Wednesday, November 30, 2011

F is for Fiffer-Feffer-Feff*



BIG F
little f
F . . f . . F

Four fluffy feathers
on a
Fiffer-feffer-feff.

*more fanart - from Dr. Suess's ABC Book

I really wanted to complete this drawing, but at the same time I really struggled with it… which is why it's so late in being posted. NOW I can move on to the G beast. :)

Drawing Morning Pages (Doodle Edition)

Nov 23, 26-28 2011

I've been WAY behind on my Drawing Morning Pages posts… although I've been keeping up with the actually drawings fairly well. Today (1.12.12) I'm catching up through late Novemeber to mid December. Hopefully I'll get myself up to date by this weekend.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

F is for Fandango** / Illustration Friday: VANITY


If the fancy Fandangos seem stuck-up and snooty,
It is because of their exquisite beauty.
They're most often seen with smug smiling faces,
By a crustal clear pond in a jungle oasis.
There they linger for hours with nothing to do
But sip the sweet water and admire the view.
And the view they admire, as you might well suppose,
Is their own reflection, right under their nose.
from NO SUCH THINGS, by Bill Peet

*This week I got to combine my extracurricular blog posts, and it was all do to kismet! I originally thought of doing a Dr. Suess creature (I still am, working on it!), so I ran to the library to grab a couple of the books I didn't have - and on display were a couple Bill Peet books I was not familiar with (I am a true Bill Peet fan from childhood - when we went to the books store, I was always asking for a new Bill Peet book), so I snatched them up and brought them home not even really paying attention to what they were about.
One of those books, NO SUCH THINGS, just happens to be a book of made up creatures! It was just perfect. I looked at the cover thinking, I really hope those horse-like creatures start with an F, because they are just so cool -- and they DID. And apparently they're extremely vane creatures, which totally fits in with Illustration Friday's theme this week: Vanity. Such lucky and fun discoveries this weekend. :)

**and also FANART

Friday, November 18, 2011

E is for Enfield


The enfield is a mythological beast most commonly (when seen at all) used in European heraldry especially in England and Ireland. It is most famously used in the heraldry of the London Borough of Enfield.

The enfield it has the head of a fox, the chest of a greyhound, the body of a lion, the hindquarters and tail of a wolf, and forelegs like an eagle's talons. The enfield is a creature of Celtic cultures, which has given meaning to the various parts: the head of the fox represents craftiness or cleverness. The chest of a greyhound suggests swiftness and endurance. The body of a lion means royalty and bravery. The hindquarters of a wolf implies fraternity and loyalty to family. Finally, the forelegs of an eagle's talons conveys strength, nobility and hunting prowess.



The creature had a role in legends as being a guardian of chieftains or leaders who had fallen in battle. The Celts believed strongly in making sure that their honored members and loved ones received what they considered to be proper funeral rites so that their spirits could rest in peace. Enemies would try to carry away bodies, especially of enemy leaders, so that they could tear them apart and use them to demoralize the enemy and serve as a warning. This was distressing to Celtic peoples and they believed the spirit of people debased in this way would haunt the world of the living until they were avenged.

Exerpted from Squidoo

*Gotta admit I struggled with this one… it's taken days and I really had to force it along in the end. Pretty happy overall, but only a scratch on the surface of where I initially wanted to go with it.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Illustration Friday: SILENT


I'm not quite sure how I landed on this process of doing TWO drawings for Illustration Friday, but this make two weeks in a row.
Trying to limit myself to line drawings for the time being, just as a challenge.
What is it about wombats that's so darn CUTE!?

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Illustration Friday: STRIPES



Well, since I didn't finish my drawing last Friday, I've had a few days to think about this one and I ended up with two cute little line drawings for Illustration Friday.

Monday, November 07, 2011

D is for Demiguise


The Demiguise is found in the Far East, though only with great difficulty, for this beast is able to make itself invisible when threatened.

The Demiguise is a peaceful herbivorous beast, something like a graceful ape in appearance, with large, black, doleful eyes more often than not hidden by its hair. Demiguise pelts are highly valued as the hair may be spun into Invisibility Cloaks.


quoted from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, ©J.K. Rowling

Friday, November 04, 2011

B is for Byangoma (Part II)

Long overdue - Byangoma are supposed to have the ability tell a person's future, it's their magic… so when I drew the original group of them standing around, or "at rest") - I intended to include an imagine of one ACTUALLY performing this feat, or "on display". It took an week, but here he is at last.

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

New Work: Colored Pencil, Small Work

I have a show coming up! These are my new small works for the show (not technically miniatures but all under 25 sq. inches). In addition to these new pieces, my Bandelier, No.2, Catch a Flying Star, Hey Diddle Diddle triptych (only Cow and Moon shown in link), Aesop's Fables, Fox and Grapes, New Mexico Christmas (the original graphite drawing, not colored like the link), and Sleepy Bears will also be hanging in the show.

New Mexico Colored Pencil Society, DC 219 Annual Show
at The Old School House Gallery
November 4-27, 2011
Opening reception November 4th from 5-8pm

DIRECTIONS: On the Turquoise Trail just north of Cedar Crest, NM.

FROM Albuquerque: take Interstate 40 east to the Cedar Crest/Tijeras exit 175 and head north. The gallery is 6.1 miles north of Interstate 40, on the east side of NM-14.

FROM Santa Fe: take Interstate 25 south to exit 278, the NM-14 South/Cerrillos Road
towards Madrid. Follow NM-14 south for 40.9 miles, the gallery is on the east side of NM-14.

C is for Capricorn

Sea goats came from the first sea goat, Pricus, who was created by the god Chronos, and they could speak and think and were favored by the gods. The legend goes that eventually all the sea goats made their way to up onto land where they became the four-legged goats that we know today, leaving Pricus as the sole sea goat and the figure in Capricorn mythology.

This, naturally, explains why there are no sea goats today.

* abbreviated, from Gods-and-Monsters website.

Mood Music: Sting, The Soul Cages

New: Drawing Morning Pages (Doodle Edition)

Oct 28-31 2011