ZooMan's Sketchblog

February Sketch Crawl in the tropics of Cleveland

2010-02-09T21:06:00.003-05:00

So this month's Sketch Crawl was inside the RainForest @ Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. They graciously allowed 15 of us complimentary admission. We had a winter storm that dumped a serious snowfall the night before, but the stalwarts showed up.

The sketch I did get finished was one of the more static displays in the building. Many of my fellow sketchers took on the fast moving inhabitants of the building, and they did an awesome job. I'm still not comfortable sketching quickly, but I have to work on that.

Christmas to the "Max" . . .

2010-01-05T19:30:00.012-05:00

So it was a wonderful Christmas season. During our family get together, my daughter got out her digital SLR and got some awesome shots. This picture of Max, my nephew's youngest son, really struck me. After viewing Greg Joen's blog from EDM, I was inspired to try his approach, slightly modfied. I've always struggled with drawing people, but I like this method and am pleased with the results.

Hibiscus Study

2009-12-15T22:51:00.002-05:00

I have always been interested in the old "naturalist" style of botanical studies. This hibiscus was done on a plane trip to Tucson. The turbulence didn't cause too many unwanted lines.

A Friday Night @ the Coffee House

2009-12-15T22:24:00.004-05:00

Last Friday night, we went to the local coffee house to hear a friend play an acoustic set and just chill out for a while. I had the latest issue of Audubon magazine and decided to sketch from the photos. So here is an effort at a Seriema (which I'd never heard of, but had a cool crest) by Andrew Zuckerman. Very bizarre creature (the bird, not Zuckerman).

I'm Alive

2009-11-26T20:27:00.008-05:00

OK, I'm not dead, but it has been months since I've posted. I must do better.

So I have drawn a few times since I last posted, but too few. So this first one is from early October. It is from a photo ad in a bike magazine for a new style "motorcycle" with three wheels. It is called a Spyder from Can-Am and it is radical.

A New Sketchbook Project

2009-07-17T13:26:00.009-04:00

Well, just what I needed, another project . . . but maybe it is. I never seem to make the time to post unless I give myself a deadline or an event of some sort. So I signed up for The Arthouse Gallery's latest Sketchbook Project Vol. 4 .

They assign you the topic of your sketchbook, which I was concerned about, but I got "Postcards" as my theme. I can work with that. I'll be ding the picture on one side, and the "postcard message" on the other. A bit challenging for using watercolor, because the paper is pretty thin, but that's the plan for right now.

So following is my first entry. I won't probably post them all, but I have to return the book by early December, so I'm going to try and crank them out.

Wish me luck, and enjoy.

Virtual Paintout . . . Ponte Vecchio, Firenze, Italy

2009-06-27T08:33:00.006-04:00

I thought this was a pretty cool concept when I read about the Virtual Paintout the beginning of this month. Of course it took me until now to get an entry done and posted, but I did.

The concept is that you go on Google Earth and this month was Florence (Firenze), Italy. You find a picture someone has linked to the map of the city, and you sketch or paint the scene.

I liked the light in this view of the Ponte Vecchio, but I dont' know anything else about it. I had fun working on it at lunchtimes though. Hope you enjoy it.

Home Depot for exotic flowers . . . who knew?

2009-06-19T19:18:00.004-04:00

OK, maybe not so exotic, but I didn't know they had orchids. Really nice and really easy to care for, so far. Just add ice.

Colors didn't come out exact and the scan washed them out a bit more, but it's a close representation.

Year Old Sunflower - it held up pretty well.

2009-06-13T21:41:00.008-04:00

I guess after waiting a year to draw this, it's not surprising it took me a week to post it. But I do like how it turned out . . .

Now the columbine is blooming and Pam bought an orchid today that is calling me to draw it. All I need now is some time.

June SketchCrawl . . . finally posted.

2009-06-10T13:44:00.018-04:00

So I finished the second sketch first, and the first sketch last . . .and that doesn't make a lot of sense, which is normal for me. This month we were down on Whiskey Island @ Wendy Park for our crawl. It was a perfect weather day with a cool-ish breeze and a bright sunny sky. Well attended with about a dozen sketchers/photographers, and I brought my uncle along, who was in from Colorado Springs. He is an awesome artist and I think he enjoyed this "crawl" concept more than a little.

