User:Maxschlepp/Joel Iskowitz

Joel Iskowitz (August 15, 1946, Bronx, New York) is a designer, book illustrator, print artist and stamp, coin and medal designer. From an initial interest in medical illustration, this graphic artist has branched to other fertile fields. He specializes in highly realistic art resulting from extensive research to make his designs as accurate as possible. His philatelic (stamp) designs, he once said, "must be super accurate and well documented, for if you get so much as an animal's tuft of hair out of place on a philatelic design you will hear from someone critical of your design." The same is true of his coin and medal designs, perhaps with a little more artistic license. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at Hunter College, 1968, and attended a summer session on a scholarship at Yale his junior year. He enrolled in several other fine art courses, but found the instructors were more interested in abstract art rather that the traditional, realistic art he wanted to pursue. He eventually took a teaching course, allowing him to teach in New York City schools as a substitute teach in math and art, 1970-1977.

After a year on the West Coast as a portrait artist in San Francisco, he returned to New York City to work in the music publishing industry designing album covers. He found illustration work submitting freelance line drawings which were visual reviews of new albums to the rock music publication, Changes. This led to book and cover illustrations for young adult romance books, though highly realistic, he called these historical romances "glorified Hollywood clinch scenes." The research necessary to create believable period pieces helped prepare him for the exacting reference needed for his future philatelic and numismatic (coins and medals) works. He was exposed to etching and engraving while enrolled at Hunter College in 1964-1968, studying under Richard Claude Ziemann for whom he later served as an apprentice. This experience in printmaking was formative in developing his "gravure" style which he has used in many of his stamp and coin designs. His first philatelic (stamp) commission was to create a stamp series depicting endangered species sponsored by the the World Wildlife Fund for Sierra Leone that featured a family of chimps. Since that first stamp issue in 1977 his philatelic work continues to the present day, covering a wide variety of subject matter from flora and fauna to notable personages from heads of state to film stars and many issues depicting the British Royal Family in commemorations, jubilees and festive occasions.

Each of these required that extra research effort, frequenting the New York Public Library as well as the scientific and historical archives. A bibliophile, Iskowitz also claims "Many hours were happily spent searching through the miles of books at Strand book store in lower Manhattan." In 2005 he applied for the United States Mint Artist Infusion Program, applying on the last day, and won immediate acceptance, with which he is still associated. While working with the U.S. Mint, his numerous designs have been accepted for new coins and medals.

Mr. Iskowitz's work has been featured in many international journals; including profiles of his numismatic and philatelic art in CoinAGE Magazine; Watercolor Magazine American, Artist Magazine, Smithsonian Profiles; and his murals have been featured in Exhibit Builder Magazine.

Corporate Work
He has been awarded both bronze and silver medals for his corporate illustrations and grand-scale public art in Portfolios.com international competitions. Most recently his design for the American Numismatic Association’s Presidential Award won the 2008 silver medal in corporate illustration in the International Creative Shake competition.

Iskowitz also creates sketches commemorating significant historical events. His most recent effort, published by Signature Art Medals, depicts the 1908 sitting of Theodore Roosevelt for his obverse portrait on the Panama Canal Service Medal. Medalist Victor David Brenner is shown sketching the president at Roosevelt's home in Sagamore Hill in preparation for his models. It is widely believed that while sitting for Brenner, Roosevelt saw one of Brenner's Lincoln plaques and was inspired to use the design for the new Lincoln Cent released in 1909.

Philatelic Work


Mr. Iskowitz has created well over 2000 stamps for some 40 separate nations. He has also received the National Oceanic and Philatelic Society citation for his contributions to Space Philately.

His experience at Hunter College with Ziemann and printmaking was formative in developing his "gravure" style which he employed in many of his stamp designs. His first philatelic (stamp) commission was to create a stamp series depicting endangered species sponsored by the the World Wildlife Fund for Sierra Leone that featured a family of chimps.

Since that first stamp issue in 1977 his philatelic work continues to the present day, covering a wide variety of subject matter from flora and fauna to notable personages from heads of state. He has been noted for his work depicting the British Royal Family in commemorations, jubilees and festive occasions.

Military and Nasa Artwork
As an active United States Air Force (USAF) artist, a number of his oils are in the USAF permanent collection.



His painting documenting D-Day events is represented in the permanent collection of the Historical Association of Carentan in Normandy, France. A recently completed mural which chronicles the history of aviation technology has been installed at Wright–Patterson AFB.

Iskowitz's most recent D-Day painting completed is "Filthy Thirteen", an oil painting depicting a paratroop unit called the Filthy Thirteen, part of the 101st Airborne Division in Europe during World War II. Inclusion is this elite team meant parachuting behind enemy lines during the Allied retaking of Europe in 1944 in order to attack key targets. It has been suggested that this unit was the inspiration for "The Dirty Dozen", a movie depicting a similar military unit in World War II. The movie differs in many respects however; in the movie the team is selected from convicts.

Mr. Iskowitz has been invited twice to document Space Shuttle missions and his artwork is on permanent display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Museum.

United States Mint Work
Mr. Iskowitz has an extensive portfolio of designs the U.S. Mint has produced into coins and medals. As of January 1, 2010, the mint has accepted 18 of his designs.

The reverse design for the Dolley Madison First Spouse Gold Coin was created by Mr.Iskowitz and was displayed in the East Room of the White House for the release ceremony which Mr. Iskowitz attended. His design for the District of Columbia quarter dollar reverse was displayed at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Iskowitz's design for the reverse of the “Professional Life in Illinois” 2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Cent is displayed in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Lincoln home National Historic Site. Mr. Iskowitz was invited to speak at the ceremony held there for the debut of the "Illinois" Lincoln Cent.

2010 First Spouse Mary Todd Lincoln reverse

2010 WASP Congressional Medal

2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Cent reverse, "Professional Life in Illinois" (3rd aspect)

2009 First Spouse Julia Tyler reverse

2009 First Spouse Julia Tyler obverse

2009 District of Columbia Quarter reverse

2009 Louis Braille Commemorative Silver obverse

2008 American Eagle Platinum reverse (Judicial Branch) nominated for COTY for Most Artistic from Krause Publications.

2008 Presidential $1 Andrew Jackson obverse

2008 Presidential $1 Martin Van Buren obverse

2008 First Spouse Elizabeth Monroe obverse

2008 Bald Eagle Commemorative Silver Dollar obverse

2008 Arizona Quarter reverse

2007 First Spouse Dolley Madison reverse

2007 Presidential $1 John Adams obverse

2007 Presidential $1 James Madison obverse

2006 American Eagle Platinum (Legislative Branch) reverse

Affiliations
The Abraham Lincoln Association (honorary)

The American Medallic Sculpture Association (AMSA)

The American Numismatic Association (ANA)

The American Numismatic Society (ANSD)

Fédération Internationale de la Médaille d'Art (FIDEM)

Illustrators Partnership of America

New York Numismatic Club

Society of Illustrators