Doodle Challenge

Doodle #99, Kittens-an Overview

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If you haven’t guessed by now the prompt for today is the word, kittens. It seems like I just can’t get away from drawing cats and kittens. Prompt or no prompt cats are my favorite subject to render in pen, pencil or any number of creative media. Well truly there is not much advice I can give you about raising cats. If memory serves me correctly from all the cats I had growing up and the ones my son had before he moved out cats  kind of raise you.

Cats can be finicky or loving, standoffish or friendly, it all depends on what mood they are in at the moment. One thing I do love about cats is they are self cleaning, well except for the litter box once in a while. Try to get your teenagers to clean up after themselves and see how it goes. I have four children, two were clean freaks, the other two not so much. I am still finding stuff stashed in different places in my house even though my one child moved out four years ago. Thrift stores have become my frequent destinations.

Still when it comes to cleanliness I will take messy children who don’t get into trouble in and out of school any day. My children had their ups and downs but they have all turned out well having good jobs and for three of them families of their own. It is all a parent can hope for to have successful children.

Doodle #98 Getting the Bird to Pose

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My doodle “Getting the Bird to Pose,” was inspired by the word prompt, hummingbird. I have only seen hummingbirds a few times in my lifetime. Each year my wife puts out one of those hummingbird feeders in order to try and draw the birds out. So far she has had limited success.  Hummingbirds are interesting little creatures They flit and flutter around with seeming tirelessness from flower to flower sucking out the nectar.

How hard it must be to get one of these little birds to pose for a picture. Which reminds me of those early days as a parent when you try to get the perfect picture of your children. Nothing ever seems to go right. One child is looking one way, another will not smile and still another is crying. Still my wife perseveres in order to get that one magical moment when all the children look perfect for the photographer. It seldom worked but each year we went through the same ritual.  Just one of the joys of parenting I miss, not.

Don’t get me wrong. I love to have pictures of my kids and grandchildren readily available for others to see. I however like the unplanned spontaneous moments when the children are being children. The best family moments to capture on your camera, smart phone, or whatever are those that come when you’re not planning for them, when your family is being a family at play. Remember just like you’ll never get a bird to pose for picture you’ll never get the true essence of family life unless you are prepared and ready to capture the spontaneous.

Doodle #97, Life Among the Leaves

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It is spring once again. The world is sprouting with new life. Flowers are popping out of the ground and trees are getting their new leaves. Spring has always been my favorite time of year because the earth once again filled with pageantry and color. As an artist color is one of my favorite things to put in my paintings. Color can bring forth a whole range of emotions. Reds and yellows are warm colors and invoke feelings of happiness but they can also be irritating to the eyes. Blues and darker colors are more relaxing and invoke feelings of melancholy and are more relaxing colors.

A lot of the paintings I do tend to be filled with warm colors. It is not really intentional. It is just where my artist’s brain gravitates. One of things I am trying to learn in doing this doodle challenge is how to get out of my color comfort zone and experiment with different color variations or maybe no color at all. I have learned different colored markings in pen and pencil can create a satisfying effect

Another thing I learned is just like the,”Little Boy in the Tree,” my illustration for today, unless you learn to be adventurous and experiment with things as an artist you will never grow as an artist or for that matter life will never be as interesting as it might be if you climb out of your comfort zone

Keeping Things Light, Doodle #87

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I have to admit when I first saw today’s prompt the word “light” I wanted to talk a little bit about how as Followers of Jesus we are the light of the world. Instead my mind wandered to having a light mood.  Then I decided to do something I haven’t done in a number of years, create a cartoon panel. What came out can roughly be ruled an illustration but hey, I tried.

I was always told growing up the best medicine for a sallow heart is a smile and laughter. I think that is true when I feel down I draw which brings a smile to my face and my mood instantly rises. When I really want to lighten my mood I watch a good comedy so I can laugh. While laughter only lightens the mood for a little while it is still a little while we are not thinking about what is going on around us.

