Ball Drop

I did it! At least one picture or poem, every day, for all of 2013! I'll admit, there were some days that I really didn't want to do anything, but it's been a good challenge. Will I continue next year? You'll just have to check tomorrow and find out.

In the meantime - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Paper Quail

Still playing with the new technique. Here I drew a quail and added some drop shadows under each layer to give it a little depth, kind of like pieces of paper stacked up to make the picture.

Addition: I was originally intending to just post the above picture, but after reading yesterday's comment I thought I might as well post the picture with the drawn outlines as well.

Rainbow Turtle

Tonight I'm trying a new technique. I started by doodling a big, swirly block of color, imported it into Photoshop to add some additional textures and change the colors, then saved each color/texture block as a separate picture file. Then I drew a turtle. Finally I imported the colors, one by one, starting with the back layer and erasing all the parts that I didn't want to have that color. This is how it turned out:

Not too bad for a first try, if I do say so myself. It almost looks a little stained-glass-window-y. But then I hid the layer with the black lines and got this:

Not quite as much detail, and more emphasis on the colors. I think it looks a little Eric Carle-esque, which is never a bad thing. 

P.S. - Don't forget to vote in the new poll to the right! You've only got 2 more days to make your voice heard!

A Final Question

Here’s a question I must ask tonight:

With the end of my challenge in sight

Do you want one more year

Of these pics and poems here?

Please answer the poll to the right --->

Moon Rocket - The Return

A few days ago I posted a rocket animation for the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 8 launch to the moon. Today is the anniversary of their safe return, so I've updated the animation.

A Daughter's Gift

Technology is great, but sometimes it leads to unforeseen consequences, like, oh, I don't know, perhaps my daughter's Christmas present, for instance...

Her surprise was an iPod, it’s true

It’s all shiny and glossy and blue

Now she’s texting and tweeting

And sometimes skips eating

And soon she’ll know more than I do!

Another Successful Christmas

Good job, big guy! Take a break, you deserve it!

Christmas Clues

My daughter is getting a very special gift tomorrow - something she's been asking for for months (and has saved up a good percentage of the cost herself). Of course, we can't just make it easy on her and give it to her directly! Instead, I made up a series of clues for a scavenger hunt. Can you figure out where I've hidden her present?

Clue 1

No money here, instead the first 

    of many clues, widely dispersed

Around the house, so you must look 

    for somewhere Mommy hates to cook

Clue 2

Excellent! You found this one! 

    But we’re not even close to done

Next you’ll go where blue and red 

    aliens support your head

Clue 3

Back downstairs, the smallest room. 

    Your clue is hidden in the gloom

Inside a tube of brown and white. 

    You use it every day and night.

Clue 4

Hurry now, there’s just one more! 

    You’re looking for a little drawer

Open it, inside you’ll find 

    a hundred sheets, neatly aligned

Clue 5

Congrats! You’ve found the final clue. 

    There’s just one thing that’s left to do.

Pick each bold letter, then be wise. 

    Unscramble them to find your prize!

Happy Belated Haiku Day!

I am so ashamed

Yesterday was Haiku Day

And I just forgot!

To atone for this

I will write some haiku here

For you all to see

Are they any good?

Only time will tell, I guess

Then again - they’re not

Wait, what’s that you say?

They should have a nature theme?

I’ve messed up again!

Okay, let’s try this:

Trees and grass and birds and stuff

Rocks and rivers, too

Stars up in the sky

Shining brightly, kind of like

Stars up in the sky

See, that’s terrible!

I don’t think I can do this!

Similes are hard.

Can you do better?

Post your haiku down below

In the comment box!

Squirrel

Tonight, nothing fancy - just a quick digital sketch of a squirrel.

Moon Rocket

On this day (Dec. 21), way back in 1968, Apollo 8 blasted off on humanity's first trip to the moon. Although they didn't land, they went into orbit on Christmas Eve and made it safely back home on Dec. 27.

Holiday Wishes

Hooray, vacation time is here!

A day when students start to cheer

And teachers grin from ear to ear

Because vacation time is here

And I’m as happy as can be

For sixteen days, I’ve been set free

No getting up for work for me!

Which makes me happy as can be

So as I start this holiday

There’s only one thing left to say

For peace and happiness I pray

On this most joyous holiday

Never Happy

(Note: this is not necessarily true, it's just a goofy poem for a chilly winter evening.)

Outside the world is bleak and gray

As raindrops melt the snow away 

Another cold December day

It’s such a slushy sight

But in my head, a different scene

A summer evening, cool and clean

With lightning bugs, all yellow-green

Cavorting in the night

While all around me, giant trees

Cast piney odors on the breeze

A campfire is sure to please

With warm and friendly light

But if, in real life, I was there

I’m sure I’d hate the humid air

Imagine bugs up in my hair

Preparing now to bite

And then I’d dream of winter snow

Where crystals glitter as they blow

The icicles all dangle low

A world pristine and white

So as I sit with furrowed brow

I think, perhaps, I should allow

The world that’s all around me now

To fill me with delight

Plunging Onward

I can't believe I almost missed this! Unfortunately, I don't have an unused plunger at home, so I guess I'll just have to wait to celebrate Wear A Plunger On Your Head Day until next year. In the meantime, my noggin is being plunged in spirit if not in fact.

