Wylie Elise Beckert Illustration

You Can Cut Your Own Mats (I Promise) Posted on 27 Apr 2012

Having recently registered a few illustrations in the upcoming Bangor Art Society juried show, I found myself in need of 20x24" mats and frames for two 16x20" images.

This should have been the easiest thing in the world, since that's a standard frame size, but unfortunately I live in the wilds of Bangor, Maine and a day-long search through every craft and home dec store in the area turned up nothing. One or two larger frame sizes were available, but mats for anything larger than 11x14 were simply not to be had.

I'd never tried cutting my own mats before, mainly because I'd always heard what a difficult process it was, the thousand things that could go wrong, and how the only people who would attempt such a feat were the sort of rugged mad-survivalist types who build underground bunkers in which to stockpile canned food and live "off the grid."

From the Sketchbook: Mohawk Boy Posted on 25 Apr 2012

An illustration without a story: some guy in a hoodie.

New Work: Paper Tiger Posted on 20 Apr 2012

New work for a really exciting upcoming project, which I won't give any details about lest I ruin the surprise. I will say, however, that things will be kicking off in June and has propelled me to a mere four degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. It's a big day for me.


Full view in the gallery. Process pics and detail images below!

New work: Dark Carousel Posted on 01 Apr 2012

Here's a piece I finished up a few days ago, after suddenly deciding my portfolio, nay, my life, would not be complete until I drew something carousel-themed. It's inspired by the Flying Horses Carousel, an restored antique carousel on Martha's Vineyard that impressed me as a child... I seem to remember that the horses all had glass eyes full of little scenes and landscapes. My merry-go-round is a bit spookier, and clearly not everyone wishes to continue riding it.


Check out the full view in the gallery. Process pics and detail images below!

Fun With Heraldry Posted on 26 Mar 2012

A quick coat of arms for one of my noble patrons: the three Or stag beetles of house Dorr, surmounted by Azure demi tiger, bearing a scallop (naturally).

To the best of my knowledge the Beckerts, being lowly innkeepers, botanists, and freelance illustrators, don't have a coat of arms.