Tag Archives: Illustration

Chicken Adventure

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Leghorn rooster

Recently I read a study about how humans mark time. Why Christmas seems so far away to kids, but New Years was just a few days ago to adults. It boils down to “core memories”. When you’re a kid, there are tons of FIRST TIME events. The first time you saw a duck was an exciting time for you. You may not remember the exact date, but it was a first. It was likely followed immediately by another first of being chased by a goose. Or the first time you kissed a girl. Or the first time you drove a car… There are a lot of firsts for kids. All of those firsts make the marking of a year seem like a very long time. As an adult, you’ve likely seen lots of waterfowl, driven lots of cars, and kissed plenty of girls. As the novelty wears off, so too do the making of memory anchors to mark time. One day you remember sitting at the table helping your son with his homework, and the next day, he has a whole little family of his own. And that time flies for everyone.

New flamingo exhibit at the Houston Zoo

To combat that, you have to have new adventures. You have to try new things and make new memories. You can do this in a lot of major or subtle ways. Try a new restaurant. Go to a new festival in a new town. Even something as simple as changing up your seating arrangements at home. All of these things create distinct anchors. The more anchors you have, the longer it seems for time to pass. Or, maybe it just feels like you’re living your life on purpose instead of it just being something that happens.

At the Clay Festival in Gruene, TX

A few weeks ago, I started having new adventures every Saturday. We’ve been at it for a month now. First, we went to the zoo. The next week, I had a volunteer weekend at work. Then Girl2 and I went to a two story bookstore and saw a movie in a different theater. Week before last, we went to a ceramic Clay Festival in Gruene, TX. And this weekend I went to a rescue farm to sketch chickens

Intense chicken staring

I took my sketches and used them as a reference for this little sketch I managed to knock out during a break at work.

And I did a color study for a larger painting.  There’s a video of that over on the YouTube: https://youtu.be/6qWQxZ9UFtw

Biker Once More

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Motorcycle with backpack strapped to it
Azula loaded for an art ride

I bought a motorcycle last October. I told the wife I needed one and she agreed. It’s a 2011 Yamaha Stryker 1300. I will be cruising along wondering why everyone is going so slow before I look down to discover I’m going 90 and couldn’t tell.

I’ve been unemployed (again) for a little over a month. After a morning of filling out applications, sending resumes, I decided to load the art bag on her and take her out for a spin.

30 minutes down the road from me is No Label Brewery. Founded in 2010 they are in an old rice grainery. I thought the grainery would make a nice sketch so that’s what I did.

rice grainery
No Label Brewing Co.
ink and wash sketch
Ink and wash sketch

I did most of it live on Twitch, but it was difficult to get the camera to stay still, especially when the wind picked up. However, I did manage to video most of the process so watch for it on the you tube. I’ll update this later with the link.

Sunday Funnies 06SEP2009

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Like a Red Rubber Ball!

“Like a Red Rubber Ball…”

This is the kind of thing that makes my dinner cold.  I get an idea in my head and I have to put it to paper.  This afternoon we had lunch at my grandmother’s house.  The long standing tradition there is that while waiting for lunch, I would always read the “Red” funnies.  That’s the funnies that are in color in the Sunday paper.  I know they haven’t been called that in a very long time, but my granny still does.  Anyway, I got in mind to do a Sunday comic similar to Ziggy.  I have been quietly obsessing over it all evening.  Then, after we had ordered our calzone from a local restaurant and it was time for me to leave to pick it up, I decided it was time to work on it.  After the fourth time my beautiful young bride reminded me that the food was ready to be picked up, I called it finished.

Sheep Love

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sheeploveiiiBetween being on the road in my new position with my day job, maintaining all of my tasks from my previous position in my day job, and adding another work out to my daily routine in my never ending quest to lose weight, I have been zonkered!

I have a pile of new art magazines that I haven’t touched in a month!  I have lessons that I haven’t started for myself, lessons that I haven’t written for my student, and discoveries that I haven’t posted here.  I have a ton of things I want to try if I can ever get my schedule back in line.

sheeploveiI did, however, manage to scratch out a quick logo for a friend of mine who is starting a sheep farm.  She loved it, but she says she can’t use the original tag-line, “Sheep Love: Come get some!”

I Love a Parade

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Girl2 parading with her “drums”
The watercolor on the Mini Sketch Kit
I love a parade

Yay!  It’s a parade in my house!  This weeks theme for Illustration Friday is a Parade.  So I gave Girl2 some pots and pans and asked her to march up and down the hallway banging the “drums.” It took my beautiful young bride 20 minutes after to get the drums away from her and get her calmed back down for her bath.  But dang she had fun parading up and down the hall way.

EDM 116: Draw something round

EDM 116: Draw something round

EDM 116, draw something round, I immediately started singing “Like a Re-ed Rubber Ball…”  Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) that’s all the words I know.  If only I knew where I could find a round ball.  Having a three year old around once again pays off.