Littlest Shepherd - final

And here's the final picture. I hope it looks good when printed out (Mom, I'll be sending the high resolution printable version to you soon).

Littlest Shepherd - the background

Not done yet, but making progress...

Littlest Shepherd - the ink

I've finished the ink outlines of the picture. Next step - take the scanned image and digitally add color.

The Littlest Shepherd

Recently I was asked to draw a picture for the cover of our church's 4:00 Christmas Eve family service. I started it today, but it's not quite done yet - so, in the meantime, here's a little teaser poem.

The littlest shepherd

Straining to see

What all the fuss

In the manger could be

Holds his lamb high

Overhead in the night

Cause all little lambs

Should be seeing the light

Holiday Card 3, Inside

And here's the inside of the 3rd card. I drew the Christmas Hippo a few days ago as the practice for this card. Is it cheating to do the inside and outside of the card as two different posts? I don't think so - they are posted on opposite sides of midnight, after all. Plus, between the two postings, I packaged everything up and took a little midnight drive to make sure they got to the mailbox in time. Now let's just hope they can get to California by Monday.

Holiday Card 3, Front

Here's my third and final holiday card for the deviantart card project. I'll need to send them in tomorrow - I thought they said the cards should be sent by Dec. 16, but it actually says they should be received by then! Hopefully they'll arrive on time and can cheer up some hospital patients! Anyway, the subject of today's card might look a little familiar...

Christmas Hippo

It's what everyone wants for Christmas, and now it can be yours for the low, low price of just reading this blog! Enjoy your Christmas Hippo!

A Busy Day

It’s been a long day followed by a long night

I’m falling asleep as I sit here and write

I’m worn out from trying to teach kids all day

While they simply wanted to chatter and play

Then downtown to church for a meeting and meal

It took nearly three hours - that’s far from ideal

And now, off to bed - boy, I hope I don’t snore

Then I’ll get up tomorrow and do it once more

Minion Art Through The Ages

It's finally done! Click the image to see it full-sized!

Here's the included caption:

From the first cave minions crudely recording their hunts on a rock face, through the Egyptian and Roman eras where leaders were worshiped as near-deities, to the paintings and inventions of the Renaissance, Minions have played an unsung but critical role in the history of art. In the modern age they might be constrained to more basic tasks, such as painting a Temporal Vortex Machine,  but of course their natural curiosity still drives them to new discoveries.

Update - after submitting, I was able to look through some of the other pictures. It's going to be a tough contest. Wish me luck!

Minions, Part 2

Still working on the contest picture. Here's a preview of coming attractions:

Minions

There's a contest going on over at the deviantart website involving the minions from Despicable Me. Three winners will each receive a copy of Despicable Me 2 on Blu-Ray - plus $1,000! So, here's a quick little poem, then back to drawing. It's due Monday - wish me luck.

I’ve got a big project to do

So here’s a short limerick for you

As I hold my opinions

And just draw some minions

From Despicable Me number 2

Choir

Another day, another choir concert - this time for my younger daughter. Again, it was a very nice night with a lot of very talented young musicians. Here's my quick doodle of a choir.

Trombone

Finally got home after a long day of work followed by my oldest daughter performing with her choir in the elementary music programs concert. Her choir was pretty good, but some of the groups (I'm looking at you, strings!) were sharing some very interesting notes, tempos and melodies. But watching the bands made me think back to my time playing the trombone, so here's a quick doodle of one while I get back to "other things".

Note: I don't know why the background is gray - the picture saved on my computer still has the bright white background, but when I upload it, it turns gray and dull. I'll try to figure it out - later.

Day of the Ninja

It’s time to be sneaky, it’s time to prepare

It’s time to be careful, it’s time to beware

For on the fifth day of December each year

The Day of the Ninja is finally here!

So dress all in black from your head to your toes

And practice your skulking so nobody knows

What you are doing or where you might be

Good Heavens! There might be one following me!

No Peeking

Another quick sketch while I work on other things - but no peeking!

What's Going On?

What's this? After almost an entire year, tonight is just a quick Spotty Cow sketch? Well, maybe I'm spending some time tonight working on other things - things that can't be posted just yet...

(And, if you're wondering, I'm feeling much better than last night.)

Kicking Caffeine

I don’t feel like drawing or writing a poem

I just want to curl up in bed in my home

I feel like I’m living some terrible dream

Cause today is the day that I’m kicking caffeine

Sometimes I feel cold and sometimes I feel hot

I’m writing this now as I sit by the pot

And my head’s being crushed by some awful machine

But that’s what you get when you’re kicking caffeine