DRAWING 16

I realized yesterday was the 100th day of the year and I need to catch up! I have been drawing but haven't been sharing which is not what this blog is all about. So, tonight I decided to participate completely with my own theater.
I like to capture motion in my drawings yet there wasn't much movement visually from my subject. He is a blind guitarist who was performing on a rooftop in SAlt Lake City. I heard his renditions of classic songs from the 60s and 70s and decided to find my way up to the top of the building. Cover song artists are a dime a dozen but this guy had so much passion in him he hit my soul deeply. Clint Lewis, you're stillness had more movement than a locomotive screaming by.

DRAWING 15

Lazy as a pig I've been. But busier than a bee! More to come...

MAKE SOMETHING 365

What a nice surprise to see The Tangled Year featured, along with a little interview with me, on the popular website, Make Something 365 & Get Unstuck created by Noah Scalin. I remember discovering and following Noah's original project, Skull-A-Day years ago. I fell in love with the concept and it is that project that was the number one inspiration for my project. So, it is an honor to be recognized and featured on his blog which features other people who are committed to similar yearly projects.
More about Noah Scalin:
Noah is a Richmond, Virginia based artist & designer. He is the creator of the Webby Award winning art project Skull-A-Day which was the basis of his first book, Skulls. Noah’s art has been exhibited in museums and galleries internationally including the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia and the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago. Noah runs the socially conscious design & consulting firm Another Limited Rebellion, which he founded in 2001 and is also an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University. Noah frequently lectures on creativity for schools, businesses, and other organizations.

DRAWING 14

THE TWINS
This sketch is of 2 teenagers I know who are twins. They don't look too happy here and there is a reason. They have a severe skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). I mentioned EB in Drawing 4. People with EB are often called butterflies because their skin is as delicate as the wings of a butterfly. The skin blisters and tears very easily and these girls are covered in bandages in order to protect the wounds. The pain is excruciating and never goes away. The twins try to live life just like any other teenage girls and do a great job at overcoming the obstacles EB presents them. Unfortunately they often have to miss school and activities with their friends. Often overlooked is the sadness people with EB face because of the things they miss out on. Things that most people take for granted in life are things these girls strive for. They inspire their friends and family and even people who know who they are through online social media through their love of life and positive attitudes. When things are really bad they shrug their shoulders and say, "that's just our life with EB", then go on living their life as close as they can to healthy teens. Yet, still there are many lonely and frustrating days with no smiles.
Please visit EB Survivors and learn more about this incurable, genetic, non-contagious disorder. Then, if you ever meet someone with EB you will be able to smile and tell them you know about it. It will make their day and put a smile on their face. You never know, you just might become close friends too.

DRAWING 13

I heard a story of how the Grateful Dead song Let It Grow was written after a concert in Salt Lake City. Apparently Bob looked out of his Hotel Utah window and saw the Mormon Temple with Angel Moroni standing atop a steeple and decided I AM, I AM, I AM was worth writing a song about. You can listen to it here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hPaMT8GwQls
I especially love the texture of the lyric when he asks shall we count the Angels dancing on a pin...
Another dum dee dum and doodly doo...

DRAWING 12

Whew! I think I finally kicked this nasty flu which had me laid up for what seems like months. It was actually just 2 weeks but that is the longest I have ever been sick in my life. Luckily I had my dog Barney to take care of so I didn't slip into total slothiness. Back to sketching! Barney likes to lick everything always. He sure enjoyed my time in bed sleeping away the past few weeks.

DRAWING 11

Finally got myself out of the house today. Been fighting the flu since Friday and decided some single digit cold air would be a good thing for my lungs. This sketch took just a few minutes of my time. I wasn't after any real quality. I wanted to capture this pay phone as I waited for a train though. I think it deserves a revisit some time in the future. The receiver was swinging in the wind and there seemed to be a certain sadness here. Besides the fact that we don't see too many pay phones anymore these days, the fact that it had motion and life struck a profound chord in my heart. Who left it hanging? Who was waiting on the other end? A great story here.

DRAWING 10

Another hand drawing. Surprise! This was a tough one. I used my own hands for this quick sketch. Since I am right handed, the left hand (the one on the right in the drawing) wasn't as tough as the right hand (which I drew with my left hand). Considering how fast I did this (10 minutes) and that I switched the hands I was drawing with, I am pretty happy with the sketch. Drawing with my left hand was pretty awkward. You can see how I crushed the paper a few times trying to control my hand.

DRAWING 9

As you can see, I need some serious improvement on drawing hands. I decide to do a little study of hands from photos I have. As I was doing this sketch I was sent deep inside myself and realized that I need to let go of certain things in my past before I can grab onto new things and experience them with a sincere open heart and mind.

DRAWING 8

Actually I really do have a lot to say today. Too much though and will need a few days to sort out everything. This leads to my mind not being able to grab anything in particular to draw today. Good things are happening to me but, with all new things. We need to let go of a few of the old things and that's always a little scary.

DRAWING 7

Graceland

DRAWING 6

15 minute sketch at the train station.

DRAWING 5

Epiphany

DRAWING 4

Today's drawing is for all the people who have to deal with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). EB is a genetic skin disorder. People with EB are often called butterflies because their skin is as delicate as a butterfly's wings. EB causes the skin to blister and tear at the slightest touch. Often people with EB are feared to be contagious by people who don't know about the condition and this is not true. Please take a moment right now to do a Google search for Epidermolysis Bullosa and learn more about it. You never know, you may just see someone with large blisters, scars, open wounds and a lot of bandages. Then, you can ask them if they have EB instead of staring. You'll make their day. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO CURE FOR EB. Awareness is crucial so that more research can be done.

DRAWING 3

Strike On Box...

DRAWING 2

Today I decided to sketch a rose and study how the light hits the petals. I guess it came out alright. I really need to work on shadow edges.

DRAWING 1

I know it probably seems strange to choose this subject on January 1st. I am not quite comfortable sketching in public yet and this photo has been on my phone since last summer. Every time I look at it I want to paint it. I love the emotion in the photo even without seeing my friend's daughter's face very clearly. It was a muddy day and she scraped her leg pretty good on a branch. After we cleaned her up and put a band-aid over the cut, Aubrey sat there for a while contemplating the situation. As you can see, I have a little bit of ability to draw but I definitely need to practice a whole lot more before I am good. But, that's what this project is all about. I hope to get some tips along the way and really become a decent artist. I want my sketches to capture the emotion of what is going on. Then, I will feel confident to carry them on to the painting stage.!