2 Trees

On a recent trip to The Berkshires, I did a drawing of these two tree trunks. This illustration is inspired by the artist, @dinabrodsky. She’s the master of sketching and painting trees among other things. Check out her gorgeous work. My Brodsky seems drawn by someone working for Mad Magazine giving it that Kane twist.

Adirondacks Eatery

This kooky little food stand was in the Adirondacks. I’m now back in New York City which is blanketed by Canadian wildfire smoke. It’s obvious that climate change plays a major role. The meat industry is responsible for a large share of global greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to global warming. Maybe cut back on the burgers and pork chops if you want to breath better air.

Adirondacks

I drew multiple duck decoys that were in the Adirondacks house I stayed in recently. The rest of the goodies I collected in the woods except for the monkey and whistle. I never saw a single squirrel while hiking. There doesn't seem to be too many in the Adirondacks. I couldn't scrape up a single acorn no matter how hard I searched.

Adirondacks

I spent a few days at my cousin Eileen’s lake house in the Adirondacks. A couple of my other cousins were also there. We haven’t hung out like that since we were kids. We hiked and partied in the woods with folks who made ten foot high, barn fires.

Apps

It’s raining apps, hallelujah. I keep my iphone stripped pretty bare. Only 30 apps live on my phone. I usually keep about 30 images in my photo album at any given time. My phone is clean and lean. That’s the way, aha, aha, I like it.

Pein Air

Everyone in my family knits except for me. My wife has taught every niece, sibling, in-law and cousin. They’ve all caught the bug. That’s why I hang out at Sheep and Wool festivals. I’m the lone non-knitter strolling about. I hid in plain site or should I say Plein Air site and drew the County Fair vibe of the whole spectacle.

Pig Law

Recently the Supreme Court upheld a California law that bans the sale of pork meat, no matter where it is produced, unless the pig at issue was born to a sow that was housed with 24 square feet of space and in conditions that allowed her to move freely. Under the law, every sale of covered pork in California that does not meet such standards is considered a crime punishable by a $1,000 fine or a 180-day prison sentence. The case raised questions regarding not only the issue of animal cruelty but whether one state could regulate another state’s production of pork and impose thousands of dollars of charges on pig farmers. The state said law was necessary so that Californians wouldn’t feel complicit in animal cruelty. The thing I question is that no one seemd to raise the point that eventually killing the pig even though it now has 24 square feet of space might also be considered animal cruelty. Just something to consider seeing as there is so much considering going on. Reminder that my Vegan Art Book is available on Amazon.

Tulips

When I draw on the street lately, I’m approached by a large amount of people who turn out to be art teachers. I’m surprised by just how many art teachers there are wandering around NYC parks. I share a bit of my history and how I ended up on a stool in front of them. They want to discuss their own art and I quiz them about their students. I explain to them the importance art teachers played in my success. I drew these tulips, which happen to be my favorites, at the botanical gardens. The rest of the sketch I added later at home. If you’re looking for an explanation about this piece, you won’t receive one because your guess is as good as mine.

Water Buffalo

My friend Steve is half my age. We met in advertising and he too is an artist. He picked up drawing as a hobby to be taken seriously from me. We recently went to Natural History Museum. Steve selected this water buffalo to sketch. I wouldn’t have chosen this one because the diorama was very dark. Sitting below at a weird angle, I felt this illustration would be a real struggle. Turns out I surprised myself. I always think I know best but I found out when I keep my mouth shut and follow someone else’s lead, magic might appear. I may have to start listening to my inner voice less and do the opposite of what it says.

Animals

This is the time of year I draw at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. During my recent days of sketching, I met quite a few great people who wanted to talk about what I was doing. Each encounter turned into long wonderful conversations. This happened frequently and I think it may have something to do with the feeling that the pandemic has concluded. When I finished the flower portion of this illustration, I had the idea to draw animals who frequent the garden but give them a New York City vibe. So I have each quoting lines from famous Manhattan-centric films.

Shrooms

scavenger hunt where artists from around the world hide mushroom themed original art in public spaces for ordinary people to find and claim as their own. This year it happens on June 10th. This is the idea of Daniel “Attaboy” Seifert. Go to https://yumfactory.com/gameofshrooms/ on how to participate yourself.

Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of floating trash and plastic, covers more than 600,000 square miles and is located between Hawaii and California. I read recently that scientists identified 484 invertebrate organisms living in the patch. Who knew that this is now a cute little ecosystem. So, even though there is an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic weighing about 80,000 tons, it seems that everthing is now A- OK. So sleep easy tonight. My Vegan Art Book is for sale on Amazon.