Hoping for Many More Road Trips to Come

It has been five years since Adrian Kosky, with one of his sons, and I left Cullowhee, North Carolina, and headed for Memphis, Tennessee, on our first road trip together.  It's been quite a journey, so far, and I'm happy to continue wondering whilst wandering and planning more pondering......plandering.......with Adrian, as I believe the commencement of our friendship was an act of God.  I am thankful for blessings that come as answers to prayers.

2006 Mississippi River, Memphis, Tennessee

Old Pictures, New Places to Share

I'm enjoying the pictures shared by my friends -- old and new -- and my family via facebook.  

What a blessing it is to have a way to renew, continue, and make new friendships, whilst being so far away from where I started out in the world!  Here's a photo that was recently shared with me by a friend from my high school.

I'm holding my clarinet, third row, second on the left; and, although it has been over 30 years since this picture was made, I can remember enjoying this moment and being with my musical friends.  This picture brings back good memories!  

Drawing......Again.

It has been a while since I had a reason to draw.....I mean, as a teacher, I used to draw pictures as a teaching tool/method for primary students, but it has been about four years since I have had any students to teach.....and I have been without my usual reason for drawing.  

When I was a child I drew pictures just to be drawing pictures.  I think I am reverting to that reason for drawing, and I like that idea.

Because I watch birds so often, they are in my mind; and, lately, they have been landing on my sketchpad.  Here are a few of my attempts to create a caricature or two of the cockatoos that I have photographed in my backyard.

I try to imagine how I would draw these birds on a whiteboard in a classroom.....and how I might make them look like the characters that they are.  The real, live, cockies are sooooo silly-acting, sometimes.  I'm still trying to get their attitude to come out of my pencil or pen.  The next two sketchpad pages show drawings I did without looking at a picture of a cockatoo.....the way I would want to be able to draw them with a marker on a whiteboard.

And when they are just being beautiful birds, it's hard to get that on paper.  I can see where I went wrong, as I reflect while looking at pictures of my drawings.....but I'm okay with the process.....I'm usually just trying to draw a picture that someone could recognize as a cockatoo.  

The pictures above were drawn before I wanted to worry about bird feet.  I spent a bit of focused feet-observation time and took a few pictures of cockatoo feet and then decided to try adding bird bodies and feet to my sketches.

And, just because I wanted to have a go.....I drew a raven, not too long ago. 

Oh, and here's a drawing of a cat I saw in Daylesford.  

My drawing doesn't show the cat's eyes.  They were two different colors!  So here are two pictures, to tell the tale of the cat with different eyes.

It's really helpful to observe and photograph the critters that I want to draw.  It seems easier than it used to be to draw a likeness.  I used to look at pictures in teachers' manuals or colorful calendars to get ideas for drawing pictures on whiteboards during lessons.  

I don't know if I will ever be drawing on whiteboards for students again, but at least I am having fun with drawing for myself and enjoying the sharing here on my blog.

Drawing......Again.

It has been a while since I had a reason to draw.....I mean, as a teacher, I used to draw pictures as a teaching tool/method for primary students, but it has been about four years since I have had any students to teach.....and I have been without my usual reason for drawing.  

When I was a child I drew pictures just to be drawing pictures.  I think I am reverting to that reason for drawing, and I like that idea.  

Because I watch birds so often, they are in my mind; and, lately, they have been landing on my sketchpad.  Here are a few of my attempts to create a caricature or two of the cockatoos that I have photographed in my backyard.

I try to imagine how I would draw these birds on a whiteboard in a classroom.....and how I might make them look like the characters that they are.  The real, live, cockies are sooooo silly-acting, sometimes.  I'm still trying to get their attitude to come out of my pencil or pen.  The next two sketchpad pages show drawings I did without looking at a picture of a cockatoo.....the way I would want to be able to draw them with a marker on a whiteboard.

And when they are just being beautiful birds, it's hard to get that on paper.  I can see where I went wrong, as I reflect while looking at pictures of my drawings.....but I'm okay with the process.....I'm usually just trying to draw a picture that someone could recognize as a cockatoo.  

The pictures above were drawn before I wanted to worry about bird feet.  I spent a bit of focused feet-observation time and took a few pictures of cockatoo feet and then decided to try adding bird bodies and feet to my sketches.

And, just because I wanted to have a go.....I drew a raven, not too long ago. 

Oh, and here's a drawing of a cat I saw in Daylesford.  

My drawing doesn't show the cat's eyes.  They were two different colors!  So here are two pictures, to tell the tale of the cat with different eyes.

It's really helpful to observe and photograph the critters that I want to draw.  It seems easier than it used to be to draw a likeness.  I used to look at pictures in teachers' manuals or colorful calendars to get ideas for drawing pictures on whiteboards during lessons.  

I don't know if I will ever be drawing on whiteboards for students again, but at least I am having fun with drawing for myself and enjoying the sharing here on my blog.

Wounded Cockatoo

For the past few months I have been observing and feeding a wounded cockatoo.  I'm happy to see improvement! The cockatoo seems to be getting along as well as all the others now.  Here's a slide show of some recent pictures I have taken:

Wounded Cockatoo in Daylesford

Here's a link to the photo album, if the slideshow is not displaying above:  Click here to view my pictures of the wounded cockatoo.

And here's a short iMovie I made:



It's more than just a feeding ritual now.  We have a relationship.....I think that this wounded cockatoo and I have a mutual respect for each other and that there's a bit of uplifting of our spirits going on here in my big backyard.

Here's a link to the video, if it is not being displayed above:  Click here to watch the Wounded Cockatoo iMovie I made.

Wounded Cockatoo

For the past few months I have been observing and feeding a wounded cockatoo.  I'm happy to see improvement! The cockatoo seems to be getting along as well as all the others now.  Here's a slide show of some recent pictures I have taken:



Here's a link to the photo album, if the slideshow is not displaying above:  Click here to view my pictures of the wounded cockatoo.

And here's a short iMovie I made:



It's more than just a feeding ritual now.  We have a relationship.....I think that this wounded cockatoo and I have a mutual respect for each other and that there's a bit of uplifting of our spirits going on here in my big backyard.

Here's a link to the video, if it is not being displayed above:  Click here to watch the Wounded Cockatoo iMovie I made.

Scrolling Text on a Blog

I am experimenting with scrolling text on my blog. :) This is speed #1



I am experimenting with scrolling text on my blog. :) This is speed #2



I am experimenting with scrolling text on my blog. :) This is speed #3



I am experimenting with scrolling text on my blog. :) This is speed #4



I am experimenting with scrolling text on my blog. :) This is speed #5

I found the html code for this at www.GoldCoastWebDesigns.com.