Having gotten there a bit early, we both started sketching right away (hence my first sketch, which is the catamaran). But I didn't get too far when the group arrived and we all headed up the coast to the old abandoned coast guard station. We stayed there long enough for me to finish that one, and I'm pleased with it as a fair representation. Then I finished the catamaran from photographs over the next few days. Another fun crawl; and thanks to Josh for finding this out of the way little jewel. I'll be back . . .

New Sketch . . . Old Trip

2009-05-29T08:51:00.004-04:00

. . . OK, maybe not an "old" trip, but over a month ago. I'm still working from pictures of the San Fran trip and filling in the blanks in my journal. Maybe someday I'll travel at an easier pace, but for now, I'll take a bunch of pictures and sketch when I get a chance.

NAPA Revisited

2009-05-16T09:28:00.001-04:00

So I have finally gotten around to starting some sketches from our trip to the coast last month. I took tons of pictures, but we didn't really slow down enough for me to do any sketching (excuse alert!). Anyway, I really do want to sketch some of the things I took pictures of with sketching in mind. This is the first of them.

Castillio de Amoroso was a very cool winery in the NAPA valley. This was our first trip there and we learned a lot. Found out this castle was used int eh Adam Sandler movie "Bedtime Stories", which we had to watch when we got back from vacation, " . . . yeah, we were there."

More to come in the weeks ahead.

May Sketch Crawl - USS COD Tour

2009-05-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

So on a sunny Saturday, with a freshing breeze in the yardarm . . . oh wait, that's a tall ship. We were touring a WW II sub; and it was AWESOME! Thank you to the guys who lead our tour and were there to pose for the "life aboard ship" aspect. Great job.

Of course I couldn't participate in that drawing exercise, because I can't draw people, but here are a couple of quick sketches. We spent a good amount of time on the tours and got lots of info on a fascinating period of US history.

Thanks, as always, to Josh for setting up a great tour.

I'll Play Along

2009-04-23T21:20:00.000-04:00

So I saw this on Karen B's blog and thought I'd play along. Feel free to copy and paste to your own blog or e-mail to your friends.

99 Things.
Here are the rules: Bold the things you’ve done and post on your blog!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band - well sort of with a band - and out on my own.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt - helped
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle -- One of my favorite places to be.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - well, I helped . . .
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Trinity Cathedral - March SketchCrawl

2009-03-08T10:41:00.000-04:00

Another interseting, if not overwhelming, place to sketch. Josh continues to find unique places for us to fill our sketchbooks. This month was no exception.

The cathedral was built between 1901 and 1907. A classic Gothic structure, the high ceilings and ornate carvings in the Indiana Limestone are simply amazing. Containing many many unique elements like an oak "boss" (decorative knob) carved in 1457 from Southwark Cathedral in England; a 15th century Flemish stained glass window and many many others. One of the most impressive things was the pipe organ, built by Flentrop of Holland in 1977.

I spent a solid hour on the pencil sketch and another hour inking and coloring it at home. Not precise, but a fair representation. The coolest thing was, when I was about half done, a man walked up behind me and was watching me sketch over my shoulder. He actually startled me, but said how much he liked it. I said how impressive the organ was and he said, "well just wait until you hear it". He then proceeded to climb the spiral stair and fire it up! It really was a religious experience; sketching in this vast space, surrounded by this awesome spiritual history, and hear the pipes ringing. Amazing!

I had started my sketching on some of the symbols in the stained glass windows. There was quite a mixture of them, and trying to sketch a whole window was just too overwhelming. So I took little pieces to focus on. Next month is at the Old Stone Church on the square.

Old Skool

2009-02-19T21:51:00.000-05:00

The trip was supposed to be down the Amazon . . . never sold enough spots for it to go.

So while looking for something totally unrelated yesterday, I found an old sketch book. I had started some of the sketches in '98 and the most recent probably in '06. I was supposed to lead a Zoo travel group to Peru and I was getting my "sketching hand" ready on pictures of animals and Peru. I was in my "pencil and paper stump" phase.

Funny how you get busy with the little things (in this case I think it was building a house and moving . . .), you know minor things, and just set something aside and forget all about it. One of the joys of being old and forgetful, I guess.

So here are a few.

Machu Pichu

Two kids in a boat made from giant leaves. (from a photo)

Study from a photograph.

