The late Robert Weaver is known for his journalistic approach to illustration. The artwork he published in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Life and Esquire was based on sketches he drew on the field.
This week I especially thought of Weaver’s work when I was making some behind-the-scenes sketches of Opening Day at Safeco Field for my Seattle Times column. Back in 1962, Sports Illustrated sent him to Florida to cover spring training and he produced a series of paintings for the magazine (see a tearsheet in this post on D. B. Dowd’s blog Graphic Tales.) Above is a screengrab of a slideshow of his spring training sketches published by the New York Times in 2008.
The idea of creating new images based on my sketches had never crossed my mind until I discovered Weaver’s work. Now I can’t wait to give it a try.
Here’s my list of links to Weaver’s work so far:
- Leif Peng: Rober Weaver flickr set
- Today’s Inspiration: The incursion of the Avant-garde: Robert Weaver
- Today’s Inspiration: Robert Weaver: “It was the ponytail period in American culture.”
- Today’s Inspiration: Robert Weaver The anti-Wyeth
- Today’s Inspiration: Robert Weaver: “Illustration is an essential to a great painting.”
- Today’s Inspiration: Robert Weaver: “The artist… should be the reactor.”.
- Today’s Inspiration: Robert Weaver: “I saw illustration as a real calling.”
- Graphic Tales: Drawing Lines––Robert Weaver at Olin Library
- Graphic Tales: Robert Weaver, ACL Game 7 special
- Graphic Tales: Super Tuesday: Robert Weaver’s Kennedy Suite
- Graphic Witness: Robert Weaver
- Art Directors Club: 1990 Hall of Fame Special Award
- Washington University St. Louis: The Work of Robert Weaver, by Noah MacMillan
- New York Times: Spring training sketches slideshow.
- New York Times: Obituary
And here’s a pic from one of my sketches in progress last Monday during Opening Day. Drawn from Safeco Field’s press box.
