Galaxy

Nora asked me to draw a galaxy for her, so being the good and caring daddy that I am,  I started looking into how to do it with Procreate (the art program I've been using on my shiny new iPad Pro). And oh boy, did I hit the jackpot. I found 16 free, downloadable space art brushes that allow me to easily draw a variety of star fields, nebulae, bright stars, etc. So, with just a little playing around, I was able to make this for her. I'm very happy with this first attempt and I'm looking forward to really seeing what I can do with this in the future.

(Click for full size - can you find the astronaut?)

2017!

Happy New Year!

Despite everyone complaining, 2016 was a pretty good year for me. I was awarded a nice fat grant, traveled to Daytona Beach to begin training as a citizen-scientist astronaut, earned my PADI scuba certification and got to help test a new spacesuit design while floating weightless above Ottawa. 2017, you have a lot to live up to! (Luckily, there are quite a few things in the pipeline that I'm looking forward to.)

I'm also going to do my best to get back in the habit of posting something here every day. It might be a poem, it might be a drawing, it might even be something good (but don't hold your breath!) I am going to work at getting better at digital art, so there could be more works-in-progress than in the past. We'll just have to wait and see what shows up.

So once again, Happy New Year! Here's to a bright and shiny 2017!

Test Panda

This is a test. Hopefully, you'll see a panda enjoying a little bamboo snack.

Edit: It looks like it worked. I got a new device for Christmas and used it to draw the panda. The big issue was figuring out a way to post it to this blog directly without having to use my laptop at all.

Stargazing

And the drawing for my younger daughter, who always wants to go stargazing (usually right around the time when I tell her to start getting ready for bed).

Minecraft

Here's the one for my Minecraft-loving older daughter.

Banana Two, Standing By

And here's the one for my nephew.  He likes Star Wars and monkeys (who doesn't), so of course I had to combine the two...

Getting Pretty

It's the day after Christmas! That means I can finally post the pictures I gave away as presents this year (without ruining the surprise).  This one was for my niece, who likes snails.

Day 3 - Collect

Collect

Inktober 2016 – Day 3

A hostess with eight little feet

Invited her neighbors to meet

But as they got there

They were trapped in her snare

And she said, “My collection’s complete!”

Day 2 - Noisy

Noisy

Inktober 2016 – Day 2

Some things are just loud and nobody denies it

A rocket or earthquake, those things are not quiet

Nor will you find peace with a firetruck near

Or a middle school flautist right next to your ear

But the noise I hate worst is more subtle and pink

When some dude smacks his gum while I’m trying to think

Day 1 - Fast

It's Drawtober/Inktober time again. Each day this month there will be another drawing prompt and I'm going to try to create not just a drawing but also a poem to go along with it. Also for the first time this year, my oldest daughter is participating with drawings of her own (but she's over on Instagram, where all the cool kids hang out). She's also doing better than me at posting in a timely manner, so I'd better hurry and catch up.

So here's Day 1. The prompt is "Fast".  (And don't worry, I don't really need a blood test...)

I need a blood test

So they say

It’s scheduled in about a day

Until that time

I cannot eat

No fruits or veggies, soup or meat

No coffee or

Blueberry pie

It’s water only for this guy

So as I starve here

For so long

I think somebody got it wrong

Cause in a day

Without repast
There’s absolutely nothing fast