Gestural Study - Orang

Old Man of the Forest

Aldabra Tortise

Feb. SketchCrawl . . .plus

2009-02-10T20:23:00.000-05:00

So it is not a good habit to only be posting here once a month after SketchCrawl . . .but here I am a month later doing just that. I have actually been sketching a bit more, but not getting them scanned and posted. Something to work on, I guess.

So the SketchCrawl at Playhouse Square was awesome!!! I had no idea that they ran tours of the theaters on the first Saturday of each month. Josh is doing a great job of getting us around town and I'm learning interesting things every month.

So, very cool going into each theater and hearing a bit of history. I didn't do much sketching, but lots of touring. That's OK though. Tom R. did a great tour and is so knowledgeable. We did get to "appear live on stage" at the Allen Theater; and I sat right in the center on the front edge to sketch this. It was much darker than this, and we only sat there for about twenty minutes . . . which isn't much time for this much detail. Thank God for digital cameras for quick reference photos. I really wanted to finish this one . . . such a cool place.

My "Inaugural" posting of a portrait

So moving back in time to a more historic day; I was driven to do something in my sketchbook to commemorate this historic occasion. That I chose to try a "portrait" is a stretch, as you can see. I liked the pose and the set-up, but it would be nice if it a least resembled Obama. Oh well, we don't have to love everything we try, right? It serves as a memory of the event and that is enough for now.

West Side Market . . . a great crawl ! !

2009-01-05T10:44:00.000-05:00

So January's installment lead us to the West Side Market in Ohio City on a cold, bright Saturday morning. There was a large crowd (which I have conveniently avoided putting in my drawing . . . New Years resolution opportunity - learn to draw people) of shoppers throughout the market. I had trouble finding Josh and the group, mostly because I hadn't read the e-mail carefully. Eventually connected though and off we went our separate ways.

Sketching in a crowd, standing up, adding watercolors (even with the excellent Jet Pens) proved a new challenge. Also picking out specific elements to draw in the visual cacophony of sights . . . all a bit mind boggling. But the 10 + of us who showed up all gave it a shot. It was nice getting together a couple of times during the session to share ideas and perspectives with each other.

I learned there is a balcony (which I never realized) and although somewhat crowded as well, it gave a unique perspective on the space. Since I already had my "long shot" of the market, I went downstairs for the second half and drew individual items of interest. I'm not sure the shop owners appreciated it, and I'm sure the other shoppers didn't. I tried to be as unobtrusive as possible, but that's not easy for a guy my size.

After the crawl, we all stood around and shared our sketches. Josh said mine was a "fair representation" of what the market looks like . . . at 7:00 in the morning (before the people come in). Yeah, I gotta work on that. It was a great crawl and afterwards, he took us around the corner to "The Glass Bubble Project", which is a cool little artisan glass blowing shop tucked behind the market in an out of the way corner. Another fun discovery and successful sketchcrawl. Next month, down to the Theater District . . . can't wait!

An evening at the Winery . . .

2008-12-11T20:25:00.000-05:00

So yesterday was a pretty good day. We had a chance to kick back a little and have an afternoon to chill out, and get out of the old routine for a few hours. In the mail the other day, we got a newsletter from a local winery called The Winery at Wolf Creek and they are having live music on Mondays and Wednesdays. It's been a long time since we've seen someone play out, so we decided to go.

Based on this sketchbook entry, you can see it wasn't as relaxing an evening as it could have been . . . but not horrible either. The girl who was performing was very talented and had a beautiful voice. It's hard to believe how rude some people can be. The two groups of people (obviously work friends) who were being so loud seemed like they were just getting louder every time the girl would play. It is a sad commentary on society, in a way.

I've seen a real tendency in the workplace these days for a lack of discipline and work ethic (the crabby old man in me talking here). But he whole "lack of respect for anyone else, just because they want what they want" thing . . . what the hell??? Go to any mall or movie or, well pretty much any place these days and it seems far too prevalent for my liking. OK, enough social commentary for tonight, but i think we need to start a movement to wipe out this behavior by challenging it when we see it . . . but will that make me the rude one who just wants what he wants ???

December Sketch Crawl

2008-12-07T22:31:00.000-05:00

This month's crawl was really interesting. A visit to the Greenbrier Suite in the Teminal Tower. This suite isn't open to the public, but Josh worked his magic and we got to spend two hours exploring this unique piece of Cleveland history. TheVan Sweringer Brothers, who built the tower complex, created this suite to rival the mansions on Euclid Avenue.

