North End Boston
I visited Boston for the first time in 2019 and it was love at first sight (and taste)! I stayed in the North End for only 3 nights and it was not nearly enough time to explore all the excellent restaurants, delis, shops and supermarkets. The North End of Boston is famous for being an authentic Italian neighborhood and I was only too happy to indulge in their cuisine. Mangia mangia! I made this map to help me remember some of the wonderful food I enjoyed during my short-but-sweet stay in Beantown. I didn’t have enough room to include all the foods I sampled (for example, the lobster rolls, yum!) but it’s a pretty good summary. This is the first illustrated map I created using Procreate — there was a lot of learning and trial-and-error in this project but I had great fun putting it all together.
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Sunken Cities
This world map is illustrated with artifacts or ruins found at archaeological sites of cities through antiquity that have been lost to the waves. Whether by earthquake, volcano, rising sea levels or some other cataclysm, countless waterfront towns, villages and metropolises around the globe have sunk to a watery grave. I made this map for a call for maps for a new atlas by Guerrilla Cartography (their mission is to widely promote the cartographic arts and facilitate an expansion of the art, methods, and thematic scope of cartography, through collaborative projects, hosting theme-based community workshops and symposiums, and mounting public exhibitions). According to GC, Shelter: An Atlas endeavors to map shelter in its myriad contexts and conditions and at all scales of research and geography. I conducted extensive online research for this map, and due to restrictions on space I had to leave out a number of other sites that I learned about. The illustrations were created in Procreate for iPad and the main map was assembled and typeset in Photoshop. It is my hope that my map will be accepted by GC for publication in the new atlas. If so, I’ll be sure to post an update about that!
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The Great Lakes
The Milwaukee County Historical Society is preparing for a new major exhibit about the Great Lakes and Milwaukee’s role as a “Water Centric City.” When they needed quality, custom-made maps to display in their interpretive exhibits, they asked if I could help. These are among a series of 10 maps I was commissioned to make for this exhibition (due to open in January 2021 and running through 2022). Among the Great Lakes maps I created were: Great Lakes Basin…Wisconsin’s Diversion Dilemma…Wisconsin’s recent glaciation…Wisconsin’s Ecological Landscapes….Invasive Mussels…and Great Lakes in profile. Though these maps are not really “illustrated maps” — but rather designed to be more educational, museum-style — they were no less fun to work on! No matter what the style, I love making maps. And these were especially enjoyable, as I have lived next to Lake Michigan most of my life.
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Shipwreck Coast II
This is a fresh update of my first Shipwreck Coast map, which was published in a magazine in 2017. This newly revised map does a much better job of showing why this 80-miles stretch of Michigan’s northern shore earned it’s other chilling moniker: “Graveyard of the Great Lakes.” Since around 1836 over 600 ships and their crew have vanished beneath the waves, from any one or more of the hazards of sailing on Lake Superior. All of the Great Lakes have seen an extraordinary share of wrecks — some experts put the total at upwards of 10,000 — but conditions on Lake Superior are the worst of them all, particularly in the fall. I think this revision my Shipwreck Coast map offers a more complete perspective of this region. and maybe sparks renewed interest in the maritime history of Lake Superior and it’s victims.
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Hats of the World
I’ve always been captivated by hats and caps. There is so much diversity throughout history and time and cultures! Originally hats were worn for protection from the elements, most notably the sun/heat, precipitation and cold. But they have been used for so many other functions, such as for ceremonies and fashion. They developed into important symbols of status and class. And they evolved with a wide variety of jobs and occupations. For this project I chose 29 hats and caps from around the globe; they should be recognizable to most people. I tried to position them close to the country of origin or popularity, or at least near where the particular hat is commonly worn. I chose: Trapper hat Western Fedora Baseball cap Sombrero Trilby Panama Rasta cap Cadet cap Chullo Bolero Flat cap Tam O’Shanter Bowler Beret Alpine Fiddler Toque Fez Pith helmet Kufi Kippah Cossack Urshanka Sherpa Dastar Boonie Slouch Rice hat This is a personal project created using Procreate for iPad and Adobe Photoshop.
