kunst by rob

Micah's shoes

2012-01-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

January 29, 2012. A pretty normal Sunday afternoon- drizzling rain all day, wood burning in our stove, some popcorn and a card game, dog walks, some lesson plans, sitting around doing nothing together. Thank God for Sunday afternoons.

Remembering Sicily

2012-01-28T03:09:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2012. This image was in my mind from our trip to Sicily a few weeks ago. I kept thinking that I wanted to stop the car to take photos of these old farmhouses along the road, but I felt too sick to do anything but close my eyes while my wife drove. I decided against using a pen this time, as I think it detracts from the warmth and softness of these old structures.

blue undercoat

2012-01-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2012. Not sure I like this one, but I'm just trying some different things with color. I'd never thought to do an undercoat before, but did it with this one. Also trying different things with the sky- using a dryer brush. Anyway, it's fun to experiment.

if the shoe fits

2012-01-24T11:44:00.001-08:00

January 24, 2012. This has got to be the mildest January since we've been in Germany, and I don't mind one bit. Here's a little drawing for a book illustration today. It's one of my shoes alongside one of my son's shoes.

Giglio

2012-01-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2012.

Beppe's Pizza

2012-01-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

January 16, 2012. I've been fighting a battle with a stomach flu the past week or so, but I think I'm finally on the upswing. Thankfully, no one else in my family got it. This picture is reminiscent of our time in Palermo, although at that time I wasn't interested in pizza, or food of any sorts for that matter. Our sea voyage back to Genoa was a bit rocky, and quite a few passengers got sick. However, our trip was nothing to complain about, considering what happened to another vessel in the same waters just two nights ago. After hitting a rock, the entire cruise ship pitched over, and rescue operations are still underway to find many who are unaccounted for.

Taormina, Sicily

2012-01-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2012. I sketched this scene in the beautiful town of Taormina, which is situated on the tops of high bluffs overlooking the blue Ionian Sea. It was a beautiful night. The last couple of days the weather took a turn, as did my health. The winds have been ferocious, with thunderstorms and some hail. I spent much of the time in bed with some kind of flu. We head back to Germany tonight, with fond memories of our experiences in Sicily.

Mount Etna Erupts!

2012-01-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2012. We were woken up at 6:45 am by Giuseppe knocking on our door, yelling for us to get up and look at the volcano. He told me to draw a picture of it while it was erupting, so here's the result. Truly one of my greatest memories in my life...

Mount Etna out our window

2012-01-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

January 4, 2012. We're in Mascali, Sicily (Italy) and loving it. A very long trip here, some complications as our car is slowly falling apart, but this is the view from our window of Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Giuseppe and his wife Aura are wonderful hosts, who have a plantation and hotel here in Mascali. On the way here, we thought we were going to lose the driver's door to our car, but got that fixed. Now our muffler went out and we have to get it fixed before we go home. The ferry here was an interesting experience. We didn't get much sleep, as the kids slept in the stairway and the adults tried sleeping in a room with a symphony of snoring and cell phone conversations.

Happy New Year from Kandern!

2012-01-01T00:44:00.000-08:00

December 31, 2011. Happy New Year 2012! Here's another view of our living room just before our guests came over for game night. The drawing below is the view from sitting on the sofa in this drawing. Kandern was filled with smoke and noise last night. We dared the town square, dodging missiles, bottle rockets, and fire crackers. It was like a battlefield for a half-hour down there. By the way, you can see our poor little white dog sitting there on the sofa wondering how long the barrage of bombs was going to last.

his and hers

2011-12-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

December 29, 2011. It's our 21st anniversary today, so a little drawing of two chairs in our house, where we often sit.

up at Feldberg

2011-12-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

December 26, 2011. Part of our kids' Christmas present the last few years has been going up to the mountains to go snowboarding. I did a little sketch while we were there. The snow looked great, the sun was out, the kids got worn out and slept all the way home.

Merry Christmas to all

2011-12-24T01:50:00.000-08:00

December 24, 2011. Merry Christmas from our house to yours! May these days be times of reflection on all God has given to us.

hills of summer

2011-12-21T06:55:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2011. Lazy days here in the Carey house. I've got several drawing projects I'm doing for some friends and family. This is a commission I finished today of the Black Forest hills around here. The last two weeks have been oppressively dark, so I'm hopeful for some sunshine when we go to Italy. Merry Christmas from the very Black Forest!

Sunday in Sicily

2011-12-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

December 17, 2011. I've been waiting months to sleep in. Finally it's Christmas break, and what do I do? I get up at 6 AM to draw pictures.

dreaming of light

2011-12-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

December 14, 2011. Living in darkness, dreaming of light. This is the time of year in Germany I really long for the warmth and light of the sun. From my art sale last month I was able to save enough money to take my family on vacation in Italy in a couple weeks. Here's a drawing of where we'll be at least one of the days. I'm hoping for some good opportunities to sketch in the sun while I'm there.

