquiries & Commissions: Please contact sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Holiday Sweetness, Again

Thrilled to announce that a couple of my designs are once again atop tins of delicious chocolates this holiday season!

After a successful first year, Canada's Rogers' Chocolates has re-released Skating and Dove gift tins and ornaments, just in time for gift giving.

More about this licensing project (including links to purchase the decoratively wrapped confections!) can be found here, where I mentioned it last year.

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These illustrations are available for print, web, and other licensing uses.
Inquiries & Commissions: Please contact sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Illustration Contribution to Award Winning CD

Pleased to hear that an instructional CD produced by Ceridian Corporation, for which I created the cover art, has been awarded a 2009 Gold Spotlight Award by the League of American Communications Professionals.

LACP recognizes exemplary communications capabilities worldwide.
Kind of like a Grammy or Gold Glove award of the PR world — without all the singing or baseballs.

Hats off to Ceridian. The artwork and more about the project and client is here.

Choosing a Meaningful Direction

A colorful, just-completed illustration for the American Bar Association for an article about pro bono work.

The text focused on the importance of following one's own passions in order to provide meaningful experience as an advocate and focused on the direction three young lawyers have taken in their pro bono work and their careers.

Thanks to the advocates of illustration over at the ABA.
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This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries & Commissions: Please contact sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Landing a Government Job: Editorial Illustration

A couple hundred thousand federal jobs will be created in the U.S. in the coming years, and I was asked by Black Enterprise magazine to illustrate the topic for their August issue.


The artwork ended up spread eagle, so to speak, across the layout — a patriotic theme teaming up with the idea of joining the public sector ranks.


This marks 10 years that I've had the opportunity to contribute to the magazine and work with their creative team. A big thanks to Mary and Terence!
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This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries & Commissions: Please contact sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. © Sean Kane.

Ethical Dilemmas Visualized: Illustrations for Magazine Column

One of the great aspects of being an illustrator is exposure to a variety of subject matter and topics, and contributing to the Everyday Ethics column in The United Church Observer magazine is no exception.

Each month I am commissioned to come up with a conceptual illustration to accompany this feature, helping visualize an ethical dilemma at hand, typically a hypothetical one facing a church congregation or member.

Below are a few of the ethical questions I've tackled for the magazine and the resulting images.

Dilemma: Your church gym is a busy community focal point that helps keep local youngsters healthy and off the streets. But it badly needs refurbishing and your church has no money. A sporting goods merchant offers $10,000 but wants a small sign advertising his store displayed somewhere in the gym. Do you accept?

Dilemma: You are a minister and an outspoken opponent of gambling. After a community kitchen meal for the poor, you find a crumpled lottery ticket on the floor by the coat rack. Out of curiosity you check the numbers on the Internet and discover it’s a winner. What do you do?

Dilemma: A wealthy member of the congregation where you are a minister plans a gift that will sustain the church for many years. There’s a catch: he wants you to cancel Spirituality and Suds pub nights that are popular with young adults from the congregation and the community at large. Do you turn off the tap?

Dilemma: A colleague has gone on short-term disability following the flare-up of an old back injury. You are both in the running for the same promotion, one that you feel you deserve and one that you need so you can make ends meet. One day you spot your colleague zipping down the ski hill. What do you do?

A big thanks to the editors at UC Observer. More examples of illustrations helping to tell unique stories about events, products, and various topics can be seen in my portfolio.
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These illustrations are available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Reuse and assignment inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Appearing at SURTEX, May 17-19

I'll be rolling out upbeat, playful designs for licensing partnerships at SURTEX in New York City, May 17-19. SURTEX is a leading marketplace for art & design for all products and industries.

If you'd like to see my latest collection of images for products that'll shine on the shelf, please stop by booth #536. Or please contact me to arrange an appointment during the show.


This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Navigating Workplace Change CD Cover Art

From a variety of projects lately, here's an illustration for an instructional CD about charting a course through the changing economy and business climate.  And the CD has won an award, details here.


The client is Ceridian, a company which provides human resources and benefit services to corporations. They produce a number of these kinds of CDs for their clients' employees, and I've been fortunate enough to create cover art for a few of them with direction from Bright White Design.


The first go at the artwork was a little too red and hot to handle, so I lightened the mood a bit with yellow and tightened the view.


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This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries & Commissions: Please contact sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. © Sean Kane.

My Winter Artwork + Chocolates = Sweet!

Just in time for the gift giving season, Holiday tins featuring two of my illustrations (and filled with assorted chocolates, creams, and caramels!) have been unveiled by Rogers' Chocolates.

The historic Victoria, BC chocolatier has licensed my Dove and Skating artworks for three collectible products: the Dove tin, a Skating tin, and Dove ornament. (P.S. They ship them everywhere.)

Definitely a tasty project. Thanks to the creative team at Rogers' Chocolates.

Sleep CD goes Gold -- TWICE!

TWO shiny awards (previously unknown to this artist) have gone to the CD "Sleep Better Now", whose cover I illustrated.

The CD received a Gold Spotlight Award from the League of American Communication Professionals (LACP) in the category of Video/Audio Presentations.

And the CD received a 2008 Gold MarCom Award (lovely lady at the right) from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international award recognizes creative excellence in marketing and communication programs and materials.

It's fun to have played a role in this industry-recognized project and kudos to the team at Ceridian and Bright White Design!

(A better look at the cover art here.)

