Poppies all in a row -- sort of

I have had an idea for a long time to create a scene with lots of flowers and green bits all messy and jumbled together. This is what I came up with on my first attempt. I think it's fairly fun. I like the abstract feeling of this picture. It's not exactly what I had in mind but that's ok.

Happy Holidays

Happy holidays to all of you! I hope this season rocks for one and all. Here is my fantastical christmas tree. I love all the glowing. Also, I was given a cd of christmas songs from a friend and it has the coolest song on it, "Oi to the world" by No Doubt. I thought it would be fun to have that here as well because it's awesome. Best to you all and happy new year.

Line drawing of a friend

I have a friend doesn't like to have his picture taken. So, when I looked through some photos the other day and found one of him, it was a rare treat. I think he has a really neat looking face and I've always wanted to draw him. He is an artist, lives by his own rules, works when he wants to, refuses to buy a house or a car - doesn't want the payments. He rides his bike everywhere, when he isn't riding the bus that is. He is determined to do his part to keep the world a bit cleaner, less polluted. He recycles much of the garbage we accumulate at work. He is 54 and gay and by his own words, a true one of a kind in that respect. He says that men who are gay and still alive at his age are a rare thing. He is rare, in many ways. He is good and loyal and kind, a good friend. I don't know if he'd like my picture. I don't know if I'll show him -- he thinks he looks funny, I think he looks neat.

Cute girl walking

I saw this little girl on the net somewhere, it may be Meg Ryan's daughter. I forget. I drag stuff off the web from time to time that I see and think I may want to draw later, this is one of these. It's a bit messy but I think that's fun.

Little Red Riding Hood

....I've been gone from the real world for a week now due to traffic accidents, and surgery (unrelated incidents). Therefore, no blogging. No responses to your comments. I'm sorry. I'm not saying anything else about this. Let's now all knock on wood that neither you nor I nor anyone we know ever ever ever has that lousy of a week ever ever ever again....

I started working on this awhile ago. I wanted to create a really cute piece of character art. I thought the perfect thing would be Little Red Riding Hood because she could be SO cute and the forest she was wandering in could be SO scary and dark. I think the juxtaposition is fun.

Santa's little secret

Back when he was young and more impressionable, Santa had a secret. He was in love with a very lousy band. Lets all hope Santa has better taste now.

This drawing is a revisit to an old friend, a drawing a few of you might recognize from a post I put up last year at some point, revamped. I hope your holidays are snappy, full of egg nog, and that you have little lights to look at somewhere in your house.

To all AC/DC fans. Sorry, no offense, clearly I just don't get their music. Or something.

Text, type and becoming visual. Letters become art.

This is something that I've been kicking around for awhile now. I really liked this when I started it months ago and when I found it again, I really thought it had potential so, I finally finished it. I really like how text has become an important part of this image (nearly everything you see here in white is part of large letters I chopped up). I think it's really interesting to take letters and words make them communicate in a way that they don't normally do, make them completely a visual element (except for the "kiss" type on the right side of course). I love all the curls and splatters and the stark contrast of dark color in the background. I think all these chaotic elements come together to create a really cool setting for the small, simple scene that is on the right side of the picture, the little kiss between flowers.



Portfolio Image.

Little Moments

Sometimes there are "little moments" in artwork that are really enjoyable. For example, I may be looking at a painting or drawing and hate the whole thing but one small section in the upper right corner. That small bit, may strike me as so beautiful that the whole painting is suddenly redeemed. (In fact, to be off track for a minute, isn't that life really? Small moments that make all the other ordinary or awful or difficult moments ok? Interesting.) Anyway, I was working on a project at work, creating images of sea turtles. I thought it'd be fun to fill the turtles shell with something interesting, a pattern or something. The image you see here is what I came up with. It didn't turn out to be right for the project but it was a "little moment" that I really enjoyed. So, once again, this blog came to the rescue of something that has no other place to be. Awesome! I think it's a sweet little image, it makes me think of trees when the weather is cold and snowy.

Thoughts on Christmas, line drawing of Santa Claus

So, what was Santa Claus like before he became the shopping guru that he is today? Before we all jumped on that bandwagon and turned something that should be nice and peaceful into a crowded shopping frenzy, something where if you don't give and receive bigger and better you begin to feel like you've failed Pop Culture 101. Did Santa start out just wanting to do something kind for someone? Maybe just something as simple as a note that said, "you are awesome!" and it snowballed? Christmas has gotten a little out of hand, at least I think it has. Thanksgiving night people were camped out at the Best Buy by my house, people trying to score a Wii on "Black Friday" before they were sold out. A man was trampled in a WalMart by his fellow shoppers, all looking for a deal. I think before things got crazy, Santa was a peaceful man with nice goal, to be kind and dole out a little appreciation and peace to the world. This is what I think Christmas should still be about. I think we should cut out the majority of shopping that goes on, instead, have a little cocoa, a little egg nog. Put some lights around a window and sit on the couch and look at them. Watch "A Christmas Story" and see little Ralphie and his brother's adventures one more time. Hug your families, put peace back into the mix. Slow down. Stop rushing all about. Be kind. Just enjoy the quiet peace of the season. I hope this is the sort of Christmas we all have this year.