tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185054732012-02-15T14:58:30.832-06:00Some things design, cycling, and other related.Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.comBlogger4051100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-81844482822780874142012-02-15T14:57:00.002-06:002012-02-15T14:58:30.851-06:00

Made me sleepy lookin' into those eyes, but I focused on keeping the pencil moving between naps and it all worked out ok. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-29736587995742445012012-01-10T17:30:00.000-06:002012-01-10T17:30:00.753-06:00

One of my frequent surfs in the morning is Letters of Note and yesterday there was a letter from E.B. White that was charming, well-considered and written, and full of hope...just the kind of thing worth taking a repeated peek at throughout the year. Spent a collective 15 minutes here and there during the day doing a little sketch of the photo that accompanied it. My moleskine also serves as

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-59966839850065163012012-01-08T18:36:00.002-06:002012-01-08T18:36:59.808-06:00

It's a lovely little thing, but bothersome because it grew in November. Roses aren't supposed to bloom in Wisconsin in November. Just cut the roses back yesterday, so this little fella came inside, got chewed on a bit by the puppy, and then sat very patiently for me. This was drawn in my Moleskine...I've put a few unruled pieces of paper in there. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-49054152118571977822012-01-08T12:00:00.001-06:002012-01-08T12:08:54.254-06:00

Year of the Dragon, a photo by nlemmel on Flickr.So 2012 is the year of the dragon, and it looks like this one has Olympic aspirations. I'm guessing the longest/highest in the Fetching competition.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-53425809178534704292012-01-08T10:28:00.001-06:002012-01-08T10:28:10.167-06:00

Sunny Sunday, a photo by nlemmel on Flickr.Clover and I took a break on our morning walk. We sat on a park bench listening to the birds. Ahhhh....Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-18833248422872032572012-01-06T22:16:00.004-06:002012-01-06T22:16:44.304-06:00

Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-90238509299344873242012-01-03T10:23:00.001-06:002012-01-03T10:23:41.923-06:00

...animals are easier than people. People never look like themselves in my sketches...uuurrrrrgh! What's up with that?!?! This is supposed to be a sketch of Jeremy Renner, but you can't tell from looking...sigh. Got the overall shape of his face wrong (his lower face is too long and far forward), and I reworked the individual features several times (you can see the ghosts of old noses and

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-32434879999799956032012-01-02T14:58:00.000-06:002012-01-02T14:58:39.686-06:00

Hope it's a good 'un for you and yours! "If you believe everything you read, better not read."  —Japanese Proverb, plus a bit of doodling. As much as I love the slender, solid feel of a new Moleskine in my hands, I can't stand the empty pages. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-17622743782903547562011-12-22T08:17:00.000-06:002011-12-22T08:17:08.655-06:00

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-73837550584843644502011-10-27T15:05:00.000-05:002011-10-27T15:05:19.375-05:00

As promised, here are my doodles and pictures from the AIGA Pivot conference. It would be more accurate to say they were just from the trip to Arizona, because I seem to have put away the camera after I finished the studio tour. I left for Arizona on Wednesday, October 12th. Had great flights with short connections in the morning. The aisle seat is best for sketching because if you're short

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-39580609200729446822011-10-24T13:58:00.000-05:002011-10-24T13:58:20.253-05:00

Just getting back into the day-to-day routine after a great trip to Arizona for Pivot. My head is still buzzing from all of the great presentations and conversations! All of the ATC packets were handed out on day one when registration was in full swing. I decided I didn't want to wander around with a bag for three days, and I just doled them out instead. Congratulations to Chelsea E. who pulled

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-29406769611717468532011-10-07T16:00:00.002-05:002011-10-07T16:00:06.576-05:00

98 of 98 is finished! I mentioned that 11 of 98 would have a special something packaged with it...and here it is...a $15 gift card for Starbucks! All of the other packs will have a 1x1" button, an ATC, a Moo card with any one of 6 possible sketches, and my CRM business card, all wrapped up in recycled craft paper. The packs have been tossed in a box and mixed up, so it will be the luck of the

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-15788183759801827972011-09-30T15:03:00.000-05:002011-09-30T15:03:56.573-05:00

