"Santa Trap"

"Santa Trap" - watercolor

For my family's Christmas card, I printed this watercolor on a 5x7 flat card, and sent them away to friends and family. Believe it or not, last year, Christmas was especially wondrous for my kids because, after years of trying various traps, alarms, and signals, they finally caught Santa Claus. I'll never forget their stunned expressions that magical morning!

Inktober Self-portrait

Made a self-portrait and inked it on a whim. The poor Moleskin was totally unprepared.
Why is it that when I draw myself, my normally messy hair looks miraculously good and my face looks 10 years younger? Is this the nature of self-portraits? I know many artists who do this also.
Closing self-portrait thought: Unlike selfies, self-portraits are not evidence of vanity so much as evidence that the artist had very few available models.

Hopes & Dreams: Wild Animals

"That is why the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind." - C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

Brrrrrrrr!

For a warm-up, I sketched my reflection. I the became amused that I was all bundled up and freezing in the January chill, drawing a "warm-up" sketch. So I decided to cartoonize it. I love the cartoon version so much more. Why didn't I move away from realism a long time ago?