There was beautiful wood everywhere and must have been magnificent in it's day. Ornate carvings and mouldings that were incredible. It all seems a little sad now, with plaster coming off the walls and the wood painted a dark brown in most places with chips and bits missing. Beautiful lead glass windows, but with modern aluminum and glass on the outside, hiding them from the world.

The great hall was still an amazing space. The tapestry over the marble fireplace looked to be an original and the wood trims and mouldings were made to frame and compliment this piece. Truly a unique experience.

Cleveland Sketchcrawl @ the Powerhouse in the Flats

2008-10-05T20:46:00.000-04:00

So after a LONG hiatus the end of the summer, I got out and sketched on Saturday. Rachel got me some new Mircon pens in a bunch of colors and I had the perfect excuse to use them.

So I go down to the Flats and Josh is there with one other person. Not a big turn-out, but a gorgeous day and off we went.

We sketched on the West side of the river where I found this scene. Lots of busy lines, but I tried to simplify. I'll keep trying.

I.F. Topic . . . FOG!

2008-07-16T20:07:00.000-04:00

OK, I know this isn't really a sketch . . . and this is a sketch blog. But the topic this week lends itself so nicely to this picture, I had to.

I did this last fall as a student project in an oil painting class I was taking. I liked it enough to hang it in the front bedroom. Getting the fog affect using slightly different tones of the same mixture was really easier than I ever imagined.

So there it is, my entry for fog. Hopefully, I'll have some real sketches in the next couple of weeks when I return from vacation in Maine.

Sketch Crawl - Bridge Tour

2008-07-06T09:16:00.001-04:00

Two firsts for me on Saturday. I made it to my first sketch crawl since first hearing about them last fall. It was a beautiful day and we had an interesting subject today. There were only six of us total, but we did the Veterans Memorial (once the Detroit Superior) Bridge tour ; my second first . . . if that makes sense. There were a lot of people there for this free tour of the old street car line under the main bridge above. It was a very cool historic look at this architectural/engineering marvel.

Over the center area, there is a section that is all a heavy mesh structure. It is strange looking down at your feet and see the girders and river below. They had a section of the center covered with plywood. Probably a good idea because I'm sure there were folks who were having a problem with the heights. You could see them staying directly in the center of the plywood and giving their family member who dragged them here dirty looks.

Anyway, I loved the tour and the space was way cooler than the sketch I came up with. So many angles and perspectives. It would be a great place for an architectural study if you had the time to set up for it. But it was fun experience anyway. My daughter had come along with her camera to do some black & white shots. Great venue for that. So we had a great time and wound up also touring St. Malachi church across the street and also the Hope Memorial bridge to get some images of the sandstone guardians. Great day!

Drawing Day '08

2008-06-07T22:58:00.000-04:00

So I was going to head downtown for the Cleveland Sketchcrawl this morning, but the 2nd annual chalk art festival was happening on the Medina square. Much closer to home . . . gas prices . . . yeah, not a tough decision. It is Drawing Day '08, so I had to go somewhere to draw. You can get more details about that event at http://www.drawingday.com/ .

There was also a Farmer's Market that started today, so there were quite a few people. They also had a guitarist in the gazebo, and he was pretty good.

So I sat and listened while I sketched a bit. There was a nice breeze and I was even able to add watercolor on site. After sketching, I walk around the square and looked at the pastel/chalk artists working. Pam & I stopped back there in the evening to check out all the finished works and see who won.

. . . not "Forgotten"

2008-06-06T12:28:00.001-04:00

The Trumpeter Swan was gone from Ohio for hundreds of years. Gone, but not forgotten. In the 1990's Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and other organizations worked together to re-introduce this species back to Ohio wetlands in a program that continues today.

It is a neat story about how this program was conceived, is funded and managed. You can learn more at this site: http://www.clemetzoo.com/rttw/swan/

When I saw this pair nesting, I remembered the work and care that went into bringing this species back to Ohio wetlands and skies. Thought I'd share it with you.

A Wee Tree . . . .

2008-06-05T22:05:00.000-04:00

It's been so long, I almost forgot how to do this. Such a busy time of year.

