Commission Progress

     Taking a break from sketchbook to work on a piece commissioned by my best friend's parents. When they first married, they taught in Kuwait for two years. Because of how their flight home was constructed they wound up travelling all over the world. One of their stops was in Egypt, and they wanted to commemorate their trip by commissioning a painting based on photos they took there.

Photograph of feluccas (traditional Egyptian sailboats) on the Nile River

     The canvas is pretty large, 24"x36"... But after painting an entire backdrop for a musical by myself last fall this seems much less daunting than it would have been. Now that I've got everything sketched out and colors blocked, I can't wait to start painting it in. ^_^ 

Colors are officially blocked!!! :D

     The best part of this endeavor is finally getting a chance to work on my great-grandfather's easel. I feel honored that my grandma entrusted it to me. :)

Inspired by Childhood

"The creative part of us is always childlike."    

                                                                       ~ Julia Cameron

     So I guess the "drawing every day in my sketchbook" thing has kind of fallen to the wayside. First I was sick for two weeks, then I started work. By the time I would get home all I wanted to do was crash on the sofa with a beer and a movie. But recently I've been getting nagging little bits of inspiration from my work. 


     I work at a daycare and it's always interesting to watch the kids draw. Children are the most creative of beings-- they haven't yet developed a fear of being wrong so their art is still free of inhibitions.


     One of the little girls, who is about 8 years old, likes to draw little doodles in the corner of my attendance sheet every morning. The drawings are simple but very imaginative and I felt compelled to draw some of them in my book, taping her original drawings to the corners. I think hers are much better. :)

This one is a Giraffe with only one spot. 

This is a pterodactyl wearing a party hat.