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Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown, Texas is a charming little town just north of Austin. A realtor in the area hired me to design a map for their website which would highlight 4 new residential complexes, while also pointing out some of the local “flavor” within walking distance — bars, restaurants, walk/bike paths, parks, library, grocery, etc. Initially they were just going to place a Google map on the web page, but that was rather bland, boring and lacked any personality. My map is colorful, focused and gives the map a bit of life that engages the viewer and, hopefully, helps sell some properties. Check it out here!
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Midwest Muslims
I was asked to create a pair of maps for a new book from celebrated author Edward E. Curtis IV, titled Muslims of the Heartland: How Syrian Immigrants Made a Home in the American West. The book tells the story of how the first two generations of Syrian Muslim Midwesterners created a life that was Arab, Muslim, and American, all at the same time. It also shows what the land — its fields, creeks, and lakes — meant to their lives. This colorful map features illustrations and locations that are central to the stories in the book. UPDATE: NYUPress chose to use my map on the cover of the book. It can be ordered here.
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Lebanon/Syria
This is my first grayscale map, created for a book project by professor and author Edward E. Curtis IV. The book, Heartland Muslim: A Syrian History of the Midwest (NYU Press) will feature another of my maps, also grayscale. Mass market books with maps or other illustrations typically require the art in grayscale format, to save in printing costs. I enjoyed the process of creating a map without color and I look forward to doing more very soon!
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Global Offices
An accounting firm approached me to create a series of maps showing the location of their different offices around the globe — nearly 60 in total! The maps needed to be on-brand regarding colors and type, with some freedom in the style and treatment of the maps themselves.
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Birding in the USA
This illustrated map was created for a jigsaw puzzle for the True South Puzzle Company, based in Tennessee. The project called for including birds, birders, bird feeders, bird houses and birding hotspots throughout all 50 states. This project was great fun for me, as I am an avid birder, former bird owner, ornithologist and bird keeper at several zoos. You can order this puzzle here!
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Campbell Island
Motu Ihupuku is the indigenous Maori name for the island more commonly known as Campbell Island. It is an uninhabited subantarctic island of New Zealand. In 1863 a small schooner named Grafton was hired by a group of traders from Sydney, Australia. Their goal was sail to Campbell Island to prospect for tin and attempt some sealing. Frustrated and disappointed by the lack of both, they decided to head home, stopping by the Auckland Islands on the way in hopes of better luck. Their story is brilliantly told by Joan Druett in her 2019 book, The Island of the Lost. Her book does not contain a map of the Grafton’s first stop, so I decided to make one myself. A companion map of Auckland Island is next. This map shows the sailors’ route, as well as some of the native flora and fauna they encountered. I included the location of “The World’s Lonliest Tree”, aka the Ranfurly Tree — it is a Sitka spruce, reportedly over 170 mi away from any other tree, making it the most isolated and remote tree in the world.
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Crystal Lake WI
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Wisconsin is actively working with private landowners to create suitable habitats for the Henslow’s sparrow and the Karner blue butterfly, both endangered species. In the process, water in lakes and rivers are getting cleaner with less agricultural runoff and greater natural filtration. This map was created to help show how water from Crystal Lake ends up in Lake Michigan. Endangered birds and butterflies are slowly coming back to these restored areas.
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Green Bay, WI
Life & Culture magazine is a digital publication of the Life Church of Green Bay, Wisconsin. They approached me to create this illustrated map for the cover of their August 2021 issue.
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Hiking in the USA
This is the second in a 3-part series of “in the USA” puzzles I created for the True South Puzzle Company, a Tennessee-based jigsaw puzzle company. It shows the routes of various long-distance hiking trails that wind through all 50 states. The National Park Service states the National Scenic Trails system “are routes of outstanding recreation opportunity intended to showcase our country’s spectacular natural resources and beauty. These routes are primarily non-motorized continuous trail and extend for 100 miles or more. The routes traverse beautiful terrain, and connect communities, significant landmarks and public lands.” There are 11 National Scenic Trails, totaling 24,600 miles, within the National Trails System. There are also plenty of National Historic and Recreation Trails to enjoy.
