check out what showed up outside my window THIS morning.
This is MUCH better than when i stumbled out of bed only to step in a pile of cold dog barf.
But that was then, this is now.
It’s not only a double rainbow but the outer band is inversed, which makes this SUPER RARE.
You may now comment at will…
This week’s topic brought to you by xtra pulp : Escape!
Of all the ways one could escape, and I thought of many… this seemed the most appealing,
and also the most realistic.
dont really have to say much more than that. just do foto now.
a good quick outing to Kilauea.
So today I was shaken from sleep by an onslaught of phone calls, texts, and facebook messages
(but no tweets) warning me of eminent destruction of these Hawaiian islands (and much of the
Pacific Rim) by a tremendous tsunami wrought from the massive earthquake experienced in
Chile yesterday.
The morning quickly dissolved from there into a confused buzz. Off in the distance sirens were
blaring, church bells ringing, canned goods flying off the shelves at Foodland, riots at the gas
pumps, all the classic examples. Good portions of the towns at sea level were evacuated up into
the nearby hills. The waves were expected to batter the islands at around 11:00 AM sharp.
Not knowing what to expect, I grabbed a water bottle, the Canon, and headed for the nearest
bluff for a front row seat.
If there’s anything that i’ve learned from Lost, which is a LOT!!! Omigod i still LOVE that show!
Is that if you happen to suddenly notice a group of people that you can’t quite recognize, and you
usually only see the back of their heads, they are most likely going to die a horrible death in the
next few minutes… So I decided to avoid integrating into this group.
As the 11:00 hour crept away, the apparent non-activity out at sea allowed for some time to
explore the surrounding areas for some impromptu photos of local flora.
Nice landscapes too.
As noon time rolled around, the crowd of onlookers suddenly increased, this one Keanu
Reeves type guy started to speak with much aplomb that he had been watching the events
unfold on TV and had decided to show up on the scene exactly when the waves were meant
to hit this humble island. We all turned our eyes seaward again to witness an awe inspiring
force of nature… However…
At the risk of sounding insensitive, I have to say that everyone turned away a bit disappointed.
Given the widespread death and destruction that has been wrought on innocent lives around
the world as of late in the form of natural disasters, we were all able to say “at least no one was
hurt”. But… we would have least like to have witnessed a little more of a spectacle.
After staring at the sea for so long, i had a hankering to not only listen to The Cure, but take
a long overdue dip in the calm clear waters. I can at least say that I hit the beach on the day
of the tsunami. Proof below. So there.
The events in this story were true… now lets get back to some drawing already…
So, i am really excited to announce that the long awaited new CD from Opus Ditty and the Hoedown gang is now
available for the masses to behold and marvel. This is children’s music at it’s best, polished and honed to the nth
degree and is a rollicking good listen from start to finish… and that’s not even mentioning the secret track.
These guys and gals have put their all into crafting this disc for everyone’s enjoyment and their hard work
shines though with every decibel. I have been happy and proud to have been invited along to create the
illustrations and designs for their CD packaging. Pick up a copy for you and yours at opusditty.com
The Gang is already delving into a new album as we speak. I am looking forward to gearing
up for a fresh batch of drawings of their latest exploits. A music video is in the works too!
Keep your eyes on the horizon!
signage, fresh from kauai. the proof? can you not see the aloha shirt in the reflection?
who could it be??? believe it or not it’s not me.
A specimen of cute found on the streets of Seattle:
I love the blog cephalopod tea party. I love it so much, it apparently seeps into my mind
subconsciously while drawing. Anyhow, I got to pick this weeks xtra pulp challenge, Tea Party!
Which, I’m pretty excited about. I am trying to work in my sketch book more, and rely less
on Photoshop, but in the end, I had to try out some color variants. Not sure which I like.
Thoughts?
More tea party fun coming soon on xtrapulp.
This weekend, I was browsing books and came across a real gem!
Song Of Robin Hood : A first edition copy, published in 1947.
The book design and illustrations by Virginia Lee Burton are absolutely lovely.
The ballad of Robin Hood is framed within her intricate illustrations and the includes sheet
music score as well, making it one of the more interesting books I have come across lately.
Here are just a few pages… Every page is completely covered in scratch board and pen and ink
drawings which are reproduced at 100%.
I was extra psyched to show Griffin this book, only to find out that he was well familiar with
the author and had a sentimental childhood attachment to several of her works- including, but
not limited to: The Little House, Katy and the Big Snow and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.
I haven’t been able to tear myself away from the book since I bought it yesterday, even though I
must confess that I haven’t read the story yet. If anything could convince me to read the
Ballad of Robin Hood though, this would be it. Even the table of contents and glossary are totally inspiring.