In a couple of weeks, I'll be attending the AIGA Pivot conference in Phoenix. I'm very excited about this event, and so I've gone completely off the deep end. I'm putting together a little self-promo packet. One of the items in the packet will be an Artist's Trading Card. As of this moment I have completed 33 of 98. Why 98 you ask, and not...say...100? Find me at the conference and ask me, or

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-8091257128717995802011-08-26T15:29:00.000-05:002011-08-26T15:29:33.582-05:00

That doesn't look at all like itself... In case your can't read my atrocious handwriting...photo by Sandra Calderbank Sketched it last weekend and just getting around to posting it now...for shame. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-55599571342416701512011-08-15T15:37:00.000-05:002011-08-15T15:37:55.895-05:00

The Humbolt Panquin photo is by Eric Isselee. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-33603430893841390782011-06-25T17:34:00.000-05:002011-06-25T17:34:26.349-05:00

Last night was my first night at Ravinia this season. There was a concert in the Martin Theater, but they pipe the music out onto the lawn. There was a pretty good size lawn audience last night. The joint used to be a carnival of sorts, and this carousel horse used to be a prat of an actual carousel on the property. Terrible sketch...wine, music, darkness descending conspired against me...that's

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-4614217027567170032011-06-24T15:13:00.000-05:002011-06-24T15:13:24.727-05:00

Been a while since I started this one, but I remember setting it aside because my rendering was making this chimp look belligerent. I sat down with the sketch a second time, and redid the mouth and it wasn't as bad, but the magic was gone. Determined not to be a quitter, I sat down with it once more and ended up just coloring in the mouth...not only was the magic gone, a sliver of my brain

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-71772828439294826702011-06-13T14:17:00.000-05:002011-06-13T14:17:47.376-05:00

This is Clover's paw...scribbled a week ago? Maybe longer...maybe not as long ago as that. Time is funny over the summer because work is so busy, and there's so much to squeeze into the free hours that I completely loose track of when I do/did what. Of course, I'm just filling in random blank Moleskine pages, so the datebook is no help at all...doh! Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-67076701942960744452011-05-27T08:53:00.001-05:002011-05-27T08:54:07.907-05:00

A post for those who have been asking about the critters... Sitting with my Moleskine open on my lap, I was trying to figure out what to draw, and Clover dumped Santa in my lap. I believe she had other intentions than that I pick up a pencil and start sketching her toy. She allowed me to get the basic shape of its head, arms, and body and then she was having no more of my foolishness. She

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-2092926664296968832011-04-27T16:56:00.001-05:002011-04-27T16:56:00.608-05:00

Sat out in the backyard a bit last Saturday and sketched this in pen...only did the easy part...lazy, lazy, lazy. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-3484313458062377952011-04-18T09:34:00.000-05:002011-04-18T09:34:33.068-05:00

Haven't been sketching much lately...lots of work, and more cycling and gardening in my free time. Plus, there's been a furry addition to my household. Meet Clover... Not a moment's peace, I tell you, not a moment. But she's very sweet, so it's worth it. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-85820621904928216522011-03-10T07:45:00.001-06:002011-03-10T16:01:13.211-06:00

It's easy [for me] to get jaded about the state of politics...you might have picked up on some of that from a recent post. Then there comes along a reminder of the hard work some politicians [and diplomats] are doing, and more importantly, doing well. It gives me hope that there are far more deliberate, open, understanding and generally level-headed public figures at work in the world than there

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-47638569504316094652011-03-07T17:36:00.000-06:002011-03-07T17:36:30.402-06:00

The above photo can be seen in its entirety on Smithsonian Magazine's website, and the photo by B. Moose Peterson/ARDEA was actually flipped horizontally for use in the March 2011 print issue of the magazine. Had I known this, I would have called up the electronic copy earlier to do the sketch. As it was, I struggled through my first ever reflective sketch. Had you known that you were not

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-39994492397762736042011-03-03T17:20:00.015-06:002011-03-03T17:20:00.918-06:00

A few moments of sketchiness at the end of the day were inspired by a Kermode bear. "The Kermode bear, or spirit bear, is a native to the temperate rainforests along British Columbia's Pacific coast. This rare bear is not an albino (its nose, eyes, lips and paw pads are colored) but rather a black bear with a recessive [dizzy blond] gene that causes snow-white or cream-colored [dirty blond]

