Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Was good Christmas. See many family. Talk many.
Was good Christmas. Ate many cookies. Ate many fudge. Still eat many both.
Was good Christmas. Unwrap many gifts. Still paper scraps on floor.
Now is time between Christmas and New Year. Parties and fudge numb brain. Sky gray and wet. Lights pretty.

A game of Dixit on Christmas night

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Obi-Wan Kenobi Pizza Hut Tumbler

I threw this away a few days ago.  It was a Pizza Hut Star Wars promotional item from 1979, during a re-release of the movie.  

I remember having more than one of these cups, and using them in our kitchen, but at some point not long after we got them I started using this one as a water cup for painting.  I used it while paining pictures, and I used it for painting figurines, and I kept using it through high school and college.  I must have used it from time to time since college, too, but in recent years it's mostly been in a box, saved for sentimental value.  

It was encrusted with layers of dried paint-water on the inside; the lettering had mostly faded on the outside; and the plastic was brittle.  I did some garage de-cluttering over the weekend to prepare for Christmas, and decided it was time to say goodbye.  Goodbye, Ben!

And then I went and saw the new Star Wars movie, which was good.



Thursday, December 17, 2015

7 x 10 inch pen and ink house portrait

A couple of nights ago I finished this house portrait, which was the last one I needed to get done with a due date of Christmas. Whew!  Now I can take a breath...but I also need to start on a few more that I owe for people who have gift certificates.  There are two of those, and the people who hold the gift certificates have been very patient.  After those two, I have another commission, plus two more probables that I discussed with someone today.  That should keep me busy into spring, but I hope to get a chance to work on some drawings and paintings on my own.


This drawing is 7 x 10 on Bristol board.  I didn't use any thinned down sumi ink on this one.  In the reference photo, the big tree was right in front of the door.  I had to judge from other, older reference photos was the door would look like from this angle, and moved the tree forward and to the right just a little.


It's been another busy year.  I am immensely happy that so many people have liked and admired my work enough to commission artwork from me.  There are so many other artists--some known to me personally--whom I admire as being more diligent, disciplined, and skilled than I am, so it's hard for me to feel too proud of my work.  ...But I am thrilled by all the compliments I get, and very happy that people enjoy the images I produce.



I hope readers of this blog have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a great New Year.