SKETCHBOOK: "Headdresses and a Gentleman"

Went sketching today with a couple of groups that met together to draw at the Nelson-Atkins museum in Kansas City. These were my efforts: African headdresses and a marble portrait of a "Roman Gentleman". Thanks for letting me join in "Urban Sketchers - Kansas City" and the "Art Mob"!

SKETCHBOOK: "More Bones"

Yesterday was a nice sunny day, but a little on the chilly side for sketching outside in the morning. So I decided to drive to Lawrence, Kansas and visit one of my favorite places. Here are some more bones from the KU Natural History Museum. The sketch above is a musk ox skeleton. The skulls below (clockwise from the top) are from an African buffalo, a musk ox, a big horn sheep, and an elk. So much cool stuff to draw in there!!!

SKETCHBOOK: "Back to Boulder"

I just returned from a week-long trip out to Boulder, Colorado. I was Cat-sitting at the apartment of my daughter Jenni and her man, Brad. They were gone on a trip to Cancun, Mexico to celebrate her graduation and passing boards to become a Registered Nurse!! A big deal indeed!!

I was able to do some sketching and painting while out there, and it was a rejuvenating time for me. I won't go into a lot of narration, but will let the sketches carry the load. Above are some drawings I did while waiting for my plane to leave Kansas City, and while on the flight to Denver.

Below is the afore-mentioned kitty cat, Pika. He is not fond of strangers, but he warmed up to me before too long. I spent the first day there watching tv with him, while it snowed outside.

Here is Brad's Bonzai tree that Jen surprised him with. Brad found the little figurine of the old man at a garage sale.

I drove to Denver to see the Museum of Nature and Science. What an impressive place!!! I could have stayed there for weeks sketching stuff!! I went ga-ga over all the dinosaur displays.

These are sketches I did at Eldorado Canyon State Park from two different days there. I tried drawing with Prismacolor sticks. I'm not too happy with the waxy quality. Once I got back to the apartment, I added a bit of sepia line-work, and liked the end results a bit better.

I decided to try using B-lead pencils and watercolor washes. I was so enamored with the rushing water, that I bit off a bit more than I could chew with my composition. I got a little muddy with all the trees in the sketch. But it was such a wonderful spot and the weather was gorgeous.

Jenni had left me a three-page list of places that I could explore. One of them was at South Boulder Creek West Trailhead. I have not been really successful using gauche paints, but went against my better judgement and brought them on the trip. I was painting on brown-toned paper. I am frustrated by how the colors shift when they dry, and how they lift up colors underneath. I was really wishing I had my oil paints with me!!

I spent a whole day wandering around on Pearl Street, in Boulder!! It is about four blocks of stores that are linked together by a cobblestone street. No cars can park there. Street performers are scattered about...so much fun!! Below is a giant bronze frog that is in a children's play area.

I saw these boots on top of a trash can with this backdrop of bright orange flowers. I found out later that people will leave clothes behind for the homeless to use.

Below are two musicians that serenaded me while I sketched them. I think they were infringing on the turf of one of the other performers. A contortionist was near-by, but could not drum up business. I had to listen to him for about two hours as I drew this sketch. I could pretty much say his routine for him: "Excuse me. I need some attention. Ladies. Ladies...I need some attention. I need a crowd...any size crowd will do. Don't worry...I'm a vegetarian. I'm fine now...I'm sober. I need some attention."

Later in the afternoon, I walked over to the Farmer's Market. They were setting up the tents for the various vendors. I sat in the shade of a big tree, while I drew this gnarly one. A delivery truck showed up about halfway through the sketch.

Below is on the campus of Colorado University. I was trying to find the Museum of Natural History, but had parked too far away. So I just decided to walk back to the car. On the way, the Engineering Center jumped out at me and begged to be drawn.

On my last day there, I enjoyed some time with Jenni and Brad, since they had returned from their trip the night before. Since they had just done the hour-long drive from the Denver airport, it was more convenient to ride the shuttle bus. I tried sketching some while on the bus, but it was VERY bumpy! I drew one more sketch at the airport, while waiting for the delayed flight home.

As we taxied out to the runway, we had to wait in a long line of at least 10 jets trying to take off. Denver Airport is huge, and was very crowded. 

It was a great trip and I still have lots and lots of stuff to explore and sketch when I return!!

SKETCHBOOK: "Hello T-Rex. It's been so long"

It's been months since I've been out sketching just for fun. I've been working on writing a book, and had some other projects going on. So today I went to visit a very old friend at the Museum at Prairiefire, in Overland Park, KS. It was nice to just chill out with a pencil and draw for a couple of hours.

SKETCHBOOK: "Nelson and the Lake"

This weekend has been full of sketching.  Today, I went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art with several artists from the "Urban Sketchers Midwest" group. This was the largest turnout I've been to so far...about 20 or more folks showed up.  It was great to pass around sketchbooks in the cafe area afterwards, and see what everyone drew.

Since the security guards will only allow pencils to be used inside the museum (no ink pens or liquids), it forced me to break out the 3B.  But I rather enjoyed using the pencil and intend do it more. The sketch above is of an Egyptian bronze of "Horus of Buto".  The terra cotta portrait below is of "Jean-Francois Ducis", sculpted by Augustine Pajou in 1779.

