Blog

I have a few posts to catch up on after a quick trip to Florida. The first is a cloud, and the picture I used for reference was taken 20,000 feet up so it should be pretty accurate.

I have always had a fear of being trapped in a car that is quickly sinking in a body of water. So I have this tool. I have no idea what it is called but supposedly, with one strong strike, the pointed end will shatter a car window instantly, allowing you to escape through the window of your vehicle. There is also a blade for cutting the seatbelt. And just because I have it, I will never need to use it… and I’d like to keep it that way… so it stays in the car. Forever.

I was recently adding D rings to the back of a picture frame and saw this brass picture hanging hook and nail. I realized that in the past 208 days I have not drawn it so here it is. Can you tell I’m grasping for things to draw at this point?

This past Spring my aunt and uncle graciously gave us some beebalm plants to transplant into our garden. They originally came from transplants from my parents’ garden over 20 years ago. They have a long history and I’m happy to report that they are thriving and blooming beautifully. They are a bright magenta color and I can’t wait for them to spread next year.

Summer means fresh tomatoes. Last night we had burgers with thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes. I’m talking a tomato where one slice covers the WHOLE bun. Amazing. The pattern of the tomato is pretty impressive too.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is a wonderful spot to visit. We went to the East gallery and found ourselves in galleries all alone most of the time. They have three Vermeer paintings and a Leonardo DaVinci. The massive “Daniel In The Lions’ Den” by Rubens was one of the not to miss paintings in the gallery and it did not disappoint. They also had several sculptures and my favorite was the “Sitting Figure” by Maurice Sterne, carved in marble in 1932. I’m a horrible figure sketcher so this one was just a quick sketch. Give me a hand or face to draw and I crumble.

There is just something awe-inspiring about The White House. The moment you see it, you audibly gasp and get goose bumps. No matter your political views or opinion of who lives in it, the building itself and the history it represents are breathtaking. While the inside remains a mystery to me, I feel so blessed to have seen it from the outside. And this was my very first “architecture” sketch and it was a blast.

On our first day in Washington DC we went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Amazing. I was particularly drawn to the skeleton section where they had skeletons from all sorts of animals. This is a striped skunk and while it is not an EVERY day object, it is one that lends itself to a drawing (I tried to pick one that would be easier to draw as some were MASSIVE). I took a picture of it in the museum and drew it on our flight home with the crappy seat tray table as my support.