There is an unusual building that lives under the Brooklyn Bridge. It was an old fireboat house built in 1922. Now it’s a Van Leeuwen ice cream store. I’ve been by it a million times and stored it in my mind’s card catalog of something I might draw someday. That day turned out to be a cold one, so I had no use for ice cream. That didn’t hinder the tourists though. Van Leeuwen does have vegan ice cream by the way.
Chicken
My last animal drawing in this series.
Pig Dots
My fourth Stillman & Birn paper drawing. Another wonderful animal we shouldn’t eat.
Dog
My third Stillman & Birn paper drawing. The dots make it seem like this dog accidentally ate some psyilocybin it thought was dog food.
Cow Dots
This is my second animal drawing done in pen and ink. It’s on Stillman & Birn, Alpha Series 8” X 10” 150 gm white. This is an animals that wishes more of us humans were vegan. We need to reduce our reliance on animals products. Make the world better.
Cat's Eye
Stillman & Birn sent me some Premium art paper to try out. It's their Alpha Series, 8" X 10" 150 gm white. I decided to do a series of animals. This is the first one. More to follow. Notice how bright the colors look.
Charlotte
This is a portrait I did of my wife’s, niece’s new baby. I even surprised myself at how well Charlotte came out using only a few colored pencils. Once I capture the eyes, I know I have it made.
Charlotte's Web
Charlotte is an agreeable baby. She’s the newest addition to the family. We went to Boston to meet her for the first time. It’s not easy having a dozen adult strangers stare at you for two days but she seemed unfazed. I drew her accoutrements which is another way of doing a portrait of someone who just turned one year old.
Firehouse
When I go and draw with friends, time is crucial. If we go to the city or a museum, we end up on trains for long stretches to get to where we want to draw. I for one, need all the time I can get for sketching due to my over-detailing. My drawing partner, Petronis, said he knew a firehouse close to where we eat breakfast. We found ourselves drawing in no time flat. My effort went into sketching and not waiting on subway platforms, stuck between stations, or walking in circles finding a suitable venue to illustrate. I love when that happens.
Iceland Mosquito
Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland for the first time. That leaves Antarctica as the only place in the world without a mosquito. All of this is due to climate change. Iceland is now warming at four times the rate of the rest of the northern hemisphere. I wonder if Iceland is going to start to sell OFF! insect repellent in their 7Eleven stores now?
DUMBO
This was the first cold October day. I had to blow on my hands to stay warm for the first time in six months. In my mind, that means it will stay darker in the morning and the sun will set after lunch. Ugh. The only upside is that it’s sweater weather. My dandy autumn attire will start getting me random compliments from strangers on the street. A big plus for my fragile ego.
Tulip Leaf
I just finished reading, ”For The Birds” by the actress, Lili Taylor. It’s all about her life as a birder. She mentions two apps to get for your iphone. Merlin Bird ID and iNaturalist. Now I go around identifying everything like a lunatic. This leaf spoke to me and I knew I’d draw it. I was able to find out it was from a Tulip Tree. Look at how intelligent I’m starting to sound. My phone occasionally makes me smarter but it mostly turns me into an idiot ninety percent of the time. What I should really download is the iMoron app if one exists. That would be more my speed.
NASCAR
When I visit my 90 year-old mom in North Carolina, I figure she wants to hang out with me all the time. That’s not the case. She’ll tell me that on certain days, she plays Water Polo or Dodgeball. The older one gets, the more activities there are. So on a day she was busy, I went to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Seemed an interesting place to draw. Turns out it was. Kids stared at me from 4 inches away and their teachers always make the same statement, “I didn’t know you were allowed to do that in here.” All people say that to me no matter what museum I’m in. I find it comforting.
