The Idea Box Journal

Drawing the model at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Plucked my old sketchbooks from when I lived in Rome. Here are a few pages from that time when I was absorbing everything around me with ink.

Open drawing at the MFA tonight. 10 min each.

Now in stores- Fat & Bones and Other Stories! Written by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Adam S Doyle, published by Lerner Books. Find it at your local bookshop or order online.

Limited edition hardcover has a really cool silver embossed image of Fat juggling knives beneath the jacket.

After the day of creative painting, it’s always great to get in an evening of drawing from life. #staysharpmyfriends

Bali sketchbook-

Here are a few studies I’ve been doing to get dialed in on a new book cover. It’s important to me to spend time with the subject, in this case horses and the ocean, to feel really comfortable before taking on the final painting. I don’t want to overwork the same reference material, but delving into a variety of images and videos allow me the confidence to craft the piece that will be the cover.

Yesterday I was able to get an almost full day at the Auckland Zoo. It’s been a while since I’ve been out sketching with the nib pens and ink brushes. So partly it was a day of cracking the rust off, and partly it was just a need to be in the company of animals again. As it turns out Kim’s mom works at the zoo. Thanks for the ticket Helen!

Auckland, you might like to know, has a terrific zoo. Well-maintained, clean, animals all looked well cared for, nothing in the facilities stood out as sketchy. Except of course, for me and my frantic scribbling. It’s always tricky drawing animals from life because you can’t help but aim to make portraits, yet they of course are always moving. The best you can do is let it be a warm up your hand & eyes with succinct, lively marks.

There were two birds that I had real interactive moments with. This parrot got right up to my face-level on the cage and repeatedly said “Hello.”

The sulpher crested cockatoo, Captain, has been at the zoo since ’91 has no cage and was very sweet and observant.

Getting charged up to start in on my FIRE series. In it I’ll be exploring the theme of Defiance.