Every year, The Society of Illustrators honors the best achievements in illustration from the past year in an exhibition. B&A’s John Hendrix and Andrew Bannecker are among those selected this year for “Illustration 54: America’s Original Annual of Illustration.” The jury selected nine of Hendrix’s illustrations and eight of those will be exhibited across all the categories. Two of Bannecker’s illustrations were selected.

Hendrix’s work represents a wide range in his professional life, advertising campaigns, children’s books and editorial work with clients including AT&T, Rolling Stone and Random House. Three of his illustrations for A Boy Called Dickens, a type piece, and a Rolling Stone trivia series are in the show. Hendrix says it is always an honor to be a part of the annual show but that this year is “particularly special,” for the number of his pieces included.

Bannecker’s two pieces for the show are a non-commissioned illustration called “Night Falls” and an advertising piece called “Wish.” “Wish” was created for the American Cancer Society. The piece represents “the birthdays that cancer survivors are celebrating thanks to cancer research.”

The Society of Illustrators Annual Show will open on January 4^th, 2012. For more information, visit The Society of Illustrators website.

See more of John Hendrix’s illustration work here.

See more of Andrew Bannecker’s illustrations here.

John Hendrix won gold in the ‘Best Print’ category at this month’s Ads of the World Awards for his Creative Calendar illustration.  Commissioned by Leo Burnett France and tasked with depicting the often humorous steps of the creative process that an ad takes en route to the esteemed advertising awards each year in Cannes. Spanning from ‘The Brief’ through numerous judgements and ‘Alea Jactae Est’ (the Die is Cast) and then finally to ‘The Elevation’ of winning a coveted Cannes Lion award, the idea behind the piece was to stress the importance of the Cannes Lions Festival to those in the advertising world. Some say it’s the start and end to the advertising world’s calendar year…

The illustration concept was to tell a narrative story while still operating as a functioning calendar. “Finding the balance between calendar and illustration was one of the most difficult challenges,” according to John.

The intricate piece was created by hand using a combination of pen and ink as well as fluid acrylics, then digitally assembled.

Please join us in offering a congratulations to John!

See more of John’s work here.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Paris, France
Creative Director: Guillaume-Ulrich Chifflot
Art Director: Marielle Postec
Copywriter: Juliette Novak
Illustrator: John Hendrix

John Hendrix, Yuko Shimizu, and Gary Baseman are among a celebrated list of illustrators showcasing their work for Rolling Stone at The Society of Illustrators in New York City. “Rolling Stone and the Art of the Record Review” includes over 80 original illustrations commissioned for the Record Review column of the magazine. The art spans over four decades and represents music legends such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, and Bob Dylan. The exhibit will also include rock and roll memorabilia and ephemera on loan from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio.

John Hendrix’s featured illustration is his first for the magazine, for the Beastie Boys’ 2004 album “To The Five Boroughs.” The album had post-9/11 themes and Hendrix chose to highlight them and the band’s native New York setting in the artwork. The band is seen standing over Downtown Manhattan, facing the Statue of Liberty, whose torch has been replaced by a microphone.

Yuko Shimizu’s illustration in the show is for Garbage’s 2005 album “Bleed Like Me”. Lead singer Shirley Manson is seen front and center, with the stripes of her outfit bleeding out into the background where her bandmates appear in black, each holding a heart.

Two of Gary Baseman’s illustrations for Rolling Stone are included in the show. The first was for Fiona Apple’s 1999 album “When the Pawn…” The second was for Sheryl Crow’s self-titled album from 1996. They are both acrylic on canvas.

“Rolling Stone and the Art of the Record Review” is on now at The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators. The museum will hold an opening reception tonight at 6:30 pm. The show will run until October 22^nd. For more information visit The Society of Illustrators website here.

See more of John Hendrix’s illustrations here.

See more of Yuko Shimizu’s illustrations here.

See more of Gary Baseman’s illustrations here.

Each year, the Society of Illustrators recognizes the top achievements within the field of illustration. Exhibitions and awards encompass all genres, media and level of expertise, from students to lifetime Society members. Illustrators 53: Book and Editorial Categories will recognize illustrations used in or for the cover of books and work commissioned for newspapers, magazines, medical or scientific journals, and online magazines.

