Motivation

It’s perhaps unwise or unlucky to post an unfinished picture, like the one above, when the hardest part (water coloring) still lies ahead. But this is an exercise in self motivation. I want to finish this picture but, in these busy days, there’s always the likelihood that a piece will be put aside for too long and that it will spoil.

Yesterday I found myself sitting on the porch and talking with my daughter, Angelica, while she chomped her way through a bowl of berries. Around us all the world was lush and green and just behind Angelica was our garden, where the sunflowers had just that day decided to open their faces to the world.

It was a beautiful moment that seemed to sum up some of the best things about summer.

UPDATE: Here's a VIDEO LINK for the Star Wars Fans out there. (Discovered via Calista).

Avoiding Debtors Prison

I don't know if this comic is terribly funny, but it is terribly TRUE.

Lately we've been playing Poker instead of Dungeons and Dragons and so far I've only won a single hand (hence the dollar). Last night I lost every single hand. I even tried cheating and it didn't help.

Addendum: PREVIEWS- Voyage of the Dawn Treader (link thanks to Tim Canny) and this beautiful animated feature (link via Maggie)

Turtles for my Mother

Last week my wonderful mom sent me a set of Dube juggling knives. These knives are something I’ve wanted for a long time and they are definitely spectacular fun. As a thank you for this gift I made this ink and watercolor picture of my turtle friends. My mom is quite a fan of these guys.

And in case you’re wondering, the thing in the middle is a Hobo. You see, in River World Hobos are not people who travel with knapsacks, but their own special type of creature. And Hobos get along great with Turtles who carry their houses on their backs.

Oh and you can click here for scanned version of the image.

Sketch

I really meant to follow up on the last post much sooner than this! Thanks to all who posted comments! I really appreciate knowing who's out there in Blog Land.

I ended up spending a lot of time last week trying to clear out a clog somewhere in the bowels of our plumbing. I’ve also been heavy into the production of the next Zita the Spacegirl book which has not left a lot of time for sketching or side projects. Still, I do hope to have a few things to post soon.

This weekend we beat the heat by spending an afternoon at Passage Creek (in the George Washington National Forest) and hence the picture above.

A Prime Number

Oh, Bruce, you kidder.

Well today I’m 33 years old! Some other notably cool artists have celebrated their 33rd in the past couple weeks including Jake Parker, Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier. GO TEAM 33!

And, to nab an idea from Jake’s blog: if you’ve been quietly following this blog for a time, feel free to break the silence and drop a note in the comments box! I’m curious about who’s reading (I know my mom's reading!). And if you have a site of your own and want to do something really special, consider putting up a link to this blog.

Dark English Ale after the jump...