Digging

So I’m continuing to take advantage of this pause between projects - but I’m switching from fun stuff like fishing to things that need to be done around the house. Things that involve lots of digging. Like digging up part of the sewer line and installing a clean out access, or digging post holes. I wish I had the digging skills of a crawdad. They seem to make short work of it. As a kid I used to love the impressively tall mud chimneys that marked the entrance to their tunnels. But like this crawdad I’d probably get distracted by a clam. I mean that literally, I could easily get distracted from any particular task by a clam.

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Salamander

When I was a kid, my favorite activity was exploring the woods near our home. One day I came across my first salamander. It was THE coolest thing I had seen up to that point. It was like a frog and a lizard combined. What could be cooler? I also quickly realized that, like a frog, it needed a moist environment to flourish. Which makes it all the more crazy that in ancient times, salamanders were considered creatures of fire! That notion is thought to have originated when prehistoric people would gather old, dead wood to burn - and when doing so the occasional salamander would emerge from the fire! (moist dead wood being a favorite home of theirs). So a legend began to develop that there were large salamanders out there with the power to start and extinguish fires! Kind of cool. But not as cool as just a plain old wet-log loving salamander.

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YouTube channel? Yes!

An image from Catch on Venus.

An image from Catch on Venus.

With the extra time resulting from the COVID 19 quarantine I’ve decided to do something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile. I’ve made a YouTube channel where I will post videos based story ideas that didn’t quite make the cut. What do I mean when I say they didn’t make the cut? Well, maybe they were too short, or too long, or just me goofing off, or a bit too confusing….or a lot too confusing. Whatever the reason, I don’t want these ideas to die unseen in a folder somewhere. That said, most are just rough sketches strung together into movies, so don’t expect too much. Anyways check it out! This first video is a short called “Catch on Venus”.

Who knows…this could have possibilities. Maybe I’ll use the channel for sketchings and book readings too…but one thing at a time. With me there’s always a chance it will fade away once we get this virus behind us. (And we will get it behind us!). In the meantime I’ll try to post some stuff to entertain myself and maybe a few of you while we’re all keeping our distance IRL! Be safe out there!

Disembark

Here’s a sketch from one of the early versions of Field Trip to the Moon where the kids are shown getting ready to disembark from the bus and explore the Moon. This scene didn’t really add anything so I took it out, but I do like how the kid with the crayons doesn’t look to thrilled to be on the moon.

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Goodbye Old Friend

A week ago my dear old dog and friend Marcus passed away. He was a spirited, ornery as hell wire haired fox terrier who had been a close part of my life for 17 years. My wife and I called him one of our “protochildren” (along with two cats), our kids before we had kids. I’ll miss him dearly! If you look at many MANY of my old paintings and illustrations, you’ll find him.

This is very VERY accurate representation of Marcus’s personality.

This is very VERY accurate representation of Marcus’s personality.

A painting from a board book made many years ago staring Marcus. You’ll be missed, buddy!

A painting from a board book made many years ago staring Marcus. You’ll be missed, buddy!

Alternate cover for Field Trip to the Moon

So right before I turned in the final art for Field Trip to the Moon, I had an idea for an alternate cover. It featured the class and space station more, and the bus less. Basically I just really thought the station should look like it spins to make artificial gravity. The editor passed on it, which I agree with, but I still like the way it looks.

This sketch show an alternate cover design showing the kids departing a station that spins to make artificial gravity.

This sketch show an alternate cover design showing the kids departing a station that spins to make artificial gravity.

And this sketch shows what that station looked like from space. The scale of it is much more enormous than the station used on the title page of Field Trip to the Moon. See below.

And this sketch shows what that station looked like from space. The scale of it is much more enormous than the station used on the title page of Field Trip to the Moon. See below.

This is the final art of the version used.

This is the final art of the version used.


George Caleb Bingham

Recently I made some illustrations for the Notable Missourian book on the painter George Caleb Bingham.  He was an interesting man in both art and politics.

Young George sits and watches Chester Harding paint a portrait of Daniel Boone.  His love of art was now official.

Young George sits and watches Chester Harding paint a portrait of Daniel Boone.  His love of art was now official.

George went east to study the works in the big museums there.

George went east to study the works in the big museums there.

George was passionate about the plight of the people, and got deeply into politics.

George was passionate about the plight of the people, and got deeply into politics.

Not only did George enjoy politics, but he used it as a subject of many of his works.

Not only did George enjoy politics, but he used it as a subject of many of his works.

George as an elder teaching a painting class.

George as an elder teaching a painting class.