The Tranquility Before the Storm

Shhhhhhh, let him sleep! For "Illustration Friday" word of the week "tranquility".

My Breakfast

Yet another Everyday Matters Drawing Group assignment finished ! This one was for week #24, "draw some fruit". While I'd like to work on this some more, (especially the coloration of the cherries) it will have to remain as is, I'm afraid my models will be consumed in the morning.

added 7/29: Thanks everyone for your comments! And for those inquiring minds, the dvd was "Telluride Bluegrass Festival: Thirty Years" which I watched primarily for those few minutes of heaven when all my boys (Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, Bela Fleck) gathered together on stage with all the other artists at the festival and played themselves silly.

My Shirt

Another Everyday Matters Drawing Group assignment completed, specifically week #22 - draw a piece of clothing.

My Right Foot

This drawing is for the Everyday Matters Drawing Group week #23 assignment, "draw your foot". My feet don't make the prettiest of pictures but I had fun trying to capture every bit of the ugly as correctly as I could. And in case you're wondering, I didn't misjudge the length of the shoe, my feet are teeny and the shoe really does extend an inch or so beyond my heel.

added 7/27: Gosh everyone, I'm surprised you like this of my "fugly" feet, many thanks for your comments.

Drawing Today . . .

A drawing today from life (thanks to my favorite model)

and from a photo (and hopefully "reinterpreteted" enough to not infringe on copyright).

Looks like the beginning of another bookplate design. . . .

David Lamb

Someone I knew 20 years ago for a brief time and would have no memory of had I not sketched this little portrait. A good reason for drawing the people you know, wish I'd kept at it, can't remember who I've forgotten.

Karma

A tough word for me this week, and quite unhappy with my interpretation, experiencing a bit of bad karma I guess. For "Illustration Friday" word of the week "Karma" defined as "The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny."

Sleeping

Which is what I need to be doing, it's after midnight ! I used to go to bed 11:30 on the dot and then get up early (6 am) but since I've started drawing again I seem to be reverting back to my old ways of staying up late working on stuff. I really need to stop that so instead of writing more think I'll just say goodnight !

Theresa Coe

Working on other things today so just an old drawing to offer, of an old friend, drawn about 20 years ago.

Once Again

Sorry, again with the lily, but it's so nice, for me at least, to look at when drawing. One of the top buds has bloomed since yesterday, I expect the other two will open tomorrow.

Flowers from Rosa

Almost every week my friend Rosa brings me an arrangement of flowers from her garden and I've begun to document them in drawings. I can't quite remember but I think she called these "casablanca lilies". Thanks Rosa !

Everyday Matters #21

For "everyday matters" drawing assignment #21, "draw something old." My mother found this at an antique store and bought it for me, thinking it was an "artist's model" of a hand, but later I was told that this particular kind of wooden hand (where just two finger joints are articulated) were actually used for store displays.

Metropolitan

For "Illustration Friday".

Rapunzel Again !

Yet another in my Rapunzel series. The text reads

After they had lived like this for a few years, it happened one day that a Prince was riding through the wood and passed by the tower. As he drew near it he heard someone singing so sweetly that he stood still spell-bound, and listened. It was Rapunzel in her loneliness trying to while away the time by letting her sweet voice ring out into the wood. The Prince longed to see the owner of the voice, but he sought in vain for a door in the tower. He rode home, but he was so haunted by the song he had heard that he returned every day to the wood and listened.

The Exchange

Finished another Rapunzel page today. The text is a continuation of a sentence from the previous page (see July 8th Rapunzel post) and reads

and as soon as the child was born the Witch appeared, and having given it the name of Rapunzel, which is the same as rampion, she carried it off with her.

I had already blogged the page that follows this, it's here.

Accommodating Friends

These fine folk allowed me to sketch them in between taking calls at work today.

Outside the Wall

Another Rapunzel drawing, and for once posted in correct sequence from the previous page which showed him descending into the garden. This time the view is from the other side of the wall as he's climbing out. The text reads:

Then the Witch's anger was a little appeased, and she said "If it's as you say, you may take as much rampion away with you as you like, but on one condition only, that you give me the child your wife will shortly bring into the world. All shall go well with it, and I will look after it like a mother." The man in his terror agreed to everything she asked.

I may have blogged this one a little too soon, I'm not sure now about the yellow wall and a few other things. Guess I'll fiddle with it tomorrow.

Working-out Bookplate

I seem to be dropping the ball with regards to "Illustration Friday" of late. The best I have to offer is another bookplate I designed some time ago that I thought would suit for this week's word "sport".

Justified Witchiness ?

Another in my "Rapunzel" series finished ! The text for this page reads

So at dusk over he got, but when he reached the other side he drew back in terror, for there, standing before him, was the old witch.

"How dare you," she said, with a wrathful glance, "climb into my garden and steal my rampion like a common thief ? You shall suffer for your foolhardiness."

"Oh!" he implored, "pardon my presumption; necessity alone drove me to the deed. My wife saw your rampion from her window, and conceived such a desire for it that she would certainly have died if her wish had not been gratified."

The witch does have a point don't you think, he could have asked first.

A Wonderful New Link !

Annie Bissett (a fellow participant in the weekly "Illustration Friday" challenge) has just begun learning how to make woodblock prints and will be writing about her experiences in her new blog "Woodblock Dreams". I am a huge fan of her illustrative work and didn't think I could love what she creates more than I already do. . . that is until I saw her first print. I am very excited to see that she will be sharing her new artistic journey on-line, thanks Annie for letting me peek over your shoulder and watch as you learn ! I'm very much looking forward to seeing the beautiful results !

Plaid Woman

Last time I was at the doctors I sketched Plaid Man as we sat together in the waiting room. On Wednesday I visited the doctor again and was surprised to see that Plaid Woman was there this time, sitting in the same place. The plaid-nets (sorry !) I guess had alligned for me that day 'cause what are the chances of seeing such a perfect companion piece to the first sketch ? Gosh, now I'm kinda looking forward to my return visit in three months to see if Plaid Boy or Plaid Girl will be there.

Some Work Finished, Some Not

While I didn't finsh my "Illustration Friday" entry for last week (I intended to work on it last night but instead accepted an offer I'm incapable of refusing, namely a trip out for some ice cream and then to the bookstore) I did finish another in my series of "Rapunzel" drawings.

Here are close-ups cropped at half page.

And the text on the page reads.

One day, when he was standing thus behind a tree,
he saw the old Witch approach and heard her call out:
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair"
Then Rapunzel let down her plaits,
and the Witch climbed up by them.
"So that's the staircase, is it ?" said the Prince.
"Then I too will climb it and try my luck."

Criticisms ? Suggestions for improvement ?