B&A would like to congratulate the following artists, Andrew Bannecker, Marcos Chin, Josh Cochran, John Hendrix, Rod Hunt, Yuko Shimizu, Mark Todd, and Steven Guarnaccia on their entrance into the show. Cochran will also be awarded a silver medal for his work Zombies vs. Unicorns, seen above.

The opening reception will be held Friday, February 6^th at 6:00 pm at 128 East 63^rd Street in New York City. The show will run until February 19^th. For more information visit the Society’s website here.

Andrew Bannecker

John Hendrix

Rod Hunt

Mark Todd

John Hendrix provides the illustrations for a new book on Civil War hero Sarah Emma Edmonds. Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, A Civil War Hero is written by Marissa Moss and aimed at readers ages 8-12. Edmonds was 19 when she disguised herself as a man so she could join a Michigan army regiment and battle the confederacy. She was a soldier and spy on the battlefield and later became a spy. Edmonds’ incredible comes alive in this fast-paced and exciting book.

Two of Hendrix’s illustrations, the cover art and the one seen below, will be on display at the Society of Illustrators 53^rd Annual Book and Editorial Show. The show, at the American Museum of Illustration in New York City, highlights the best work in books and editorial from the past year. More details can be found here.

The book will be released March 1^st and is available to pre-order now on Amazon.com.

See more of John Hendrix’s illustrations here.

Communication Arts juror and design director of ALM Media Joan Ferrell says, “Illustration still has the power to communicate, inspire and, yes, sell in a more innovative and effective way, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon.” Bernstein & Andriulli artists Josh Cochran, Dan Craig, Nathan Fox, John Hendrix, Kristian Olson, and Yuko Shimizu continue to inspire and innovate. Their work appears in the 51st issue of the Communication Arts Illustration Annual.

Pictured above: Nathan Fox
Art Director: Brian Anstey
Designer: Jackie Blum
Client: Entertainment Weekly
“Heroes and Villains” debates whether the effect of pop icons are positive, negative, or somewhere in between.

Illustrator: Yuko Shimizu
Art Director: SooJin Buzelli
Client: Asset International

Shimizu created a series of illustrations for the covers and interiors of PlanSponsor and PlanAdviser investment magazines. Shimizu’s wrap-around cover illustration for Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s The Beautiful and the Grotesque is also honored in the “Unpublished” category. The novel will be published July 2010.

Illustrator: Kristian Olson
Art Director: Jay Dea
Design Director: Joan Ferrell
Client: The American Lawyer/ALM Media

Olson’s series looks at five emerging legal markets – Abu Dhabi, Brazil, India, Russia, and Singapore.

Illustrator: John Hendrix
Art Director: Matthew Lenning
Client: American Illustration

Hendrix’s drawing appears on the front and back cover of American Illustration 28, a publication containing winning works from a jury selection.

Illustrator: Dan Craig
Art Director: Colin Jones
Ad Agency: BBDO London
Client: Birdseye

Craig gave fish a posh life in an advertisement, poster, and bus stop image promoting a high-end line of frozen fish. The tagline reads “A Better Class of Fish.” His advertisement for the Grand Victoria Casino “You Rule” also appears.

Illustrator: Josh Cochran
Art Director: Sonia Chaghaztbanian, Lauren Rille
Client: Simon & Schuster

Cochran captures unicorns and zombies at war for the cover of a young adult book of short stories that will be released September 2010.

If it wasn’t for a professor at the University of Kansas who asked to see John Hendrix‘s sketchbook, Hendrix might still be laboring over his tightly-wound, dry-brush paintings that he saw as “serious art.” At grad school at SVA, instructors noticed the off-the-cuff sense of humor in his drawings and once again encouraged him to put down the paintbrush. Nowadays, Hendrix has free reign with ultra-thin pens and fluid acrylics to produce the rich, detailed illustrations that depict the tumultuous and apocalyptic scenes he is known for.

Full feature interview available online at Communication Arts. 50th Anniversary Communication Arts Photography Annual September/October 2009 issue on sale at newsstands now.