Strawberry Fields

2011-12-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

December 12, 2011. Trying to capture the color of the strawberry fields as I have seen them the last few days- didn't come close... I've never seen them the color they are this year.

100 Years Later

2011-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2011. I didn't realize until today that August Macke, the well-known German expressionist, had painted this scene on Museumsgässle exactly 100 years ago. Here in Kandern, there is a walking path that takes you around the village and shows you ten scenes that the artist painted while visiting his sister who lived here with her husband at the Guesthouse Krone.

Museumsgässli in Kandern

2011-12-05T22:28:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2011. I'll post something about this later today.

Kandern Bahnhof (again)

2011-12-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

December 3, 2011. I had no intention of drawing today, but I had to take my daughter to her SAT test early this morning, and everyone at home was still asleep, so I decided to sketch the train station for the third time. I spent a chunk of my day at school doing lesson plans, but tonight we went up the hill to an outdoor Christmas market type thing. A whole block of people converted their garages into restaurants and they sold artwork, crafts, soaps, candles, trinkets, waffles, soup, cakes, whatever, for charity causes. Dark, rainy, cold...burning logs everywhere to warm yourself up by- many smells. I had the potato soup with hot dogs and pieces of floating bread. Great. I'm including a sketch of the same station last fall, and from the other side back in September.

Sketch video Wollbach #2

2011-12-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

December 2, 2011. Someone asked if I could make a sketch video showing the entire process of making a sketch. I couldn't do it. But this is as close as it gets. With the music and nature footage it's a bit melancholy, but it pretty well captures the gritty feel of sketching out-of-doors that I get to experience. The sketch is the first page of my new Moleskine A4 sketchbook, and it's a repeat of the sketch shown on the flag. Amazing that the weather on December 1 (yesterday) was so mild and dry, but we're experiencing the driest season in this area in 150 years.

11/30/2011

2011-11-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

November 30, 2011. Here are some of the sketchbooks I've used the past couple of years. I've enjoyed filling up several 11 x 8.5 inch Pentalic Nature Sketch pads. (Pentalic website) I found these up in Post Falls, Idaho. They are 130 lb cold press pages, and off-white. At the same art supply store I found the Strathmore Visual Journal 140 lb. cold press sketchbook (300 g/qm), which I loved. I like the heavy, snow-white pages with very little tooth. (Strathmore's blog) Of course, I love using the Moleskine brand watercolor sketchbooks (Moleskine), and I'm excited to begin using a new A4 size watercolor sketchbook that my wife just brought back from the States. A couple weekends ago, my son and I went up to Freiburg for the day, where we found a wonderful art supply store and came home with a 30 x 40 cm Hahnemuehle 300 g/qm (140 lb) hot pressed sketch block, (Hahnemuehle), and a cold-press block of the same size, made by Art Select. (site) Although I like them both, I have to say I'm strongly attracted to the hot press block, even though I don't really know what I'm doing with it yet. Over the summer, I was excited to receive a gift of several sketchbooks to sample from Stillman & Birn. Unfortunately, my suitcases were so heavily packed, I wasn't able to bring all of them home to Germany with me, so I am looking forward to getting started with them this coming summer in California.

11/29/2011

2011-11-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

November 29, 2011. I don't know, I thought it was an interesting idea to throw some random sketches around my desk and take a photo of it. We spent the evening talking to an admissions counselor at a photography school with my daughter. Exciting thinking about all of the changes in our lives ahead.

11/28/2011

2011-11-28T22:28:00.000-08:00

November 28, 2011. Just a shot of what's on my table today.

Sketching Wollbach video

2011-11-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

November 25, 2011. I went out yesterday and sketched this little scene in Wollbach. The video is a little tour of the village of Wollbach through sketches this past fall. As you can see, it's a beautiful little dorf, even though the colors of fall are slowly falling away.

above Freiburg

2011-11-22T23:15:00.000-08:00

November 23, 2011. I love walking up to the top of the hill overlooking Freiburg. The city is grand whichever direction you look. Most of this city was destroyed by bombs during WW2. During the rebuilding years after the war, old photographs were used to reconstruct it.

Freiburg im Breisgau

2011-11-19T00:47:00.000-08:00

November 18, 2011. Freiburg is definitely one of my favorite places here in Germany. Cobbled streets, medieval structures, university students, coffee shops, international foods, the cathedral, open market, train access... and all in the midst of the Black Forest.

