EDiM Day 5 - Pine, Fir or Eucalyptus

Today, on Day 5, we are challenged to draw a pine or fir tree or eucalyptus. Many members of the Every Day in May group reside in Australia, so they've been submitting awesome drawings and paintings of eucalyptus trees and leaves. I thought I knew about eucalyptus. Obviously I don't. Add it to the LONG list of "All Things Nature" that I am ignorant of. The Australians drew beautiful, subtly colored, slender leaves—nothing of what I think of as eucalyptus. All I know of eucalyptus is the dried, exotic-smelling, Seuss-like branches sold in the craft store. I've always thought of eucalyptus as an exotic thing—foreign in appearance and smell—like how we felt in the 60s when we saw a whole pineapple in the grocery store. "Is it real? We thought pineapple only came in cans!" Eucalytpus remains one of those curious smells from childhood that I got many whiffs of before I knew where it was coming from. Other smells in that catergory for me: beer at the amusement park (I was so sheltered from alcohol!); pipe tobacco at the mall (I was so sheltered from smoking!); and diesel exhaust from downtown busses (I know it's toxic, but I love it!) It was years before I knew what those smells belonged to. Weird, I know.

pen and watercolor on 90 lb. mixed media paper

EDiM Day 4 - Socks

I knew immediately what I would draw for Day 4's challenge to "Draw Your Socks." I love to knit and wear homemade socks, so I knew my drawing would feature some of my handknit socks. I just had to figure out how I would design the picture. I find it hard to just draw an item. I always envision it in terms of a larger design, and that design almost always includes some kind of creative lettering. It's like I think in scrapbook page layouts! I like how this turned out, but drawing the socks so small was difficult. I wanted more details and truer colors. It just wasn't possible. It would be fun to redo this piece in a larger size.

pen and watercolor on 90 lb. mixed media paper

EDiM Day 3 - Something that Represents Joy

Day three's challenge is to draw something that represents joy. For me it's COLOR! For the most part, color is unnecessary to life. It is just gift—one of many reasons I believe there is a Giver. Color is for the beauty of it, for the beauty of whatever it rests on—sky or tree or feather or skin. This tells me that the Giver is also Artist. We, the small artists, get to borrow His color schemes for the beauty of our creations.

pen and watercolor on 90 lb. mixed media paper

EDiM Day 2 - A Favorite Sound

The Every Day in May challenge for day two is to draw a favorite sound. I love the idea of "drawing a sound." A favorite sound for me is Westminster Chimes pealing across the valley from the bell tower of my college alma mater. For four years, I was reminded of the time every fifteen minutes! I never tired of it. Whenever I hear church bells echoing through a town, I get nostalgic for 30 years ago: college; youth; potential; anticipation; most of life still being ahead. All that from the sound of bells.

pen and watercolor on 90 lb. mixed media paper

EDiM Day 1 - Something Bubbly

Well, since I've obviously not been able to push myself to start a new small sketchbook for this blog, I've decided to post my entries for the Facebook group, Every Day in May. Group members are challenged to draw and post every day of the month, following a list created by the group administrator. It's been fun seeing artists from around the world interrupt each day's challenge. The assignment for day one is to draw something bubbly. I had a can of ginger ale in the fridge and decided that was as good as anything. I wish I could have achieved the shiny look of the can, but I was just getting over being sick, and I didn't really feel like fussing this too much. I hope to do better the rest of the month. This is another very small sketchbook (3.5" x 5"). That makes it easy to finish pages quickly. So, here we go. Bring on May.

pen and watercolor on 90 lb. mixed media paper

Colorful Alphabet

I've made one swing through the entire alphabet, and my little sketchbook had a few blank pages left, so I decided to just play around with quick drawings of the letters and coloring them in arbitrary ways. It was fun and fast and good practice for staying loose. After a day of work where precision is required, it's nice to do something just for fun where there's no such thing as a mistake.

Now to contemplate the approach for the next sketchbook.... 

Z is for...

Z is for..., watercolor on mixed media paper, January 13, 2012

I remember studying about ziggurats in sixth grade. Such a distant and strange time and culture, but human nature remains the same. We must worship something, and we are forever tempted to exert great effort to erect something worthy of our adoration. Being absorbed by the compulsion to follow lesser gods (modern-day ziggurats) is at the core of man's rebellion and brokenness. The zipper is such a great invention--brilliant in its simplicity. How can anyone believe the zebra came about by accident? Zebras are hardly fit to survive in a predator world when everything about a zebra says, "Here I am! Look at me!" The Zia adorns the flag of New Mexico, where we lived for almost 12 years. The Zia sun symbol has 16 "fingers" divided into four sets of four, each significant for some reason. Does anyone remember what their state flag symbolizes? I grew up in Toledo, Ohio, which I've been told I shouldn't admit. Yes, I've heard all the jokes. Toledoans are proud of their great zoo and being the Glass Capital of the World and being the place Klinger is from. It is a great place to be from. Zaffre is a color. I know because I saw it on the Internet. I'm sure the name will be on a Crayola crayon wrapper someday. I was a Ziggy fan once upon a time. Since I don't read the paper, I've sort of lost track of him. Z is for ziggurat, zipper, zebra, zero, Zia, zoo, zaffre, and Ziggy.