I’m really digging the work of Brian Rea of Los Angeles. His illustration style seems to be perfectly suited for The New York Times, where he’s done quite a bit of work. A new one that I just came across is the top image here. It’s for an article about the extreme cold that parts of America have been experiencing lately, and how it does not represent a global trend:

Santa, by North Pole standards, has been experiencing a balmy winter.

“Pretty much all of the Arctic is above normal,” said Dr. Walter Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. In some areas, the temperatures are as much as 15 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.

I know it’s been crazy cold lately back in the Midwest, but that’s really not uncommon. Makes me really happy that I’m now living in Colorado where we’re looking at highs near 60 this week.

Oh, and back to Mr. Rea… how awesome are these buttons?