Proverbs 15:13-15 states ” A glad heart makes a happy face,” but a smile also lightens up those with who we come in contact. Think about it. Would you rather talk to a person who is smiling and happy looking then one who can be the proverbial downer all the time. I have always tried to not take my inner feelings to the workplace. I greet others with a smile and a hello no matter what I am feeling like inside. It is not easy to do bit I do it anyway.

Till tomorrow here’s to smiling more, laughing more and changing the moods of others around you. I hope you enjoy today’s doodle

Where Did the Magic Go?, Doodle #83

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The first thing that popped into my head when I heard today’s prompt, magic, was Supertramp’s The Logical Song and the lyrics, “When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.”  When we are young it seems everything is new and magical. We accept what comes our way with a childlike faith and a lot of questions including the proverbial..why?

Then as the song on to say they, “send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
Logical, responsible, practical. And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable, Clinical, intellectual, cynical.” As we grow up and learn in school the wonderment in the world around us fades away. We no longer see the things around with wide eyed faith but try to analyze what we see.

Jesus however in Matthew 18:3 says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”What he is saying is simple. Have faith like the faith we had when we were children. We did not sit around and try to analyze everything we around us, we simply believed and had faith we could do whatever came our way. As adults we think too much. We need to go back to those carefree days and just have faith.

What’s Art Got To Do With Life?

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I must admit as an artist there are times I struggle with the whys.

  • Why am I spending so much time creating art?
  • Why do I get so frustrated when I can’t get a picture to look the way I picture in my mind?
  • Why do I think I am any good at this thing called art?
  • Why, why why?

Then I remember art is in my blood. It is something I feel compelled to do with my time. Not because it is essential to my life, no wait, yes it is essential to my daily life. Art to me set up everything else in my life. It helps me to see the details in every situation. It helps to insure I have as much determination and drove to learn in everything else I do in life. Most importantly my art helps me be me by allowing me to show my creative side.

Art is life drawn from the inside. It helps you relax when times are tough. It allows someone to express themselves when words can’t come to mind. We were all created to create art in one form or anther..

Motion Settled Down, Doodle #74

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The prompt for today is to draw motion. Well on the surface it sounds like a simple challenge after all motion is everywhere. Look around you cars speeding down the highway, people running to and from. We are a nation on the move, at times to much on the move. There is an old adage, “Stop and smell the roses.”

I’ve often wondered where the saying comes from but no matter the meaning is obvious. We all need to take the time to stop what we’re doing and sit back and enjoy life. When was the last time you did nothing? If you’re like me I don’t like to sit still. I always feel like I have to be doing something but every so often I feel the need to stop and sit back and enjoy the moment or moments. Some of my past enjoyments include watching my kids create their own little worlds from nothing, watching the ocean roll and the people rollick in the surf and sitting on my grandma’s porch and watching the world around.

The main point of this whole ramble is the fact that God created all there is for our benefit and it is high time we take the time to enjoy the world in which we live. So strap on some head phones, go to your local park (if you’re an artist take along your drawing pad) and enjoy some time alone or with family. Oh yeah, I hope you enjoy today’s doodle “Motion Settled Down,”

 

A Sign of Warmth, Doodle #72

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I live in the greater northeast and am looking forward to warm weather returning so I can take my sketchbook and hit the road to make some drawings. Sorry to all you skiers but I have been looking for the first signs spring is on its way like flowers peeking through the soil and the robin’s return. Today my wife saw the first robin this year.Woo who warmth and sunshine are on their way back.

I learned long ago, like the robin is a sign spring is on its way bringing the warmth, people are looking for signs in your life to validates the claims you make about yourself. This is true about your faith as much as many other areas of life. People can spot a fake a mile away.  Proverbs 28:18 says, “Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.” While this verse is technically not about being a warm person it is a part of living a life of integrity.

My mother instilled in me a long time ago the need to show warmth to others in everything I say as well being generous in all I do. I may not have a lot of money but I do have a lot I can give. You never know who you touch in life so you must always be who you are not who you feel people want.