Saturday, February 7, 2009

After the Allergy Shots



I did this journal page just for you Ken! I'm trying to draw more buildings and it takes a pigeon to make me do so.

After my allergy shots (downtown) I went back to my car in a new ramp (new to me) with a different view. I saw this pigeon hanging out on the TCF sign. After awhile he flew up to the copper-clad roof. He wandered about for many minutes, going under the slanted overhang and coming in and out. I sat wondering what he was thinking.

What do pigeons do with all the time they have? Especially downtown pigeons? Yes, with the introduction of rehabilitated raptors in the Cities, there are some dangers, but downtown life once you get the window and car things down must seem like a stress-free vacation compared to suburban or rural life.

Then I got my journal out and started to sketch. It was warm (41 degrees) so the car was off (I know you'll appreciate that). It was amazingly dim in that ramp and that made choosing colors very difficult.

(The tab on the right side of the page is one of the pages I cut out when I start a new journal; it makes space for collaged items. People always ask me about this. There is nothing on the recto page yet, so I didn't include it in the scan; I need to go and find another pigeon!)

Since there are pigeons everywhere I think I have found the key to making myself draw more buildings!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Metrodome Has Gone to the Dogs

The Metrodome had another indoor dog run yesterday. I never saw so many happy dogs. They don't get many opportunities to run around with other dogs since it has been below zero so much this winter.

I did a bunch of action sketches of dogs, but I really wanted to sketch a bulldog named Mabel. Mabel did not want to be sketched, but I managed get two sketches of Mabel, front and back.

Click on the photo to make it bigger.