Animals

Two Whales – Watercolor Sketch

/ still a dreamer / 6 Comments

I love whales. All creatures in the sea. Actually, all creatures. I have a bunch of whale photos from a no-longer remembered source, and they’re all beautiful. I’ve been wanting to do something with them, so I did.

I know nothing of how to properly do watercolors; I just play around – my ancient Crayola watercolors and one brush. (I have more brushes in my studio, but was too lazy to go upstairs.)

My theory is that anything that gets you to draw, paint, write, compose – if you like that one thing? Do that.

Artist Date – Part 2

/ still a dreamer / 11 Comments

Admittedly, I had to go to this location for an appointment, but moseying around town and taking some pictures, which I love to do, was my Artist Date.

This is the very charming little hamlet of Frenchtown, the river town just south of the one I live in.

There are several such river towns dotting the Eastern side of the Delaware River – we are the two northernmost.

Frenchtown abounds with small, unique shops, and plenty of good places to eat, get coffee, ice cream, pastry, and much more.

I obsessed a little over these two dogs, and took quite a few photos of them. But, hey, it was my Artist Date, and my chance to do what I love.

The Frenchie, the Gull, and the Fish

/ still a dreamer / 6 Comments

It’s just a minor seaside disagreement as to the ownership of one small colorful fish. Entitled “My Fish!”, this is my original art available as a giclée print, in my Etsy shop.

For those not familiar, I once illustrated Just Frenchies magazine for 10 years. From this, I grew a small business focused on my French Bulldog art, eventually moving to a shop on Etsy. While this is not the direction where I am headed now, I continue to share some of my French Bulldog art, terrier art, carousel horses, etc, as cards and prints.

Feel free to stop by my shop!

We Are the Light in the World

/ still a dreamer / 2 Comments

In a world where too many leaders could truly care less if we live or die,

In a world where there is far too much suffering and unnecessary death,

In a world where there is too much darkness,

We need to remember – we are the light.

We are the ones who can help heal this broken world, through our love and compassion for all life.

The ways are endless – hold open the door for someone; check on a neighbor; provide food for the hungry; volunteer; make a donation to an organization that helps humans, animals, the planet. Calm yourself, feel the love inside you, and send it out to the world. Just be kind.

Our light is needed. Please keep shining.

Photos: Thank you to: Gantas/Pexels (top Photo) and Jeremy Bishop/unsplash

The Drawing Process – A Manatee

/ still a dreamer / 5 Comments

Does everyone’s drawing process start out the same – with an idea, and some idea of how you want it to look?

In this case, I did a couple preliminary sketches in pen and ink to get a feel for the manatee’s contours, and then went to a full page to do an underlying sketch in pencil. I figured I’d clean it up and proceed with what I had in mind. What you see isn’t that.

Then I realized what I’d had in mind was never going to happen. I decided to start sketching with just one brush and my watercolors and go from there. See what this little manatee wanted.

Letting one’s art or music or writing evolve is, I believe, what creating is all about. I’m not sure why, after all this time, it still surprises me that the result is nothing like what I imagined. Yet I like it.

I often come back and look at the drawing a ridiculous number of times, as if it might disappear, or maybe I never did it at all. But each time I see it, I smile.

It’s always a shade of me I’m still getting to know. Do you know that feeling?

p.s. Also known as sea cows, the manatee is one of the gentlest creatures on the planet, and a threatened or endangered species, depending on their location.