EDM #253 - Draw your socks

Felt like a quick sketch tonight, nothing planned, nothing serious. Just an ordinary pair of socks on the floor ...

If you feel the urge to draw but have a creative block, Everyday Matters group is a great way to overcome your hurdle. Everyone meets at the Everyday Matters Yahoo group and California artist Karen Winters provides the EDM list on her blog site. A new subject is posted each week. Start at number 1 or start at 256 or anywhere between, at your own pace, in your own medium. Pretty much anything goes. When you're done, you may post your work on the Flicker EDM group site after you've joined. It's easy and fun! All levels welcome! Come draw with us! :D (PS: I'd like to acknowledge Danny Gregory who started the group)

Daisy girl

Chickens are funny-lookin' creatures, aren't they? Daisy is a "blue" (but really black) Japanese silkie chicken ... all fluff and tons of personality. She is sitting very quietly on a little non-fertile egg day after day and I'd hate to tell her that it is to no avail. She looks serious, doesn't she? She'd be a good momma, that one.

Pahoehoe rock sketch

Spent the day at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and found beautiful forms of pahoehoe rock doing their "dance" at the coast. Thought I'd share this quick sketch I did of the rocks and some pretty beach naupaka plants (Scaevola sericea) (from my reference pics).

More drawings to come, I promise! :)

Day 12 of 21: Boy's Day doll

We've had this Japanese warrior doll in our family for as long as I can remember. It's usually set out on Boy's Day, which falls on May 5th every year. It's supposed to teach boys about strength and ward off evil. I dunno, with a warrior outfit like that, a boy would HAVE to be pretty strong to fend off other boys who just wanna kick his butt.

Hippos in graphite

Finally, a post after over a week! Thanks everyone for being so patient and many hugs to those who have sent me emails wondering if I'm okay. I've been out of commission ... sick with the flu with barely enough energy for my "real" job! But, I'm healthy and happy now and aching to draw! After the hiatus, putting pencil to paper felt like quenching an intolerable thirst with an ice cold Corona ... with a lime twist!

Special thanks to Ali Stewart from Scotland who graciously allowed me to use a photo from his amazing collection. Thanks Ali!

Everyday Matters Challenge #112 - Something Fresh

I went to the grocery store last week and for some reason, the store sold out its eggs! I mean, how does a grocery store run out of eggs? So, this week, I visited again and found a carton of these beautiful local, fresh eggs. I knew I just had to draw them. I tried out a new charcoal pencil (Prismacolor, soft) and combined it with some graphite and used some blending techniques described by J.D. Hillberry in his book, "Drawing realistic textures in pencil." If you love graphite like I do, you must check out J.D. Hillberry's web site!

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.

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.

An incomplete study

This is my early-morning-just-outta-bed study. I exaggerated the darks a bit here, knowing full well that darks are not so dark on white. It's not quite complete but since it will be awhile before I'll get to it, decided to post it as is. Comments and critiques are very welcome!

Got rabbit?

A page from my sketchbook ... quick sketches of sweet Teetang.

The house is very quiet tonight, except for some coqui frogs and crickets outside. It's a bit cool out but not cold enough for a jacket. Kanoe comes up for a pet from time to time. It's a perfect night to sit with my thoughts and read a bit.

I'm reading The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery ... again. :) I love this book. It gets me thinking each time I read it ...

"As the little prince dropped off to sleep, I took him in my arms and set out walking once more. I felt deeply moved, and stirred. It seemed to me that I was carrying a very fragile treasure. It seemed to me, even, that there was nothing more fragile on all the Earth. In the moonlight I looked at his pale forehead, his closed eyes, his locks of hair that trembled in the wind, and I said to myself: 'What I see here is nothing but a shell. What is most important is invisible ...'"