Evening silliness

each 2.5" x 3.5"

It's good to be silly once in a while.

Orchids preparing for the fall

I am so thrilled about my orchid plant because it has a new sprig! The flowers are whitish yellow-green, if you can imagine that. :) I did a bit of hatcharoo using the classic "Belleville-style" (now turned "Van Stone-style") in my moleskine and I think it gave the flowers a lot of depth.

A Smart Computing Interview!

A few months ago, I was approached by a writer from Sandhill Publishing and invited to be interviewed for the November issue of Smart Computing magazine that featured art-related websites! I was so thrilled to come home from my vacation to a package that held a couple copies of the magazine with this Drawing on Nature Artblog featured in the "That's News to You" section (green box) on page 41! You may read the article if you subscribe or just google "Joan Yoshioka" and "Smart Computing."

The article shows three drawings, my tropical flowers in colored pencil, Shaggy the dog in watercolor, and my Star Wars figurines in pen. I was quick to call my friend to let her know that her dog is featured in a national magazine! Of course, the world is now privy to my little-known Star Wars obsession, but I figured that is just a small price to pay! LOL.

Thanks Kris Glaser! (the very professional writer who was so generous to send me the magazines and so pleasant to deal with).

Singing the Song of Syngonium

More to come ...
Part 2 - I'm thinking this is looking pretty cool. Still, I'm planning my dark and light areas. The possibilities are endless and it's making me freak out a little. Still, I plug on ...

Part 1 - It must be because I'm right handed but I always start on the right side. I have no idea where this is going at this point but I'm excited at the prospects ...

Computer bag and milk snorts

"There is unexpected beauty hidden everywhere in this world — one just has to be open to seeing it. Remember that the next time you sneeze on your monitor." — Nathan Walton

I don't know who Nathan Walton is but I wish I could tell him he made soy milk fly outta my nose when I laughed as I read this.

The clutter

Since I had a 20-minute wait in the lobby of my hotel before the shuttle ride back to the airport yesterday, I started to draw my everyday thing ... my purse. As you can see, it is not quite as empty as my previous drawing (here). I finished it up at home while watching Blade Trinity (that Wesley Snipes ... wow!).

Nene ("Neh-neh") Goose

Ok, I've got it all worked out. I downloaded a DVD decoder so I can finally watch DVDs on my computer again. So, that now means I can do four things at once while at my desk. I can draw from my reference photos on my computer, watch my movie (Panic Room is great, btw ... LOVE Jodie Foster), eat my dinner, and email friends! Now, how's THAT for efficiency!?!

This is a nene goose (pronounced "neh-neh") that belongs to a flock that hangs out at Wailoa State Park. They're endangered but thankfully, well on their way back to stable numbers. They love native ohelo berries (drawn here).

Everyday Matters Challenge #54 - Draw someone

Children are the coolest beings. Their sense of wonder and excitement over the smallest things is fascinating to me. Here, a friend's son is watching his sister dig a hole in utter fascination. lol.

Mornings

Some mornings, it is enough to sit on the front porch with the pooch and a cup of strong hot coffee, watching the clouds float by.

Hop on up

I suspect all you women are cringing at this drawing. The stirrups were not extended yet although it would have been great if the speculum was out ... I think that would have been cool to draw.

I drew this in "the room" waiting for my doc this morning. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait too long and didn't have time to draw the sink and napkin dispenser. I finished the drawing at home.

Woolgathering's 1000th drawing!!!

One thing that I've learned from Elizabeth Perry of Woolgathering is that everyday life matters. It is the "slowing down, the sitting down, the noticing" that offers an "excuse to pause and daydream, to woolgather." Congratulations Liz on your 1000th blog post! There are very few of us that can possibly claim that!

I'd like to dedicate this drawing to Liz. Pausing at a picnic stop to draw Mokolii Island on Oahu allowed me to slow down ... and really enjoy the views of Kaneohe Bay in the way that Liz has done. She's captured in her 1000 posts, everyday things like her sleeping child, a piece of fruit, many snippets of life that she chose to share with us. Thank you Liz for being an inspiration to me and to many other art bloggers out there. We're looking forward to your next 1000!!

Lunch at L&L Drive In

A local-style lunch at L&L Drive In is an experience not to be missed. Okay, I think I'll need to explain what these are:

Left: Double Loco Moco ... a local favorite of two scoops of rice (that sticky medium grain rice, not that Uncle Ben's stuff), one scoop of macaroni salad, two patties of hamburger covered with brown gravy and two eggs.

Right: Laulau Plate ... One laulau made of pork/chicken/fish steamed in luau leaves (like spinach but not) inside a packet of ti leaves, lots of kalua pig (pork roasted in an underground imu or earthen oven), two scoops of rice and ubiquitous one scoop of mac salad.

These dishes are known as heart attack special #1 and #2 (heh).

And no, I didn't have one of these. I thought better and had a grilled mahimahi sandwich and water instead. I drew these two dishes from pics that were staring me in the face as I ate my healthy sandwich. After lunch, I walked out the door with the nagging urge to turn around :) .

Bliss (Everyday Matters Challenge #100: Draw a landscape)

I had some time yesterday afternoon so I drove around Oahu and stopped at this beach somewhere between Laie and Hauula. Took out my goza mat, lay on the beach under some shade, and was asleep in no time. I woke up to the sound of the ocean and laughing children.

Doodle montage

I was REALLY bored last night ... couldn't find anyone to see Jodie Foster's new movie "The Brave One" with me. So, I went around the house and drew whatever my eyes set on. I am practicing my overlapping, which is not a natural thing because my brain wants to keep everything separate. I mean, if I can't watch Jodie Foster kick some thugs butt, then drawing my coffee pot is the next best thing, right?

Everyday Matters Challenge #19 - Something I've made

Can you believe it? I am trying my hand at knitting! It's a rather awkward endeavor since I'm just a beginner but it's another creative outlet that I'm enjoying. I drew my progress thus far. I won't tell you what it is yet ... I'll surprise you when I'm done. But don't hold your breath, I hope to finish it before Christmas. :)

EDM #70 - What I'm afraid of

When I thought of doing this Everyday Matters Challenge, I could think of only one thing that I'm most afraid of ... it's having to use this Epipen. This little doohicky is suppose to save my life if I accidentally eat crab, lobster, or shrimp and go into anaphylactic shock. The thought of having to jab myself in my thigh, as a needle shoots out a dose of epinephrine, is only slightly less scary than not being able to breathe. Thankfully, I've never had to use it yet! :)