Villa Umbach

2011-11-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

November 16, 2011. My son's got great surfer kid hair. But when it gets too bushy bushy blonde for his parents, we sent him here- Hinz & Kunst, located at the Villa Umbach on the golf course. By the way, I didn't do this sketch on location- I'm including a photo of my workspace to show the size of this one.

cow freedom

2011-11-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

November 14, 2011. The cows are still out on the hillsides. Pretty soon they'll all be cooped up for the winter. Poor guys.

three balloons

2011-11-12T01:40:00.000-08:00

November 12, 2011. I took my wife to the airport yesterday, as she'll be in the States for a couple weeks. On the way back I stopped in St-Louis, a little French town just over the river. This is the "Hotel de Europe."

by the orchard

2011-11-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

November 11, 2011. If I had more time, I would spend it just looking at things. Maybe I'm too simple, but all it takes is a sight like this to keep me interested for a long time.

across the way

2011-11-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2011. I didn't venture out today- too cold. So I stayed in my classroom and sketched this out my window- trying to capture a little more fall color before it's all gone. My son's 13th today, so we have two teenagers in our house now.

November 4-5 show

2011-11-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

November 8, 2011. Here are some grainy photos of my art show this past weekend. About 80 attenders came through. The old house was brilliant for the occasion. Thank you, Mary & Carrie for organizing!

Main Street Kandern, Germany

2011-11-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

November 7, 2011. A huge thanks to all who came to my art show/sale this past weekend. A big thanks to my wife for her delicious cheesecake, not to mention all her work framing and making reproductions, to Len and Mary for opening up their home- a wonderful old house built in the 1300s, perfect atmosphere for my kind of artwork, and to Danny, who gave us our own mini-concert at the end of the evening. Many of you said that you would also be interested in having a drawing that sums up the town of Kandern, so I will be planning to do a Kandern skyline at some point. In the meantime, here's a drawing of one of the most common scenes that everyone from here will be familiar with- Main Street and the Eis Cafe.

Helmut's house

2011-11-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

November 3, 2011. Quite a story with this sketch. While I was sketching it, the owner came out (Helmut), and we became instant friends. He introduced me to a 100 year-old artist who also painted this house, then to his wife. We sat around their table and I listened to their stories until I had to run back to the school to pack my students up for the bus. Helmut and his wife not only want to buy this little sketch, but said they wanted to come to my art show tomorrow night.

falling color

2011-11-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

November 2, 2011. I couldn't let the fall go by without trying to capture some of the color around me. This particular tree is one we walk by every day, sometimes several times a day. Turn left at those houses and I'm home.

Long Beach

2011-11-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

November 1, 2011. All Saints' Day today, so no school. I stayed home and spent the morning drawing a little scene from Long Beach. My dad and I walked around town one day back in August, and I snapped a photo of a few things that reminded me of my home town.

Gothenburg

2011-10-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

October 29, 2011. I finished this one up today. I had forgotten about it from last year. We were busy framing some paintings today, getting ready for an exhibit next weekend here in Kandern, and I realized I wanted to include this one in the show. I haven't done too many monochrome drawings in a while.

loving fall

2011-10-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

October 27, 2011. I didn't have to go far to find this house to draw today. I intended to look for some red and golden trees, but I lingered here instead. There's nothing like autumn- the smoky smells, fresh air, bright colors against deep blue skies... pumpkin soup, fresh juice from the vines... thank you.

Wollbach view

2011-10-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

October 25, 2011. Sketching out my window today on this cloudy fall day.

mirror work

2011-10-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2011. I hesitate to post these attempts at self-portraits, but maybe it will encourage someone out there to see the struggle and try it him/herself. It really is a struggle, because you're not working from a photo, you're looking at yourself in the mirror, and when you do that, you see so much more than just the reflection. I wouldn't call these failures. They both taught me something in the process, and for that I'm thankful. The one on the left was a 25-minute endeavor, and the one on the right was partially done without a mirror at all. Neither one is really me, but they both capture a little bit of me in a different way.

Wollbach area

2011-10-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2011. A pencil sketch while sitting on the hillside in Wollbach today, looking down toward the bike path I use every day.

looking back

2011-10-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

October 17, 2011. A bit melancholy of me today... an image inspired as I was watching the kids on the playground, and earlier watching the leaves on the water pass under the bridge.

Ezra on the farm

2011-10-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

October 15, 2011. Doing a little sketching on the computer tonight, thinking about my dad, who is celebrating a birthday today back in Long Beach.

Tomkin returns home

2011-10-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

October 11, 2011. The little story of Tomkin continues.

Tomkin up the hill

2011-10-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

October 9, 2011. A character for my twelve nephews and nieces today, as I'm thinking about them, far away across the sea- I miss you all and hope you all have a great week.

rainy weekend

2011-10-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

October 8, 2011. I'm not ready to put away my summer clothes, but I suppose it's time to face the fact that the weather is changing. We were in Lörrach this morning, so I had some time to start a rainy day sketch while hiding under a covered spot on Luisenstrasse.

from my bike today

2011-10-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

October 6, 2011. Here's the view from my bicycle as I ride home from school every day. This is looking towards the village of Egisholz, as I'm riding between Wollbach and Hammerstein. I jumped off my bike to do a quick sketch- not this- then came home and re-sketched it for details. The corn is brown, the canola field there in the middle, and the hillsides are striped with vineyards.

