EDM Challenge 11, Glasses....(Also, remembering Dad)

Moving onto EDM challenge number 11, I am tasked with drawing a pair of glasses.  As I thought about all of the various potential compositions...this one seemed boring.  But, I remembered a picture of my dad that I picked up when I was back home a few weeks ago.  This was of him on his mission in August of 67...he was  just a young man, but I love this picture!   It is blurry, the color is faded, but I decided that I wanted to draw it and include it in a project that I will be undertaking soon...namely, "Letters to Dad."
Shortly after my Dad died back in 2001, I found that I really began to struggle with coping.  The only thing that I could do to help me with the loss was to write him letters.
It's been a long time since his passing, and the pain has changed from a wound with a constant, hemorrhaging flow of pain, to a more dull, deep longing to see him again.
I thought that it would be interesting to go back to the letters and begin to sketch out some of the key passages, maybe turn it into a book for my kids and family on the memories and feelings and challenges and resultant growth that came from putting my feelings on paper....
Well, if I do it, this picture will probably be the cover.

(Also...don't those glasses rock?!  He made 'em cool before George McFly!

Here he is, Mark J. Monson, just before his 20th birthday, California

RABID SPIDERS!!!!

I have been doing all of my sketching in attempt to keep up with the EDM challenges...but today I took a day off, pulled some of the frozen specimens of bugs that I have caught over the last few days, and decided to get a few of them ready to be pinned and added to my collection.....I also did an entry in the bug-book to document a bit of the festivities.

The main focus was a rabid wolf spider that my wife and son found on our porch that was HUGE...it just so happened to be carrying a few (22 to be exact) babies on its back.  Here's some pics...

Here's the little babies next to my probe for scale.

Here's mama next to the same probe for scale

Here's one of the little-'uns under the microscope

Here's mama with the little one's hitching a ride...

Here's my "bug book" entry for the spider and her hairy legs.

EDM Challenge 10, Draw Your Hand

One more post for the day.....I wanted to do something abnormal for the hand sketch....so I went "Superman Style"....Xray vision.

EDM Challenge 9, Draw Your Organized Chaos

....hmmm, I think all the text in the drawing explains this one sufficiently:

EDM Challenge 8, Draw Jewelry

I struggled with this one, because I don't wear jewelry, and am not too horribly interested in it.  So, I went looking for something else "metal" that someone wears, and found an old award that belonged to my Dad.....

EDM Challenge 7, Draw a Jar from the Kitchen

After a long drive up to the mountains to see grandparents, and hanging out under the scorching Utah Sun, we drove back, napped, and now are rested up for the evening.  A great time to knock out my next EDM challenge.  Here's #7 in the mix:

EDM Challenge 6, Draw a Childhood Toy

This week I have been in Salt Lake City, visiting my mother and other family and friends, and have had a chance to relax and doodle a bit more.  The other day we were looking at old family albums, and I found the picture below.  This is a pic. of me when just a "pup", but in my lap sits the object of the EDM challenge 6, or the childhood toy that has significance to me, that I am to draw.

I must have been only 6 or 7 when I got this Koala teddy bear.  I loved it, as a kid.  And, successfully hid my affection for it as I grew older and more mature.  I believe I still kept it tucked away for snuggling up until I went on my mission at age 19....where it is now, nobody knows.  Hopefully, it is being snuggled by some other youth that needs it.

EDM Challenge 5, Draw a Bed

I have been busy the last couple of days making visits to old friends and family while here in Salt Lake, and I have gotten behind on my goal to do an EDM every day.  So, here is EDM 5, "Draw a Bed", which I stayed up until around 1 am to knock out, after enjoying Pizza from THE PIE, and kickin' back with my mom for a few hours.

EDM Challenge 4, Draw a Mug or a Cup

Here's the 4th on the EDM list.  "Draw a mug or a cup."

EDM Challenge 3, Draw a Bag

Here is the 3rd on the E.D.M. list....what's next?  Yes, the suspense is thick...more to come.

EDM challenge 3, Draw a Lamp

The story continues....Here is #2 on the list, "Draw a lamp or light"

EDM Challenge 1, Draw a Shoe

So, years ago I started to be involved in an online group that encourages a daily belching of drawing, painting, etc.  It is affectionately called E.D.M. or "Every Day Matters" and was created by the talented Danny Gregory.  One of the fun things encouraged is to follow the list of suggested items to draw, each one changing daily....  There is a list on the website.  But I decided to go back to the basics and churn something quick out every day.  This week has been hard because I have been traveling, and not much time to doodle has been given.  Here's EDM #1  "Draw a shoe"