AFL next match

Ok. Here it is. An obvious plug for AFL broadcasts happening Monday nights at 6PM on UEN channel 9.2 in Utah (if you have no cable and just a digital tv converter box like I do that is.)

Here's the info on the next match:

Australian Rules Football
Air: Monday, June 2, 8:00 pm (USUALLY ends up being on at 6PM and 9PM in Utah) on MHz Worldview
Broadcast In: English
MHz is the home of Aussie Rules Football in North America. For the past seven years, MHz has been the only broadcast station bringing you this exciting sport from down under.


Round 9
Western Bulldogs vs. Kangaroos
Monday, June 2 at 8PM and 11PM

For head to head team stats go here:
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_team_comparison?team1_id=8&team2_id=13

Diving

This past weekend my husband and I did a lot of exploring in and around the Wasatch Mountains and Antelope Island. One of the most amazing things we saw was a pair of ravens flying. The two were clearly flying together, every move one did, the other mirrored. It was really amazing, and really beautiful. At times they flew so close that we could hear the wind rush through their wings. There was a third raven trying to fly with them, for the most part it just followed along at a distance. Then, just when we were about to leave the third bird began to fly in the most amazing sequence of dives. It would suddenly bring its wings in tight and appear to fall from the sky. It would plummet for quite a distance and then just as suddenly open it's wings and soar up again. From time to time as it dove it would flip from side to side so that it looked completely flat. This bird displayed flying techniques that I've never witnessed before. It was a completely thrilling spectacle to watch and one I'll not soon forget.

This is dedicated to B, thanks for exploring with me.

B&K Pink

I thought it sounded interesting to combine two pictures I drew recently, see how the subjects and pink areas would mesh together. Here's what I came up with. I altered a few things and am excited by the finished product. I think it's fun.

AFL 2007 Highlights

Several years ago I saw an Australian Rules Football game on cable and thought it was the most exciting sport I'd ever seen played. Shortly thereafter, we got rid of cable because frankly it's expensive. Since seeing that first AFL game, I've thought about it from time to time and wished that I could see more. Then, about a month ago, something wonderful happened. We bought a digital tv converter box and a whole new world of tv viewing pleasure emerged. Suddenly not only did we have 10 or so extra channels to watch, but we also got unbelievable clarity in picture. And saving the best for last, we discovered that the beautiful channel UEN (Utah Educational Network) shows a weekly AFL game. Bliss! So now, rather than dreading Mondays, my husband and and I joyfully look forward to them as FOOTY will be on that night. If you've never seen AFL before, you missing out on an amazing sport. These guys, AFL players, make the NFL and NBA players look like sissies. Watching the NBA finals the last few weeks has been fun but boy do those guys whine at the slightest bump they get in playing the game. Several times during any game, and I'm being generous here, players lie down on the court and roll about because they got hit or bumped by another player. You'd think they were about out of the game they were so hurt. And the NFL? boy, those guys are covered from head to foot in padding but they mostly stand around and don't do anything. But not AFL players, these guys are amazing. They don't wear any padding. They fall hard constantly, they tackle each other, hit each other with flying body slams, grab, kick, smack, dive, run and grab, and everything else, literally, to move that ball and score a goal. And hardly ever do they seem to get hurt. You'll see blood from time to time but not a peep from the players is heard. Notice in the video here at 2:28, you'll see a guy run and leap on another players back to give himself the height he needs to snag the ball out of the air. It's skill beyond skill in this game. It's a marvel of ability and grace and power and passion that is unbelievable to watch, it's so thrilling and beautiful I can hardly stand to watch it gets me so exited. Thanks to UEN for broadcasting this amazing sport and thanks to all the men of FOOTY, your skill is more amazing than I could ever hope to describe here. Long live FOOTY.

Pink Wings

This was inspired by something that I don't quite remember, how's that for being inspired. It was either a book, a movie, or a piece of music that was fantasy/science fiction-esque but that's about all I remember. At any rate, whatever it was made me want to draw something with wings. This is the result. I've actually been working on this drawing on and off for several days (why I've forgotten the exact inspiration behind this), but just now have been able to finish it. I like the beautiful soft areas, the many bits of color around her eyes, and the way the wings blend and fall into the white of the background in spots.

Chocolate Skies

Last night I got to sit by the fire at the library and read. With things heating up outside it'll most likely be the last time the fire will be lit there until fall. So it was a treat I enjoyed. As I read, I came across a passage that described a chocolate sky. It sounded so wonderful that my mind began to work up a picture to draw incorporating something chocolaty. This is what I came up with. It's obviously not a chocolate sky but a chocolate mountain is still nice. The fun thing about this picture is that it also fulfilled another idea I've had for some time now to have a mountain reflecting into a lake. I think the results turned out to be pretty relaxing to look at, a really quiet place. I'd really like to be there right now, soaking in the chocolate surroundings.

Sailing Away

I love being on boats, swimming in large or smallish bodies of water, when it rains. In other words, I like water. Here at my desk I sometimes find my mind wandering to pleasant activities such as swimming in lakes and other things along these lines. So, here's to the summer, to sailing away into the sunset. As for this picture, I like how the colors look like water in color and softness even on the boat itself. I like the shadows around the boat, they call to me, "come for a swim." That sounds great to me.

Pink For a Man

I wanted to try drawing a man like I've drawn the last two drawings on this blog. I just don't see why a man can't be painted in pink. I thought that with each drawing I created in this style it would get easier. This didn't turn out to be the case. This picture was hard won, (the fact that I had a very handsome model did help though). It was tricky and took two attempts. I like this in the end but maybe it's too much to ask of art to always go the way you want it to or think it should. Maybe you just have to let it happen. Something to think about anyway. I still believe though, that a man can be painted pink.

Pink Once More

When I drew a self portrait a week or so ago I thought it'd be a long time before I embarked on that project again but I just knew I could do a better job. I had the idea today to draw myself in the style I used for my last post, pink, black, and a lot of white. I had the best time drawing that last picture. I think it'd be a fun idea to draw a whole series in this style, lots of smearing next to sharp parts, lots of white and parts of really dark black and pink. Things tend to get better the more you do them and I think that would be the case here. I do think this drawing is a bit better executed than my last one, I think it goes just a bit further, more dark spots, more blurring, more layers, more contrast. But, no matter if this was a total success or not, I got to draw in pink, and that's always a great thing.

The perfect pink

I just adore this piece. Pink can be a very strong color; I think it's the most beautiful color. This picture was a joy to draw. It was one of those amazing times drawing where you feel like you are rubbing colors on a surface that is alive, or that your subject is already out there and you aren't so much creating it as discovering what already exists, strange and cool at the same time. I love all the big spaces of solid colors, I love the softness. I really love images with lots of big white (or in this case pink that is almost white) spaces, they feel so amazingly calm.



Portfolio Image.