Saturday, July 30, 2005

Illustration Friday: "Tranquility"

All too often its easy to get into a mindset where your so busy that the mere mention of taking a moment to escape from it all is utterly preposterous, I mean, there's places to go, things to do, work that needs to be done. Those bills aren't going to pay themselves! So we rush rush around like a huge pot of boiling water. Funny thing about a pot of boiling water, eventually the water all turns to steam, and if you let it steam too long, all the water runs out and you burn a hole in your pot. You can always go to the local store and purchase a new pot, but its not all that easy to patch the hole when the pot is you.
I guess what I'm getting at is that every once in a while you need to take a moment, no matter how brief it is, to stop, turn off the burner, check the water level, and add a cup or two if necessary. Surprisingly it doesn't take much to recharge those batteries, if you do it on a regular basis.
For me, it can be as simple as spending a few minutes before going to bed to look up and get lost in the stars, a freshly brewed cup of coffee first thing in the morning, or even one of those moments when you catch your children attempting to emulate you. Anyway, enough preaching, onto the images and prose :)

Georgie Mcnool
Got picked on in school
My how those fellas were mean
But they nearly fainted
In line while they waited
Watching as he ate ice cream

The heat sure was swelting
They thought they were melting
Ther'meter racin in red
But clothing wern't soakin
Cuz sweat was a smokin
quick as it formed on their heads

They waited all day
For jingles that sway
From trucks caryin out the sweet tune
Of mighty relief
Escape from this grief
"Golly, it must be high noon"

Ole kid knew the corner
Where held the treats out for
Anyone willing to flee
From sidewalk fried eggs
And liquidy legs
Quickly he ran with the glee

He got to it first
And felt like he'd burst
With knowledge of what was to come
For with holy treat
Was they who'd be beat
For he'd have relief 'fore their done

So oftway he skipped
While frosties got dipped
Upon his dear tongue so serene
To tranquil the spot
The setting he sought
Def'ly he was a keen bean

Thursday, July 28, 2005

H2O Hobo

As much as I enjoy coloring images digitally, its always nice to squirt goo out of tubes and slap it onto something every once in a while. Its with this in mind that I broke out the watercolors and worked on this one.


I must say, it was quite enjoyable to do something completely in traditional media again. I've always preferred paints to computer anyway, the give of the paint, the feel of the brush, the looming knowledge that you don't have an 'undo' feature, purely wonderful stuff. The problem is, its just so much more convenient, particularly with all the kids currently on summer vacation, to push the button and click on the ole Photoshop icon and do them that way. Either way, I want to do more watercolored stuff.

I sat, slightly downhearted
For I couldn't get started
My noggin was stuck in a fog
To conjur a prose
That fit with his nose
Empty, just like hollow log

So I threw a fit
A gripe and a spit
And tapped my foot on the floor
Drummed fingers on table
I thought I was able
Seems that this verse was no more

I guess that is it
I decided to quit
And leave it without a writ poem
Cep't this little verse
Guess it could have been worse
Least it has a dear ho'em

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Illustration Friday: "Karma"

Illustration Friday is a nice little oasis in the week where hundreds of illustrators gather to post their interpretations of weekly topics. I've meant to participate for quite a while now, but up until recently, I haven't been able to do so. Hopefully, with any luck, I can participate in them with some reasonable regularity. Last weeks topic was "Karma", and while I sat to muddle over what I might do for an image, my foot was painfully punished with what felt like a thousand pinpricks. I looked down and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature kitten and several blood smears. In knee-jerk reaction, I quickly thrust my foot up, much to the excitement and delight of my litle hellspawn. What makes kittens attack anything that even shows a slight semblance of movement anyway? Eh, needless to say, he became part of the thought process behind this image...



Once was a creature so dire
That brain was fuel'd with a fire
To chase feet or strings,
Any creature who sings,
Postmen, or maids who they'd hire

Twas really a troublesome spot
To fall to his terrible plot
A pounce from out nowhere
"Yeow!!", and your legs bare,
Full scratches, with cotton to blot

The people were really a mess
Clothes torn, they sat 'round depressed
Looked up to the sky
And all pondered "why?"
"Please, can't his temper get rest?"

Then all of the sudden, one day
Became he, a victim, his prey
Cuz something sat playing
His butt, ripe for slaying
"Would he?" Quite surely he may!

A quick turn, skilled leap, and a grab
That tail, quite quickly he'd nab
His jaws opened wide
And clenched his own hide
Snipping the end and some flab

The moral is this here, my friend
Clothing's far better to mend
Have manners, be clean
The op'sit of mean
Cuz karma will bite you in end


(Edit:) I must have had Steve Mack on the brain when I'd originally posted this, cuz I'd not only put the link forhis website where the IF link should have been, but I'd also wrote Illustration Farm instead of Friday also...


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