Blogging Insights 3.0 # 8 — Your Backstory We do what we do because we love it, need to do it, or both. Writing is like breathing. If I don’t write, I suffocate. My friend needs to compete, to be active…. Read More ›
Arts
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT – NON-WHITE AMERICA IN NORMAN ROCKWELL’S PAINTINGS
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: THE OTHER PEOPLE IN NORMAN ROCKWELL’S PAINTINGS By Jane Allen Petrick Jane Allen Petrick has written a wonderful book about Norman Rockwell, the artist, and his work. It focuses on the “invisible people” in his painting, the non-white… Read More ›
FIRE AND ICE – Robert Frost
He was our “local” poet. I have always loved his poems, but even more since I moved to New England. He understood this place and its people. We have a portrait of him taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt hanging in our… Read More ›
MIDWEEK MADNESS?
Cee’s Midweek Madness: Pick A Topic From My Photo There are plenty of choices in this photograph.
SKETCHBOOK: MY SIX MONTHS
A HALF A YEAR OF SKETCHES The best sketches of each month since I started in January. My development has been a bit bumpy and lumpy. Still, six months into the project, I thought it was time for a review… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 82: TUFTED TITMOUSE
We have many of these little birds nesting in the hedge at the back of the yard. I don’t know how many times they breed per season, but there are always a few fledglings trying out our daily feast. I’ve… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 81: RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS IN A TREE
I haven’t done anything in a couple of weeks, but it’s been a busy couple of weeks. Today, I settled down and drew the two “married” Red-Bellied Woodpeckers.
SKETCHBOOK 80 – THE TUFTED TITMOUSE
Of the many birds who visit our daily banquet, none are more common or more friendly than the Tufted Titmouses or Titmice — take your pick. No one has agreed on this yet. They will sometimes land on your head… Read More ›
EVERYTHING’S FINE RIGHT NOW -SONG LYRIC SUNDAY
FOR SONG LYRIC SUNDAY We all know everything isn’t fine right now but this song reminds me of times when everything was fine. I hope I’m still around when they are fine again. Music triggers memory for me as nothing… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 78 – A DROP OF WATER
This is something different. I just wanted to try something other than birds and flowers, although I really am better at birds and flowers than anything else. To be fair, there are flowers in the picture, but it’s my first… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 76 – ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
This is one of my favorite birds. Not only is he beautiful, he’s artistic. I often think he looks like a flag. The random white patches on his dark wings — either dark navy or black — look like stars… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 75 – SQUIRREL ON A PERCH
He is looking down because that’s where the food is. Squirrels are always planning. Mostly planning where to get their next meal. When we still could afford to keep flat feeders, the top of the post was a great vantage… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 74 – A GOLDFINCH AND SLEEPING DUKE
I have been flummoxed by Photoshop for years. I use it, but I’ve never quite figured out more than a very limited amount of its potential. But today, I really needed to cut out images and paste them onto clean… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 73 – BRIGHT CARDINAL
I’ve drawn half a dozen Cardinals. It was the first bird I tried to draw and it flopped. Since then, I’ve tried twice more and neither was satisfying. But last night, I think I finally drew a cardinal that looks… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 73 – FORGOTTEN SQUIRRELS
Apparently I never got around to posting this particular squirrel as he nests happily in his tree. I drew two squirrels that day, so here are both of them. The second one is a favorite or mine, not because of… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 72 – BLUEBIRDS WITH ATTITUDE
I didn’t want a standard Bluebird. Between photographs and previous drawings, I have enough “classic” bluebirds. I wanted some Bluebirds with something special. Attitude. It took me six drawings. One, boring. One I screwed up the eyes. One, I screwed… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 69, PART 3 – GREAT BLUE HERON IN THE AIR
I watched another few episodes of “Sketchbook” on Disney+ last night. One of the subjects said “We all have at least a couple of thousand bad drawings. You might as well get rid of them as soon as possible and… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 69 – A BETTER GREAT BLUE HERON
It isn’t entirely better, but the head on this great big bird is better than the previous drawing. Great Blue Herons aren’t blue. They are grey which in the world of animals is blue. Don’t ask why. I don’t know…. Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 69 – THE GREAT BLUE HERON
I think I’m going to redraw this guy so he looks like he’s standing guard. For one thing, they are really tall — 6 feet tall or more. Of course, their primary interest in life are fish. These great big… Read More ›
SKETCHBOOK 61 – HAIRY WOODPECKER
Downy and Hairy woodpeckers come to feed on the suet. I have photos both in one picture. This Hairy male has been working over the tree that shades our deck. It’s got some kind of boring insect problem. The woodpeckers… Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 