New fonts

Fonts are fun! People get tired of the same old fonts every time they write a card. So I've decided to come up with some new fonts for you. It will take a looooooong time, but here's a start. Spice up your next letter to someone who's name starts with S. You may use this character free of charge. Of course, right now it's just a graphic. It will take a lot of work before an entire set shows up as an option in your font selection for writing a Word document.

Dragons

As you can see, this item is three years old. I wanted to do more than just a geometrical design, so I added in a couple of dragons, trying to keep them as alike as possible, which is rather difficult. But it was close enough that a number of people seem to like them.

Scripture and Haida

Having liked the sun image that I described once before, and knowing that the Haida often use almost the same image for the sun and the moon, I thought I would also try something similar. I placed a gutter between them to keep them separate, but then I thought that they might make a wonderful Scripture illustration. Psalm 72:5 fit perfectly -

"Let them fear You while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, thoughout all generations."

Braided Border

Early in my work on borders I tried creating a "braid" that I could use for a border, placing different designs on the strands thereof. None of them are particularly memorable, but this one might well be the best of the lot.

Perhaps you can take the idea and create one that is worth using repeatedly. I'd enjoy seeing what you do.

Trinity Logo

As I indicated last week, I was inspired by a previous drawing to take the Trinity symbol out and use it alone. Actually, I have used this both alone and with wording around it for an organization with which some of my children are affiliated. Since it has meaning to an entire organization, quite a few people like it. It was also chosen by another organization to be the logo on t-shirts that they made up for their members. It will probably continue to be widely used.

Redraw 4

Another of the items that I decided to redraw was this design. It includes an old, old symbol of the Trinity (used, among other places, at Trinity Church in New York City, as seen in the movie "National Treasure"). Even after having redrawn this one, I wasn't all that crazy about it. However, it did inspire me to do yet another piece, which you will see next week.

Duck 2

Having done the regular duck, I decided that I needed a Haida duck. Since I already had the outline of a normal duck, I went with that and just filled in the interior with Haida designs. I happen to like it, but I've never met anyone else who does.

Duck

I have friends, relatives, and neighbors who happen to like ducks. For them, I wanted to draw a duck, and I didn't want it to be stylized or abstract. However, sticking to my doodling, I still did it with many, many small strokes rather than larger ones. I also incorporated a pencil, something I don't often do. Many people have been pleased with the result.

The Owl - Me

You may have noticed that I use this as my "photo." I wanted to do an owl, and this cross between a stylized owl (first seen during my college years), the Haida red and black, and the Celtic cross-hatching just plain struck my fancy. Actually, the irises and the talons are influenced by the Haida style, but the rest is just doodling done in the nicely contrasting black and red.

Favorite Verse

My favorite verse has been III John 4 since long before I had children. It should be no surprise, then, that this is one of hte first Scripture verses that I did. I was still heavily into the geometrical designs (since my others were still rather questionable), and I had the idea of opposing peaks with a verse wrapped between the two. I enjoyed doing this one.

Hummingbird

We have hummingbirds at our house through much of hte year, and they are so much fun to watch. I decided to draw this for one of my children, and quite a few other people like it.

You will notice that I signed it twice. Just for grins, I signed with each color that I used. I've done this on more than one drawing, but on this one I alternated the colors between signature and the year of the drawing.

The Sun

The sun is a common element in Haida art, and it takes numerous shapes and styles. You will see it depicted variously in my drawings as well. This one is one of the designs that I personally find more pleasing, but to which others seem to be almost wholly indifferent. That doesn't bother me, since I do the Haida designs for myself. I just find it interesting.

Redfish

A friend of mine recently built a new house. I had given him some enlargements of severl of my Haida designs, which he likes, but he said that he would really like a redfish. Just for him, I drew this one and gave him the first enlargement. I was surprised to find that, other than family photos, mine is the only art hanging in his new house. That could change, but I feel honored.

Dancing Flowers

This little design still draws lots of comments. My daughter renamed it "Dancing Flowers", and I accepted that. With its simplistic flowers, its Cletic vines, and its full-bodied leaves, it somehow seems to draw people in. I hope you enjoy it.

Frame Border

I try not to do the same thing over and over, so I keep trying new ideas. This is one of them - a framing border for letters, quotes, or other drawings. This one also took on the knotted look, and more than one person has found it pleasing enough to want a quote or Scripture passage using this for the border.

Redraw 3

Here is another example of my desire to improve. The first image was an early attempt to do an orca in the Haida style. Some of the other elements I threw in are decidedly non-Haida, not that that fact bothers me. I frequently throw non-Hiada items into my Haida-style drawings. But the original is rather crude, and the items are not well balanced, so I decided to redraw it.

When I did, I decided to add some water. There is very little to go on in drawing water that could be considered "Hiada", so I improvised, and I liked the result. What do you think?

Redraw 2

Among the other pieces that I decided to redraw was one which reminded me of a certain toy we used when I was young that many remember. For some reaon lost in the depths of the dim and murky past, I decided to use only red and blue on this one, and it worked well. The alternating colors, along with the overlapping arcs, make this another of those that people stop on and say, "I made something like that when I was a kid."

It's nice to know that I'm only 40 years behind them in my artistic endeavors.

A good book to read

http://www.thedestinyofone.com/

In case you'd like a good book to read, you ought to check this one out (okay, you ought to buy it). Yes, Sarah is my daughter, and this is her first release. It is not her first book. She started writing a long time ago. This one, though, is exceptionally well done.

Enjoy!

Eagle Scout Badge

Today I begin a month-long art exhibit at the Public Library in Georgetown, TX. This is one fo the designs that will NOT be present. I do not sell this one. I am an Eagle Scout, and I have always liked the design of the eagle badge, so I did this one for me. I have, however, given some of these away. If you are anywhere near Georgetown, TX during the month of July 2011, stop by the Public Library and see some of my art close up.

Russian Cathedral

Just for fun I drew a Russian cathedral, components of which are reminescent of St Basil's, though some are borrowed from van de Verlosser. Others are right out of the admittedly strange thoughts of my own brain.

Well, some people do actually like this drawing. Really!