Catalina Estrada, Emiliano Ponzi and Red Nose Studio illustrated posters for the 15th Annual Croquet Ball benefiting the Penfield Children’s Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Croquet Ball is the signature fundraising event for the center that helps infants and children, both with and without disabilities, reach their full potential through education, therapy services and family programs.

Held annually at the Milwaukee Country Club, the event includes a cocktail reception, exclusive croquet match, gourmet dinner and silent auction, where guests are invited to bid on the illustrators’ posters. Past illustrators that have contributed to the event include James Jean, Josh Cochran, Travis Lampe, Frank Stockton, Jon Han, Ronald Kurniawan, Eduardo Recife, Pomme Chan, Laura Plansker, Sam Weber, Jessica Hische, Chris Buzelli and Chris Silas, just to name a few. Nearly $310, 000 was raised last year.

The 15th Annual Croquet Ball takes place on Saturday, September 11th, 2010.

HOW magazine recently blogged about Red Nose Studio and the great cover he illustrated for the magazine’s 2010 Self-Promotion Issue. The cover was inspired by Chris’ early encounter with a very famous illustrator who accused him of strutting like a peacock in his own self-promotion efforts. I guess that strutting has paid off as this is his fourth cover for the magazine since his first in June of 1999, trumping design legend, David Carson, in number of HOW covers. This issue also features over 100 winners from the magazine’s Promotion Design Awards and loads of tips and ideas for finding new clients.

Our illustrators’ recent magazine covers tackle subjects as diverse as finance, health and travel. Check out some of our latest favorites…

RED NOSE STUDIO, Spreading the Risk for Plansponsor
With recent economic and market volatility, plan sponsors are looking for ways to transfer risk, or pass the hot potato, for their pension plans.

EMILIANO PONZI, Arms Control for The Economist
In an era of rampant federal contracting, worries arise that increased privatization will lead to a shadow government and imperil national security.

RAQUEL APARICIO, Dangerous Liaisons for The Scientist
With people often being prescribed several medications at once, science is developing new ways to bulletproof those at risk of drug-drug interactions.

BRECHT EVENS, Seoul for Hemispheres
Despite being rooted in centuries-old traditions, the South Korean capital is unabashedly trendy and forward-looking.

EMILIANO PONZI, Biology 2.0 for The Economist
Ten years after the Human-Genome Project, the science of biology continues to be transformed and with recent technological advancements, science seems poised on the verge of something wonderful.

HENNIE HAWORTH, Power of Design for Perspective
This eclectic mix of traditional and natural elements with modern, geometric shapes is reminiscent of  fabrics and wallpapers, making it the perfect cover for the Summer issue of Perspective, the magazine of the International Interior Design Association.

Red Nose Studio’s Chris Sickels is featured in the August issue of Indianapolis Monthly. The artist, who currently resides in Indiana, recalls his early career in Los Angeles and discusses his recent series of covers for Angie’s List.

Regular readers of Angie’s List have been treated to Red Nose Studio’s monthly covers while frequent flyers have probably come across Graham Roumieu’s humorous illustrations in the monthly Dispatches column in Hemispheres, the in-flight magazine for United Airlines.

Red Nose Studio for Angie’s List

Graham Roumieu for Hemispheres

(Clockwise from top left)
The detonation of Texas Stadium, Simulated storms at Chicago Museum,
Molecular gastronomy, Robotic housekeepers in Seoul,
A 95-pound beaver escapes in England, Russian ballet goes 3D

Red Nose Studio’s labels for Blasted Church won a Gold medal for label design at the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition. The competition recognizes excellence in label design in the wine industry, judging designs based on their artistic merit and brand-enhancing communicative qualities.

The labels tell the story of the old wooden church that inspired the wineries name. In 1929, a small crew headed to a deserted mining town in British Columbia, Canada with the goal of dismantling an old wooden church and bringing it back to their home in Okanagan Falls. The plan called for a controlled blast of four dynamite sticks inside the church in order to “loosen the nails”. Save for losing the steeple, the plan succeeded. Now, the 108 year old wooden church stands proudly in it’s second home of Okanagan Falls, where Blasted Church wines are made.

Congratulations go out to Chris, Bernie, Laurie and everyone at Brandever and Blasted Church!

Red Nose Studio will be exhibiting his work in Seeing Red (Nose) at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, OH. The exhibit presents a full spectrum look at Chris’ intense and highly unique illustrative process with original sketchbooks, hand-crafted sculptural models, finished photographic illustrations and stop-motion animations on display. It has been five years since this many pieces have been available in one place so if you’re in the Cincinnati area, check it out. Red Nose classics like Fork Boy and The Red Thread Project will be on display, as well as never-before-seen test scenes of Scout and the new silent short Bandit Blood. It runs until Friday, August 6th, 2010.

Opening reception: Friday, July 9th, 2010 6-9pm
Manifest Gallery 2727 Woodburn Ave. E., Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, OH

Red Nose Studio and Emiliano Ponzi will be showing their award-winning art in the Illustration West 48 exhibition at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, CA. The show coincides with ICON6 but you don’t have to be an ICON attendee to attend. It runs from Tuesday, July 13th to Saturday, July 17th in the Wentworth Room.

The Langham Hotel, 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena, CA

Here Comes the Garbage Barge! (Schwartz + Wade), written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Red Nose Studio, received a Distinguished Merit Award in the 3×3 Children’s Show. The competition recognizes the world’s best contemporary children’s books as judged by the industry’s top illustrators, art directors and editors. It also includes books for young adults, children’s editorial, animation and programming. Congratulations go out to Chris, Jonah, Anne, Lee and Emily!

Check out this amazing video to see how the art was made.

Red Nose Studio and Bella Pilar are exhibiting artwork in ICON6: A Labor of Line at Nucleus Gallery in Alhambra, CA. The show coincides with the illustration conference, featuring art from 60 of this year’s attendees and contributors. The show runs until Monday, August 9th, 2010.

Opening Reception: Friday, July 16th, 2010 7-11pm
Nucleus Gallery 210 E. Main St., Alhambra CA