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Fishing in the USA
My latest puzzle map — third in a series — for True South Puzzle Company. Features of this map include: 6 popular (and really pretty) game fish species, fish labeled with common names, 20 well-known fishing spots around the country, and 8 fishing styles represented.
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Milwaukee County Zoo
It was great fun to work on this map for my former employer, Milwaukee County Zoo! They approached me to help them create a guest map for their Wild Lights event: “This winter experience will be the first of its kind as the zoo transforms into a wonderful world of color that offers moments of surprise and delight around every corner.” This map shows the one-way path around the zoo and is color-coded to match the name of each unique zone. Guest services and concession stands are also shown to help visitors know what to expect and where to find various amenities.
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Oak Park, Illinois
Downtown Oak Park commissioned me to redesign their visitor map which is displayed in various kiosks around town (previous map shown below). Locals and newcomers alike will benefit from getting an updated overview of the various cafes and restaurants, stores and shops, spas and salons, banks, apartments, cleaners, yoga & pilate studios, etc. found throughout the small, quaint downtown district. Oak Park is a community less than 10 mi west of Chicago, known for its exceptional array of shops, restaurants, state of the art seven-screen movie theater and an exciting year-round schedule of promotions and special events. Oh, and it’s also the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway and home studio of Frank Lloyd Wright. This map will be overlaid with number- and color-coded circles which will correspond with a legend of all the various locations.
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Sandestin, Florida
Sandestin is a popular golf and beach resort area on the Emerald Coast of Florida. It is famous for its powdery white sand beaches, deep-sea fishing and perfect weather for all outdoors activities. The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa wanted to update a map used in their ad insert in the magazine Footprints, published by Rowland Publishing (a Tallahassee-based custom print publishing house). The marketing folks at Hilton desired a fresher update to the map, and I was only too happy to help! The base map is watercolor, scanned and finished in Photoshop. I used a brighter color palette, added more logos to highlight nearby attractions, and introduced a few accent illustrations to show off some of the beautiful flora and fauna of the area.
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USF&WS – Wisconsin
I was asked by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to help update and refresh a map of Wisconsin depicting the eight contact stations around the state. The map is used extensively in internal and external collateral to list locations and contact information for each of the region’s supervisors and coordinator. My redesign of the map uses some subtle improvements in typography and overall composition. And the vector rendering allows it to be resized to fit any need.
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Admiral’s Inn
Admiral’s Inn is a small resort hotel located in the quaint seaside village of Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit is the indigenous name for the region, translating to “beautiful place by the sea.” The hotel management were in the process of re-branding their entire property and thought having a beautiful property map to show their guests would be a fantastic way to promote their facility and help folks navigate around the property. They had some specific requests: 1) keep the map on-brand with colors and typography, 2) indicate nearby points of interest but focus on the property itself, 3) make it clean, attractive and easy to read. Their sister property, The Colonial Inn, got a brand new map as well!
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Emigration Route
A client friend of mine, who emigrated from Cuba to America, asked me to design a map to depict the long and risky route taken to get here. The journey was over a decade ago, but the memories remain as emotional as ever. My first thought was to create a “newsy” styled map, similar to those commonly seen in magazines and newspapers. Such maps have a distinctive and recognizable appearance, combining simple and symbols, icons and limited color palette with a journalistic flair. These maps are often used to translate complex issues for everyday audiences. Maps4News is perhaps most well-known for this style of cartography. I’ve always been fascinated with these newsy maps and I appreciated the chance to make one of my own.
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Lighthouses of the Great Lakes
This is a map of 50 of the greatest lighthouses (US and Canadian) on the Great Lakes. I am a lighthouse enthusiast and I thoroughly enjoyed the research required to complete this map. It was a labor of love! I submitted the idea for this design as a puzzle, and it is now available online via True South Puzzle Company.
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The Colonial Inn
The Colonial Inn is an historic resort hotel located in the quaint seaside village of Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit is the indigenous name for the region, translating to “beautiful place by the sea.” Long ago, before Ogunquit had a bridge that connected the mainland to the beach, well before street lamps or even electricity, there stood The Colonial Inn. Genuine Maine hospitality defines our service philosophy, provided to all our guests for over 130 years.” Creating property maps like this are super fun, as they enable me to virtually tour the grounds and explore the area. I’d love visit this hotel, but until then, maps are the next best thing to being there!Colonial’s sister property, The Admiral’s Inn, got a brand new property map as well (viewable in my gallery).
