I really have to post more of these things. I keep telling myself, I’ll try to be more regular about it. For some reason I tend to post them on my Flickr Page. Feel free to follow that. I thought I’d post some of my recent uploads here and hopefully I’ll post more in both places.
Category Archives: Sketches
Funny faces
Trying something new with Paper on my iPad. If you’re an artist, have an iPad and don’t have Paper, get it! You won’t regret it.
My problem is I so many other apps I always forget I do have it. But it’s a great app to use and I thought I’d used to practice making stylized faces. I don’t do faces to well but practice make perfect or kind of goofy in my case.
Now I need to go sit in a mall somewhere to get some better reference.
I’ll add more to the gallery as I make more.
My Super Train
I’m inspired by Elon Musk and he’s rethinking our transportation future. So here’s the start of the train system I’m designing. I’ll call it the Zip Train for now.
I’ll post a full breakdown of the project soon.
Water colors
I finally started using my water color set. I can’t believe it’s taken so long and I’m hooked on painting again. If you ever want to meet me for lunch and paint just let me know.
The Flex Phone
This was a design I came up with for a wearable phone. There’s a few interface ideas in this concept too. Okay so next I’ll pick a better looking model…
Artist in Residence
Artist in Residence
Artist in Residence. This is something that never even occurred to me , until I started visiting National Park a few years ago. My family was always a bit of a home buddy kind of people so the furthest we ever made it out was Lake of the Ozarks and while it was beautiful there I never noticed the art or art of the area. When we visited Yellowstone National Park a few years ago I was hooked and now realize I need to spend more time in our national parks. I don’t care what your politics are but whatever part of my taxes that goes into our National Parks is worth every penny.
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
But really what made me start thinking about being an Artist in Residence was my experience at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. They have one of the best collections of American landscape art I’ve ever seen. And most of them on a scale that’s will engulf your imagination. Many of these artists were commissioned by Congress to illustrate the beauty of the West to help encourage national support for turning these areas into reserves.
Standing in front of these paintings you can almost imagine being one of the first or very few people who had seen it. It’s inspiring and it makes you want to pick up a brush, pencil or pen whatever your tool of choice might be.
You can see some samples here. But please go see them for yourself. You really must stand in front of these paintings and let them in.
Artist in Residence Short List
So I read a story in the Chicago Tribune about Artist In Residence program that the National Parks put on. I thought I make a little list of the available programs since they didn’t do it. As I find more I’ll add to this list.
The Federal Art Project
National Parks Travelers Artist in Residence List
Arches National Park Utah
Weir Farm National Historic Site Connecticut
Denali National Park and Preserve, Artist in Residence Program
Alaska Geographic Artist in Residence Program
Here’s a little video I made about our trip there.
This is a glimpse of our trip to Yellowstone National Park. The video was shot with a Kodak Zi6 the Zi8 hadn’t come out yet. But the 6 still does some nice stuff. Well I like it.
Edited with Adobe Premiere
The music is by The Penguin Cafe Orchestra-Telephone and Rubber Band The music makes it feel old fashion and super 8ish…
Artists on Vacation
I want to do an artist vacation where get artists together much like Urban Sketchers, that want to hang out in nature and spend a week once a year sketching, painting, writing, making videos or taking pictures. We don’t need to follow each other around but we can get together and talk about our projects and inspirations for the day. I’d even be happy to donate any work that came out of to the National Parks if they thought they were worthy. Okay I don’t have it all figured out. Might even start closer to home or try to get a Urban Sketchers group started in Lombard. If you know any locals that want get artsy drop me a line. All I know is I want to get back there and be inspired.
I plan on going back with my Canon 7D and a sketch book!
Anyone want to go with me?