We went to breakfast WICKED early this morning. My beautiful young bride had surgery earlier this week and we thought we’d get out and back before Boy2 woke up. That way my lover wouldn’t have to worry about trying to pick him up. The wife is not supposed to lift anything over 5 pounds and the boy is almost 30 lbs.

ANYWAY, being that early, we were the first patrons of the day. I think the cooks started cooking our “usual” before the waitresses even knew we were there.  It didn’t leave much time for sketching, but my grumbling stomach really appreciated it.  I think we’ll try to go that early every week and I’ll just learn to sketch faster.

We’ve been having 18F mornings and 70F afternoons.  All the constant going from cold to hot to cold wreaks havoc on my immune system.  Then you take the NyQuil or DayQuil or any other sinus medicine and you feel like your head is floating and stuffed up.  UGH!  Anyway, that’s what I talked about on the show this week.

This week’s What’s On Your Easel Links:

• @DarcyW http://art-and-sole.blogspot.com…
• @TheMightyJay http://img.photobucket.com…
• @IKerriLove http://yfrog.com/odrxhtuj

Watch the full show on Ustream or in the embedded player:

Watch the 5 minute version on The YouTube, or in the embedded player below:

Last week in Drawing Class, we discussed direction of the class.  I asked the audience where they would like me to go with the class and what they would like to see more often.  I took a lot of notes while working on this quick still life.

There will be no classes this week as the day job whisks me to foreign, 3rd world  countries (Texas).  But we will be back January 31 with a new season of Drawing Class.

The class is free and online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/oasisgalleryok
The password to get into the class is in the newsletter here: http://artisticbiker.com/newsletter

I have been receiving several messages lately telling me what I ought to do with my art.  It got me thinking over the past few years of being online just how many people have offered me unsolicited, and at times seeming mean spirited, advice.  You should know that even these e-mails center around the fact that I am free to do what I want in my journal.  I usually listen to the advice then do what I want anyway.

Tragedy struck about 10 minutes into the show this week as Boy2 discovered a Japanese fishing float that my mother brought back from Hawaii 30 years ago.  If you’re not familiar, these are glass balls made in Japan that break free from the fishing nets and float out to sea.  Many of them float for dozens of years before washing ashore.  He picked it up and tried to bounce it before anyone could get to him.  It’s just stuff, though.  We enjoyed it for a long time.

This week’s What’s On Your Easel Links:

• @inkiwell http://yfrog.com/kipryjgj
• @DarcyW http://art-and-sole.blogspot.com…
• @TheMightyJay http://img.photobucket.com…
• @evelinetimeless http://eveline-timeless.blogspot.com

Watch the full show on Ustream or in the embedded player:

Watch the 5 minute version on The YouTube, or in the embedded player below:

What a FUN night we had! The theme for the night was a clean slate, but that didn’t really have much bearing on the show.  Girl2 painted alongside, Boy2 played with blocks and danced, My Beautiful, Young Bride gave us an update on the happenings in her class room and my mum rejoined us as producer.  It was truly awesome!

Wanted to start the new year of videos with a clean slate. Mr. Clean and The Buddha share a common goal of clearing clutter!

This week’s What’s On Your Easel Links:

• @wanderwidget https://twitter.com/#!/wanderingwidget/status…
• @godsgirl4you http://yfrog.com/keur1puj, http://yfrog.com/ocrisvej
• @DarcyW http://twitpic.com/83ok2k
• @artistpoetgirl http://mypurpledoorstudios.blogspot.com/…
• @themightyjay http://img.photobucket.com/albums/…
• @evelinetimeless http://eveline-timeless.blogspot.com…

Watch the full show on Ustream or in the embedded player:

Watch the YouTube video in the embedded player below:

The cafe was PACKED this morning.  When we first got there, we couldn’t even comfortably stand inside to wait for a seat. So we walked over to the studio and goofed off for a while. When we got back, they were still very busy, but we got our favorite seats at the counter. We ordered a piece of coconut cream pie first thing so I could draw it while waiting for our food. Isn’t that THE perfect excuse for coconut cream pie?

This week I let the day job and just about anything else work to prevent me conducting Painting Class.  I have a philosophy that if you want to do something you will find a way to do it.  If you don’t, you will find an excuse not to.  Right now, I find myself making excuses for not doing the Painting Class.  I don’t feel like I have refined the direction that I want it to go.  I’m getting there.  The wife and I had a long talk about it tonight, and I think we have a plan going forward.  Unfortunately, it will take me a couple weeks to work it out.

In the meantime, local membership has been building and it is very exciting to me to have people just show up and begin arting along side me.  THAT is EXTREMELY encouraging.

Bear with me while we work out the details of Painting class and it should be back in full force by February.

Tonight in Drawing Class I laid down the basics on how to draw an eye.  I demonstrate how the human anatomy and life drawing can be broken down into basic shapes so that you can get a better understanding of the shading.  I also talk about how using the AOH method as a tool, while helpful in understanding, can be a bit cumbersome because of the way it inhibits the fluid motion of a life drawing.

I drew three quick eyes to demonstrate differing styles such as the quick sketch,  a basic drawing, or a fully realized rendering.

The class is free and online at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19554806
The password to get into the class is in the newsletter here: http://artisticbiker.com/newsletter

Wringing out the old and Ringing in the New Year!  This week’s art journal entry is done with acrylic paint and cut out collage.  Remnants of the year gone include the bottle of rum, the tiger striped bra, “draw a cat” and “put a bird on it!”  I was an AWESOME year.  2012 is already shaping up for awesomeness too.  Look forward to seeing you in it.

Watch the YouTube video in the embedded player below:

It’s the last Saturday of the year and the last Daddy/Daughter breakfast of the year.  That doesn’t really mean anything other than another year is gone and a new one is starting.  Just a blunt reminder of how little time we actually get to spend together.

As you can see, there are a LOT of coffee cups sketched during Daddy/Daughter breakfast.  I’m proud of the influence it is having one Girl2.  She took a break from drawing hearts, fairies, and rainbow butterflies to try her hand at a coffee mug and the juice glasses… with fairies and rainbow butterflies.