A little bit of Spain

Cuenca

and Barcelona

Cannon fire and sketch crawl

World Wide SketchCrawl 35. I went out the the San Jacinto Monument for the reenactment of the Battle of San Jacinto. From the website www.sanjacinto-museum.org "The battle reenactment dramatizes the decisive battle where General Sam Houston led his Texian soldiers to victory over the Mexican Army eventually leading to almost one million square miles of Mexican territory becoming a part of the United States.  The reenactors  dramatically interpret the Runaway Scrape (Texians fleeing from the advancing forces of Santa Anna), the cannon duel and the final battle between the two forces."

Strollers in Lisbon

from last summers trip to Lisbon, Portugal

Tents and Texas

    This past weekend we took a short road trip to Liberty, Texas. We went camping at our friend's family ranch. If you are not from Texas you probably picture dusty, mountainy, desert with steers. This part of Texas is lush and green. Rolling pastures with big oak and other hardwood trees. Their ranch house is a single story house spread out with a garage for bikes and cars and the dogs kennel. Even a small pool in the back. We camped across the field near the barn and work sheds. We arrived late in the day on Thursday, set up camp and headed into town for Tex-Mex and a margarita. Delisioso! 

     The next day we headed over to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center. On the campus of the library are a full size replica of the Texas Governors Mansion, the church in my sketch, a house and another building. We were lucky that the librarian took us around and opened up the buildings for us even though it was a holiday. It gave me a brief chance to sketch. It is good to have friends with connections. (this is a composite of 3 of my sketchbook pages)

    The rest of the weekend we grilled steaks, the guys set up a shooting range to target shoot, and the teen boys had a huge amount of fun driving the "gator" on the gravel ranch roads. Sort of a golf cart for farms, perfect for 13 year olds. The weather was perfect and so was the company.

Training

Training and training. Went to a Adobe Muse beta demo and during break sketched from the porch.

Fresh Bananas 2.8.12

Quick loose sketch at the kitchen counter.

Dinner 1.16.12

The closest to Italian style pizza we have found near home at Grimaldi's. Thin and crispy crust and fresh cheese, not gloppy gluey globs.

I hope I will continue to post when work is busier than it is now.

Showtime - Snap - Snap

For the last few years we've had Broadway season tickets - the traveling shows that come through Houston. We bring my mom along each time (it is her Christmas and birthday gift) They are usually fun and entertaining. This year our seats changed to further up and back - the prices went up but not our willingness to pay the price. We have a crazy old lady and her trucker-hat wearing adult son sitting next to us now.

So this weekend we saw "The Adams Family". You may ask, "Was there finger snapping during the theme song?" For sure! Da da da dum -snap-snap. Da da da dum -snap-snap. They're crazy and…

We were in our seats early enough for a quick sketch, and intermission afforded enough time for a very quick sketch of the mezzanine below. I added the color later at home.

Lee County - Giddings, TX

On my way back from a visit to P in Austin. I stopped in Giddings to draw this building in the town square. I assume it is the County Courthouse. Surrounded by a chainlink fence and not looking terribly lively. Maybe on my next trip past the renovations will be complete.

Moveable Type Treat

I met Ping and Jane at The Museum of Printing History for a presentation by Kyle about her adventures in the Type Truck. She is traveling around the country printing in her truck. Check her website to see if she'll be near you. www.Type-Truck.com People were lined up in the cold for an opportunity to go inside the truck and print a poster. After the sketching we went to eat Thai food and warm up.

ABOUT THE PROJECT
Moveable Type is a mobile print shop built into the back of an old delivery truck. Within these tight quarters, Kyle created an efficient and fully functional shop, with a small table top press for printing smaller work, and a larger proof press, capable of printing larger posters.

Kyle Durrie is proprietor of Power and Light Press, a letterpress studio specializing in inappropriate greeting cards as well as posters, music packaging, and custom stationery.

Niko Niko for gyro

Circle Doodle

color/pattern

Riled up at the Ryle's

Party at our musical friends, the Ryle's, last night. Food and live music. Fun.

Joe at Jo's

Out and about with sister P in Austin for the last couple of days. The best way to get my companions to sit for a while so that I can sketch is feed them and/or ply them with beverages. We spent some time in downtown and in the SoCo area prowling around and spending a surprisingly small amount of $$. Coffee at Jo's revived us for more.

My Drummer Boy

S played percussion in the Christmas Eve service at church - The Little Drummer Boy. He has played with them the last 3 years and is eager to play and seems to enjoy the hours of practice the week before. I know D and I enjoy him, and the music. I went early to pick him up from practice to get in a sketch of all the drummers on stage.

Bleu Cheese Burger @ Dutch's

It is a good thing we do not live in Ft. Worth. During our Thanksgiving visit to sister P in that part of Texas we went to Dutch's near the college there. We went based on a review in TX Monthly magazine. Guess I was hungry when I saw the photo in the mag, 'cause I just had to try their Bleu Cheese Burger.

The buns tasted homemade and the melty cheese, bacon and burger were awesome. Definitely belongs on the "Things I Shouldn't Eat" list, but yum!

Streaming Concert

Here is a composite of 3 pages from my sketchbook. I did this at a concert, starting before the musician took the stage and throughout the show. Sort of a stream/timeline of the event. I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

Time for a post

I've been busy all through Oct with work. Now it is time to cleanout the office/studio and post something here.

If I am posting to the blog that must mean I am not cleaning. So I'm just gonna through up a few sketches from the last month.

Including Texas Championship PowWow, and Riven Rock in Comfort TX.

Sketch Crawl and pumpkins

It is late and I am tired. Pumpkins seem to have filled my weekend. 33rd WorldWide Sketch Crawl was fun but only 3, then one more attended. Seriously Houston, where are you? I plan to work on the Farmers Market plenty more. The bakery across the street from it may be my new favorite place, except for the powdered coffee creamer.

Dr. Butter and Pocket Pies

On Saturday the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft celebrated it's 10th anniversary. We have enjoyed many openings and exhibits in the wonderful space at HCCC over the years. (as observers not exhibitors) The weather was cooler and of course clear, on account of the drought, so we headed into town to check it out.

Cool Dr. Butter carved ice sculptures with a chain saw, spraying ice shavings over a shreaking audience of kids. He even carved an ice beer mug filled it with beer, and handed it off too, the ultimate frosty mug.

I visited with a lady that was dying fabric with plant roots and spinning cotton boles into cotton thread. I had an "Oh My Pocket Pie" for lunch, from a food truck. Unfortunately I was too full when the ice cream truck rolled in dispensing FREE ICE CREAM. I guess I am old if I don't jump in on that gig. S on the other hand was skulking around trying to figure out how to get round 2 on the ice cream, and that is after he had already decorated and eaten a chocolate cupcake at the Sprinkles booth.