C.F. Payne’s illustration of Barack Obama

CCAD Distinguished Professor of Illustration C.F. Payne has work included in an exhibition at the University of Hartford’s Joseloff Gallery through Feb. 24 in West Hartford, CT.

The exhibition, McCarty & Payne, features the illustrations of Payne and fellow illustrator Peter McCarty, who are the 2012-2013 Georgette and Richard Koopman Distinguished Chairs in the illustration department at the Hartford Art School.

The show includes 48 of Payne’s illustrations. Payne’s artwork has been on the cover of Time Magazine, Readers Digest, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times Book Review, and Sunday Magazine. In addition he has illustrated numerous children’s books including most recently, Mousetronaut written by astronaut Mark Kelly.

There will be a public lecture on Feb. 8, 3–4:30 p.m., at the college, followed by a reception in the gallery from 5–7 p.m.

Front cover of “Mousetronaut,” illustrated by C.F. Payne

CCAD’s Chair of Illustration C.F. Payne illustrated the book Mousetronaut written by astronaut Mark Kelly, which is now number one on the New York Times bestselling Children’s Picture Books list.

The book follows a mouse who wants nothing more than to travel to outer space. Kelly flew with mice on the space shuttle Endeavour in 2001; Mousetronaut is a partially true story about one adventurous mouse on board.

Payne was contacted by Pamela Wiseman from the publisher Simon and Schuster to do the illustrations for the book. Payne and Kelly connected over email with sketches and feedback to work out the story.

“As a kid I loved comics and the adventures you would read,” Payne said. “I wanted to bring a little of that into this book, while still maintaining evidence of how I draw in the final imagery.”

He completed 40 pages of illustrations for the book, including the front and back covers.

Payne has illustrated over a dozen children’s books, including Late for School by Steve Martin and The Remarkable Farkle Mcbride  by John Lithgow.

His work has also graced the covers of publications including Time magazine, Readers Digest, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times Book Review and Sunday Magazine, MAD magazine, der Spiegel, U.S. News and World Report, The Atlantic Monthly, Texas Monthly, and Boys Life.

His artwork has been exhibited throughout the country including at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, and the Selby Gallery at Ringling College of Art and Design.