intention

It may not be your intention to ignore your kids... but that's what happens when you are linked to that phone. 

Suspense!

What will happen? Oh the suspense! Will she dump hot coffee on his head and walk out? Will she stuff the rose up his nose?  Will she drop his phone into the fish tank? 

This is a recent assignment I did on what not to do. Don't take your wife out and then ignore her by fooling around with your phone. 

Deja Vu all over again

(click to enlarge)

Here is an entertaining story that happened to me recently. It was the highlight of my road trip.

Last Thursday I drove from Nashville to my hometown in Missouri to gather with my family. That is about a seven hour trip. We left around 10AM and two and a half hours later we were in Paducah KY at lunch time. We ate at a Backyard Burger. I really like their Blackened Chicken sandwich. While we were eating, I noticed a couple eating in a booth. The older lady was wearing a tan turban on her head and had a plaid coat on. The older gentleman she was with had on a red vest type jacket and was sporting jet black hair. I do believe it was chemically enhanced. I commented to my wife about the lady's turban. 

So... we had a great time in Missouri and headed home on Sunday morning. We got off to an early start and four hours later we were in Paducah again. At lunchtime. At the same Backyard Burger. As we were eating our lunch, I saw the same couple come in, order and sit down in the same booth again. She was wearing the turban and coat, and he was wearing the red vest and that unnaturally black hair.

Just what are the odds that I would travel hundreds of miles to be in the restaurant at the exact time to see these people twice? I wonder if this is a good omen for the new year. Has my luck changed this year? 

Let's hope so.

New Blog!

I am starting off the new year with a NEW BLOG! I am excited! Take a look at it and follow along on my painting adventure in 2012. Just CLICK HERE!  ...thankyouverymuch.

Jonah

It has been a while since I have posted anything here, so I grabbed this little sketch, added some tone to it and PRESTO!  ...something to post! 

Christmas card

Ho, Ho, Ho... it's that time of the year again. Time for me to send out my home made but professionally printed Christmas cards. I have a few extra cards laying around this year and I could be separated from one of them and send it your way.

If you want one, just email me your mailing address and the eager snails at the US post office will be off... through rain, sleet, and snow to deliver one to your house... or hovel. What a deal! Offer good while supplies last and is good only in the United States. Sorry Nigeria, but rules are rules, and I'm still waiting to collect those millions of dollars you promised me...

Black Friday sale

Round things for sale!

So... I keep hearing the words Black Friday over and over these days. I was thinking about when all this Black Friday stuff started. Then I remembered that Robinson Crusoe had a man Friday... and I got this idea. The first Black Friday sale! My plan is to try to avoid all stores on Friday, and maybe go see the new Muppet movie instead.

What's in your pocket?

This is an image I recently completed that is part of a job which will ultimately be used by Bic. As I told them, I have carried a black Bic ballpoint pen in my pocket for most of my adult life. I never go anywhere without it. It is right there next to my car keys... in the same pocket... along with my mini-Swiss Army knife. This accounts for how it looks when I pull it out to use. My keys tend to chew up the pen. I feel like apologizing sometimes when I pull it out. It looks like a dog has been using it for a chew toy for a month or so. Anyway, it was kinda fun to do something for a product that has been a part of me for so long.

How to get rich quick

If you have gold in your teeth... sleep lightly. A scary thought, eh? This is a spot illustration I completed recently for a youth publication.

Scary Frankenstein

When I was a kid, I made a lot of plastic models. Model cars, customized hot rods, and some scary Famous Monsters of filmland. I assembled and painted a Frankenstein, Mummy, Dracula and Creature from the Black Lagoon. I can't believe it is almost Halloween and I have not posted anything scary yet. So here you go, my version of Frankenstein... with a not too scary smile.

Tintin - the movie!

                                       Tintin's little brother Ninenine.

I think I discovered Tintin books decades ago while poking around in some bookstore (a favorite activity that is getting harder and harder to do these days). I immediately liked the clean drawing style, detailed backgrounds and the adventures Tintin got involved in. I never dreamed that someday it would be a movie.

Now Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are bringing Tintin to the big screen. The movie trailer looks pretty good. I am just hoping that the motion capture stays cartoony and does not get into the uncanny valley like the Polar Express did. It was just creepy.

I have been re-reading some Tintin adventures lately to reacquaint myself with the characters. I also found some interesting things on Youtube about the creator Herge. There is a very enlightening documentary about Herge that was on P.O.V. a few years ago. If you are a fan, I would recommend watching it. You can find it by clicking here.

I thought it would be fun to make a younger version of Tintin. Then I decided to try a filter to give it a comic book look. So here you go... Tintin's younger brother Ninenine.

Poodles take Dive

(clicken to enlargen)

Keeping the Fantasy in Fantasy Football.

Week 5 in the AWFFL fantasy football league. The fabulously wealthy but winless 0-4 Aziz Ansari have their first win of the season against the Penultimate Poodles... who suddenly are rolling in tons of cash.

Connect the dots. It's pretty easy.

When asked about integrity, the Poodles replied, "Integrity is something we can buy with lots of cash... but first we are going to build a new pink clubhouse with a hot yoga studio and a Mr. Smoothie bar."

In spite of this loss, the Poodles are in a 3 way tie for first place in the Bipolar Division.

Next game puts the Poodles up against the Tight-Jean Juggernauts of the Dementia Division.

Steve Jobs tribute

Poodles squash Mashers

(clicketh upon yon image to supersizeth it)

Keeping the Fantasy in Fantasy Football.

