wavy, wavy hair

It's difficult to capture this hair, especially since the strands reposition between each 20-minute modeling span. I started out with an entirely different fall, but ended up with this one that wasn't as interesting. Oil on canvas board.

mini pitcher

Pencil and acrylic for color in the Aquabee sketchbook.

man at Arisia

I did very little drawing at Arisia this year. This guy is one.

pencil in the Aquabee Sketchbook

Justin Gordon sand sculptures

The Boston Globe published an article on these sand sculptures, done on Revere Beach back in July.

I've been saving the picture to draw the faces. I like Gordon's statement, my philosophy toward my art:

Although Gordon said he wanted to win the competition this year, he said he did not choose his design based on what might garner votes. Instead, he picked his design based on what he would most enjoy creating.

“You just have to do what you love and let the rest come naturally,” Gordon said.

Acrylic marker, on 140# w/c paper.

best documented shoes in town

My shoes are boring to fashionistas, but I choose comfort above all.

And I draw them over and over and over and . . . Pen, soluble and not, and w/c in the SuperDeluxe Sketchbook.

flat eared cat

But when he got up, the ear wasn't permanently squashed, fortunately.

Pencil in the Aquabee sketchbook.

Timony quote from Widdershins

From the Charles de Lint book, Widdershins, one of my favorite books of all time, in almost 60 years of reading. (Read The Onion Girl first).

So many great characters, such plot complexity, action, wisdom and philosophical depth.

Timony said this.

W/c in the Aquabee sketchbook.

watch out for that looming bear

Though he doesn't *look* threatening. The man looks haunted, though.

Pen and w/c in the Aquabee sketchbook.

I love these Merrill shoes

A light, flexible upper, but the heavier good treat Merrill soles. So comfortable to work and walk in!

 I have them in all black, too.

 Pen and w/c in the Aquabee sketchbook.

cat and cartoon

Filling in the spaces on a journal page. My absolute favorite comic, Bizarro.

Check out the Dan Piraro's blog and comics.

 Pen in the Aquabee sketchbook

vest on a chair

Listening to Studio 360, a favorite podcast on people and works of the current stage, screen, books, and more, while drawing the moment. Pencil in an Aquabee SuperDeluxe sketchbook.

yikes, a blue ear

A looser, more colorful approach than my recent attempts. Oil on Centurion canvas (soft and flexible, comes in a pad, very nice to work on)

falling behind on scanning

Waiting for oils to dry enough to put on the scanner is causing me to forget and delay getting things posted. And my cellphone pictures have been blurry and not as good as a scan. Oil on 11x14 canvas board.

oil painting twice a week

I keep cranking them out, just learning how to mix and push paint around. A portion of an 11x14 on canvas board

can't stop knitting hats

These are going so well, I'm still at it. Keeping this one! A Noro that has little dye in it, so the yarn is softer than the brighter colors. I snipped out the subtle green and red stripes, and just kept the shades of gray.

alkyd oils

Playing with these just to try them out. I'd heard they dry faster than regular oils. I liked them fine, didn't feel any particular difference in the way they flow, mix or dry. I didn't use any alkyd medium, which would have made them dry faster yet. On canvas board

hands in oil

In the first modeling session, the fingers came out like pink squid tentacles. So I painted over, putting in bones and evening out the tones. It was hard for the model to have his fingers exactly the same between sittings. A challenge for all of us. Daniel Smith oils on 300# watercolor paper.

woman reading

The stealth artist catches a model unawares.

Pencil on the Strathmore drawing paper.

so sick I'd have to get better to die

My mother used to say that (the title of this post) when she was really sick.

My helpless victim, ur . . . model, was practically comatose in misery, so he couldn't escape while I documented his condition.

Pencil on Strathmore drawing paper.

studying for her pilot's test

The written part, lots of technical stuff! Pencil on Strathmore drawing paper.

sleeping off the party

He had a big night staying up for 2013. Chaucer apparently is starting 2013 like he spent much of 2012.

Graphite in the Handbook artist's journal.

a foot for stepping into 2013

Haven't drawn my feet for awhile, this seemed appropriate for leaving 2012.

And yes, my ankles really are that bony--scary! But they take me for miles of walking!

Happy New Year!

Graphite in the Handbook artist's journal.