I made this sketch on New Year’s Day — what we usually have for breakfast on Christmas and New Years: smoked salmon, bagels, cream cheese, olives and onions. I’m feeling a tad self-conscious about the perspective glitch on the olive dish, but, as always, these sketches are done directly in ink in my sketch book with no penciling or planning, let the chips fall where they may! — it’s part of the fun of it all. Happy new year to everyone!
I did this sketch yesterday on my iPod using an app called “Brushes”. I saw France Belleville-Van Stone use it in her blog, thought the results were interesting and wanted to try it out for myself. This sketch is of my current office mate Ryan. I like the fact that it uses layers close to the way Photoshop does. And it’s kind of interesting for me to draw, write and even post to my blog from a single little hand-held device (I got the WordPress app too!). I know, I’m a geek. But there is something compelling to me about the self- contained portability of it all.
A few days ago my oldest turned 18. That fact amazes me no end and I probably shouldn’t think about it too much. Anyway, it was a great day. We went to the Kinokuniya Book Store in Little Tokyo, had some spicy noodles for lunch, went home with our purchases (he got some special drawing pencils and I got a mini-water brush — kind of funny to go to a book store and come back with art supplies, but hey), then had some sushi at the restaurant down the street. Very fun, sort of inadvertently Japanese-themed day.
I’ve been walking to work again. We’ve been having beautiful weather (and we’re down to one car now) so it all works out. I’ve often thought about how odd it is, our family living in car-crazy Southern California, that my wife and I live close enough to our respective workplaces that we can walk, and all three kids have always walked to school (and still do). It’s kind of ironic. Since I can’t see myself walking to work, this is of course my idea of what I look like walking to work…
My wife’s ukulele teacher’s blues band. They did an awesome rendition of “Red House” and a smokin’ (pardon the pun) version of John Lee Hooker’s “Burning Hell“.
Kids are all back in school. October is about to begin! (My favorite month!)
Anthony Zierhut 