HAPPY POINTY HOLIDAYS!

I was so busy making my online Advent Kalendar I forgot to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM POINTYLAND

This illustrated a gift-buying guide for the Christian Science Monitor. Below are some details.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

BONNE ANNEE ET BONNE SANTE!

Sneaking Around

I snuck over to the greenhouses at Wellesley College yesterday for an hour or two. I didn't get too far but I did make two drawings that I like. The greenhouses are a generous place: they soothe my spirit and enliven my imagination. Their quiet rooms are perfectly warm and calm on these sullen and cold winter days and the amazing diversity of plant forms yields many surprises to my appreciative eyes. If I'm feeling out of sorts, this is the place to go to set things right.

One of the horticulturists at the greenhouses, a passionate fellow,  confided in me that he loves the place because "he's surrounded by living things". Think about it: chances are, you and I are generally surrounded by things that are most definitely not alive (computer, desk, books, paper, chair, tea, a pencil, etc. ) …well?

What do you think about that!? I hope you can spend some time in a cozy conservatory this winter.


Bonne nuit!

a view from the cacti & succulent room at the Wellesley College greenhouses

Plumbago indica
The flowers are actually a brilliant pink and the stems are green of course.
I wouldn't advise making a salad from any part of this plant!

Does God Doodle?

An actual page of my doodles.
These were done with colored pencils.

In the past few years  I've developed a wonderfully wicked habit of actually imagining that I'm most fully alive when I have a pencil or some other drawing/painting tool in my hand and a sheet of paper in front of me. Blasphemy!

It helps if that paper has words printed on it. Words that have very little to do with the doodles I make on the paper. It also helps if someone, or several people are talking to the group of which I happen to be a part of at the time. I hear what they are saying and keep track of things and get excited if I think I have something useful to contribute. But basically, I am doodling.

I go to church and I sit in meetings. These are great times to doodle a while. I always carry a few pencils or at least a ball point pen in my pocket. However, Summer's go a little flat because there are fewer meetings and church services. I look forward to the Fall because I'll see familiar faces again …and I'll get to doodle more often.

Here are a few doodles from last Sunday.