Sketchbook blog

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost,  1874  -  1963 Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

On this day in Malaga, Spain, Pablo Picasso was born in 1881.   Every time I think of Picasso, my mind hearkens back to an art experience I had in the summer of 1998 in Barcelona.  While in Barcelona, I visited the Museu Picasso .   Guernica  courtesy of  PabloPicasso.org In my arrogance, I thought I knew Picasso's work.  I had studied Guernica at the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid.  I understood that Picasso broke down the real into abstract shapes and ideas.  I thought that he broke down the complex (war, slaughter) in order for the audience to digest the appropriate emotional response (horror, fright, shock). Imagine my surprise when I turned a corner in the  Museu Picasso  to find this painting hanging on the wall: First Communion  image courtesy of Mental Floss At the age of 14 , Picasso began this realistic portrait of his sister at her first communion .  I don't know how long I stood, transfixed by the brushwork composing the realistic veil.  I do re

I hope you are enjoying my favorite season, fall. My son, who is five, asked me today why there were flowers in the fall.  He thought that flowers bloomed only in the spring.  We talked about how there are many spring flowers, some summer flowers, and some reserved just for fall.  The rarer fall flowering plants make them all the more precious to us. We even discovered that some roses grow largest toward the end of their life cycle. Alex with our Mr. Lincoln rose, cut today from our rosebush. Artist Henri Matisse knew how to look for the bright spots in life, even during difficult times. I hope you enjoy this printable 8 1/2" x 11" page with a quote by Matisse.  Click on the image below to go to a pdf file that you can print at home. Happy Fall!

Today, I am thankful for mercy. I am thankful to God that Ruby did not suffer long. She was loving and kind.  She forgave and she did not teach her children to be bitter. Ruby Parks Warren, 1944 She raised my stepfather to be a wonderful man who has blessed my life. Ruby's prayers spanned the distance that separated her from her children. She kept the faith. We will miss you, Ruby. ------------------------- Who can find a woman of valor? Her price is far above rubies .  - Proverbs 31:1 ----------------------------- Where mercy, love, and pity dwell There God is dwelling, too. - William Blake

I'm jazzed that I have completed another batch of 50 little paintings for Art-o-mat . This is my 9th ever batch.  This time, I have shipped 50 blocks of Little Inspirations , to be dispensed in Art-o-mat machines all over the world.  Here is just one of these up-cycled former cigarette dispensing machines below: (photo courtesy of Art-o-mat) Look for a machine near you on this map . ------------------------------- Here's a step-by-step view of my progress with this batch. I sketch floral designs + an inspirational word on black artist tiles, cut to fit Art-o-mat blocks. Then I use my Sakura Gellyroll pens to begin filling in colors. I keep the designs simple for maximum impact. Next, I adhere the tiles to the blocks. This time, I decided to paint some nail polish as highlights before I sprayed the blocks with a fixative.   Then, I wrap the blocks in cellophane for easy dispensing and ship them off to the

#Inktober has begun, and I have enjoyed working in black and white in my sketchbook. Because I really wanted to add a slight level of dimension to my work, I decided to use nail polish to paint the floral designs I'm creating this month. So far, I love the iridescence, the relative translucence, and the depth I'm finding from raiding Clarice's nail polish collection. If you have Vimeo,  you can watch a short video of my painting the nail polish on my sketches.  (Please excuse my conversation with my son -- not many silent moments when I work.)