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-7577050433862114082011-02-18T12:35:00.000-06:002011-02-18T12:35:28.258-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy What is happening in the state of Wisconsin today is more than the usual budget debate. In case you haven't heard, our Democratic Senators have LEFT WISCONSIN in order to avoid being compelled by the STATE POLICE to appear in the capitol for the vote today, and the reason behind their collective decision needs to be

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-34318700453473681512011-02-14T09:46:00.000-06:002011-02-14T09:46:12.502-06:00

We're having a few days of warmth in Wisconsin, and I spent as much time outside yesterday as I could. There was some snow shifting to accomplish since I don't want it melting into my basement. The payoff was being able to sit out in the back yard for a while enjoying the sunshine. The piles of snow are still pretty high, so the view above was partially obstructed. This sketch represents about a

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-76606019421728027142011-02-06T22:30:00.000-06:002011-02-06T22:30:10.022-06:00

My sketch is a 63% reduction of a Ted Wood photo that appeared in the February 2011 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-69387269813168234842011-02-03T10:07:00.000-06:002011-02-03T10:07:13.419-06:00

The snow was up to my back door...had to shove my way out. You can still see some traces of snow on the door. For perspective, that fence is a 7 footer. The snow right up against it on the left drifted that way. The snow just in front of the stairs also drifted that way...it needs to be moved to the ginormous pile on the right, so it doesn't melt right up against the foundation. Along the

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-22072398047902318122011-01-25T16:33:00.001-06:002011-01-25T17:13:52.802-06:00

Great film of some spectacular riding set to some really nice music, via Pinkbike.com I wanna go play outside...waaaaa...(and not get frostbite while I'm at it)...waaaaaa. Just about time to get on the trainer...sigh. Music is "We Own the Sky" by M83. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-8916086253591118612011-01-22T14:43:00.000-06:002011-01-22T14:43:00.839-06:00

Sketchcrawl 30 in Kenosha started at 10 a.m. at the Kenosha Public Museum. Above Rollin Jansky's "Terminus Ad Quem," 1974. Fiberglass and enamel. In the upstairs gallery they have wonderful benches. I sat on one and drew another. I got a little caught up in the shadows being thrown by a partition off to the right, and the shadows of the bench legs. Third drawing of the day was of a Gemsbok

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-20257500100656142852011-01-17T19:30:00.012-06:002011-01-17T19:30:00.427-06:00

...who could have been the voice of unification we so sorely need. Dr. King, you are missed. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-3523972469556636902011-01-16T14:06:00.000-06:002011-01-16T14:06:04.429-06:00

Sketched this while watching the first half of the Bears vs. Seahawks playoff game...Go Bears! The photo was clipped out of the June/July 2010 National Wildlife Federation Magazine. Gotta go watch the second half! Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-72406832656296445322011-01-12T16:57:00.000-06:002011-01-12T16:57:30.808-06:00

My veeeeeerrrrry busy work day was drawing to a close, so I was on CNN.com seeing what had transpired in the world while my nose was being scraped to bits on the ol' grindstone. Came across a Bob Green opinion piece, and ended up sketching part of the accompanying photo (couldn't find a photo credit, so I'm guessing Bob took the photo too). Must admit, I didn't read much of the piece because

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-51804646263384535742011-01-08T10:10:00.000-06:002011-01-08T10:10:46.996-06:00

Those eyes...one look and I was hooked. Almost every one of my sketches is from a photo reference, and you can see this one in the background. It was time to clean off the bookshelves a bit so the 2000 National Geographic magazines got sliced and diced...yeah, I know, I think they are worthy of saving too, but it just ain't happening in my house. I've set my limit at ten year's worth at one

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-7254828898225060222011-01-03T12:15:00.001-06:002011-01-03T12:15:00.263-06:00

The quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is, "A man is what he thinks about all day." I wonder if the same can be said about elephants. If so, this one is a real cutie. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-34735461557315142392011-01-01T00:00:00.002-06:002011-01-01T00:00:04.674-06:00

woot!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-22945032174361164212010-12-30T13:07:00.000-06:002010-12-30T13:07:04.713-06:00

The first sketch in the 2011 Moleskine planner. This little Black-Capped Chickadee hopes you have a wonderful 2011...and so do I! Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-51228113034088934432010-12-29T08:35:00.002-06:002010-12-29T08:35:00.651-06:00

An overview of some of the sketches I've done over the past few days—vacation time is nice for sketching. That owl will be the last drawing in my 2010 Moleskine planner...**sniff**. On the upside, I've got a 2011 planner filled with blank pages. Also from the Moleskine. In my "Off the Edge" book. A 5-minute sketch in a composition notebook.

