I went to the Hall of Mexico and Central America Culture at the Natural History Museum. Then I proceeded to jam my sketchbook page with as many art objects as humanly possible.
Tea
I don’t drink tea. My wife drinks gallons of the stuff. I was home bound a few days with nothing to draw. My wife’s kettle had to pose for me.
Moose
Drew a moose in New York and then included some architectural features when I was in Bruges. I’m always adding elements to my drawings. They’re never quite done. I’m probably still not finished with this one.
Caribou
Drew this Caribou at the Museum of Natural History. Then headed to the. museum’s bird section and added some feathered friends in order to make my illustration less boring.
Mustard
I couldn’t think of anything to draw so I went to a big supermarket and strolled around the aisles. I was looking for something iconic. It was not as easy a task as it might seem.
White Pelican
I try to get my pals to decide what to draw at the museum. This way I’m usually doing something I would not have thought to select. Somehow, I like being in that position when I begin sketching. This week the country of France overtook the museum. They must be off from school or something. French tourists only. Quite nice. Another museum staffer introduced themselves to Stephen and I. After a long winter stuck drawing inside, we pine for some warm weather to change things up. Soon enough.
Ruebens
This is my drawing of the Renaissance painter, Peter Paul Reubens if he were alive today. He’d be a dude who’d enter those National Beard and Moustache Championships but never win. Ruebens was knighted so he’d be seen with the aristocracy now and again. His Reubenesque style would be very much in vogue so he’d have many commissions lined up. This concludes my series.
Botticelli
This is my drawing of the Renaissance painter, Botticelli if he were alive today. No doubt he’d live in Florence. His jarred pasta sauce would be a big hit worldwide. Besides the great paintings he would make, I have a feeling he’d be obsessed with animation too. His YouTube channel would be brimming with his videos.
Caravaggio
This is my drawing of the Renaissance painter, Caravaggio if he were alive today. He’d still be a hard drinking street fighter with a criminal record. There would be the occasional stint in prison. I can assure you he would have no use for Procreate. It would be a life of endless hours and late nights oil painting in his somewhat chaotic studio in an abandoned building in Detroit.
Raphael
This is my drawing of the Renaissance painter, Raphael if he were alive today. This dandy would surely have his own hugely successful luxury clothing line. He’d be a very sought after architect and a prolific painter in what spare time he’d have left over. There would probably be a lot of hanging out in St. Moritz and Monaco.
Bison
I’ve been drawing a lot with my friends Keith and Stephen. Occasionally I dish out a few pointers but mostly it’s a way to hang. As my eyes deteriorate, I decided to use a bigger sketchbook. I bought a Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Softcover 8” X 10”, 150 gsm Heavyweight paper. The second I started using it, I realized the paper was too thin. It was buckling and I could see through to the other side. A bit of a mess really. Instead of getting rid of it, I kept using it when I went out with my buddies. I figured it would be my crappy book I’d use to give lessons but a funny thing happened. I accidentally started to make great illustrations in it and I got used to the crummy paper. In the interim, I’d sent away for a new Stillman & Birn Beta Series Softcover, 8” X 10”, 270 gsm EXTRA HEAVYWEIGHT Paper. When it arrived, I realized it was a Rolls Royce compared to the other sketchbook. I’m going to stick with the current one until I complete it because I can’t break my habit of finishing what I started.
Bernini
I’ve have created a series of portraits of Renaissance artists rendered as if they were alive today. This is Gian Lorenzo Bernini who actually lived in the 1600s. He created massive public sculptures and fountains in Italy. All of them quite famous. There’s no doubt he would have done marvelous and enormous works of art in the current world given all the new materials to work with and foundries to help him execute. I have a feeling he might dabble in some graffiti on the side with an occasional DJ gig for laughs.
Mona Lisa
I was drawing in the Natural History Museum when a small kid came up to me and gave me the, “I’m about to say something to you, look.” So, I stopped my sketching and gave him my full attention. Then he laid it on me. Pointing at my drawing he said, “that seems a lot more better than the Mona Lisa.” More better was a great way of putting it. Not sure I agreed with him but he was thrilled with his observation.