A Big Fluffy Pillow

I recently completed cover art for "Sleep Better Now", a wellness instructional CD setting out to help everyone get some quality shut-eye.

Working with Ceridian and Bright White Design was a dream.

detail. zzzzz....
This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Hang on tight, it's getting stormy. Surviving the Recession artwork.

Recently painted for a Recession Survival Guide feature on how to keep your home, finances, and career above water during the current economic climate. Always a thrill to work with the art directors at Black Enterprise Magazine.


This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

The New World of Work. Global Workforce Artwork.

Working around the clock, around the world, is the theme of a new instructional CD for IBM and cover artwork that I illustrated.

The CD focuses on maintaining effective professional and personal lives in a workday that spans the time zones, with technology and travel as parts of the equation.

A big thanks from several time zones away to Ing Designs and Ceridian Corporation for guiding the process.

This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

A New Hope for those with Mental Health Issues

The American Bar Association commissioned this piece for a feature story called "A New Hope". The article highlights efforts being made to address mental health issues in the legal profession and assist those needing help. Thanks to the ABA, great fans of illustration and my longest running client-relationship – 13 years already!

This illustration is available and can be customized for posters, institutional uses, print campaigns, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Habitat for Humanity Jazz Concert Artwork

Illustration created for "An Evening of Jazz" benefit concert to raise funds for construction of a house by Habitat for Humanity in Kankakee County, Illinois, an hour from Chicago. The poster for the event will include text over the ribbon winding through the image of this jazz guitar.

This illustration is available for your concert event and for print, web, and other licensing uses. It can be customized, too (picture your landmark building or skyline where the house is currently). Artwork is also available as individual art prints.

Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Getting Around U.S. Information Gathering

Challenges for European corporations trying to produce documentation for litigation in the U.S. while protecting personal data.

Thanks to InsideCounsel magazine for picking my Reverie Style for this one.

Thanks also to the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Black Enterprise, and MJSA for projects this past week.

This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Leaving School. Truancy Program Artwork.

Programs are being created by judges to assist and support young people who have turned away from the educational system. Truancy cover illustration for the American Bar Association.

This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Nationwide Mortgage Campaign

A series of ads, brochures and flyers highlighting new mortgage products are rolling out this summer. Graves Fowler Creative contacted me to create the artwork for their client, a major company which makes mortgage money available to lenders in communities across the U.S.

Rolling Through Retail Medicine

Thanks to the American Academy of Family Physicians for commissioning cover artwork for their flagship publication, Family Practice Management. Interesting article about where medical services and medical clinics are popping up these days and the quick churn of customers at health care centers located in retail stores.



This illustration is available for print, web, and other licensing uses and as individual art prints.
Inquiries please contact: sean@seankane.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Sean Kane.

Instructional CD Cover

Thanks! to Bright White Design for the commission to create cover artwork for Ceridian/GlaxoSmithKline's instructional CD "Growing Stronger Through Change."

Drivers Wanted

I was commissioned to create a tidy little suburban street scene for Volkswagen to be used in a tiny little promotion for the VW Passat. vroom, vroom. Thanks to Arnold Worldwide, Boston.

EndNote Goodbye

At long last, EndNote (the popular academic software tool for publishing and managing bibliographies which most every grad student and doctoral candidate seems to use) is phasing out the artwork I created for their packaging in 1998 with this week's release of Version 9.

Very pleased that the illustration provided such long term value for the company and the product identity. And it was always a kick to see it on store shelves and in computer catalogues, not to mention meeting the EndNote team in Berkeley back in the day. Nice to see my banner illustrations (rather pixelated) still in use on the EndNote site.

Charitable Events Guide

This summer and fall have been some of the busiest months around the studio in some time, completing nearly 70 illustrations for a variety of clients and their projects (while squeezing in a few days during that time for playing at the beach with visiting family and friends!)

Among the projects, Atlanta Magazine commissioned this painting for the cover of their annual Charitable Events Guide, coming out in January, hinting at the types of events that will be part of the city's social scene next year.

Coo-Coo, Coo-Coo, Time to Unload Those Stocks!

The mood turned to money with this altered coo-coo clock commissioned by Black Enterprise for a feature story describing when it's time to sell off investments.

My Illustration In Shoppers' Wallets

My art was part of the gift-giving tradition this holiday season with my snowman illustration adorning the Snowman Gift Card for Mervyns stores, part of the Target Brands group of retailers.

Books-A-Million Sizzlin'

Buyers of books this Summer may have seen my sun illustration on displays all around their local Books-A-Million store. The third largest book retailer in the nation with more than 200 stores in 18 states, BAM used the image to promote their hot 'Sizzlin' Summer Sale.

Japanese Debut

Sketches and final illustrations crisscrossed many time zones during the Summer as I began working with KF Design, designer of Asia-Pacific Perspectives : Japan+, a Tokyo-based publication offering readers insight into contemporary Japanese culture and society. Recently in the magazine my work accompanied an article about the shifting Japanese diet which is seeing more western, non-traditional foods at the table.

Internet Health Myths

Sneaking in before the last of the hot days were over, I created ten illustrations for Health & You magazine for a feature story about health-related myths on the Internet. Apparently the word on the 'net is that, among other misnomers, Costa Rican bananas cause flesh-eating bacterial disease. I was in Costa Rica earlier this year, ate plenty of bananas, and can personally attest that this is truly a myth and that snakes are the thing to watch out for there, not the produce! Thanks to HealthInk for the project.