Finished Duck Series

Done with watercolor and India ink.

I was able to display all except the last piece (which I finished today at home) at the San Joaquin County Fair. I had a lot of positive feedback. I guess a lot of people like ducks. It was fun talking with people about ducks, art, and whatever else. I would like to do this more.

Kids and Ducks

Done with a nibbed pen and India ink.
This is another study for a series of pictures that I will be displaying later on today at the county fair (and for the following 2 days). The final will be in watercolor and pen/ink.
I am going to just add the watercolor for this piece and then work on the rest at the fair. I think the idea is that artists are to be seen working on their art to attract attention to our booth. Because my family is out of town with our digital camera, I'll have to post the finished pieces after this weekend when they get back.

Study for Small Series

Here is a study for a picture that will be a part of a small series focusing on ducks in one of our neighborhood parks. I plan to initially create about 3 or 4 finished pieces. These pieces will be displayed for the San Joaquin County Fair that starts this Wednesday. Artists-in-Schools is letting its artists display and work on art at their booth in the fair as a way to promote the program. For me this is a great way to display my art without having to go through a lot of red tape (licensing, release forms, fees, etc.).
This piece is a sketch done with a Sharpie pen. The final piece (and other pieces) will be done with India ink and watercolor. Whew! Tight deadline. Better get to work!

IF: "Unfold"

As Mr. Frodo tries out his new leash and harness an entirely new world unfolds before him. Each day Frodo's human takes him out is a new adventure just waiting to be experienced!

Drawn with Prismacolor pencils and pen/ink on turquoise colored paper.

Mr. Frodo on His New Leash

Our cat, Mr. Frodo, has been dying to get outside for the longest time. The problem for him is that he is an indoor cat. A while ago I saw a harness for cats at the pet store and thought it might be fun to get one for Frodo. A couple of days ago we finally got one and it took very little coaxing to get Frodo to try out the harness. He had a blast exploring our front yard and some of our neighbor's yard. Tomorrow I think we will have our next adventure in the backyard.

This drawing was done with a 0.7mm Bic pencil. I think I might use this drawing as preparation for a more finished picture in color.

Sunday Afternoon Yogurt

Church was busier than normal for me today. I sang with the worship team (as usual) and gave the message for the congregation (not usual). To decompress we had one of my son's friends over for lunch and later on we went to the park to feed the ducks. After the ducks we stopped by a frozen yogurt shop, sat outside, and enjoyed the nice weather. I did some sketching while we were out.

This sketch is of some teens sitting close to us outside. Done with a mechanical pencil.

Another Kitty

This is a simple mechanical pencil drawing (0.9 mm lead point) of one of my cats, Samantha.
Family and pets are an artistic staple when there is not much time for a longer project. Teaching (and preparing for) summer classes has taken a lot of time lately, but I plan to get back in the groove of things starting this week. I have a bunch of things planned.

Back to the Basics

Self portrait done with Ultra Fine Point Sharpie

May is past. Those who entered and where accepted in the Communication Arts Illustration Competition have already been notified. I received no notification, so that means I get to try again next year.

This is an opportunity for me to evaluate myself as an artist regarding my strengths and weaknesses, as well as the direction I want to go with my art and what I need to do to successfully accomplish my goals. Though I enjoy teaching, I want to be successful at being an artist.

For the rest of the summer, I plan to work on my technique and develop my conceptual abilities. Though I have plans for a busy summer I am going to focus on art more as a discipline and not get sidetracked with other things.