Bear Skull

Sketch Text:
My boss killed a bear. My boss field dressed the bear. My boss skinned the bear and hauled it out of the wilderness in pieces (300lbs.). My boss cut the bear up into steaks, sausage, etc. so it could be eaten. My boss eats the bear.

My boss is a G-I-R-L. Yes!…a girl! And she is married!

Imagine if you will, what her husband must think about while falling asleep at night after a spat over not taking out the garbage or vacuuming the house…

I’d bet he is a very light sleep, uh-huh.

(f.y.i. – I do my best to stay on my boss’s good side.)

Nakona Baseball Glove

Sketch Text:
I found my old baseball glove while unpacking an old box after my move at the beginning of last month. I oiled it up for about an hour to get it working again. Then I struck a pose in front of the full length mirror, stretched out in full stride as I hauled in the only spectacular, centerfield, over-the-shoulder catch I ever made.

I still remember saying “I’ll be damn” as I came to a stop, turned, and fired the ball to the shortstop.

The shortstop, Dino, later told me it was “poetry in motion”.

I’m not much of a poet anymore.

Hopeless Romantic

Sketch Text:
Don’t try and understand why I would sketch a Coleman, Single Burner, PerfectFlow™ stove for this entry. It’s complicated and has to do with love, romanticism, doing good for others, being inspired to give, and finding my own purpose in this life.

“How could that be?!” you say. I know. I never thought a Coleman stove would ever become a symbol of my own understanding of myself. They’re great for makin’ grilled cheese sandwiches in the remotest of picnic places though…provided you take along a Teflon™ coated Tefal™ sandwich skillet. And they make a great kit for enabling the homeless to cook their own meals…freeze-dried backpacking meals, boiled water, and a match=nutrition on the cheap.

So, enough confusing verbiage. Recent events have caused considerable introspection on my part. My purpose is to love. Love myself fully and confidently. And then to love another as she has never been loved. The rest will work itself out once I find the person who is ready to receive that which is the result of me fulfilling my purpose here in this life

Secret Agent Dude

Sketch Text:
Last weekend marked the end of the summer season in regards to the work I do. We always serve this rather secretive group that has been coming to Aspen this time of year for the last 23 years. Our company provides the transportation for some 250 people in attendance. I could tell you the name of this annual event…but I’d have to hunt you down and terminate you

So this year, a major political foreign figure was in attendance and I was assigned the duty of hauling the luggage under the supervison of the Secret Service. Yes, the Secret Service.

For two days, I was a Secret Agent Dude…disguised as a lowly Luggage Van Driver Dude. You never would have recognized me. I was asked ordered to swallow a voice altering device which remained in my body for the duration of the assignment. No longer did I possess the calming lilt so characteristic of us Southern Gents. Instead, my voice was distinctly French…the only disappointment of the entire duty.

Thankfully, I’m now back to normal. Frenchness does not suit me.

That's My Story and I'm Stickin' To It!

Sketch Text:
I wear a uniform of sorts for my job. A knit pullover-green with company logo on the left breast-khaki pants, black shoes, a badge, and belt. Simple and easy. UNLESS you can’t find the badge and belt!

Hmmmm…Don to self…”Where’s my belt? Ah, must still be in my pants…nope. Ah, the bathroom doorknob…hmmm…not there. In the hamper by mistake? Downstairs? Under the bed? Dang Boy! Whad’d you do with your dad burn belt?!”

Then I grabbed my cell phone and realized I had a message from…shall we say…”a friend of noteworthy significance.”

“You left your badge and belt over here ”

Now, before you loyal readers start jumpin’ to conclusions, and I know you’ve already begun, I give you the standard excuse for this slip of the mind. “It’s NOT what it seems!”

I was simply uncomfortable with the belt and wanted to relax while at my “friend of noteworthy significance’s” home. Likewise for the badge. So the belt was hung on a chair & the badge was put on the coffee table. Upon leaving I forgot ‘em.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

Definition Of Poop...click for a larger image.

Sketch Text:
Personally, this one’s kinda ugly and lifeless. But I’m sketchin’ for the sake of sketchin’ today because I hear Brother Drawing Funk pecking at my door. I figure if I put something on the page, perhaps he’ll pass me by.

And since this IS a journal, I feel compelled to put the poop down as well. BTW, “poop” is a sort of unsatisfying attempt at creativity. (my definition.)

Further Comments:
“Poop” may seem like a strong word in this context.
Think “shucks”, “darn”, “dang-it” or “dad-burn”. An expression of self-dissatisfaction or the enduring of a mild but unpleasant experience.
And since sketching is supposed to be a good and fulfilling experience for us…when it isn’t, I usually think “poop”.

I hope that clarifies it a bit.

Mesa County Courthouse...click for larger image.

Sketch Text:
I was sitting in an old courtroom today which had old late 1800′s wall sconces and hanging ceiling lights which were very elaborate. There were columns with gold embossing along their lengths. The ceiling was barreled and about 25 ft. in height.

I wish they still built in this style. There is beauty and craft in it that are not found these days.

Further Comments:
I didn’t kill anybody. It was a civil matter and all is well….so I’ll still be posting as usual.

Statue In The Park...click for larger image.

Sketch Text:
Waiting outside on a bench for a meeting here, this bronze statue got my attention. When I was his age I didn’t read anything unless I was forced to by my teachers. I started really reading after high school. And that is when I truly started learning I’m sorry to say. I learned what I needed to make my way.

Further Comments:
Upon further examination, the piece is called “Bookworm” and was commissioned and placed as a memorial to a loved one.

Sheep Creek Geological Loop, Utah

Sketch Text:
I took a little road trip to see a part of Utah I’d never visited. It turned out to be a 700 mile loop by the time I got back home.

Hint: If you don’t like to drive, don’t go to Utah.
Hint 2: If you like rocks & Dinosaurs, go to Utah. There’s plenty of both.

The scenery was both beautiful and monotonous. I thought the rocks in this little loop [Sheep Creek Geological Loop] were amazing. A billion years exposed.

Additional Comments:
Mother Earth is truly amazing and unfathomably old. Utah provides many areas where Earth’s geology is exposed, showing literally billions of years of rock layers visible in one scene. I find it fascinating, but also hard to grasp…out of reach. I’ll say this: spending a few days around these truly ancient rocks made me feel very, very fortunate to be here for my own little speck of time.

Blue Pepper Jar

Sketch Text:
This jar was in a thrift store I was strolling through one day recently. I thought…

“Hmmm…should be a red jar shouldn’t it? Never seen a blue pepper.”
Perhaps there are blue peppers in the rainforest? Seems everything in the rainforest is rare, one-of-a-kind you know. So blue peppers may indeed exist there at least…

But not where I come from.

So, I made it red.

Makes ya wanna sneeze? Go ahead. I won’t hear it.

Don’t get me wrong. I like blue. Just not on peppers.

This is called artistic license. It works on anything. Try it.