The Cab Driver

Byron

Otto Van Small

The Shiners

Quick poster I did for Luke and his band, The Shiners. Nice to get a random doodle in. . . Following is Leaf's version. . . very awesome.

The Year of Lost Doodles

Sorry for the sabbatical.  Here is a quick summary of what happened:

• Leaf got busy with lots of activities, homework, sports, etc. and can't find as much time to doodle.
• I also took a break from doodling and tried to write some scifi stories.
• My laptop and laptop case were stolen in San Francisco.  This was a complete bummer because not only did I lose a few completed doodles (including one about Willy Wonka) but I also lost a stack of original artwork.  Gah!

Anyway I hope to progress with a new kid's book. Not sure what it will look like or how long it will be, but I'll post the progress here. I also hope  to again do doodles with Leaf (when he can work me into his schedule).

Here is an old doodle from the junk heap.  Better things to come!

The Closet

This one was my idea. I drew about a dozen wobbets (Leaf called them wubbets), but only ended up with four. Maybe the others will appear in other drawings? Nothing worse than an infestation of wobbets. Notice how Leaf also discovered the stamp tool in Gimp. His Mr. Wubble has a strange fondness for green peppers.

The Hacker

This was Leaf's idea. I doubt he got the idea from seeing me geek at the computer all the time. More likely it came from watching War Games a month or so ago. Anyway, I decided it was more interesting to have somebody "hack" somebody else. I had a lot of problems with mine, the poem, the characters, etc. And then I forgot Jack's ankles! As for Leaf's drawing, he is pretty much freewheeling in Gimp. I help him scan and set up a color layer and then set him loose. It's fun to see what he comes up with.

Gus Reading Earf

Aunt Sandy and Gus reading Earf at the Longbranch Gallery. . .

Moonbeam Award

Earf won a Moonbeam award (scroll down to Children's Poetry). I don't know if it is a scam or not, but the last time I remember winning something was the John Smiths Ale caption contest at the university bar in London. When I picked up my prize (a beer stein), I asked the bartender if my caption was really the best. He said, sure, you were the only one who entered. Now I know this isn't true for the Moonbeam award. . . there are runner-ups.

Myself on a Shelf

This one was my idea. . . Good for a rainy day. I'm messing around with white backgrounds and nearly monochromatic details. Leaf is fighting a stomach bug, but he still has an intense process which includes scanning and editing with Gimp/iPhoto while typing his poems in the Imac's notepad program. I corrected some spelling and added commas, but that's it. It's amazing how good he is with Gimp, better than me at some things, and he is even starting to work with layers.