Unification Day sketching

2011-10-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

October 3, 2011. Here's a little low-quality video I made while sketching the parish house in Kandern today, just to document some of the steps.

beach houses

2011-10-02T02:50:00.000-07:00

October 2, 2011. The campout with the boys and their dads went well. The weather couldn't have been better, the stars were magnificent; bratwurst over the campfire, night hike through the woods- memories made. Meanwhile, my daughter is with the other seniors- a church service on the beach in Italy this morning, wandering the streets of Rome today, seeing the sights, relearning the history. Today we'll ride bikes with my son to Holzen for the art fest, an annual tradition. My drawing today came from thinking about older memories, thoughts of California and campfires on the beach with friends.

sitting in the shade

2011-09-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

September 29, 2011. Beautiful days- they keep coming. I took my break times from teaching to go and do this sketch today. I got a message from one of my former fifth graders- she's now beginning to be a teacher herself, and wanted some tips. Pretty cool, although it makes me feel just a bit old. Tomorrow night the weather should be good, so we'll do a camping trip with all the boys and some of the dads. Some years we come sopping wet, so hopefully our nice weather will hold out.

Vlad again

2011-09-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

September 26, 2011. Vlad- he's certainly in it for the long run. Another gorgeous day in Kandern, eating dinner outside, on the bike to and from work every day, through the corn fields... can't beat it. Micah had a drum lesson in Sitzenkirch, so my wife and I took the dog through the forest at sunset. Feels like summer will never end, but we know better. The trees are just beginning to change into their new fashions, and in a way I'm ready for it.

sketching in Wollbach

2011-09-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

September 25, 2011. It was a beautiful Sunday in Kandern. At the Eimeldingen church there were 25 baptisms. It was the pottery fest in town and all the best potters were showing their wares; a festive atmosphere, and the perfect temperature for it. I took some time to sketch this little scene in Wollbach, where I teach, then came home and took a bike ride with my wife through the countryside. Tomorrow we start our sixth week of school, and I can hardly believe how fast the year is going by.

the box man

2011-09-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

September 24, 2011. I was just working on some simple illustrations for my aunt again today, for a powerpoint presentation she will be giving. I'm trying to get more familiar with using Illustrator, as occasionally someone will ask me for illustrations instead of my usual watercolor sketches. A beautiful day in Kandern; couldn't be better outside. We're looking forward to seeing our friend Danny in concert tonight- should be a big turnout. Have a great weekend everyone.

a part of me

2011-09-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

September 22, 2011. Here's one of those spots I noticed the other day, as I was taking a walk through the village of Wollbach, where I teach. It happens to me literally all the time, every day. I see something that I want to draw. And then I draw it, and it becomes a part of me. As I sat here on the street, life was happening all around me. Two German school girls were lugging their backpacks home from school, walking down these steps, one of them telling the other to call her later- "Ruf mich an, Lisa!" Two older ladies were dressed in their Sunday best, riding bikes down the street, looking a bit lost. Later, a man and his wife came by. He had a smart disposition, carrying a pair of walking sticks, confidently clacking them on the stones, offering me a healthy "Guten Tag!" as they marched by.

easy does it

2011-09-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2011. I'm working on a little project for my aunt who is giving some workshops on caring for Alzheimer patients. I thought I would post this, as it describes a little of how I feel at times, trying to balance various boxes in my life, wondering if I need to consider setting some down for a while. I know some of it is about balance, but I think it's also true that we can sometimes carry burdens we really don't need to. The sketch is hand-drawn, then finished with Adobe Illustrator.

hello again

2011-09-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2011. Recycling an old sketch, but with improvements. The weather has been having fun lately- last night feeling downright chilly and damp, waking up to rain, then a warm front pushed it away for a brilliant sunset, and finally a very pleasant evening. A wonderful creation by a more wonderful Creator.

do I want to see

2011-09-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

September 18, 2011. Here's something a little different. I was processing some things rolling around in my mind the last few days, as well as experimenting with a new Lamy pen I received as a gift this summer, along with some Noodler's ink. The sketch has to do with opening my eyes and seeing those around me. How often do I spend time looking, but rarely seeing.

the Art Factory

2011-09-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

September 17, 2011. This is the "Art Factory," a huge warehouse in Kandern where artists of all types meet and discuss their various forms of expression. Dinners, exhibits and even wedding parties are hosted here by Rick and Marybeth, a couple who dreams of completely restoring the building and expanding its use amongst artists throughout the region and those traveling through.

sunflower field

2011-09-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

September 13, 2011. I took a walk around the village of Wollbach, where I now teach, and found this field of sunflowers up on the hill. While I was teaching today, the mayor of the village came into my classroom, shook my hand, and gave me a sunflower as a gesture of welcome to the town. I have to say, it's a beautiful little village. As I walked around, I made mental notes of the various scenes that I will want to draw this year. One of my favorite things about Wollbach is that there is a seven kilometer bike path that connects it with Kandern, so I have been enjoying the ride to and from work each day.

lovely September

2011-09-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

September 12, 2011. I often think there isn't enough time in life to sit and wonder at all that I have been given. Every walk through the country, every evening spent with friends or family around a table, every beautiful song I hear is but a taste of eternity. Lord, remind me of the brevity of this gift we call life. May I never forget to thank you for each moment of joy, be it small or great.

