Donuts!

Heffalump

For today's Twitter Sketch Dallies.

"There may be a fortune waiting, or maybe an egg souffle..."

The Argyle Sock Club Challenge no. 15 was to pick out a favorite song and to make 2-4 spot illustrations for it, so I picked "Meet the Sun Halfway."

And although Bing Crosby sang it first and was quite the crooner, I personally think Tiny Tim and his ukulele do it best:

Sketches

We went to the Houston Symphony outdoor concert last Friday night, and there was quite the plethora of unsuspecting people to choose from for sketches during intermission:

Then these are just two little warm-up digital paint sketches from today. A crane that looks part duck, oops, and a lady selling 'Cocos Frios' like you often see on street corners around here in Houston:

Fan Art Friday!

I was looking through my sketches, and found this little fish insurance salesman chap:

So, I decided to make...this!

Happy Groundhog Day Friday everyone!

Two Projects from the Last Two Months

Did you know that the first microscope was invented by a Dutchman in the 17th century? It looked something like this:

Core Knowledge Foundation, an elementary school textbook/educational publisher, asked me do these two illustrations in pen and ink (+digital color) to accompany a section in one of their grade books on the human body.

Antony Van Leeuwenhoek designed and made all of the components himself and observed and drew out seemingly all that he could think of with his microscopes. Quite an impressive early scientist. The above illustration is to show a smattering of what he discovered.

***

The Highland Neighborhood Association in Austin asked me to redesign and paint their 'Good Neighbor' metal yard sign with full artistic license--so long as the end result wouldn't be confused with a 'for sale' sign:

Austin, TX has a thing for retro signage, so I did what I could to channel that a la Marti. Hopefully I landed a mix between "Hey! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and "Good job on keeping the dandelions and fire ants down." It was my first time working on metal, but enamel paint is oil-based so it wasn't much different than regular oils--minus the consistency and fumes. Nothing like venting a room for several hours with a box fan in June in Houston.

Where the towels are oh-so-FLUFFY!

While on the epic road trip (see two posts below), I made this to send out to our friends from the magical place of Albuquerque:

If you are wondering why in the world would Weird Al, the Holiday Inn and a free box of weasels go together on the same postcard, this is why (be forewarned, it's 11min long):




The hubby and I made it a point to go buy donuts, (not just once but twice, and they were out of bear claws both times). We ate at the Sizzler (there's only one in town so it's certainly the Sizzler), and drove out to see the Holiday Inn in person. We have now officially done our duty to the city of Albuquerque and Weird Al.

ASC Challenge no. 14: Museum of Bad Art

Turquoise Sunrise

by Marti Major

6.125" x 6.125"

Acrylic and Glass Beads on Bristol Paper
[The Argyle Sock Club Challenge no. 14: The Museum of Bad Art Link]

This is a tributary companion piece to a glorious work titled "Silver Rain" that my sister and I saw 3 years ago at the Yavapai County Fair in Prescott, AZ. Unfortunately we didn't take a picture, but the sketch below is the best that I can remember:

(Envision loads of thick black/blue/purple/gray/yellow paint with black glass beads for the horse's eyes.)

Not purchasing the piece is one of the few regrets of my life, so here is my tribute to a masterwork, as painted with my right hand (I'm left handed).

While cleaning up my acrylics, I was also inspired to create this with the end of a paintbrush and the smudge of paint on my professional-grade yogurt container lid palette:

I call it, "Neville Thinking."
For purchase inquiries, please email.

Long TIme, No Post

First things first, let's start out with the 3rd movement of the Grand Canyon Suite to set the stage:



This last month the hubby and I were nomads for 3 weeks. We went to Albuquerque, where he promptly left for a geology conference in Pittsburgh for 3 days, and I headed north to Taos to plein air paint.

I brought along my three-legged camp chair and sat out in the sage brush and bugs alongside the Rio Grande Gorge.

Painting storm clouds is all fine and dandy until they come close and you think "Gee, I'm the tallest thing on a metal chair in a big flat place. Maybe the husband won't want to hear how his wife was found burnt crispy with a paintbrush in her hand..." (That's why the one above isn't finished.)

Gen-u-ine proof of me R.G. Gorge sketching (bugs not visible).

A bit of late sunset in Taos from a surprisingly nice vista at the Applebee's parking lot.

The hotel I stayed in was right next to the Fechin House. I can now say I've slept in NIcholais Fechin's backyard.

A Fechin drawing and portrait to give examples for those unfamiliar with him. To quote the museum site:

"The museum is housed in the studio and home that artist Nicolai Fechin built for his family between 1927 and 1933. Fechin, born in Kazan, Russia in 1881, carved and molded the adobe buildings into a fascinating, harmonic marriage of Russian, Native American, and Spanish motifs." 

Fechin's cardboard mock-up design for his house.

Upstairs sun room. I could definitely live here.

All of the woodwork, and there's a lot of it, was hand-carved by Fechin.

Studio with big north-facing windows.

There were only a few paintings by Fechin, I was hoping for more, but overall, it's worth the visit.

After Taos and Albuquerque, we headed to Lake Powell. Below is a brave attempt at a butte on the southeast corner of Gunsight Bay.

The last week of our nomadic trip, we were in Southern Utah at Green River which happens to be my husband's geology research field site. While he hiked up to find good shale outcrops, I drew and painted wildflowers.

It occurs to me that I haven't seen one of our nice Pyrex kitchen bowls since it's impromptu use to collect oil and water from a natural oil seep for a University of Texas microbiologist along the Green River... So it goes being married to a geologist.

Pearl Diver