Having an extra day each fourth leap year would indicate that there are 6 extra hours in each year. I took my pocket watch apart, and as I suspected, it has leap gears to store the extra time.
Happy Illustration Friday.
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On the Subject of ART
Art is my Joie de Vivre.
Two heads are better than one.
How about multiple heads, then? Multiple matryoshka heads. Happy Illustration Friday.
Illustration Friday: Dr. Ding has long held the theory that, as part of the cycle of life, we carry the actual grim reaper within us. And, as such, it witnesses our actions, thoughts and ways of being first hand (as a kind of karmic score keeper).
One of his best tricks is showing his theory to his students.
Categories
Watercolor Quickie
I try to do something “creative” everyday – something above and beyond the normal “creative” activities that I would do anyway. Often, this happens on my train ride – it can be a piece of writing, or computer code or a drawing. It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s fun and has that new idea smell.
I didn’t ride the train today, so after work, I snuck out to the stevedore docks and did this as quickly as I could. It’s obvious that I don’t have a grip on watercolor, but thought I’d give it a whack.
I presume this fellow hunts stray pirates. AND…that tunnel leads to a water tower.
While drawing with my daughters tonight, I thought I tackle two jobs at once. The topic for this week’s Illustration Friday is Blanket. And the topic for Guy-Doran-Water-Tower-Guild-Member is to show a very early version of the mobile water tower (certainly the inspiration for later models).
[click the image below for larger]
How organic! I suppose that common black ants were qualified for guild membership. The book hasn’t mentioned any formal induction process yet.
Brushes on a roll of Ikea paper, disassembled with an xacto knife and scanned.
I began carrying a sketchbook with me everywhere I go about two years ago. I had abandoned this practice for maybe six or seven years, when most of my life/work/art/ideas lived almost entirely in digital forms. When the going gets overly complex and/or stale in the digital realm, though, pen and paper prove their worth everytime.
I started with an 8.5″ x 5″ book, like this one.
I used it so much that I started carrying a smaller 6.25″ x 3.75″ sketchbook, too.
I always have the smaller one with me, and usually both of them, depending on whether or not I have a laptop in my bag.
Last spring, I attended the Event Apart event in Seattle. In the “bag of swag” was a spiral bound ruled notebook (6×6). One of the presenters suggested using the book at work. I don’t like spiral notebooks – the metal usually becomes twisted and jagged during my travels, etc., but I thought I’d give it a try – it had the “Event Apart” logo emblazoned on the cover and I really enjoyed that show.
Between April and December, I took many notes during meetings, I worked out ideas and made plans. The book recorded the portal redesign project I’ve been working through (more on that soon). The book added something to my work process, and I became rather attached to it (despite spirals). And then, in December, I misplaced it. I haven’t been able to find it ANYWHERE. I believe it’s gone forever. Even Saint Anthony doesn’t know where it is.
Which seriously sucks very much.
I keep encountering “Moleskine” books. I’ve resisted them because my books, shown above, are extremely durable and much cheaper. And, I wondered if maybe Moleskines are a little snooty. But, is it not written, “Every problem is really an opportunity?”
I decided to replace the missing spiral book with a graph lined Moleskine.
And what do you know? It’s really fun to write in – it reminds me of a book my dad used to keep. I don’t know that I’d use any of the Moleskine sketchbooks as a main sketchbook (I’m going to give them a try), but the graph Moleskine has quickly become a trusty replacement for the missing spiral. I suppose all the people on those Moleskine fan web sites can’t be all wrong…