Budenfest noch wieder

2011-09-09T23:48:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2011. I got up early to sketch the little train station this Saturday morning before the town of Kandern gets inundated with visitors from all over the region. Today is the first day of Budenfest, and the center of town is filled with temporary restaurants that are constructed in two days, used for the weekend, then disassembled until next year. Various clubs host booths selling everything from sugared waffles to venison, schnapps to spätzle. There is also an equestrian competition over at the clay field, and I'm sure this little train station will be offering rides for the tourists to neighboring villages through the valley.

oh happy day

2011-09-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2011. Saturday. A wonderful day. We took our kids into the mountains and enjoyed the glory of God's great creation. In spite of some big discouragements the past few weeks, I am filled with a deep sense of peace and joy that can only come from above. This sketch was just an afterthought, a quick reflection of the day.

Wollbach school

2011-09-01T08:58:00.001-07:00

September 1, 2011. My colleague asked me to draw the school building where we just moved this year, so here it is. I sketched it while several students leaned over my shoulders and watched. It took me every recess and prep time to do it, but I was just glad I was able to finish it by the end of the day. My classroom is on the far left at the top. It was a beautiful day and I was thankful for it. And, by the way, I've heard there's a rule to never draw a tree right in the middle of your painting. :)

Summer's end

2011-08-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

August 31, 2011. The summer is coming to an end and I can already feel the cold morning wind on my way to work aboard my little 50 cc scooter. The grasses are blowing and the skies are damp. At times I wish I was back in the dry California air, but in other ways I anticipate all of the German autumn traditions- the annual Kandern booth fest in the center of town with smells of waffles and bratwurst and new wine. God is good to this rich and abundant land.

Adolf Kussmaul's house

2011-08-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

August 24, 2011. It's been so hot and sticky in Kandern this week, so I hung out in the town square last night until it got dark, sketching the Adolf Kussmaul house, with the grape vines full of fruit draped across the front. The square was filled with the voices of people sitting in front of the Italian restaurant at tables, enjoying the subtle evening breezes and something cool to drink. Apparently, Dr. Kussmaul was famous for many things. I read that he was instrumental in studying dyslexia, which he called "word blindness."

hot in Schliengen

2011-08-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

August 22, 2011. It's been blazing hot in Germany this past week. Tomorrow is the first day of school, so after I got everything ready, I took my scooter down to Schliengen and sat in the shade with a Coke to do this sketch. Schliengen is actually engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, as the French thought they had won it in 1796. However, it is also mentioned on a monument in Vienna, as Austria claimed it had won the same battle. Either way, it's most popular with us for a restaurant there that has a Monday night special on pizza.

Willingen Viaduct

2011-08-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

August 16, 2011. I'm at a conference in Willingen, Germany for the week. It's been a great time, but I'm ready to be home and see my wife. I had a couple hours today, so I headed over to this viaduct built during World War I, spanning the valley 30 meters high and almost 300 meters long. As there was intermittent rain, I had to keep making trips back to my car to keep the sketch from getting all wet.

Bob of Whittier

2011-08-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

August 12, 2011. Here's Bob, or my attempt at Bob rather. I got to see him shortly while I was in California and we shared a Dave's burger together. He's a youth worker- loves hanging out and talking to kids about life. He was a big part of my brother and sister's life when they were growing up. Here's to all those people who take the time to befriend the young people in this world!

getting out the jacket

2011-08-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

August 8, 2011. Herbert Bayer, Austrian graphic designer, artist, architect...etc. Since we've been back in Germany, we haven't seen too much of the sun, but that's fine. The wind is kicking up, throwing heavy clouds across the skies, occasionally allowing glorious bursts of sun, then heavy rain, then who knows what. I grab my jacket before going out, then put it under my arm after a few steps. It keeps you guessing.

man with a plan

2011-08-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

August 7, 2011. I admire practical-minded people. Harry Beck was one such individual. In his spare time, he developed an easy-to-understand map of the London Underground subway system. It made traveling under the city and changing rails simple and easy. His design was later adopted around the world in cities with similar underground transportation systems. Beck saw that people needed simplicity. He realized that people wanted to get from point A to point B, and he developed something that would help them achieve what they needed.