So this installment is for I.F. topic . . . "Baby" this week. Not planned, but this is what worked out.

I have certainly killed my share of Bonsai in my day. I quit buying them because they just never made it. My longest lasting was a ficus that lasted a few years. The conifers never made it through a winter, no matter what I tried.

. . . Fail - the I. F. topic of the week

2008-04-15T07:41:00.000-04:00

Been a couple of weeks since I drew. Times goes by so fast. So this week's topic could have taken me to many places. While I try not to be too political in my daily life, it was unavoidable with this topic.

We could focus on the "George W" years to illustrate, but there are so many places to go on that one, I wouldn't know where to start. . . so I'll leave that alone. Or perhaps the sub-prime lending, stock market sliding, Ben Bernanke mis-handling recession causing mess. Not a pretty picture either.

But instead, my mind was focused on what I remember growing up as the first big failure of our country to do the right thing. I'm not talking about "losing" the Vietnam War being the failure. The fact that we were dragged in at all was the failure. The way the country treated the soldiers returning was the failure. The way the American public was lied to during the course of the war (hmmmm, sounding familiar) was the failure. The senseless loss of human lives was the biggest failure, and for what? It still saddens me to this day.

Pet Peeves . . .

2008-03-26T18:23:00.000-04:00

So last Friday's topic on Illustration Friday was pet peeves. It took me a while to decide on my approach, and then I still didn't get it right, because I missed a big one with me.
People who take little kids to nice restaurants and do not monitor their behavior . . . letting them run around and scream, etc.
Chalk that one up to me being a crabby old man.

Illustration Friday Topic . . . "Heavy"

2008-03-15T09:50:00.000-04:00

So, I haven't had much time to blog this week. I did start this sketch on Thursday, and was happy the topic this week seemed the fit right in.

So here is my entry for "Heavy".

Illustration Friday's Topic . . . Garden

2008-03-08T19:38:00.000-05:00

So if you haven't been to Illustration Friday's site yet, you are in for a treat. This week's topic was Garden, so I thought I would give it a try.

As the blizzard rages outside here in Medina, Ohio (and most of the East from Atlanta to New York, it seems), I was struggling to focus on the garden theme. Now we only recently moved into this house and it was built new, so needs landscaping. And we have been looking into gardens, but that isn't what struck me today.

I received my latest copy of Audubon magazine today (my reward for trudging through the snow to the mailbox this morning). There is an interesting article about carnivorous plants with simply fabulous pictures. So there you have it, my entry for today. And remember, as the frog said to the Venus Flytrap . . . "Times fun when you're having flies."

. . . a slow start

2008-03-07T07:06:00.000-05:00

So I have been asking myself, why did I decide to finally start this blog? Heard about them for years and had never visited a blog site . . . on purpose.

But I have always had a fascination for art. I suppose at times more the idea of creating art, than the actual making of it. I'd like to say I'm passionate about it, but that isn't true. I have tons of supplies in various media. I love buying new supplies, but never seem to make the time to sit down and do a project, let alone feel I am driven to do it.

Well, last fall I finally got going into an oils class I had been trying to get into. And I have enjoyed that. I kept going long enough to produce four paintings, all of which have found homes on my family member's walls. None of them great, but decent efforts; or at least not embarrassing.

But since Christmas, I hadn't started any new ones, and I needed a kick start. I went to this demonstration/workshop at a local art supply store. Karen Sandstrom was doing a workshop on the sketchbook journal. What she was creating, and the reasons she gave for starting a few years ago really clicked for me. She has a great blog called Pen In Hand that is one of my favorites to visit. Anyway, after attending, I got hooked on the idea of doing something like that.

I have often kept journals, and have fantasized about creating these awesome vacation travel journals like some I have seen through the years. I guess this is a way for me to "have time" to create these little snippets of art that won't take too long to create. I think posting them here gives me a way to feel they are "finished", if that makes any sense.

Anyway, today's sketch is one I did a couple of days before I went to Karen's workshop. I hadn't added the watercolor until after, and I like the way it turned out. As I look at trying to write regularly, I know it will be a challenge and I am off to . . . a slow start. Stay Tuned.

The Day Was A Gift

2008-03-04T21:16:00.000-05:00

Today has been so vile, weather-wise. And after yesterday was in the 60's here; such a cruel trick. Ah well, life in the Greater Cleveland area.