Many people travel to Paris to visit the Louvre, Rome for the Vatican, New York Museum of Modern Art and the Met, and hundreds of other highly popularized centers of culture and enlightenment.  It is considered a badge of honor for an artist just to be able to say they have visited one of these places, let alone to have studied in one of them, or hanging in one.  For the rest of us, however, there is the Louvre in the Kitchen (LitK pronounced “LIT-ka”).  There,  you can find most any kind of art from creative writing, music and photography to painting and sculpture.  I especially enjoy the magical charms against overeating (Nothing Tastes as good as Fit Feels) hanging next to all of the pizza delivery phone numbers.  The top of the fridge doubles as pharmacy.

Of particular note is the void in the lower left side.  Anything hung here will be knocked off when the Big Dog wanders through with his tail. We have the same problem with the dining room table and any other place to hang or display stuff in his normal path.   He and Girl2 are in a constant battle over this space.  She is the major contributor to the LitK.  He is her primary critic.

Have you ever bought a refrigerator magnet?  I am sure that I have never bought one, but the LitK is covered with them.  When I saw last night’s EDM challenge, draw something with wings, I knew just where to go.  My beautiful young bride has a love of all things “fluttery” that borders on fetishism.  So if it’s angels, fairies, butterflies, or even winged dragons, I can easily find one hanging somewhere.

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EDM 89: Draw something with wings

Today is Good Friday.  No work and no school for us today.  We have been wrestling all morning, tickling Girl2.  Much laughter happens thusly.  Even the big dog got involved sticking his cold nose onto exposed skin when he could.  Days like this are rare and to be cherished.  Especially after hearing the news about Maddie.  Don’t read this unless you are ready to bawl.   I only recently became of aware of Mike’s blog and then to find that they have lost their beautiful little girl!  They have asked those who will to donate to march-of-dimes on behalf of Maddie.

When I saw last night’s EDM challenge, draw a button or buttons, I began chanting, “Button, button, who’s got the button.”  This is one of the many silly things we would say menacingly as we stomped up to the babies.  The babies understood that this meant they were about to be tickled and should begin running if they wanted to get away.  Most of the time, they just curled up into a tight ball under some covers and squeeled.  Then I began singing the Belly Button song from The Big Comfy Couch.  So while my beautiful young bride was watching the last episode of ER on the Tivo, I sketched two buttons.

Right now, I need to go make scrambled eggs and jellied toast.  It’s a tradition when we sleep in.  Girl2 has already scolded me.  “DAD! We’re s’posed to have eggs now!”

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EDM 88: Draw a button or buttons

What to do with my figure drawing posts…? Over the past few months this web site has slowly changed from a discussion of what it was like growing up in a small town and being set loose on the world, to mostly a blog about my art stuff.  My inner-artist is fully aware that nudity is natural and should not be considered offensive.  However, my Southern Baptist sense of decency won’t allow me to plaster a nude across the home page of my web site.  I believe I would censor Michelangelo’s David on the splash page.  Then if you wanted to see it, you could have the choice to click on it and view it without the concern of having to explain to your toddler why you are looking at nekid people online.  Those things seem to come up later in toddler involved conversations with employers, preachers , or just random strangers.

“Daddy looks at nekid people on his ‘puter.”

In Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe… actually, the entire rest of the world, nudity is more acceptable and permissable than violence.  In the US, especially here in the heartland, you can show a man being beaten and gunned down in the streets on any sitcom, but a wardrobe malfunction at the superbowl brings with it hefty fines and a chastening from the entire nation.  I am just as guilty.  I let my children watch Blade (no relation) at the drive in, but made them cover their eyes during the sex scenes.  I hope that I have since undone that damage.

Last night’s EDM challenge was to draw something “breezy”.  I have to tell you, I’m not comfortable with the concept challenges.  It’s not that I don’t want to use my imagination for illustration.  It’s more that I just like it better when these challenges say ,”Draw this.”  It takes the thinking part away and let’s me focus on the practical application.  This is important for me after a long day.  It makes it easier to let go and just do it every day.  These were originally developed as weekly challenges and I’m sure it works out much better that way.  Like hundreds, possibly thousands, of other EDM enthusiasts, I chose a flag to represent “breezy.”  Girl1 and I walked downtown to the YMCA.  Our YMCA is in an old state armory building built in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration.  With all of the falling down buildings, roads and bridges, you would think that our government could slim the welfare budget a tad and start a program like this again.

As a quick aside, Girl1 and I originally went to the post office to sketch their flag.  However, it was after dark and their flag was not lit.  I find this offensive.  So Girl1 and I took down their flag, folded it properly, and inserted a note that read “This flag should never be displayed in darkness.”  We slid it into the “out-of-town” mail slot.

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EDM 87: Draw something breezy

Late nights and early mornings are kind of like whiskey and beer.  When you are a young college student, you can knock back a boiler maker with the best of ’em.  At some point, however, you realize that being sick is not part of the fun and you begin to back off of ’em.

Last night was my first ever figure drawing group with the Oklahoma Artist Guild.  I don’t just mean it was my first time with the Guild, I mean my first time ever.  I had a blast!  The folks were friendly and supportive.  The model was beautiful, professional, and confident.  All of the things I have read over at Wet Canvas about what makes a good figure drawing session.  I will definitely be back.  I will figure out how to get one of the drawings online tonight so I can show you tomorrow.  I got home after 10pm so it was close to 1 when I finally went to bed.  The alarm clock and I are no longer on speaking terms.

Last night’s EDM challenge was to draw my lunch.  Seriously, 86 days into this and I haven’t figured out to look ahead.  This would have been a whole lot easier around noon when my lunch was there in front of me.  Luckily, I am on a diet and have been eating the same things everyday for a little over three months.  Lunch is a 150 calorie, 7.5oz can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew and an 8oz can of Diet Dr. Pepper.  Just enough to fill me up, but not enough to make me sick of ’em.

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EDM 86: Draw your lunch