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Tulsa Oklahoma
“Tulsa, Oklahoma has long been called one of the country’s best-kept secrets, known particularly for its art deco architecture, underground arts scene, and better-than-the-coast food and drink” [Afar.com] The local city tour company, Tulsa Tours, asked for my help in creating this street map focused on a section of downtown. My map will be featured on their website and in printed brochures, to help visitors navigate to some of Tulsa’s most notable landmarks and watering holes.
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Brew City
The Milwaukee County Historical Society asked for my help creating a map of local breweries for their new exhibit called Milwaukee: Brew City. This map will be nearly 6 feet tall and mounted on a 3-panel display. This map clearly shows how important the rivers and Lake Michigan are to the operations of the many craft and microbreweries in the city and county of Milwaukee.
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Lights of the Atlantic Coast – Northeast
After my Lights of the Lakes map puzzle, I was commissioned to create another: Lights of the Atlantic. This one features 30 of my favorite lighthouses (including one lightship) from Maine to Virginia. There is a ton of history represented in these lighthouses, from the first federal construction project of the young United States (Cape Henry) to the early use of the Statue of Liberty as a harbor beacon. There will be a companion to this design, Lights of the Atlantic (SE) — highlighting lighthouses from North Carolina to Florida — due out sometime in 2023.
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Lights of the Atlantic Coast – Southeast
My Lights of the Atlantic-Northeast puzzle was the first map in a series featuring some of the most well-known and iconic lighthouses of the United States. This one features 25 of my favorite lighthouses of the southeastern Atlantic coast. These towers range from the tallest in the country (Cape Hatteras) to the brightest beacon of them all (Charleston). The next time you’re visiting the shores of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia or Florida, I hope you’ll get to see one (or more) of these magnificent lighthouses for yourself. And if you can’t be there in person, buy the puzzle here and enjoy it from afar!
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Pollinators of the USA
Another map design for a jigsaw puzzle. National Pollinators Week occurs this year (2023) from June 19-25. This week has been designated as an annual event celebrated all over the world to raise awareness and support of healthy pollinator populations across the country. This includes bees, butterflies, birds, bats and beetles (also flies and and moths). This puzzle seeks to call attention to the vast beauty of pollinators, and the plants they feed on and the foods we rely on because of them.
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Port Washington WI
This map of the Wisconsin town of Port Washington is my first map designed specifically for retail sale. I love the laid-back, fishing village feel of this quaint little town. I featured some of the most iconic and well-known points of interest, with an emphasis on those with historic relevance. “With its touch of New England charm, Port Washington is nestled on the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan, just north of Milwaukee. Whether this is your first visit, or you are returning to a favorite harbor town, we invite you to take some time to see all we have to offer.” [visitportwashington.com] Prints of my map can be found for purchase in Port, just across from the marina, at the store Locally Inspired.
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Tallahassee Downtown
I was asked to redesign a set of maps featured in the Visit Tallahassee Visitor’s Guide. Their current maps were outdated and visually not consistent. A refresh of the colors and typography on the new maps resulted in a softer, more refined appearance. It was important for the colored dots/numbers to stand out, as they corresponded to the paying advertisers’ locations around town. The small locator map (inset) helps the viewer to orient themselves within the greater Tallahassee city proper.