I arrived early to do the sketch below of the sculpture of multiple commuters. It is outside the museum, so I could use ink and washes. The time ran out to go meet up with everyone before I could put details on all of the figures...but I think I like it with just the contour lines for the non-rendered ones.

These other sketches are from an outing to Shawnee Mission Lake yesterday (I took a vacation day to start the weekend early).  I rented a canoe, paddled to a quiet cove, tied up to a branch, and just enjoyed the breeze. I was a bit frustrated because my new sketch pen was clogging on me, and the ink blurred the colors of the watercolor washes. But it was fun, and I'll try this again sometime. I've posted these on Facebook, so apologies if you've seen them already.

I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to try a self-portrait based on the "selfie" photo I took at the lake.  I haven't done a sketch of myself in a long time, but for some reason, this felt like I was drawing some other character besides me.

SKETCHBOOK: "More Dino Bones at Prairiefire"

Today, I returned to MUSEUM AT PRAIRIEFIRE and sketched for about 6 hours.  It got up to 95 degrees today, so I enjoyed the cool air inside.  Within the last two months since my first visit to Prairiefire Shopping Center in May, the museum added some new bones to their displays.  And the original entrance fee of $5 is now FREE!

My sketch at the top of this post is one of the new residents...a MOSASAUR.  I had been sketching for a few hours before I drew this one.  I am usually SO tight with the realism, that I wanted to break loose and do some quicker sketches.  I actually like the looser ones the best from today's efforts.  And I even let myself throw on some "splats" for fun.

The next sketch is actually my first of the day.  This is the other new display...the largest known "boney fish" called a XIPHACTINUS.  This one is 13 feet long. This was a challenge to draw, since it is so flat and dark brown...not a lot of detail was easy to see in the low lighting.

A nice "thank you" goes to Debby (Debbie? Debi?), a staff member who was kind enough to snap my photo while I was drawing.  You can see my sketch below, just before I painted it.  This is one of those examples of when I wish that I had left the drawing alone, and not added color.  A tough call sometimes, as I tend to over-work things.

Here's another sketch from across the Great Hall.

Below is a photo of the MOSASAUR on display.  The reflected white walls made this tricky to sketch...details were hard to see even while standing right next to the glass.  But it's cool to be able to get so close these bones in person. (Though, I wouldn't say that if I were swimming with a live one!)

The next drawing is of some relatives of the starfish and sea urchins...these were fossilized CRINOIDS.

These amazing creatures look like something out of the movie "ALIEN".  All of the tentacles made a wonderfully "woven" free-form tapestry.

Next up...I revisited the T-REX display.  This was the second in my series of "quick sketches"...I didn't worry so much about the actual details...just the essence of the shapes.  I used a SHARPIE "poster paint" White Marker for the lighter lines...then added more washes on top.  I want to continue to try to loosen up like this when I go sketching again.

Here's a view of the ribs of the Rex.  You can see a photo of me below where I am tucked away in between the columns by the window.  It got a little chilly sitting over the AC vents...call it "suffering for my art".  :)

And just like last visit, I couldn't resist having some fun in front of the "Dino-tron", like any big kid should.  Here I'm about to be eaten by a T-Rex...then was wing-slapped in the face by a fire-breathing Dragon...had my foot stepped on by a Velociraptor...and finally...completely soaked by a splashing Mosasaur!!  A very nice day, indeed!

SKETCHBOOK: "A Day With A T-Rex"

Today I went to the brand new museum at PRAIRIEFIRE Shopping center in Overland Park, Kansas.  It just opened on May 14th.  It is part of the AMERICAN MUSEUM & NATURAL HISTORY Exhibitions in New York City.  I only paid for general admission, so there wasn't much to see in the main hall.  You pay extra to go into the other galleries (which I was not interested in today).  In June, there will be more Kansas-native dinosaur bones coming from California, so I will go back to sketch those. But I got my $5 worth drawing the T-Rex for about 5 hours!

The gorgeous glass windows make the place look like a cathedral...a very cool design!

Below is a sketch I did of the Museum from across the street.  I had gotten there about 30 minutes before it opened.  It was raining outside, so I just sat in my car to draw.  The colors of the red-orange and yellow windows, with purple and blue accents is spectacular...like the colors of a real prairie fire! There is still construction work going on...the grounds were quite muddy.  I liked that the "Cherry Picker" lift was the same colors as the windows.

Here are a few photos from inside.  This is the view from upstairs, just outside of the "Discovery" area for kids to explore with hands on science exhibits.  You have to have a child with you to enter that space...which I did not have on hand today.

And here are a couple of views of the T-Rex from below.

As you enter the main hall, there is an "augmented reality" display on the wall.  The camera shows the patrons...then various dinosaurs and a dragon periodically walk or fly onto the screen.  On the left photo, I am seen in the lower left of the screen (wearing a black shirt), about to be sat upon by a giant IGUANODON.  The other screens show me standing in the middle, while a DRAGON and a T-REX appear.  Luckily, I escaped and was able to make it home to post on my blog!