Whale Coloring!

I helped out the folks at work with some coloring pages for a family event about the new exhibit about whales.  These were some designs I had submitted for something else that weren't used so I let them be used for this.  I think they're pretty fun.

And this next one was originally a vertical design but I felt it worked better horizontally.

Enjoy!

First Plein Air of the New Year!

Thanks to the psychotic weather this year we are a little over a week out from being snowed in last week and today it was 70 degrees out.  So I took advantage to get in the first outdoor painting of the year!

There is a tree next to where I park at work that I am obsessed with.  It is a gnarly, bent, kudzu covered old thing that is just fascinating.  This isn't the first time I've painted it and it probably won't be the last (perhaps a nice pen & ink?).

So I did that this afternoon. 

Snow-cation 2014: The Icening

We're stuck inside for Atlanta's second go-round of wintry bluster this year.  Today's contribution is simple: snow makes me think of Young Harris College and my fantastic friends from there and getting to stay inside means I will inevitably start sketching.  So then I get this:

Easy connection to make!  Stay warm, everybody!

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.