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Best of the World – Road Trips
When National Geographic was planning a book, called Best of the World: 1,000 Destinations of a Lifetime, the editors contacted me to ask if I would interested in working on a series of maps. They would relate to 5 different Best Road Trips featured in the book: Nature, Family, Adventure, Culture and Cities. Needless to say, I was thrilled at the opportunity — it was quite literally a dream come true! I had an amazing experience working with the team, and all of us were delighted with how the maps turned out. I look forward to collaborating with them on future projects. The base of each map began as a watercolor painting, which I then digitized and modified in Photoshop. I used Procreate for iPad to illustrate all the icons. “Discover your next great adventure in this beautifully illustrated guide to the world’s best travel destinations. From the ultimate hiking trails to the most scenic train rides, the most stunning coral reefs to the most epic mountain retreats, you’ll find 1,000 exceptional destinations to add to your travel bucket list!” [Amazon.com] Best of the World: 1,000 Destinations of a Lifetime can be ordered on Amazon here and also at Penguin […]
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Europe & Middle East 1914
I’ve always been a fan of literary maps — they “set the stage” for the adventures to come, and help the reader navigate the real, or imagined, world they are about to enter. So I was especially excited when author Michael Cooper asked me to create this map for his soon-to-be-published WWI novel, Wages of Empire (KoehlerBooks.com). Mr. Cooper writes historical fiction set in the Middle East. Coming in December of 2023, Wages of Empire, set at the start of WWI, won the CIBA 2022 Hemingway first prize for wartime historical fiction and the grand prize for young adult fiction. His books are well-researched and well-plotted. You can find this one on Amazon.com https://tinyurl.com/3c9vtw9y and BN.com https://tinyurl.com/32pf5md3.
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4-H VINES CENTER
The kind folks at the 4-H Vines Center in West Little Rock, Arkansas approached me to help them update their campus map. The map they had been using (pictured below) wasn’t so bad, they just wanted a fresh look and also needed to update some new and renovated buildings. The campus is located on 228 wooded acres in the Ouachita Mountains, surrounding an idyllic 6-acred lake. It was important to accurately represent all the various buildings, hiking trails, walking paths and roadways. I hope my map proves useful and serves them for many years to come.
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Amtrak Routes
These colorful illustrated maps were created for Amtrak to help promote various points (and foods) of interest along several of their routes. I used a sticker motif to give them more visibility and visual interest.
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Lake County OH
The kind folks from Remarkable Lake County asked if I could create a fun new illustrated map for their newly branded look for 2024. As their website says, “Remarkable experiences begin here! From the vineyаrds аnd the wineries of the Grаnd River Vаlley to the world-clаss fishing аnd beаches of Lаke Erie, Lаke County, OH is truly remаrkаble. Add in two historicаl lighthouses, the аwаrd-winning Holden Arboretum with its 120-foot emergent tower аnd the President Jаmes A.Gаrfield Home аnd you hаve а perfect getаwаy for couples, fаmilies аnd friends аlike.” I was not at all previously familiar with this region of Ohio, but after working on this map I quickly realized it offers many of the things I cherish about the Midwest. I’ll definitely be planning a trip there soon!
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Chipley FL
Here are 3 maps I made which were part of a series of 6 that I was asked to create for a travel guide featuring various driving and walking trails along the Old Spanish Trail through Chipley, Florida. The numbered dots correspond to descriptions of various sites of historic significance. This guide was published by the former Rowland Publishing Inc. (now Palm Beach Media Group).
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Fredericton NB
I was approached to update and enhance a map of the Fredericton Capital Region: “The Fredericton Capital Region is soulful and social with a vibrancy that comes from the music, arts and crafts. We’re youthful and innovative, with one-of-a-kind artisan markets and world-class festivals. Built on heritage, our region was settled by Loyalists with strong Indigenous roots and culture.” The addition of illustrations of various points of interest were meant to instill excitement for the region in curious newcomers. This was a part of the world I was unfamiliar with, so I found it very interesting and fun to work on. Unfortunately, the project was put on hold indefinitely. These things happen, but I hope one day we can pick this up where we left off!
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Missouri’s Katy Trail
Missouri Life Magazine published a coffee table-style hardcover book highlighting the famous Katy Trail and Rock Island Trail State Parks. With a hand-painted watercolor base and over 50 digitally-created, hand-drawn custom illustrations, this turned into one of my largest projects ever! It was a pleasure to work with the creative director, Dan Bishop, and the author Dan Burkhardt, to create this one-of-a-kind illustrated map showcasing some of the most famous landmarks, points of interest, historical markers and native flora and fauna that can be seen along the way or nearby. The book, titled Trails Across Missouri: The Katy and Rock Island, is due out in August 2024 and can be ordered from Mr. Burkhardt’s website, MagnificentMissouri.org.
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