Barack Obama

The Oprah-factor. Will it help? It certainly can't hurt. He and Hillary are essentially neck-and-neck in Iowa. What's fascinating to me is his charisma and presence. That seems to go a long way with many people. He also seems to be an intensively smart man. Many people came to first know about him after his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I missed the speech, but I remember the buzz afterward. People noted how brilliant and inspiring his speech was perceived, and how he would be the future of the Democratic party.

It's always interesting to watch the polls and how people analyze them as if they are of critical importance 100% of the time. Any bodybuilder (or anyone trying to get into shape for their class reunion) knows it's all about peaking at the right time. Obama's peak appears to be happening at about the right time.

I did this piece a few months back to be included as part of a portrait-themed promotional brochure I was planning. After doing it, I decided it disproportionately out-shined some of the others I was to include. This sparked a fervent stretch of voluminous output on my part, that continues to this day. This has advanced my work, invaluably, and sparked some of my favorite illustrations to-date (check out the Amy Winehouse image from September -- no pun intended but I'm completely addicted to her music right now).

The brochure is still in the works. Drop me a line, and I'll send you one when it's complete.

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