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.

Tagged ... :)

Thanks Robyn (Have dogs, will travel) and Sharon (Flat sound of wooden clogs) for tagging me. I really enjoyed their 7 facts ... I encourage you all to check them out! Plus, they are wonderfully creative artists too so it's a special treat to visit their blogs!

I will be posting some facts about myself in the next few days. I have been swamped with work and haven't had much spare time to draw so I leave you with this scene from my home town. This photo was taken at Wailoa River State Park and that's a monkey pod tree on the right and lots of coconut trees in the distance. Thanks everyone for your recent comments. They mean a great deal to me. I promise I'll be back to visit your blogs soon! Cheers!

A fan's tangerine

I work in a lovely office with incredible staff. They are so fantastic that they actually have fans. I mean, they seem like fans because whenever I visit the front office, there are boxes of donuts, chocolates, cookies, fruit ... just about any gift imaginable ... that folks from the community have brought them for a job well done or just to say hi. Isn't that such an incredible thing?

I'm not sure if this is from a fan or from one of the staff ... but I found this with the rest of the fan gifts. It's delicious!

Epilogue

... and then the Funny Man lived happily ever after ... THE END

Funny man

I am in the middle of reading Stephen Colbert's "I am America (And So Can You)." I've been chuckling for days.

Vroom vroom

Ok, I've been benched. It's been a long day. It's dark out and it's raining. So, what do I do when I'm stuck indoors? Draw my vacuum cleaner!

This vacuum sucks! I mean in a good way. It takes care of all my doggie dirt like a Bissell ought to.

First for Joan (EDM Challenge 30: Draw a chair)

This is my first new piece of furniture ... to be eventually accompanied by a couch and equally cool standing lamp.

It's brown and accentuates the color of my eyes when I sit on it. :) Can you tell I love it?

Milos, Greece

"This church is next to the house we're staying at. Today is Sunday and services are in progress. The worship is broadcast over a PA system so all can hear from this high point. The invocation is both enlightening and inspirational."

- Milos, Greece 1993

Laua`e ferns

I was missing graphite this week so thought I'd try my hand at a quick study of values using my Cretacolor ecologic with a super duper fat lead. What a challenge that was! I loved it because it forced me to work in sweeps. I don't know if I like this at all but I had fun with it. This drawing is a patch of laua`e fern.

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.

Everyday Matters Challenge #37 - Some keys

Today, at work, I mentioned my blog to the office staff and was told that they would be looking out for a new post tomorrow. Talk about pressure! So, I decided to draw my set of keys, complete with my office set, which comprises the bulk of the weight I carry around everyday.

Orange dream

Somebody please tell me what kind of car this is! I was at the grocery store, parked my car, and looked up across the parking lot to see this gorgeous orange car parked in front of me. Time stood still, I swear! The skies even parted and a ray of light beamed down onto the car from where I knew not. I coulda sworn I heard a chorus of angels as well. I don't have a camera so I grabbed my nearest sketchbook and furiously sketched it using the only pen I had, my sharpie, before the owner came and unceremoniously drove it away. *Sigh* another lost love.

Note: The Volvo 240/240DL is my first lost love ... France of Wagonized drew it best (here and here)

Thanks to blogging friends Brian, France, Andrea, Tracy, Juj, and my little brother Bruce, we have an identification: A 1962 Ford Thunderbird! A beauty!

10 min sketch

A 10-min quickie of my blown out boot ... Time for a new one. I would have added the date if I knew what date it was ... at least I know it's October!

Mamane

Mamane (Sophora chysophylla), a member of the pea family ... only found in Hawaii ... vulnerable to predation ... food for endangered palila birds ... just a beautiful plant ... precious in its own right.

Mouth watering

Ohelo berries are related to blueberries! I drew this quick sketch of my favorite plant at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and colored it when I got home. The wonderful thing about these berries, besides being delicious for us humans, is they are food for endangered nene (neh-neh) geese that live in the area.

Caught him!

Tested and proven equation:

2 [(glass of Pinot noir x 3) + (pizza slice x 2) + flashlight] x patience/time = SUCCESS!

P.S. Jennifer caught him. She's quicker than I am.

Frog-catching kit

To be adequately prepared to catch those loud-chirping coqui frogs* in your front lawn, one needs the highest quality frog-catching gear. They consist of many glasses of red wine, flashlight or headlamps (one per person), and a large pizza for sustenance. Frog catching nets are optional as a quick hand may be adequate. (Jennifer wants me to mention that it's raining out as she is the one on frog duty as I post this ... I think she deserves some sympathy).

*coqui frogs were inadvertently introduced to Hawaii and are spreading like wildfire. Their calls are the same decibels as a lawn mower at the same distance. Hard to believe, huh? But I can attest, it's true!

Colorful explosion

I bought a bouquet of flowers from Volcano this weekend ... a massive bunch of assorted dahlias. These are a few. Whenever I look at these, I can't help but smile. Ever notice that flowers have a way of making a blue-y kinda of day a very bright one? I believe they're God's aspirin!