Aaaaah! I Wasn't Sleeping...I Swear!

It's February already!  And I haven't posted ONCE this year!  I swear though, it is because I am swamped with projects.  Work, a couple of family projects, and the infamous book I've been working on for FAR too long (but I am very close to completion).  But I figured I could show a couple of things I'm doing so as to not let my lease on this space expire.

 Sketch-ey goodness for the coming year!

First up, a work-up for a niece requested painting...

Next, the first idea I had for a new series that I will begin work on shortly.  (It probably needs an explanation, but I'm not going to.  It's more fun to leave it as a mystery.)

And finally a new sketch of my best model recently...Jasmine.

I'm gonna try her in watercolor soon.

All in all looking to be a good year!

Happy Birthday to Stan Lee!

That is all...

Texas Goodbyes and Stereotypes

I know I've been gone again.  But I really have been working.  Just too busy to post anything.

So at the day job we lost another cashier.  Sad, because she was a wonderful employee and the only one who talked sports with me!  A true loss for the museum.  But, her husband (a pilot) was transferred to Dallas and her family is from Texas so I can't be TOO bummed out by it.  Good for them!

And as a Texas girl she is a graduate and die-hard supporter of Baylor University.  She even got me rooting for them!  So I came up with a card for her to wish her well.

And this week I have been watching the WNFR (Wrangler National Finals Rodeo).  I figured what a great link.  Even though the finals are held in Las Vegas, most people think "rodeo" when they think Texas so there you go.  Here's my sketches from late at night...

I've got more things in the works right now but I really can't show them until after Christmas.  (Surprises for people, you know!)

Little Boys With Too Much Time...

So the Braves are apparently moving to Cobb County.  The  lease is up on their decrepit old stadium and they are not going to spend one more red cent to pay for the upkeep on that battered old eyesore.  And apparently something they started using in 1997 is like, SUPER old.

Here is my take on the Atlanta sports mentality...

Yep, just a bunch of whiny babies.

But that's not what angers me about this story.  I honestly don't even care if the Braves move out there.  It's not unprecedented in the annals of sport.  The Cowboys play in Arlington, Texas and still refer to themselves as "Dallas".  That would be like a team playing in Macon calling themselves "Atlanta".  (Okay, maybe that's a BIT of a stretch but not by much.  It is a LONG way to Arlington from downtown Dallas.)

Also, I don't go to the games either, really.  It IS a giant headache to go down there.  And the majority of people who buy tickets are from the Cobb area.  So if they want to go...that's fine.

No, what angers me is they are getting over 450 MILLION dollars in revenue from Cobb County.  the same Cobb County that THIS year cut almost 200 teachers from the payroll so they could cut budget gaps.

If I were a parent in Cobb County...I would be PISSED.

Savannah Sketching

The wife and I went down to Savannah this week for a little vacation.  (This is why there was no Tuesday Toonsday this week.  Sorry!)  We ate a lot of seafood and walked around enjoying the town.  And I mean WALKING.  So much walking.  Take our advice.  Don't walk that much.  Jump on one of those trolley tours.  Hijack it if you have to.

We started out by walking down to River street and checking out some shops.  At the end of the street we took a rest and I sketched the waving girl for a few minutes.

We got some tips about stuff to see from my friend Robby.  As the wife and I love old cemeteries, Bonaventure seemed a wonderful place to go.

Tattnall Way running down the length of the cemetery draped on both sides by live oaks and moss...

And here is one of the better carvings on one of the graves...

This week was a big learning experience for me in regards to creating art in the wild.  You might notice that both of these sketches seem a little hurried and unfinished.  This is because...THEY...found me.  "They" are these little insects.  Not the mosquitos.  Those I could tell because they were as big as fruit bats.  No..."they" were these tiny little bugs which took a chunk out of you like a bear trap.  So on both occasions I started working and the little beggars found me and I got up and ran away.

I also learned in Bonaventure that I need to cut down the size of my painting gear when walking around that much.  It gets HEAVY.

And my last sketch is of our hotel, the Thunderbird Inn.

This one got hurried a little, as well.  The sky was a lovely blue when I started but in the course of about 20 minutes started getting more and more grey.  I had to run back into the room before everything got rained on.

We had a fantastic time and absolutely will be going back.  There's just too much down there to see.

I Got the Politicals!!!

(God, I hope a topical ointment will contain it.)

So yes, the current Washington idiot carnival that's going on has inspired me to once again show my cynicism and disgust with all politicians and their ilk.

However, it did get two toons out of me for this week's political edition of Tuesday Toonsday, so I guess it does have SOME benefit.

Number 1:

(Seriously...I just don't believe ANY of them...)

Number 2 came from listening to this more and more over the week and it just kind of started sounding like a hostage negotiation and I was the one wrapped up in an extension cord and gagged with a dirty pillowcase lying on the floor listening to them list the demands over the phone.

So yeah...I pretty much hate all politicians.

Have a great week!!!

No Politics...Yet

I know all everyone is thinking about is the government shutdown and the loss of such wonderful things as national parks, Mars rovers, and panda-cams.  But I am here on the job with today's Tuesday Toonsday to brighten your spirit!

Today's toon comes from when I spend too much time over-analyzing and becoming annoyed by certain commercials while spending the day watching football.

Another benefit to watching football is that sometimes you see that someone has taken one of your labors of love and blown it up and is waving it around on national television.

So no political cartoons to remind you of the current state of affairs...but the week's not over.