The Everything Project

Uploading this picture, that is . It took me three tries on two different computers.

The picture itself was difficult too - I spent about two hours on it, and probably needed to spend another 4 to 6 to get it right. But I thought I should post SOMETHING before some people (you know who you are) give up on me.

Anyway, it's the hurricane lamp my father used to light his way to bed when he was a boy. And since he turned 70 today, it seemed like a good time to post it.

I have another lamp, so I'll have to take another run at glass and reflections later this week. Hopefully the posting will go easier.

Almost dead, though. The flowers, that is - J got them for me about 10 days ago, and they're pretty much done.

So it's really more of a drawing of the vase - which is actually a water jug, but what the heck - it works!

I really need to draw things more often... like, before they die.

How did those dutch masters do it without either refrigeration or photos?

I drew this Wednesday night, as promised, but haven't been able to post until today (blogger was down yesterday). I'm not very happy with it, the perspective is off again, and it looks... sloppy. Probably not an official art term, but oh well.

Part of the problem was that I was drawing on my cintiq, and the mandoline (the kitchen implement, not the musical instrument) was behind me, so I had to keep turning my head to see it. I felt like Linda Blair.

Anyway, the mandoline is quasi-useful - it's great for slicing vegetables thinly, I just don't eat enough veggies.

Yes, I know I haven't posted recently. But I did do a drawing for James Gurney's "Art by Committee" post. So hush. I'll draw something tonight.

Perhaps I was feeling violent when I drew this - or maybe I was just looking for a different perspective on drawing a knife. Either way, a box lid gave its life for this drawing.

A moment of silence, please.

Right. File under very useful - this Henckels knife is great for chopping and has so far kept its edge.



Because you know I'm never going to sharpen it.

I think I went a little crazy with the smudge tool on this one - oh well.

It's a non-disposable coffee filter (coffee filters are so inherently disposable that I can't think of what else to call it). For J.'s morning coffee, of course - I don't drink the stuff myself.

Makes me hostile.

Nope, not a gavel. Not a hammer, either.

Not a meat tenderizer.

Could be used for all of the above, though. Much in the same way I've used a screwdriver.

Give up?

It's a bottle opener - all the way from Uganda. I think it makes more sense if you know how to open a bottle of beer with another bottle.

Damn, I wish I could figure out how to do that. Every time I've tried, I get beer everywhere.

Waste of beer.

Scaredy Squirrel has already been taken. Yes, yes, I'm back, stop complaining.

And this little guy is one of the reasons I've been away so long. I finally picked up the boxes of papers and other things I'vebeen storing at my brother's place for 7 years. This ceramic squirrel (made in occupied Japan) was one of the other things. I actually have an entire box of these, along with a number of Red Rose tea figurines and small ceramic birds from Tenderleaf Tea.

Apparently I come from a long line of tea-drinkers-and-collectors-of-useless-objects.

I'm not drawing any more of them until I decide if I'm keeping them.

So instead of taking something simple and complicating it, I took something complicated and simplified it. I think I like the results better. If nothing else, it makes more sense in the amount of time I'm spending on these (this took about 45 minutes.

There's a reason it doesn't look like an academy drawing - those guys spent days - sometimes weeks on their pencil drawings.

Where the heck did they get the time?

Anyway - it's a windup radio. V. useful.

Well, I was trying to be simple. I have a migraine, and drawing hurts. So I thought I'd draw a simple white mug (I have 4 of these - but I'm already seeing double, so no sense making things worse...).

But there's not such thing as a simple drawing, is there? It's a white mug, with shadows, and red reflections, etc. etc.

I think I'll have a nap now.

Maybe I should be more sketchy. I'm undecided. I guess I'll just have to draw something else.

Anyway, my lovely new fondue pot (thanks E.!)

mmmmmmmmmmmm.... chocolate.

I think I'll go eat now.

...really, I did try to post something tonight. But my computer crashed.

Pencil and paper don't do that. On the other hand, I can't post a pencil drawing without a computer either.

Oh the joys of the modern world.

More sketchy paintings! I should copyright that phrase. If you're wondering about the color scheme - I'm puting the objects on a stack of red boxes to get them up to eye level. The beige is the wall, and the objects are... the color of the objects. In this case, transparent black, which is a bit of an oxymoron.

It's a spray bottle I use when working with acrylics - a mixture of water and retarder that keeps the paint from drying out so fast.

v. useful.

Just a quick sketch of the sugar dispenser - but I'm really liking the effect of this "sketchy painting" technique I'm using. It reminds me of something I've seen before. All you art history majors out there tell me what it is.

Yes, that means you.

It's not really my sugar dispenser - I bought it for J. for his morning coffee, as he needed something very simple to deal with. He's not good with mornings.

... I'd hammer in the morning, I'd hammer in the eeeveeeeninnnnnggg... Ok, I'll stop now. I spent last night destroying a cupboard in my kitchen so I could put my new washing machine in - the mallet I was using seemed like appropriate art material.

I'm liking the sketchy painty feel to this (I'm sure "sketchy painty" is a real art term - like confetti). I think I'll try it again.

OK, it's been a while, I know, I know, but I'm still trying to figure out this cintiq thing. As you can see - I haven't quite got it yet. Although, I do have to say, there's very little of my artwork that can't be improved by scribbling on it.

And yes, it's another rubber duck - this one is for the hot tub - he lights up when you put him in water.

Finally - I've been playing with my new Cintiq for the past couple of weeks - here's a posting I drew entirely on it! It was going to be a pencil style drawing, but turned into something more like an oil painting... oh well. I'll keep working on it.


They're microwavable egg cups, in case you're wondering. I've lost the top to one of them, and yet, I still keep it around...

I got a new toy - actually, two toys - so I may not be able to post for a few days...

OK, that took a bit longer than I thought it would, but I had to wash the pots before I could draw the pots....

You're laughing at me, aren't you?

Anyway, a sketchier approach again - it still needs work, but it seems appropriate for the "farm team" of pots - they're not bad, just not in the same league as the Paderno pots.

These are my favorite pots - made by Paderno. Tomorrow I'll draw my less favorite pots (because I can't afford to have all Paderno pots...)

I'm going to keep things sketchier for the next few posts, both to loosen up my drawing, and to save some time - I'm not getting anything else done while I work on this blog, and I don't think I'm about to make any money off these pages...