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-43271342979904551062010-12-28T15:05:00.000-06:002010-12-28T15:05:22.900-06:00

Mom requested some bird art as a Christmas gift this year. Several years ago, I had done some pen and ink birds (a series of 6 or 7), and I have a few large prints of them on my office wall. She wasn't specific about which bird, so I did my favorite of the series. As you can see from the photos, the original photo appeared in a magazine ad. After completing the contour sketch I started to

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-45361913069861984572010-12-14T21:34:00.000-06:002010-12-14T21:34:47.531-06:00

Can you say wonky? Meh. Still nice to put pencil to paper. I have now despoiled my newest sketchbook. My old 5.5x8" sketchbook has disintegrated at the binding, so I found a lovely new replacement. Nice to draw on a page without rules for a change too. Sleepy...good night. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-13669709990914047842010-12-11T15:19:00.000-06:002010-12-11T15:19:53.891-06:00

I had the great good fortune to attend the Chicago Master Singers' Chistmas program at the Devine Word Chapel at Techny last night. The Singers were joined by members of the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra and all were under the direction of Alan Heatherington. While listening to angels sing, I sketched the back of the head of the wife of the pastor who baptized me...didja follow that? Mom and I had

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-17843897637834619762010-12-01T17:43:00.001-06:002010-12-06T16:36:21.134-06:00

Mrs. Duncan...you know, Arne's mom. Her friends call her Sue, and she is an inspiration to her son. At least, that's what the article on the front page of last Sunday's Chicago Tribune said. I needed a quick something to sketch at the end of the day, and the newspaper was still loitering in my living room. It missed the big purge of last Friday...ha! Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-80833869272951025682010-11-30T16:11:00.000-06:002010-11-30T16:11:25.697-06:00

I had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving, thanks. I hope you did too! Then I had an avalanche weekend. You've probably experienced one, two or a few of these too. The day after Thanksgiving is the day the Christmas decorations go up in my house. Holding true to the tradition, I started pulling some slipcased National Geographic magazines off a shelf that stands in the corner where the Christmas tree

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-90285905802308869702010-11-15T09:01:00.000-06:002010-11-15T09:01:39.346-06:00

This is a little doodle completed during lunch yesterday. I get a lot of address stickers from various parties, and they come with envelope closure labels—some of them really cute and thusly deemed, "Moleskine worthy." The whole sticker thing is a throwback to childhood...for better or worse, who can say? This was one such sticker and after months of languishing on a blank page, it received an

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-6000002844504118872010-11-14T09:50:00.000-06:002010-11-14T09:50:50.621-06:00

Yesterday I treated myself to a morning walk up to Common Grounds for a bagel and coffee. I sat in the slightly quieter reading room which was completely empty when I arrived. I read a little poetry while I ate, and people started coming into the room in ones and twos. I was distracted from my reading as the ones or twos gelled into a group, specifically, a group of runners having a running

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-14099234277444833342010-11-11T18:38:00.000-06:002010-11-11T18:38:59.486-06:00

Thank you very much for your service to our country! It is deeply appreciated. Towards the end of the day I popped onto a couple of my favorite news sites and read that Dino de Laurentiis had passed away. The producer of Dune (one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies), the Hannibal series of films and Flash Gordon (a bit before my time) was 91. The BBC news story had an accompanying photo (

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-51096519596436862302010-11-04T09:28:00.001-05:002010-11-04T09:43:35.896-05:00

Wings: Making the Field Notes 2010 Fall Edition from Coudal Partners on Vimeo. This is a great little film. It's also a 6 degrees of separation thing for me, since I work with the talented folks at Envision Graphics (in Bloomington, IL) through my work at CRM. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-36603226777035230792010-11-03T16:51:00.000-05:002010-11-03T16:51:42.330-05:00

Sketched from a photo by Alan Williams (Naturpl.com) appearing in the latest issue of Smithsonian Magazine. 'Bout 8-10 minutes worth of sketching...end of the day wind-down. It's been a while since I took a pencil to the Moleskine—felt good. Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-45824273654047161702010-10-27T16:43:00.000-05:002010-10-27T16:43:29.548-05:00

