From My Sketchbook: The Cards

I've always imagined that the dragon in this picture is a fortune teller of some type (hence the crystal ball) and lets the cards that he's holding decide the fate of his victims. The girl here is Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. I made this collage by cutting out the two figures from advertisements, then drawing the rest with a pencil around them.
Here is the caption I wrote to go along with this:

"The cards, my dear, are telling me you must die."

From My Sketchbook: O Fire Flower (Inspiration from a Child)

This was an assignment to illustrate and be inspired by a child's writing. My little sister wrote the poem, and I used part of it; making the typography look like a kid wrote it.

"Oh fire flower, you're so beautiful.

You light up the sky."

From My Sketchbook: Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings)

I had been watching the behind the scenes of the Lord of the Rings movies on my portal DVD player when a clip of the ending come on. I decided to pause the video and try to draw this portrait. This was one of the more challenging projects I've taken on so far; faces are always hard subjects, but I actually enjoy drawing them the most.

From My Sketchbook: Small Bird

This drawing that I did is from a lesson in Violet's Devotional Sketchbook. I ended up using it as the cover of a birthday card I made for my dad and now it's framed and hanging up next to another drawing I made for him for Father's day when I was really little (ironically, that one is of a bird as well!)

A Walk in the Mall

The choir, they sound like angels. Standing a story above them in the Mall of America I am halted in my steps as they start one of my favorite songs, the haunting "Once Upon a December" from Anastasia. And I stay, listen till the song is completely over, enchanted by the beautiful voices rising to the high ceiling of the mall. Never have I enjoyed a song more than this one, sung by high school girls in the middle of the busyness of Mall of America. I leave with a smile on my face, spirit lifted. Still I listen as I walk away and they start another song; hear it fade slowly with each step. A little ways on a beautiful water fountain catches my eye; the water is pure blue and running quietly, bubbling over the weathered looking basin. I pause again and watch it, listen to it and I remember the sound of the voices, of the choir singing heavenly, soul haunting lyrics. People walk past and I am oblivious to them in this moment of peace. But the moment quickly passes and I walk on; surrounded by a sea of faces. I look into them all; faces happy and smiling, faces tired and emotionless. My soul flies... God’s beauty can be found everywhere if one only looks. I walk through stores, browse the quiet Barnes and Noble when I need a rest, and smell delicious fragrances in a chocolate shop. Life is sweet, just like the sample of candy I nibble on.

Keep your eyes open and you’ll find the most enchanting things in the most unexpected places. This is what I have found to be true in the Mall of America.

From My Notebook: Grey Raindrops

This short piece I wrote is inspired by Enya's song; "Trains and Winter Rains"

It’s chilly, not the temperature; my heart. The train car bumps and jostles around, I can hear the wheels turning endlessly. The light has faded behind the black storm clouds and as I gaze out the window, millions of little raindrops splatter the pane, streaking past and blurring together into a cold grey. I can’t make out the buildings it’s so dark; so grey… everything is grey; even my mood. I think about the home I’m headed to, and I wonder if she’ll be there… probably not. There’s never a hot meal prepared and waiting for me when I arrive, just empty bedrooms. On nights when I come home to find that she’s left without explanation as to where, I look up at the endless stars and wonder… is this all there is? Silent rooms, take out cartons and empty eyes. The train slows to a stop… my stop. But I don’t get out. I sit… lost in thought; empty thoughts of grayness, and the train rumbles on. There’s no point in going home, it’s not even a home to go to anymore, not with a wife gone countless nights and when home, a cold glance greets me with no word. So I travel on… but where to? The grey skies whisper my name, and I think… what if this train took me all the way to the stars? To those friends that shone down upon me on those lonely nights… I might even feel happy again, to open my eyes and find myself surrounded by eternal beauty. The city rushes past, various shades of grey blurring into one; my life stares at me from the window. I travel on, where to? No one knows.