Lambs are Precious...my Precious.

This morning I was watching this video:

...and I thought, “I should totally draw some lambs.” And then I remember that I had drawn at least ONE lamb a while back.

This was for my first little “zine” sort of booklet...extended greeting card...thingy. It was a collection of illustrations of “pet names.” Not the actual names of pets, but the kind of sweet nicknames we give to one another, our kids, our...pets. Whatever. It’s a lamb. Because lambs are kind of cute.

But I earned some real nerd cred when I added an illustration “precious.”

Yeah, I’m a dork and yes, I have a cat named Mithril. But in my defense, I didn’t name her. But it was totally her name that attracted me. Dork.

That one lamb that looks directly at the camera and yells cracks me up.

The Last Snake in Ireland or A Day Late and a Dollar Short.

Yep. St. Patrick’s Day was yesterday. Yep. I am behind schedule, although I DID start working on this yesterday. Even worse...he’s clearly not done. And although I guess I don’t mind showing “sketches” or WiPs...I sometimes wonder if that’s such a good idea.

This guy was more about an idea that struck me as funny. Yeah, weird stuff strikes me as funny, but I was thinking of the legend of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. And I thought about that last snake, kind of trying to lay low (ha! snake...laying low...nevermind) and fit in with the crowd. Nope...no snake over here...just a very long leprechaun...nothing to see. Like I said, strange idea, but kind of funny, no?

He’s kinda cute though. Maybe he’ll get a little polish later (that’s polish, lowercase, not Polish...he’ll always be an Irish snake)...

Hey, do you know that other legend about St. Patrick? They say he carried a walking stick made from ash wood and when he would preach, he would stick it in the ground next to him. As the legend goes, he once spoke for so long that the stick had taken root by the time he was done. Now, I have had to sit through some pretty long sermons in my time. Heck, I thought I might have taken root at a few of them...but that’s a pretty good story.

WiP.

WIP is a radio station in the Philadelphia area. It is also the common abbreviation “works in progress.”

Works in progress are always a problem. I want to show them off, and in some instances, get some advice. But I also know they aren’t yet finished and I am not ready for any criticism concerning them. Do you show them or play it close to the vest? Well, I guess in this case, I’ll show you what I have.

These are some of my WiPs this week.

This cutie is actually a mermaid, which you would know if I was willing to show you the whole thing. I’m not. So there. She’s titled “Let's Cuttle” because, as you can see, she’s wearing a cuttle fish for a hat. Is it a cheap gag. Oh yes, yes it is. Do I love that cheap gag? Oh yes. Yes I  do.

And here is a lovely French lady. When complete she will be framed in gilt and standing before a damask papered wall...when complete.

Both these girlies will be in my next little collection of pin up girls, which I hope to have ready for San Diego Comic Con. Hope is the operative word.

Moroccan influences.

It’s not always ostriches with galoshes and naked ladies. Sometimes it's just patterns and colors.

I’ve never been to Morocco, although I think I’d like to go someday. I had a good meal at the Moroccan pavilion in EPCOT once. There was a belly dancer and lots of handsome men and my chicken pie had powdered sugar on it. It was nice. And I once bought a pair of shoes in that same area that were really cool.

I am guessing that EPCOT Morocco isn’t the same as MOROCCO Morocco, but it will have to do for now.

Ostrich in galoshes.

I’ve been working on this picture book for nigh on...oh...forever now. I am pretty sure I will never finish it. I drew this ostrich quite a while ago and I was thinking that I didn't really like her. But with a little time apart, I suddenly like her again. I think it's the rain bonnet that really makes it for me.

Hang one.

Found it. 

Hang ten...or two.

I realized that I haven’t posted anything in a while, and it’s totally not because I haven’t  been working on stuff...totally...not...working...

Yeah, I haven’t  been real productive as of late. Not on original drawings, anyway. I have a lot of drawings kind of...working...but not well or efficiently or...look...you can’t force...you...there are...

I think it’s just that time of the year, lots of idea, lots of super awful sketches, but no real finished work. Gotta get on that...

So, for the moment, a quick thing I did a while back. The original request was for a surfing whale. He’s around here somewhere, I’ll have to find him and post him later. Then a request for a surfing boy instead. This, I imagine, is the same frustration that any designer-y person faces. The “I have a great idea, draw what I say...Oh wait, that's not right...draw this instead...no...wait...” thing. There’s probably a better way to describe that though. You know what I mean, right?