30 Sketches Projects I-VII

I thought a little sass with full-on dramatic pose was in order to celebrate the final day of the sketching project, so I give you the Eurasian Lynx sporting the I-will-eat-your-throat-for-lunch-look.  (It's kinda more of a I-resemble-a-character-from-ThunderCats-look.)   What I learned this go around from the 30 Sketches Project is to enjoy the time spent making.  I finally realized that making art isn't about the finished piece that hangs on the wall - it's about the time spent working with the drawing, painting, film, etc. which includes thinking, dreaming, researching, and literally putting the pencil to paper.  It's the string of present moments and sacrifices that make up it's creation that is the art, it is still alive when it's in progress.  It instantly becomes a ghost of sorts when it is complete or simply a tangible by-product of practice.  Day Thirty:  Eurasian Lynx

One. More. Dang. Day. Day Twenty-Nine:  Walrus Ready for gluing...

My brain has a hard time getting over the oddness of the kangaroo. Day Twenty-Eight:  Red Kangaroo

I mentioned in the beginning of this project that the common link to the drawings is that they all come from the Smithsonian Mammal's Handbook which not only has fabulous images but great info as well.  Here is an example in regards to the Dromedary… "The Dromedary has been wholly domesticated, with no record of any individuals existing in the wild since prehistoric times (3000 BC)." Day Twenty-Seven:  Dromedary

Rein-dang-deer Day Twenty-Six:  Reindeer

Word on the street is that he plays a prominent role in South American folklore.  I buy that cuz he looks like a badass. Day Twenty-Five:  Spectacled Bear

This dude really exists.  I know it's hard to believe because he is so awesome.  I saw one with my very own eyes just cruising in a Wyoming field (it was less cruising and more moving like greased lightning).  The excitement level was what I would expect to equal a unicorn sighting.   Day Twenty-Four:  Yellow-bellied Marmot

I am a big fan of elephants but not stoked about this drawing.  I guess something got lost in the translation of such a large mass of animal onto such a small sheet of paper. Day Twenty-Three:  Asian Elephant What I am stoked about is this… These are Post-it quote bubbles that I used in stop motion films.  I save them in a beautiful hand-made wooden bowl.  I never knew why I felt compelled to keep them, I just knew it made me happy to see them all together.  So I like this idea...

This is a shout out to my friends livin' large in the Sonoran Desert.   I miss you and your fabulous cacti. Day Twenty-Two:  Desert Hamster