I enjoyed a lovely trip to Door County last week. It was a last-minute trip, and I joined my father and step-mom in their already-in-progress vacation. The timing just worked out perfectly for work and family (a very unusual happenstance these days). My first full day we drove to Sturgeon Bay to see the Maritime Museum. They had a special exhibit on Ghosts...there's a surprisingly large number

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-79864411437610629652010-10-26T15:05:00.001-05:002010-10-26T15:08:56.903-05:00

A lovely film...via SwissmissThanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-58388469005821468092010-10-25T10:23:00.003-05:002010-10-25T10:26:09.618-05:00

Done fidgeting with these...Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-71117777794908582692010-10-18T17:01:00.004-05:002010-10-18T18:02:15.212-05:00

Saturday was Worldwide Sketchcrawl 29, and the Kenosha group (of 5) met up at Hawthorn Hollow for a bit o' sketching.I decided to add a bit more work to my Red, White, Black and Crinkly All Over homemade sketchbook. The craft paper packaging makes a tough surface fro pencil sketching (as you can tell from these scans), but I really like the effect of pen and limited color. So, the building and

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-56645633255676566862010-10-13T11:36:00.002-05:002010-10-13T11:40:45.169-05:00

Immappancy by Kai KrauseFound this on Quipsologies this morning. Click on the image to see the larger version.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-64526608634813129152010-09-23T18:02:00.000-05:002010-09-23T18:04:34.067-05:00

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-30421346142818571802010-09-01T17:07:00.002-05:002010-09-01T17:27:16.455-05:00

I received a phone call from my father at 7:30 am, and thought it was going to be some kind of bad news. In fact, it was very good news. He'd spied these tall ships out on Lake Michigan on his commute, and was kindly telling me to get my fanny out there if I wanted to see the spectacle.According to posts of other photos from pals on Facebook, yesterday was their main stopover day in Kenosha on

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-90224088239999430222010-08-27T12:10:00.002-05:002010-08-27T12:12:54.062-05:00

Have nothing of my own to share today, but this David Schwen illo made me chuckle:"...if a woodchuck could wear chucks!"via NOTCOT.orgThanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-8064272162196323532010-08-26T07:00:00.001-05:002010-08-26T07:00:01.344-05:00

We get to go way back to July 4th to see the sum total sketching I did that month. It's kinda sweet though—quality father and son time. They were actually watching the parade go by.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-1508356142229058452010-08-25T15:21:00.004-05:002010-08-25T15:25:19.659-05:00

I finally had a chance to upload some pictures, including my model for the roots sketch. Said model was added to the compost bin shortly after the sketch was completed, so this is also a memorial photo...gack.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-70573369366364633782010-08-24T12:08:00.004-05:002010-08-24T12:16:13.346-05:00

Some mornings my bed won't let me go, and other mornings it kicks me out early. This morning my bed had an ejector spring in it, and I hit the ground running...rather walking...to breakfast at a favorite coffee joint. I got there slightly before they opened, so I loitered on a bench out front and drew a tree across the street.This was a particularly delightful way to start the day, so I might

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-69716620802350324092010-08-23T08:54:00.006-05:002010-08-23T09:30:45.264-05:00

It's been a while...again. Honestly, my interests are many and varied, and they sometimes take me far away from a computer. This is a good thing because during the summer my work chains me to my computer for many long hours, so time away from it is welcome.I was gardening on Saturday and the resulting sore muscles kept me off my bicycle, so I ended up going for a couple of strolls and doing a bit

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-49876826815354005722010-06-25T16:53:00.003-05:002010-06-25T16:58:10.763-05:00

Don't even like it much...probably why it's still unfinished. But this is some of the only drawing I've done lately...meh. Workin' for a livin' ya know. Who came up with that brilliant idea?!?! Sheesh.Anyhoo, now you get to dislike it too...don't say I don't share...Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-22317712901858146672010-06-12T20:19:00.004-05:002010-06-12T20:40:38.408-05:00

