Question:

If you’re in your car and you have nowhere to be, if you don’t know where you are, do you consider yourself to be lost?

I am really feeling the war theme lately. I am not glorifying war, just conveying my feeling towards the act.

I am an optimist by nature, but I am also a realist. War is not going away.

Ever.

In its simplest form, it is competition for a prize. That prize may be freedom from oppression, it may be capitol gains, or it may be to maintain status quo.

At it’s most complex, the cost of this competition is human suffering and death. It devastates the people it is meant to save. But yet, generation after generation feels compelled to engage in it on a national scale.

It’s sad but true.

I stood paralyzed with fear in front of the scaly, hulking creature that stood before me. It opened its mouth and let out an almighty roar. I screamed in terror as blisteringly hot air danced across my skin, and I smelled the monster’s putrid breath. As the beast rose up on its back legs and flapped its massive leathery wings, I was able to take in all of the creature’s characteristics. It had rows and rows of jagged, gleaming teeth the size of butcher knives. Its nostrils were flaring as it took in great nosefulls of air, as if it was deciding if I was good enough to eat or not. As the beast started to crawl toward me, I cried out in horror at the foot-long talons that were twitching, as if the brute was dying to slash me to shreds. The creature’s huge, cat-like eyes with slit pupils stared down at me as if sizing me up to be a tasty snack, or a delicious meal. On its head was a long, sharp horn that could easily run a person through. Following the long horn was a row of smaller horns that formed a crest on top of the dragon’s head. In my haste to get away from the scaly nightmare, I stumbled and fell backwards. I gazed up in fear at it, and the hulking beast gave me a look of death. It flicked its spiny, poison-tipped barbed tail, and let out a hiss. One tiny swish of its tail, and I would be dead, forever gone from this world. I quickly scrambled behind a rock and curled up into a ball. I closed my eyes and prayed for it to all be over.

Mary Williams – Age 11

This is one of the winners of “Imagine That” at the Smyrna Library. She’s also a patron of mine. Thank you again, Mary.

This sketch seemed to take forever to finish. I started it Friday of last week, so I’ve been working on it for three days. All in all – probably about four hours.

The good thing about spending so much time on a sketch is the story can go anywhere in your mind. It really starts to develop. I originally sketched some RoBots in the back of the truck, but thought it may be a bit too much. They’re still back there, just covered by the tarp.

I have been threatening to break out my oil paints lately, but I’m afraid I may not be able to create an oil painting every day. This scares me because I feel that the more I produce right now, the more I can share what’s from my imagination. I guess I could do both.

Part of this dilemma has to do with the simple fact that I am restless.

Where do I go with my art? I’m not really sure at this point.

Anyway, I am blessed to have such a thought to ponder and grateful for the means to make it happen and, as always. I give God all the credit.

This is a sketch of a good friend of mine.

You can see his site here.

I have been posting for a year now. I can count on one hand how many times I have missed this past year. I have sacrificed many vacations, including family time traveling to my boyhood home in upstate New York. Most nights are spent in front of the computer, posting my thoughts and drawings.

As of Thursday of this week, I am taking a short break. I have decided to take my boys on a short vacation – much deserved and a year over due.

I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your kind words and support.

I have decided to continue my Sketch of the Day for as long as I can hold a pen, pencil, marker, or brush.

This drawing is exactly the size of a quarter. I put a quarter on the paper and traced around it. I just felt like drawing really small today.

If you are in Smyrna, Ga. tonight and are lookin’ for something to do, please come to my opening at Rev Coffee.