Sully

When I was down in North Carolina, I went to the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s named after Sully Sullenberger. He was the hero pilot who landed a passenger airplane in the Hudson River in Manhattan after the engines were destroyed by a bird strike ten minutes after takeoff. The actual plane is in the museum, fully intact. There is a film playing of the crew and passengers giving their account of what happened. To call what Sullenberger did a miracle is an understatement. When you hear his calm demeanor talking to the air traffic controllers, you’d think he was in his kitchen making a cup of tea and not about to crash an airplane with 150 passengers and 5 crew members. The flight was headed to North Carolina and most people were from there. That’s why it lives in Charlotte in a museum named after him.

Asawa

I went to see the Ruth Asawa Retrospective at MoMA in New York. Like most people, I didn’t know who she was. Man, was I blown away by her work, especially her wire sculptures. I had to find out more about this person. So, I read a biography about her. It’s titled, “Everything She Touched,” The Life of Ruth Asawa by Marilyn Chase. She accomplished so much more than just the art that was shown at MoMA. I had no clue what a gift to the art world she was. Ruth survived the Japanese internment camps as a kid during WW2. The famous painter, Josef Albers ends up her mentor. She went on to have a big family and a huge impact on how art is taught in schools on the west coast. She did major outdoor installations and fountains in San Francisco. The life of a super overachiever.

Van Leeuwen

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.

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.