the sketchbook

Yes, it’s official, I have class.  Oh, I’m not bragging about my style or lack there of.   I’m talking about school!  Last week I started a French Wash extension class at Pasadena City College.   Let me tell you it’s a lot of fun!

Today we brought in the work that we started in the first class then worked on during the week.  As with all courses you had some people that had worked on their project and some that hadn’t.  I was in the had group as I have time to do stuff like that right now.  I was trying to keep my head low and just be another student but when people saw my piece some eyebrows were raised and my cover was totally blown.  One of my fellow students even asked me what I was doing in that class?   I him answered honestly and said “having fun drawing and learning a new technique.”

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning.

Easter has come again and I am just a bit blue.  Oh not that it’s Easter or that I have just turned another year older (yes I feel there are more birthdays behind me than there are left ahead) but the Easter e-card that I was working on just didn’t work out.  I guess the greatest plans made by man can be put aside by a temperamental computer.  It’s okay though as I still have all of the illustrations for the card and now I have an entire year to get this one working properly.

Let’s all just take a deep breath and enjoy this lovely albeit cloudy (at least here in Southern California) Easter Sunday.

I have finished the third piece of my Rodeo Series.  I must admit that I am very pleased with the way that this one turned out.  It has more depth and feeling than the first two and a lot more detail.

I have started the fourth and final piece of the series and hope to have that completed soon.

Happy viewing!

A couple of days ago I finished the second illustration in my “Rodeo” series.  I’m rather happy with the way that it turned out especially since it was the first time that I had illustrated a bull.  I am now playing with the third illustration and hope to have that done soon.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Here it is nearly the end of January and all I have to show for it is one lousy blog entry.  What am I a slacker?  No, not really.  Actually I have dusted off Adobe Illustrator and have been creative.    The illustration of the Saddle Bronc is the first in a series of rodeo art that I am creating, well, for fun and promotion.

It’s cool getting to do what you really enjoy.

The holidays are over and the new year has begun.  I have never been big on the whole “resolution” thing but I have made some personal plans for this year.  What are they you ask?  Well they’re mine and I’m going to hold onto them for a while.  It’s kind of like that birthday wish that you make and if you tell someone it won’t come true.

My holiday decorations are safely in their boxes and my home looks like it should and I like it.

Happy 2010 everyone!

Well, I haven’t been anywhere, just haven’t posted anything in quite some time.  Why?  Hell, I just didn’t have anything to say really.  So do I have something to say now?  Yes I do as a matter of fact.   I would like to take my hat off to Facebook.  Not only did it allow me to get reacquainted with people from my past, but it has allowed me to connect with some of my family that I haven’t heard from in many years.

So what have we learned today?

1. Facebook  – good
2. Connecting with family and friends – good
3. Not posting anything on my blog in over a month -bad (but honest)

Friday I went over to my buddy Kirk’s haunted house to help them scare the crap out of their “guests”.  This was a bunch of fun.  It’s much better being the scare-er than the scare-ee.  The only drawback was that I had a very scratchy voice on Saturday.  This wasn’t all that bad as I could sing along with Barry White on the radio (oh baby).

Saturday my brothers, their wives and I got together and played golf to celebrate my brother Don’s birthday.  It was a beautiful sunny day all be it a bit windy but no one was complaining.  The only thing that would have made it better would be if the rest of the family was with us.

I hope you all received treats and no tricks.

Since it was a nice warm Sunday afternoon I decided to throw my bike in the truck and go for a bike ride.   So I headed out to the San Gabriel River trail and as my Dad used to say “peddle my ass off.”   I guess in the end that is exactly what I am trying to do.  Get out in the fresh air and do some exercising to this bod of mine.  15 miles and just under an hour later I was back at the truck feeling winded with wobbly legs and a feeling of accomplishment.

Gotta love outdoor Sundays.

Okay, it wasn’t a day…just the morning.  I had meant to get out to the Arboretum ever since I moved back to Sierra Madre and when my friend Patty told me about free admission on the third Tuesday of the month my path was clear.  With my camera in hand I headed out to the wilds of Arcadia.  There is really too much to take in in one visit and don’t ask me to name all the types of vegetation that I saw.  I did however take over 200 photos and over the last several days have edited them down to 43 keepers that I have uploaded into the Nature area of my gallery.

This was my first trip to the Arboretum in over 15 years and I can say with all honesty it won’t be my last.