Jet-lagging

2011-08-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

August 6, 2011. I'm back in Germany and doing the jet-lag thing again, so I put together a very short video of our time in Huntington Beach at the Nike US Open of Surfing event. My son Micah took some great video footage and I made a little sketch on the beach.

in Escondido

2011-07-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

July 31, 2011. I've been enjoying catching up with my family in Long Beach. We spent a couple days down in San Diego and Escondido. This morning I got up early to sketch this place down the road called the Metaphor Cafe. I thought the name was interesting. Only three more days here in California and I wish I could stretch them out, except that my dear wife is already getting over jet lag in Germany, waiting for the rest of us to get home.

sketching Dave's Burgers

2011-07-29T14:25:00.001-07:00

July 29, 2011. I've been looking forward to drawing my home town Long Beach for a long time. Here's Dave's burgers, just down the street from where I grew up. It's my brother's favorite place to eat, and even though Dave doesn't work there anymore, the gal who runs it, Tiffany, is also great. I only get a hamburger there once every two years, but they always recognize me and ask me how things are in Germany. Amazing people who can do that.

in Huntington Beach

2011-07-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

July 28, 2011. It's the big Nike US Open of surfing competition this weekend in Huntington Beach, California. We were down at the beach playing in the waves with cousins and loving the sunshine. We're coming down to our last week in the States, so we're making sure to eat lots of fish tacos and burritos before we leave, and preparing ourselves for the schnizel that awaits us on the other side of the pond.

by Dizzyland

2011-07-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2011. The blog has been a ghost town lately, as we've been having lunch and dinner appointments with so many great people here in Southern California. On top of that, we've been scoping out the colleges around for our daughter, and looking at options for what we're going to do a year from now when we move back to this part of the world for a while. I've seen lots of great sights that I'd like to sketch, just no time to do it. Finally I woke up early this morning, sat on our balcony and sketched the Sheraton Hotel across the parking lot. We're about a stone's throw from Disneyland, so we see all the tourists walking there every morning, then all tuckered out at the end of the day with their balloons and mouse ears.

trees and rocks and water

2011-07-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

July 11, 2011. Trees and rocks and lakes, and more trees... There's no way I could capture the beauty of Lake Tahoe, but I gave it a whirl. Everywhere we roamed I found gobs of subjects to sketch. Some day I'll have to travel around to all the old historical Californian gold rush towns and fill some sketchbooks with the great sights. My brother-in-law was reading a dusty old book written by a guy who lived during the old west days of California- it got me re-interested in that time period and desirous to sketch some of those old haunts.

Lake Tahoe Vacation

2011-07-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

July 10, 2011. We had a great vacation at Lake Tahoe this past week- time to catch up with family, see the wonderful fireworks show over the lake, enjoy the beach, fishing, some rock climbing, bike riding, a visit to the Donner Party museum, and some sketching here and there. I had a chance to do some nature sketching, which is something I've been wanting to do for some time. I'll make sure to post some of the sketches individually when I get a chance, but here's a preview, since it's been a week since I've posted anything.

farewell Frenso (for now)

2011-07-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

July 3, 2011. Here's the finished drawing of Warnor's Theater (Pantages Theater) in downtown Fresno. It's a beautiful building on the corner of Fulton and Tuolumne, built in 1928 by Alexander Pantages, who owned 16 such theaters and controlled 40 others. He then sold the theater to Warner Brothers the following year and the name was changed slightly in the 60s to Warnor's Theater when a new owner acquired it. We are finishing up our time in Fresno today, packing to head to Lake Tahoe for a family reunion of sorts. We've enjoyed speaking to many wonderful groups of people and meeting with friends every day. The kids fully enjoyed their summer camp experience, and came away with many new friends of their own.

it's your call

2011-07-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2011. Well, I'm excited to get our kids back from summer camp and hear how it went. I feel like we've had our own summer camp going on here with swimming and meeting with good friends every day, eating fresh corn from Fresno State University, and delicious fruits and vegetables from the central valley. I started sketching this place on location, then came back home to finish it up. I'm actually enjoying seeing the interesting architecture used around here. The new stuff has a similar look to it, and I get the desire to draw every restaurant and building I see up and down the road as we drive by. I don't know what they call this style, but it reminds me of the Starbucks or Borders of several years ago, just developed.

sitting on H Street

2011-06-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2011. A beautiful day today in Fresno. I had lunch with photographer Paul Mullins- haven't had a cheese steak hoagie in a long time. After a visit with All Things Fresno, I thought I'd better take advantage of the cooler weather and do a sketch of the old "Hotel Fresno" building. Hard to believe our time in Fresno is coming to an end. There is so much yet to sketch and so many folks to talk with, but we're planning on being back here next summer, so we'll just have to save some goodness for next time.

Downtown Fresno

2011-06-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

June 29, 2011. It was nice to wake up to some rain this morning, which meant the weather cooled off considerably, giving me a chance to do some sketching in the middle of the day without the oppressive heat. We're having some busy days with many great appointments, seeing friends we haven't seen in a couple years, while our kids are up in the mountains enjoying summer camp at Hume Lake. Everywhere we go, people are so generous, feeding us like we haven't eaten in a year, and all the while we get to enjoy the nearly endless California sunshine.

smog check

2011-06-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

(And here's a quick sketch from our trip to Priest Lake, Idaho that I forgot to post. There was this interesting floating platform tied to some branches along the edge of the lake.)

