Biking Bird

6.25 x 24.5" Acrylic and ink on wood

6.25 x 24.5″ Acrylic and ink on wood

They’d thought him slightly off his rocker and dubbed his antics a waste of time.  What sort of bird rides around on such a wheeled contraption when nest building and worm catching should be one’s priority?

To and fro the carefree bird would pedal, scarf sailing in the wind. For hours he would sometimes ride and when he tired he’d stop, flutter his wings, and dismount smoothly – turning his attention to whatever it was birds of his sort do.

May 14 Biking Bird Head DetailMay 14 Biking Bird bike detail

Adding Some Color to a Black and White World

Color added to original 11 x 14" drawing in Photoshop

Color added to original 11 x 14″ drawing in Photoshop

“Go with the flow,” they had said. So he hopped in his rowboat and waited for a tide. But ponds in the middle of suburbia offer little in the way of waves. He sat at the ready – alert to inspiration. Somehow, though, he couldn’t shake the sense that such a tactic may not garner the grandest results.

All Natural Approach color copy

The tooth had been giving him fits for days now. He’d tried some herbal remedies and ointments but they just weren’t cutting it. After reading up on the issue in Everyday Health Questions Answered; A Guide to Holistic Healing, the progressive lion determined the tooth must go.

While he couldn’t say he was thrilled with the idea of removing his canine, he did feel oddly pleased with his recent choice to switch to a vegan diet – a justification of sorts. As his tooth was being pulled he reflected that, without a doubt, this all natural approach to life was really the best thing he could do for himself.
I drew the original black and white images clear back in July. You can see the rhino here and the lion here.  Today I took the time to add color to the saved images in Photoshop. The results make me smile. I hope you enjoyed!

Red Sketchbook

Sketchbook

I bought myself a wonderful gift. A reward of sorts for finishing my 365 days of arting and blogging.

She’s perfect. Red and hard bound with pages that lay flat. Her paper is heavy, keeping the stories drawn or painted on one page secret from those to be told on another. She’s small enough to hold easily, but not so small as to fall off of a lap if that is where drawing should take place.  She has an elastic cord that closes her cover tightly, keeping safe the pages inside.

She does not have a name yet. Certainly someday she will. And when I call it out or ask for an opinion on a line or a color or the state of the world, her pages will flicker in response.

Sketchbok page 1

red

Elephant Editions

11 x 14, Block print on Magazine paper

11 x 14, Block print on Magazine paper

Yesterday I began pulling out older work to hang on my studio walls, since many of my paintings are currently hanging out in Twin Falls, ID. As I sifted through the days upon days of  art that had accumulated I came upon some elephant prints that I had done early on. I was reminded how fun a process carving the rubbery material was and how much I enjoyed the end result. I pulled out a bunch of paper and a canvas and decided I would create more editions. I collaged paper using an an old magazine for one edition, created a watercolor for another, cut up a work that I have never really been fond of, and lastly painted a canvas as a backdrop for the final print.

It was as much fun this round as it was the first!

Day 369 soft watercolor Elephant Print Day 369 Elephant Prints Day 369 blue pierced paper Elephant Print

Seed Clouds

4 x 5" ink and watercolor on paper

4 x 5″ ink and watercolor on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

They looked to the sky longingly, as the cloud made it’s way in. A food truck of sorts. Disaster relief for Mother Nature’s neglected children.