Drawings, stories and stuff

My lovely friend is expecting a baby soon; her nursery will be dino-themed.

Here are some of the dinosaur projects I’ve been working on.

Hidden pterodactyl inside the cabinets, too!

The pattern for the dresser is from  http://is-five.blogspot.com/2010/03/pterodactyl-dresser.html

And, finally, here is a card that I made, paying homage to her love of dinosaurs and her husband’s love of Kiss.

I’ve been working on a small book this week, but it’s not quite ready.

So here’s a drawing.

I have a small (probably unrealistic) love for goats lately. Their creepy-devil-eyes are just so endearing. I think I’d like to have some goats of my own one day. I’ve been fantasizing about the day I’ll have enough property to raise goats and chickens in my yard. Of course, this is just one of the many things that I think I want. Recently I’ve been contemplating the difference between the things I think I want, and the things I really want - the latter comes from an inner drive/ inner truth.  Here is a Linda Pastan poem from Carnival Evening that does a nice job of explaining the difference:

What we want

What we want

is never simple.

We move among the things

we thought we wanted:

a face, a room, an open book

and these things bear our names–

now they want us.

But what we want appears

in dreams, wearing disguises.

We fall past,

holding out our arms

and in the morning

our arms ache.

We don’t remember the dream,

but the dream remembers us.

It is there all day

as an animal is there

under the table,

as the stars are there

even in full sun.

~Linda Pastan

My commentary here is going to be limited. It’s been a while since I’ve made any loaded surreal images like this one, but now I’m wondering why I don’t do so more often. Allowing dreamy images like this to come to me during my work day feels like a mini-vacation. Then  staying up late at night to paint the piece has the opposite effect of staying up late to do anything else. I’m not tired; I’m happy. Of course doing this every single night might be problematic, but two nights this week wasn’t bad, and the happy chemicals are flowing.

I used watercolor and a dash of micron pen; all that detail really satisfied my microscopic urges.

Enjoy!

That’s for you. And if you’re really good, next week we’ll having something even better (weirder… same thing?).

I know, I missed last week’s post, but I’m bribing you with pictures of naked ladies…

I have a good reason for missing the post: I was in Las Vegas at the Burlesque Hall of Fame. The extended weekend was filled with performances by old burlesque performers from the 50s and contemporary performers. After three nights of 3-4 hour long shows I think I’ve had my fill of T and A, but the performances were amazing. My friend Jessica encouraged me to go with her. She says she wishes she could bottle the night when the old ladies perform and show it to every young woman in America. These old broads, some in their 80s, would flounce across stage in heels I’ve never seen an octogenarian wear, and shake it like a bottle of Metamucil.  It was amazing and inspiring to see their confidence and charisma on stage and off.

Anyway, among the other events last week was a Dr. Sketchy’s session. Dr. Sketchy’s is a drawing event that asks the very important question, “Why can’t drawing nude models be sexy?” For those of you who have drawn live models in school, you’ll probably agree that it’s anything but sexy. At Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School they invite burlesque performers to model, and perform a number or two before the session starts. The pictures above are the fruit of my drawing at Dr.  Sketchy’s.

Nice, yes?

I think I’ll be re-visiting the Dr. Sketchy’s in SF sometime soon. And I recommend you do the same.

I’m working on a bigger project that isn’t quite ready this week. So, here are some sketches of the rest of my family. You’ve already seen Buttercup in an earlier post – she tends to get more screen-time because she’s naturally photogenic. But I think the other two handsome guys here aren’t so bad either.

I know what you’re going to say.

No, this wasn’t based on either of the two stout fellows who live with me. I found this image of a bathtub and drew it last week; a few days later I started drawing, just to fill the space, and this is what came about. I can’t explain why it resembles them. Maybe it was just a subconscious rendering of my roommate and darling husband. I honestly think it was just the realization that most standard bathtubs don’t fit anyone.  The last time I remember being comfortable in a bathtub was at age 10.  I’m not a big person, at 5’2 (and 3/4) with a relatively small frame, I may be able to sit in the tub, but where does my head go? The way the tub slopes to meet the cold tile is just not a very ergonomic angle. Sure the water is warm and the bubbles are enchanting, but the cost of soapy relaxation is always paid by your spine.