June 25, 2011. A little sketch from down the road this morning. A few people wandered by while I sat on the curb to draw it. I'll dedicate this one to a guy I met a couple days ago who is having a rough time of it. He grew up without a dad, found his role models on the streets, then tried to get his life right, got married, had a couple kids. But like all of us, he made some mistakes, and now everything he had has been ripped away. Looking at him, you'd never think he'd be the type to walk into a church, but he was desperate to get things right with his life. Here's to you, "R-" hang in there, walk steady, don't stop praying. Don't let your anger get the best of you. You're not alone. A lot of us have been there.

Warnor's Theater revisited

2011-06-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

June 24, 2011. I've drawn Warnor's Theater before, but it was requested that I do it again. I started the sketch on location, but by 7 am I was already feeling the heat, so I had to pack it up. It turned out to be a much cooler day, the temperature dropping from Wednesday's 107 degrees. My goal is to sketch a small set of historical and important Fresno spots this next week while I'm here. I intend to finish this drawing after some friends at "All Things Fresno" take a look at it and may decide to use it. It needs a sky for one thing. By the way, "All Things Fresno" has a gallery and gift shop there on the left by the awnings shown.

Divisadero & Fulton

2011-06-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

June 20, 2011. I don't usually get two sketches in on one day, but I was told about this funeral home down on Fulton and Divisadero that I should draw. While I was down there I saw several old structures that wanted to be drawn, but they'll just have to wait. One thing I took notice of, while sitting there on the sidewalk across the street- it's hot in Fresno. I think it was about 100 degrees today, supposed to be getting up to 105 by Wednesday. I'm not used to sketching in that kind of heat, and I think I'll have to take along an ice-cold Ginger Ale next time.

I'll take a double-double

2011-06-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

June 20, 2011. If you ask my kids what they miss most about America, In-N-Out Burgers fall somewhere in the top 5. It's always our first stop on the way home from the airport. Since we've been away, the chain has spread out from Southern California and there are about five of them here in Fresno now. I don't think we'll ever see them back in Germany, sadly. So, we'll get our fill while we're here, but make sure to swim a few hundred laps in between to work off the calories. Fresno's not short on sunshine, so I should be able to do plenty of early morning sketches before the household is awake.

the golden arches

2011-06-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

June 19, 2011. After a great time in the Northwest, we settle down in the central valley of California, where we'll be for a time. My first sketch is down on Blackstone in Fresno. The golden arches are recognized all over the world as a symbol that represents so many different things about American culture, good and bad. One of my favorite things about Fresno is the sun. Washington and Idaho were still wet and cool, but you can always count on Fresno to provide Vitamin D.

sketching with Gabi

2011-06-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

June 11, 2011. It would have been a shame to come all the way to Seattle and not get a chance to sketch with Gabi Campanario, aka the "Seattle Sketcher." He is the one who most inspired me to begin sketching on location in the first place. We sketched the Starbucks at the Mill Creek Town Center, near his house, sipping Jamba Juice. I did my best to sketch "Gabi style" with this one, working fast and trying to capture the scene with energetic lines and splashes of color. Meanwhile, he sketched the same scene and sketched me too. You can see his sketch of Starbucks [here] and his sketch of me [here]. Gabi's not only a great artist, he's a great person as well, and I was privileged to get a couple days to hang out with him and see his life.

in Lynden, Washington

2011-06-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2011. Here's my first sketch on this side of the ocean. We've had a great start to our summer. Our first day was with Gabi Campanario, the "Seattle Sketcher" and founder of the international Urban Sketchers movement. It was a pleasure getting to know him and his family, as well as the beautiful city of Seattle. The last couple days we've taken our daughter on college tours and we're staying up in Lynden, Washington near the Canadian border with a wonderful couple. Tomorrow we're heading back to Seattle, and I'm planning on sketching in the city with Gabi, something I've been looking forward to for a long time. This is a sketch I did this morning on Front Street in Lynden.

it's a circus here

2011-06-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2011. Here's a sketch I did today of the "Circus Luna" that's here in town. It pretty much symbolizes my day today, as we missed catching a train this morning in France, then had to have a water leak in the basement fixed, then found out the local government office has misplaced my daughter's passport, just in time for our flight to the States on Tuesday for eight weeks. The good news is, I was able to sell some artwork today, which is a huge help. I was also able to get several loads of wash done, do the yard work, pack, and defrost the freezer. Hard to believe how much can happen in one day.

edge of summer

2011-05-28T09:03:00.001-07:00

May 28, 2011. Three days left to teach and the summer is here. I finished up some work at the school, then headed around the block to this spot on Johann August Sutter street. We're packing up our classrooms for the big move to our new school building and we're packing up our suitcases to fly to Washington state, then California for the summer. I haven't seen my dad in two years, and I'm looking forward to going to a Dodger game and eating some good American junk food.

at the interview

2011-05-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

May 26, 2011. There are some things you just don't put on a resume. But those are often the things that matter most when it comes to the day to day. If I have perfect job performance, but have no human relations skills, and if I have impressive credentials, but have no heart for my fellow man, I am hardly more than the machine I sit behind. My job is go beyond my job; to see the big picture. To see that people matter more than my productivity.

