Eastern Dragon

On our lazy, post-Thanksgiving Saturday, as I pulled out the paints, I asked my son, “what should I paint.”  He said, “Dad, do something colorful this time.”  I’m not sure if his comment represented a sparsely worded treatise on all of my work, or just a quick response to answer a father’s query.  Nonetheless, I pondered his response and began to think about fun things to doodle that were colorful.  I chose to do a pen and ink drawing first, of an oriental dragon, remembering some parades from my youth wherein I was fascinated with the colorful dragons animated by lines of people holding up poles to give life to the swaying and weaving puppets.
Here’s the final result...a line drawing colored with gouache.

Is it colorful enough?

Thanksgiving Frog

Alas, on this holiday week I have found a few extra minutes to finish a frog doodl that has been on my mind.  I wish everyone a restful holiday, with much pondering about all of your many blessings!  And, after you loosen your belt while digesting the feast, please make time to paint, or draw, or create!!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use my scanner for this, so I shot it with my phone...a better scan to come in a few days.

This is done in gouache.

Happy holidays to you and yours!

Resting Sparrow

It's been a while since I last posted.  Life has been exceedingly busy as of late, and I haven't made the time needed to paint another envelope for giving away.  But, this weekend I changed that and went back to one of my favorite subjects, the lowly, yet beautiful sparrow.  I've written about and painted sparrows on previous occasions and how I continue to marvel at the truth found in Matthew 10:29 wherein we learn that even a sparrow does not fall without our Heavenly Father knowing about it, or the accompanying assurance in verse 31 which teaches us that in His eyes, we are of more value than the sparrows.  There are so many voices in the world today which seem desirous to rob us of hope, faith, reassurance while supplanting it with fear, anxiety and concern.  Surely, we can find reminders in the world around us of the goodness in the world, even if it comes from a little bird.

This one was done for an old acquaintance of mine who is going through some challenges with the health of her daughter.  The note of encouragement that I pulled together for her is going out with this doodle.

This is done mainly in gouache with an acrylic background, and pen and ink outline.