The Main Thing isâ€¦

"The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live."
–Auguste Rodin

Jeff MacNelly

When it comes to political cartoonists, there's one name at the very top of my list: Jeff MacNelly. For my money, he was the best there ever was. He appeared on the cover of newsweek when I was just beginning to draw political cartoons myself, and he became an instant hero to me. Once, while interviewing with the editorial page editor of a major metropolitan newspaper, I was introduced to the current staff cartoonist (whose job, I suppose, was ostensibly at stake were I to be hired.) The cartoonist looked me over and said, "So you're the guy who supposedly draws like Jeff MacNelly, huh?" I thought to myself, "I know he's insulting me, but I'm going to take that as a huge compliment!" I didn't get the job, but I'll always remember that moment fondly.

Here are some examples of Jeff MacNelly's work…

Source: shoecomics.com

MacNelly won the Pulitzer Prize three separate times for his editorial cartoons, and also wrote and illustrated two nationally-syndicated daily comic strips, "Shoe" and "Pluggers."

Source: shoecomics.com

As far as pure drawing talent, in my opinion, the only cartoonist who can hold a candle to him is Michael Ramirez, who was Jeff's friend and has a similar drawing style. Sadly, Jeff MacNelly passed away at the age of 52 in June of 2000. I very much would have enjoyed seeing his take on today's crazy political scene.

Source: shoecomics.com

You can learn more about the artist here and find lots of his old editorial cartoons, here.

"I am still learning."
–Michelangelo

Culled from the depths
of the Internet

Timelapse watercolor work by Russian artist Julia Barminova. • The Scribble Pen – unlimited colors; copy any color in the world and share. • Space-exploring robot tweets a heartbreaking goodbye. • Cool! Short film showing how tennis balls for the U.S. Open are made. • The Ideal Image Sizes for Your Social Media Posts: Guidelines for All 6 Major Social Networks. • R.I.P. Jack Davis, Mad magazine illustrator and cartoonist. • Mesmerizing Kaleidoscopic GIFs by Anna Taberko. • Picasso's self-portrait at ages 18, 25, and 90.

"Good art keeps you warm."
–Andy Goldsworthy

The four winners of the July print giveaway have been notified via email, so be sure to check your inbox. Each winner will receive a small, matted and signed, limited edition print of "Be Silly, Be Honest, Be Kind" (like those shown below) as soon as I hear back. Congratulations, and thank you—everyone—for sharing this newsletter with your friends. I truly appreciate it!

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August Print Giveaway

Pup

SIZE: Artwork is 8 x 10 inches, matted to 5 x 7 inches (fits in 8 x 10 inch frame).
EDITION: Artist proof.
MATERIALS: Hand-signed, limited edition, Giclée fine art print with 8-ply gallery board mat (the print is matted but unframed.)
PAPER: Printed on Hahnemuhle William Turner — a 310g, acid-free, natural white, mould-made paper with 100% rag content (highly archival).

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So senseless: R.I.P. Pinky the Flamingo…

Until next week…

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About Me

Hi. I’m D.E.Uhlig. I’m an artist, author, husband and father.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw. Years ago I gave my wife a hand-drawn card for our anniversary, and she loved it so much she made me promise to ALWAYS hand-draw her cards. Then our three kids made me promise to do the same with their birthday cards. And when I posted some of my drawings online, people began asking how they could purchase my work—so I created this newsletter. I believe in something I like to call “The Happiness of Art” and I hope it makes you smile.

Official Bio

D.E.Uhlig is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Kansas City Star, Christian Science Monitor, University Daily Kansan, Editorial Humor Magazine, and World Policy Journal. Commercial illustration and design clients over the years have included Samsung, Sprint, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, among others—and his Starbucks RedCup illustrations have been featured on the company's Pinterest and Facebook pages. In 1989, Mr. Uhlig co-founded Uhlig LLC, a leading provider of cross-media publishing and communication services in industries ranging from residential housing to book publishing to cancer care. Mr. Uhlig is married with three children and resides in Kansas City. He is currently working on children’s books, ebooks and apps.

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