USk Basel

2011-05-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

May 24, 2011. So, if you haven't had a chance, make sure to check out our new Urban Sketchers Basel site. As I said on the main Urban Sketchers site, "Our intention is to showcase the beautiful city of Basel, Switzerland through on-location sketches and to perpetuate an interest in urban sketching amongst professional and amateur artists in the region. In the future we would like to schedule Basel sketchcrawls where sketchers could meet together and share their love of outdoor sketching. Basel is a city rich in history and known for its museums and art." Also, if you haven't had a chance yet, check out the other Urban Sketcher sites listed on the sidebar, and if you're into street sketching yourself, think about starting your own USk site in your local city or region. Directions are found on the main Urban Sketchers website.

sleeping in the sun

2011-05-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

May 23, 2011. I thought it was about time to do another self-portrait. This school year's about to wrap up, then we're headed to the Pacific Northwest for a couple weeks before heading down to Fresno, California, and eventually down to Long Beach. I'm loving the sunshine these days, sitting on a bench in the hot sun for a half an hour today. The bench overlooked the entire village of Sitzenkirch, and I fell asleep letting my mind run through 14 years of memories there. God has been good.

goodbye Sitzenkirch

2011-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

May 22, 2011. I didn't intend to draw our old house today. We lived here for only two years, but we have many good memories. The house sits across the road from the school where I have taught for the past 14 years. After this year I will be saying goodbye to this sleepy little village of Sitzenkirch and teaching in the town of Wollbach. Here my kids shot bows and arrows, walked in the creeks, cheered for Germany during the World Cup games, sledded in the snow, and enjoyed the beautiful countryside in the summer. Here is where our heat went out, and where we celebrated one of our coldest Christmases, opening presents with our coats on and as many candles as we could find to light. After I finished the sketch, the couple who has lived there for the past few years came out and requested to buy it, as they too will be saying goodbye to this house and moving back to Egypt.

car bills

2011-05-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

May 20, 2011. Here's a commissioned sketch for some friends of ours. The timing is good, as our car broke down again this week. They called to confirm the price the other night, and I told them it depends on the size of the repair bill. Of course I'm kidding. Truth is, our car has been a real pain this year, and we are actually considering not having a car next year to save money. We'll see.

at Acqua Basel

2011-05-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2011. We had to shut our school down for the day, due to a flu bug that was taking out a large part of our student body. Therefore, I found myself with a day off in the middle of the week, so I headed into Basel to do some sketching with Boris Zatko. I found him sketching the old children's hospital, down by the river. He needed a break, so we took the water taxi across the river, and took a little walk. At that point, the sky darkened, and a thunderstorm changed our plans, so we drove over to Acqua Basel, where we did some indoor sketching of the restaurant's lounge. I added watercolor to the sketch later in the day. PS: Boris has posted his report and sketches of the day [here].

my little helper

2011-05-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

May 17, 2011. Here's a little sketch I did today after work in the village of Holzen. Shortly after I sat down on the grass, I was joined by a little 6 year old girl named Alexandra who told me she was going to be an artist some day. From that point on, she became a little helper, giving me pointers and ideas. I had to stop in the middle of this sketch to draw a cartoon that she could take home. Alexandra's two little sisters came over and started grabbing up my paintbrushes and pens. It turned out to be a fun little party, but I think Alexandra wasn't too impressed with my German.

time for a walk

2011-05-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

May 16, 2011. There are always bills to pay. There are always misunderstandings and conflicts. The car breaks down and the picnic gets rained out. Troubles are a normal part of life. No one escapes them. But thank God, he has given me people in my life who make me smile and laugh, and focus on the great things happening around me. One of my favorite times to think through all my blessings is when I'm walking through these hills, and I have time to just be thankful for life. It is a gift.

good lazy Saturday

2011-05-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

May 14, 2011. A lazy Saturday. Last night was my annual father/son campout, when all the boys in my class and their dads head out into the woods for an overnight. We usually come back sopping wet, cold to the bone, and spend the day cleaning up muddy tents and sleeping bags. But this year was wonderfully dry and warm, and we woke to sunshine. Now that everything is put away, and the yard work is done, the clouds came and the rain began... just fine with me. I sat down and sketched whatever was in my head, and here's what came out. I suppose it shows a mixture of refreshment with a bit of anxiety as well, as I think about the flurry of activity ahead. One day at a time... enjoy each moment.