YouTube channel? Yes!

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!

Boy King

A quick sketch from a little project I was working on.

Another snapping turtle

I loved turtles when I was a kid. I would bring them home and try to make pets out of them. At first I’d put them in buckets but that seemed way too cramped. To give them more space, I began to join cardboard into an elaborate turtle labyrinth, but that still didn’t seem right. So with the help of an elderly neighbor we built a large turtle pen in the shade of a northern maple. It included a shelter, small “ponds” made from tubs and turkey pans, shrubs/cover, and a poorly designed drainage system. I accumulated a pretty eclectic mix of turtles. Every day I’d inspect them to make sure they looked healthy and I’d feed them meals of vegetables, fruit and canned dog food. The turtle pen became pretty popular with my fellow neighbor kids who would catch their own turtles, paint their names on the shells (NOT recommended) and bring them over for me to keep in the pen. Well, despite what I considered to be resort-like conditions, one day my favorite turtle, a big red eared slider, died. I think that was the day it hit me. No matter how “cool” of an environment I made….they just wanted to live in the wild! So I let all the turtles go. I still love turtles, though… and coming from a Hare that says a lot.

Snapping turtles!

Sketching some pond life today.

So Deep

Here’s a sneak peak at the upcoming Field Trip adventure. I’m looking forward to this one!

Marker Sketch

Sometimes I just like to sketch while not wearing any kind of corrective lenses….which for me means everything is a complete blur. I don’t know why I enjoy it but I do. Here’s a small sample.

Pick a Planet

Today I was doing a school visit where I spoke to 7 different classes ranging from 4th to 6th grade. As a fun creative exercise, I’d ask the class to help me create an alien.. The first thing I asked was, “What planet should the alien be from?” You can guess what the most popular answer was.

How 'bout those CHIEFS!

Last year the Kansas City Chiefs made it to the AFC playoff game where they suffered a heartbreaking loss in overtime to the New England Patriots. My son Evan was as devastated by the loss as any old-timer Chiefs fan surely was that day. Maybe more! While consoling him, I remember being selfishly concerned that I may have lost my football watching buddy. Being a fan can be rough!

My concern was misplaced. It wasn’t long after that Evan drew this Chiefs player, brow furrowed with determination, running in a touchdown. He was sure the Chiefs were going to take care of business next time. Now here we are a year later and the Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl!

This is what’s great about art made by kids . I feel like a grown up would never draw a picture of their favorite team right after a season-ending defeat.…..but a kid? Oh heck yes, pass the paper and crayons. With one quick sketch, disappointment can become determination! That’s why I like this drawing. I need that reminder.

By the way….I have no idea what the light blue thing in the end zone is.

GO CHIEFS!!!

Sky station

Playing around with ideas on a snow day…

Graphs are important

Here is a quickly thrown together graph I sent my editor to illustrate a point I was trying to make. I do enjoy our correspondence!

My studio is such a mess

Okay, so this isn’t really my studio…

A friend and I visited the studio and home of famed regional artist Thomas Hart Benton last week. Even though he’s been deceased for decades, It truly looked like he had just left the room to get a snack and would return and resume painting any moment.

A detail I enjoyed: In true artist form, Benton “Fixed” his studio sink by using a brick on a stool to hold it up…and that’s how it stayed for years. Let nothing slow down the painting! I like to think I’m that way too, but in reality I’d probably use the sink as an excuse to redo the studio plumbing in some elaborate procrastination scheme.

A hint at something to come

Here is some concept art for the book I just finished. The final character design and art turned out very different! I know that’s a crappy thing to say and then not show an example of but I’m pretty sure I can’t just yet. Soon!

Foot in mouth

This is an illustration from a board book dummy I made several years back. It wasn't a good story but I still have a soft spot for it because It was loosely based on my youngest and his proclivity to put anything and everything in his mouth . That said, why is the dad swatting at a bees nest in this image? That seems like a really bad idea and it has nothing to do with the story!

Pallet Cleanser

So for the last two month’s (or has it been three?) I’ve been working on the final art for an upcoming book. I finally finished last week and what a relief! Don’t get me wrong, I loved making it (and I hope it will show!) but it was all consuming and I’m glad to put a fork in it. As I turned in the art, I told my editor I wasn’t even sure what it all looked like anymore because I had been staring at it for so long. She said that was very common at the end of a project and that I should take a break from art and writing for a few days. I thought that sounded like a grand idea. My wife was out of town, my kids were at a sleepover and I had the house all to myself. So I bought myself some grocery store sushi (not as scary as it sounds..this time) and a video game. I was going to have some mindless me time!

Oh man…I should totally title this painting “Sliced Ginger”

It was only an hour and a half before I found myself turning off the video game and heading to the studio to paint. I had one job! Don’t make art, don’t write! And there I was painting! Now to be fair, i wasn’t making an illustration, I wasn’t doing a job. I wasn’t trying to make anything profound. I was just mindlessly painting with zero pressure for it to look like anything. It was like those little slices of ginger that come with the aforementioned, completely passable grocery store sushi. Not great or yummy but effective at telling me I’m done with one flavor and about to start another. At least that’s what I think the ginger is for. Am I doing it right?

A tiny peek

I’m almost done with the art for my latest book. I’m pretty happy with how its coming along, although admittedly I’ve been looking at it all for so long its hard to tell! Anyways here’s a not-too-revealing photo showing the early stage of an illustration.

Crowboat

Wow…I just found some old sketches for an app story about a crow that makes a submarine out of a two liter bottle. The story idea wasn’t great but I do enjoy the idea of a crow making a submarine.

Notice the rock ballast, the plastic spoon oars and the fork for picking stuff up. I have no idea how this thing was supposed to be water tight. Maybe the crow took a few classes on shipbuilding and hydrodynamics. It sounds very crow like to enroll in such classes.

I got to sign the wall!

I recently had a book reading and signing at the Vero Beach Book Center in Florida. It went great thanks to the help of the awesome employees and their amazing story time host! Whenever needed, she encouraged the kids to stand up and shake the wiggles out. I was a bit nervous so I would stand up and shake the wiggles out too. I gotta tell you that shaking the wiggles out business works! I think world leaders and CEOs should shake the wiggles out before important meetings. I’m telling you a world with the wiggles shaken out is a better world. Anyways after the event I was thrilled and honored to be asked to sign the wall in the stairwell. There were some heavy hitting illustrators with scribbles on that wall! Looking back at this photo I’m both proud…and wish I didn’t add the other four alien heads as afterthoughts. They don’t make sense with the (albeit simple) perspective. Oh well. Good times!

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.

Underwater Adventure

This is a sketch from a project I’m currently making the final art for . So much has changed with the story, and while I think the current version is better, I like how intense the creature looks in this old sketch.

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.

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