Urbs in Horto

You never know what you might find underneath those big green leaves.
"Crystal City" May 22, 2011 (conté, crayon, colored pencil and watercolor)

Perhaps a mouse lived in that fancy house…

Our other cat looking out from his jungle lair.

"urbs in horto": The motto of my home town Chicago "City in a Garden"

A Box of Paper

A bear moved in to a scrap of paper in my studio. Maybe he thought it was an Arctic ice floe (but really, they were just squares of paper). I have so many in my studio. Too many. I save them because I am sentimental. Others are saved because they have character and artistic potential. Admittedly, some are also saved because I am lazy and miss when I throw them in the recycling bin. Instead, they end up in a big box of paper under a table patiently waiting to be used. Or not.

So, it's no wonder that now and then, an animal makes them its home. This bear for example. I've been drawing many bears in the last few months. They are starting to take over. I thinks it's a good thing.  Here's a link to a gallery of bear drawings.

When other animals move in, should I be worried? Well, that depends on the type of animal. Sometimes, my cat takes a nap in the box.  He's very discriminating so it must be a good box to have… Hmmm?

Is he holding an igloo-cake?

Snorri atop the paper pile

Gla gla weather

ice covered branches of the cherry tree

Another snowy day. A gla gla kind of day that is bone-chilling. We've had a lot of storms this winter and it's beginning to take its toll. Today was a bit warmer; I was able to draw in my sketchbook outside without gloves. Of course I was standing in snow up to my knees and there was a mixture of snow and tiny ice pellets falling.

The sleet made drawing very interesting. It melted on the paper and my crayon slid over the wet spots and caught and gave a good black in the drier patches. Maybe I'll try to replicate this in the studio: wet the paper discontinuously and work over it with waxy and greasy media.

The South Natick dam | Feb. 2, 2011 | litho crayon on paper

A detail view showing the resist caused by the melting snow on the paper

I was heartened to see a flock of mallards feeding in the calm of the eddies at the base of the fish ladder. Maybe this means that food is not so plentiful elsewhere. A recent spell of very cold weather has limited the open water and they are congregating in smaller areas. Maybe. They looked "happy", cooperative  and very active dipping and dabbling in the swift current. I don't know how they survive.

All in all, it was a nice day to spend indoors working on special projects.

I'm working on a children's book. Here's a spread with a flap and die cut

The die cut hints at the surprise (a bright red balloon) underneath

Snorri and Cupcake

I'll write more about this project when it's farther along.  I'm early in the process of developing it and hope to have it ready for my agent next week. Stay tuned!

I think the cats had the best strategy for a gray, gla gla afternoon.
:-)