...was at play on Simmons Island today. I rode my bike over to take a look around and hopped on a tour. The Kingdom of Northshield—a realm stretching from Wisconsin to the northwest into Canada was meeting up with The Incipient Barony of Ayreton—a realm centered on the Chicagoland area to knock each other over their helmed noggins, trade, break oat cakes, and tell outrageous lies.There was a

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-18589608824942447192010-06-12T10:11:00.003-05:002010-06-12T10:48:13.486-05:00

It's been a very long time since my last post. Most of my productive time has been spent in my work...it's that time of year.Here are a few links to things I have recently consumed:GOOD video about cleaning pelicans and the amazing people doing the hard workThe Ruin of Ruins: Battleship Island in Japan, darkroastedblend.com article by M. Christian and A. Abrams, photos by many sources cited in

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-28729279222408533422010-05-15T15:45:00.005-05:002010-05-15T16:11:06.347-05:00

We had a wonderful time sketching Kenosha today! Our group started out four strong at Carolyn's Coffee Connection at 10 am.Our first stop was Ed's Tires on 60th Street to see the parrots! They have a lot of parrots hanging out in their showroom area, and they have a koi pond too. We were all very excited to start our sketching, but we had to get used to our living models. The birds started out as

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-137911024076295602010-05-12T18:34:00.003-05:002010-05-12T18:47:11.626-05:00

Could be an illustration to accompany an article warning against drunk tweeting.Could be I needed to wind down after my Day. You know, one of those Days.Could be I was trying to do a fun experiment in refraction that went terribly awry.Could be I just read the first line of a Wine Spectator article about one of the founders of Twitter, Biz, is getting into wine.Could be a couple of these

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-55797984543873121352010-04-28T07:00:00.000-05:002010-04-28T07:00:05.612-05:00

It's a jar. It's Peruvian.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-19511043417715521802010-04-27T07:00:00.001-05:002010-04-27T07:00:04.594-05:00

Why family reunion? Why not?Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-44304563509551830812010-04-26T07:00:00.001-05:002010-04-26T07:00:01.470-05:00

My theme song...Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-59159164638986186652010-04-25T07:00:00.000-05:002010-04-25T07:00:03.607-05:00

The sketch is absolute dreck...except for the hand. But the point was to fill the pages fast, and not treat everything so dear.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-8236460335878910422010-04-24T11:34:00.002-05:002010-04-24T11:51:25.117-05:00

Al Capone: menace to society, but a snappy dresser.From a Margaret Bourke-White photo owned by Time Life Pictures appearing in "The Man Who Turned off the Taps," Smithsonian Magazine, May 2010. The article is not solely about Capone...he's not the man referenced in the title of the article.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-66519282829261376542010-04-24T07:00:00.001-05:002010-04-24T07:00:05.274-05:00

Gonna have to go see this concert.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-87444187247886626382010-04-23T07:00:00.001-05:002010-04-23T07:00:01.212-05:00

Didn't like how this turned out at first, but it's growin' on me.From a snap I took while visiting London in 2004.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-51065269124712962332010-04-22T07:00:00.000-05:002010-04-22T07:00:02.755-05:00

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...that's amore!M is for mushrooms...mmmmmmThanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-16559571767796566792010-04-21T07:00:00.001-05:002010-04-21T07:00:02.601-05:00

Wonderfully crinkly craft paper repurposed from packaging padding. Notice the duct tape: I believe it is use #145: Book Spine.Stay tuned for more...Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-1445918550990758792010-04-20T07:00:00.001-05:002010-04-20T07:00:00.908-05:00

Admit it, if I'd put "Wolverine" in the post title, you would have been looking for Hugh Jackman, right? Come on, 'fess up.This was inspired by an Antti Leinonen photo that appeared in the June 2002 National Geographic magazine in a feature called "Beasts of the Boreal".In the same issue of NGMag, I also found the photo from which I did this hand study. She was in the article about D-Day...don't

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-47794570023928311652010-04-19T16:12:00.004-05:002010-04-19T16:17:56.030-05:00

I happened to look out the back window at the end of the day, and I saw a brilliant burst of light and color. I snatched up my trusty Coolpix and took a few snaps.The weekend was all about forsythia...I planted a new one in the front yard on Saturday.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-73947945320121761212010-04-05T17:12:00.003-05:002010-04-05T17:29:54.485-05:00