Week 4 in the AWFFL fantasy football league. The Penultimate Poodles traveled to Mashachusetts, home of the 3-0 league leading Mashers for this week's game. The huge blue Masher Stadium was filled with Masher fanatics. The Masherettes led the crowd from the sidelines as they chanted "Mash-em Up, Mash-em Up, Mash!, Mash!, Mash!" The Poodles were so intimidated they had to spend an extra 20 minutes in the Downward Dog yoga pose to calm their nerves.

The game was hard fought. Many manicured toenails were scuffed and some even broken! The Poodle's hairspray gave out in the 3rd quarter and morale was at a low. But then, rallying at the sound of the 2 minute warning, the Poodles pulled together for one last campaign. As the ball was snapped, Percy Poodle screamed, "Shoe's untied!" The entire Masher defense said, "Huh?" and started looking down at their feet.

The Poods then crammed the ball into their Indiana Jones satchel and sprinted for the goal line. Upon seeing they had been fooled, the Mashers released their Boulder of Death. As the gigantic Masher ball bore down on them, the Poods zigged and zagged and fought their way through the cobwebs as the goal line grew near. All would have been lost... but the Pood's trainer had made sure his team was wearing the proper footwear for Masher Stadium. Jimmy Choo pink cleats. With this extra edge, the Poods crossed the goal line to victory!

Whew!

The Poodles had done what no other team had done up to this point... beat the Mashers. There was much rejoicing in the Poodle clubhouse as cans of hairspray were dispensed, Perrier flowed like... uh, water, and complimentary manicures were done for all.

hibernate

(click upon yon image to enlargen)

I took the Illustration Friday prompt word "hibernate" and tried something a little different this time. I got rid of the black lines that I usually have in my work, and tried to use shape and color to define things. Hope you like it!

Bandits rob Poodles

(click upon to enlargenify image)

Keeping the Fantasy in Fantasy Football.

Week 3 in the AWFFL fantasy football league. The Penultimate Poodles traveled south to the home of the ferocious Chinese Bandits. As the Poodles traveled to the game in their lavish pink party bus, they psyched themselves up by painting their nails and using countless cans of hairspray to keep their poodle-doos in place. Entering the packed, bright yellow Kung Pao Stadium, the Poodles were overwhelmed. But then, the Poodles are always overwhelmed.

The game was a close one. The lead swapped back and forth the over and over. Late in the fourth quarter with the Poodles ahead, the Bandits pulled a trick play. At the snap of the ball, the Bandits pulled out trombones and began playing a John Philip Sousa march. The Poodles were so excited they forgot all about football and started doing their award winning marching routine. The Bandits strolled across the goal line. The extra point was kicked through the uprights (resembling giant chop sticks)... and the game was history. Final score Bandits 109 - Poodles 99.

Next week the Poodles travel to the home of the Mashers. Stay tuned.

Bob Staake

(click to enlarge)

Last year I attended a regional SCBWI conference here in Nashville. One of the conference leaders was Diane Muldrow, an editor and author at Golden Books/Random House. She spoke about her first "jacketed hardcover" picture book that she had written which was illustrated by Bob Staake. I bought a copy and got Diane to sign it for me.

Later in the year, Bob Staake put out a plea on Facebook for everyone to send him all the old pencils they had. He was going to use them in a project of some kind. I took this opportunity to send him a ziplock bag full of pencil stubs, my copy of We Planted a Tree, and an SASE.

I now have my copy of We Planted a Tree signed by both the author and the illustrator! In addition to signing the book and doing a little sketch, Bob also did a fun drawing on the return SASE I had sent. Cool!

Today is Bob's birthday. I think he is like 85 or something... but he is still going strong! He has inspired many artists with his speed, endless creativity, and productivity. I am a big Fan of Bob. FOB

Happy birthday, Bob!

Ferocious... NOT

Ferocious?... I think NOT!

You might want to sing this little song as you look at the kitty:

Soft kitty,
warm kitty,
little ball of fur.

Happy kitty,
Sleepy kitty,
Purr, purr, purr.

Poodles hock Phlegm

click to biggercize

Putting the Fantasy in Fantasy Football.

Week 2 in the AWFFL fantasy football league. It was a clear day with sunny skies at Flambeau Field, home of the Penultimate Poodles. The Poodles entered the pink stadium to the roar of thousands, er, hundreds... OK, tens of fans. Their rivals, the slippery, loogie hocking Phlegm, kicked off to begin the epic battle.

The Phlegm took an early lead, sliming the field and watching while puzzled Poodles slid in every direction. It wasn't till late in the 4th quarter during a time out for tea and crumpets, that the Poodles discovered that donning their hot pink Crocs enabled them to skate by the Phlegm and score touchdowns.

The rest is AWFFL history. Poodles skated by the Phlegm with a score of 127 to 81. Next week... the Poodles face the one-eyed Chinese Bandits. Poodles are now getting in some serious practice eating their Poodle Chow with chop sticks. OY!

Don't even THINK about it

click to enlargen

This was inspired by the Illustration Friday word "Boundaries." While coming up with this idea, I remembered a trip to Chicago many years ago. We were looking for a parking place at a crowded restaurant. As I drove by the front, there was a sign at one spot that said, "Don't even think of parking here!" It made me laugh. The first time I had ever seen a sign like that.

Don't let this image be a boundary to you. If you are visiting from Illustration Friday you can click on the blog header and see what is happening with the Penultimate Poodles. Curious?