First sketch in a new book

This sketch was done while watching television last night. I used a lamy safari fountain pen with a fine nib and Private Reserve "Chocolate" ink in a Fabriano Artist's Journal on a dark yellow page. The book was a gift from two wonderful friends, David and Joel.

The paper has a texture to it that the fountain pen really didn't like. Each stroke was hit or miss whether the ink would flow and where. It took much longer to do the sketch this way and the feel of the pen was kind of grating. Like drawing on sand paper.

I'm switching to woodless graphite pencils as I think the tooth of the paper will work well with it. I will at some point try brush and ink also.

O.K. let's try this again.

ink and water colors done while on vacation in Sea Ranch with my very good friends Christopher and Annie Desmond.

More current sketches

When I reached the top of the hill where I intended to sit and sketch I found Llarry our Llama laying peacefully in the shade of a tree. Thinking that this would make a great pastoral sketch I maneuvered the jeep around to a good viewing position without disturbing Llarry which was tricky on the narrow tree covered ridge. Fortunately it was a hot enough that he wasn’t inclined to move. As soon as I settled down to sketch our other animals decided to come see what I was doing. Maybe lend a hand? Anyway, I found myself surrounded by two horses, two donkeys, and a pony all sticking their heads into the jeep looking around and generally getting in the way. By the time I pushed everyone away Llarry was up and the moment was broken but I had carved this few minutes out of my day especially to draw and this is the resulting sketch. Everybody kind of standing around with “what’s wrong with him” look, except for Cricket, the old mare, who just turned her back on me.

I'mmmm baccck!!!!!

I looked out the window this morning, saw this man sitting on the bench and thought it's a new month I think I'll do a quick sketch and start posting again. Now that I'm looking at the sketch I realized that he's sitting on half a bench! Is it still artistic license if it was an unintentional omission? The rest of the bench was boring anyway, you’re not missing anything. It’s ironic that most of the people who use this bench look like they have no visible means of support, this guy does and I leave it off. Maybe it’s my subconscious making a statement. Maybe I'm rambling. Maybe I should get to work.

More old stuff

This is a copper wire sculpture also done in 2003.

Really old stuff

This is a mild steel sculpture I did in 2003. It is also a desk lamp with a 12 led cluster in the dragonfly's head.