Steve powers was featured in the May 2010 Artist's Magazine* in an article written by Larry Humber talking about his love letter project in Philadelphia (series of 50 murals with a boy's pitch for romance to his girl). No photo credit given, so I'm guessing Larry took the photo too.* Sorry link will only take you to a site where you can order the magazine, but they have snippets of the contents

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-48712462744949176252010-04-04T14:42:00.004-05:002010-04-04T14:52:09.291-05:00

Because nothing says "Easter" like a mandrill...And because a male mandrill just isn't a male mandrill without a bright red nose, I spent five minutes in Photoshop giving him a (sloppy) red nose.This sketch was done from a photo by Fiona Rogers and/or Anup Shah (can't tell because they were both credited in the article) appearing in the "Mysterious Mandrills" article by Michael Lipske in the

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-59160957268136443672010-03-24T21:47:00.001-05:002010-03-24T21:50:01.708-05:00

From the cover photo of National Wildlife Federation magazine. Started over the weekend, finished tonight. Sleepy. Nighty night.

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-49904867848273919542010-03-21T10:40:00.003-05:002010-03-21T10:52:05.671-05:00

On the first day of spring we had a snow storm. "Storm" might be overstating it a bit, but it was still a better day for sitting inside by the fire and sketching than playing outside.So, here are a couple more sketches inspired by the talented photographers contributing to National Geographic magazine.Han dynasty gilded bronze horse photo (sans chipped gilding) by O. Louis Mazzatenta appearing in

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-61641964285535742972010-03-15T17:30:00.001-05:002010-03-15T17:30:00.436-05:00

Bike Hugger Mobile Social at SXSW 2010If I could be anywhere else, doing anything else, I'd like to have been there :-D

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-38941377459258588702010-03-14T16:29:00.003-05:002010-03-14T16:49:03.510-05:00

I couldn't honestly tell you what got into me today. Three sketches in one day, and three sketches of somewhat decent quality to boot, is practically unheard of. Yet, here they are. The monkey sketch is based on a Kevin Horan photo which appeared in the March 2010 issue of National Geographic Magazine.After I finished drawing the monkey, and giving him a splash of color...watercolor that is, I

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-11417063985348490442010-03-10T10:01:00.002-06:002010-03-10T10:03:59.601-06:00

Wooohoooo!YouTube video featuring Google Maps for cycling.The site: http://maps.google.com/bikingThanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-84840198202225140912010-03-09T15:52:00.003-06:002010-03-09T16:03:43.695-06:00

Cameron Moll's letterpress poster entitled "Colosseo". Do yourself a favor and follow the link to see the whole thing—gorgeous!Drool... covet... want... adore... sigh...Via Coudal PartnersThanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-39504936385460160712010-03-08T15:39:00.004-06:002010-03-08T15:47:06.775-06:00

I took my trusty Moleskine with me when I went to the Stained Glass Coffeehouse on Saturday night. The featured artist was Kat Eggleston, and she was awesome.I'm not all that familiar with folk music, but I have fairly eclectic tastes, so I really enjoyed what I heard.I started sketching her hand playing the guitar and then someone sat right in front of me. No great loss...the sketch wasn't going

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-17856647488645758202010-03-05T07:00:00.000-06:002010-03-05T07:00:11.280-06:00

I was waiting to post this until I could post the digitally colored version along with it. That particular project is coming along slowly because I have this other thing to do...they call it work, I believe.Anyhoo, I went to one of my favorite Kenosha lunch spots, Common Grounds, and enjoyed half a sandwich and some lemonade in their room overlooking the river. It was busy, but there were other

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-64071238655991109362010-03-04T08:39:00.004-06:002010-03-04T08:45:08.433-06:00

From a Kim Cornelison photo appearing in the March/April 2010 issue of Midwest Living magazine.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-91463932625794072362010-02-28T11:33:00.004-06:002010-02-28T12:01:03.490-06:00

Yesterday I attended the kick-off lecture for the March Big Read event. Kenosha will be reading John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. There was a surprisingly large turn out for the opening lecture given by Dr. Robert DeMott at the Kenosha Historical Society yesterday afternoon.The Grapes of Wrath was required reading in high school, and I still have my now yellowed copy from way back then. I

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-15261443582056432152010-02-25T18:30:00.000-06:002010-02-25T18:30:00.998-06:00

Like much of the population of our tiny globe, I've been closely following the Olympics. The athletes' stories have been inspiring, sad, moving, amazing, profound...you get the drift. Above all, they have been real. They are real people overcoming real hardships, enjoying the real support of real communities to compete in an arena with other real people for real wins. And sometimes, unfortunately

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-11253032673064420222010-02-24T07:28:00.003-06:002010-02-24T07:49:26.118-06:00

Wonderful DRC video about Sketchcrawl Brasil via Enrico Casarosa's Blog:I won't be meeting up with a group, but you can guess I'll be sketching where I am!Related Links:Sketchcrawl Main SiteSketcheria—mentioned in the video. This link will take you to the section related specifically to Sketchcrawl."Sketchcrawl" Flickr Group"Sketchcrawl.brasília" Flickr Group—mentioned in video.

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-56504401043527351492010-02-22T07:00:00.001-06:002010-02-22T07:00:04.133-06:00

According to the Arts & Entertainment section of the Chicago Tribune, Mr. Hoffman will be directing "The Long Red Road" at the Goodman Theater. The article here.Gonna have to get tickets for that!Drawing from a Chris Walker photo on front page of Chicago Tribune. I believe this link is correct, but couldn't find the specific photos from this article in the portfolio. The Trib is little light on

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-78395128587759258392010-02-21T08:01:00.001-06:002010-02-21T08:01:00.176-06:00

Workin' it through...roughin' it out...

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-32221632018570521762010-02-20T16:43:00.002-06:002010-02-20T16:51:44.855-06:00

My apologies to Mr. O'Neal for making him look not quite himself. Still it was a relaxing bit o' ballpoint-pen-in-moleskine scribbling this afternoon.The scribble is based on a Chris Walters photo appearing in an ad for The Flag Art Foundation's "Size Does Matter" show, curated by...you guessed it...Shaquille O'Neal.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-43405112455591634342010-02-15T09:19:00.001-06:002010-02-15T09:40:31.012-06:00

This sketch of an Ethiopian Wolf is based on an Anup Shah photo that appeared in the article "Wolves of Ethiopia" in the March 2006 issue of National Geographic. At the time of the articles release, there were "roughly 600" of these wolves in the world, a quick Google search brought up a population count of about 440 in 2009—sorry didn't write down the source.Staying on a theme (quite

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-33501418145860653352010-02-06T13:44:00.003-06:002010-02-06T13:50:06.415-06:00

This photo for the February Monthly Sketch Project was provided by Chrissy MarieTwo bugs in a row—I wonder if it's the beginning of a theme.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-53647595542606755832010-02-04T20:57:00.003-06:002010-02-04T21:03:34.590-06:00

Drawn from a David Liittschwager photo appearing in the February 2010 National Geographic article entitled "Within One Cubic Foot".Usually photos of wee creepy crawlies make my skin crawl, but the photos accompanying this article are really very beautiful.Finally put pencil to paper this evening.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-30086407004560008322010-02-04T08:29:00.002-06:002010-02-04T08:32:09.725-06:00

Rahsaan BahatiHaven't put pen/pencil/paintbrush to paper lately, but here's a little something beautiful in the meantime.Thanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-52098297831591026622010-01-30T12:27:00.004-06:002010-01-30T12:34:44.912-06:00

Finally finished Jenn's moly, and now it will be returning to her. I worked up the preliminary sketch back on January 3rd. A delicate inquiry on the MolyX-42 site was just the prodding I needed to finish up. I promised I'd get it done this weekend. Sometimes deadlines are good things.A shot of the work in progress:Link to the preliminary sketch where you can find all the proper photo credits:

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-59877731479557362372010-01-27T15:37:00.003-06:002010-01-27T15:59:22.628-06:00

The tweentool for curating your cloud.Announced this a.m., and it's been the talk o' the twitterverse since.Some linkies to the more interesting bits:First ApplePentagram's Five Ways the iPad Will Change Magazine DesignLouie del Carmen ...but can you draw on it. My own $.02 on this subject: If Adobe is paying attention, you might be able to draw on it very well.An Engadget cost analysis here:

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505473.post-59979230556994408072010-01-27T11:18:00.001-06:002010-01-27T11:20:44.805-06:00

via Fish Hook StudioThanks for stopping by!

Nanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16442518566058265692noreply@blogger.com2