burrowing armadillo

If you stand still for more than 30 seconds in the woods, you can hear the loud rustling of leaves. I watched this armadillo zigzag past me with no knowledge of my presence. When I walked towards him, he finally heard me and quickly dug himself under a pile of leaves. Apparently their brains are tiny, he was really noisy even while hidden. He came out of hiding, then loudly buried himself again. They are comical little creatures.

pasture grasses

I went for a walk in the woods with the intention of sketching. For the first time I noticed the wonderful design of these curly bladed grasses. They were too interesting to pass up. I should remember to look at them again in the summer when they are green and alive.

Blanco River cabin

Bamboo is threatening to overtake this tiny cabin. Bamboo spreads by its voracious roots that are very difficult to control. Sketched at the Rio Bonito River Resort on the Blanco River in Wimberley, Texas.

let it snow!

A quick sketch from a miniature snow globe. Colored with Photoshop.

cheesecake

Schilo's German restaurant and deli. When in San Antonio, this is my favorite place to eat. An old-time diner with wooden booths and a long deli counter add to the nice, friendly atmosphere. They have the best weinersnitchel anywhere around (parts of Texas were settled by large populations of German and Czech immagrants).

line drawing

This is the evolution of an idea that came about a couple of months ago.

black and white version

desire

Watercolor, guasche, and ink

San Antonio souvenir shop window

This window display stopped me in my tracks. This is where old, lost souvenirs go for one last display. The lighthouse salt and pepper shakers are 150 miles too far north. I personally don't associate San Antonio with John Deere tractors and deer with rifles. Plastic ponies and ceramic cowboy boots...okay. Odes to armadillos and chili pepper strings of lights...perfect, Lil' Sherriff!

overcrowded neighborhood

This was done for the fun of it. I should be doing more important things, but today is my birthday (45th), so I'll make up for it tomorrow.

The Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas

An old pedestrian bridge over the San Antonio river. From what I read while browsing giftshops, the Riverwalk began construction in the year 1900. I didn't quite get the mossy patina in the lines here, but this is a nice rustic old bridge. The Riverwalk is a beautiful place to wander around. Also, for those who love to location sketch, San Antonio is full of places to sit with chairs AND tables!

the Alamo

A window on the backside of the building. San Antonio, Texas

late night conference

Sketched while working as PowerPoint Graphics Girl at a medical conference in San Antonio. This was a dinner meeting, with doctors from around the world. Most had traveled that day, everyone looked very tired. I am not a night person, so this is not my best time of day. Thank you moleskine for helping to stay awake.

parked under trees

Looking up in a pickup truck. This was a challenge to sketch. I felt very dyslexic...upsidedown became backwards.

The dinner roll

I know this is ridiculously obsessive, and not all the great, but I had to post it anyway. It's another experiment with lines.

giant aloe vera

With nine months a climate with temperatures between 95 to 105 degrees, plants such as the aloe vera thrive in the sun and heat. During the winter with temperatures well below freezing, plants such as these are vulnerable to dying without human intervention.

abandoned summer

This swimming area is crowded in the summer. Looks like there are no visitors in December.

conference call art

I really need to draw during long phone calls.

the edge of the woods

This was sketched with none of the usual wavy lines. It was a great challenge.

Cypress Creek bridge

Wimberley, Texas. The late afternoon sun made it difficult to sketch this, so I added a sun flare. If you can't beat it, add it.

the dingleberry fish

I have a small, fish shaped vase with small sunflower in it. I started to draw them, and came up with this instead.

more Suburbia

clouds

This was an experiment with lines. It's strange, but it was fun. This took several sittings to finish.

rock...

A very large limestone rock with holes in it.

....roll

I often drive past these rolling hills. They look like little cartoons, I just love them.

farmers' market

The turnip harvest.

sunset parade

State Fair of Texas. The eccentric scarecrow and punk rock swan lady are stilt walkers, and the clowns are Shriners. It's best to view this with rink-a-dink-a-dink circus music in your head. I love this parade!

a spring in the fall

During rainier times of the year, this is a healthy flowing creek. With the drought, it is only a small, springfed pool. Poor fish.

Austin yard art

A quick sketch while in Austin last Sunday. Keeping with the city's motto, "Keep Austin Weird".

Oak Grove

Intertwined trees on a hillside.

Charlotte Harbor, Florida

A quick sketch done this summer in a watercolor moleskine.

more suburbia

I have this love/hate relationship with suburban America. I grew up in it, my family moved around the country quite a bit in my childhood. We always landed in suburbia. I suppose we need comfort and safety in sameness. I would prefer to live on a boat.

Cypress Creek

Sketched while sitting on the ground in front of the tall grasses.

vineyard in a glass

Have a look at all of the wonderful moleskine sketchbooks and journals offered by the artist collaboration headed up by the great folks at modofly. http://www.modofly.net/

candletree bush

"Cassia Alata" with seedpods. This time of year the candletree produces its seeds. I collect the seeds every autumn, then plant them in the spring. This plant is the 4th generation from the original seeds given to me from a friend. The plant was much smaller this year due to the drought here in the Texas Hill Country.

The new books are out!

Modofly, the artist collaborative has just released another round of spectacular moleskine sketchbooks and journals. Have a look at the great works at http://www.modofly.net/

Suburbia

Tex-Mex a la carte

Tortilla soup, salsa, taco and tortilla chips. I sketched quickly before eating.

people, places and things

This took about 6 weeks to complete, evolving through many travels. It is the final page of the sketchbook, I am beginning small moleskine no. 7 for 2008.

my porch

Large moleskine sketchbook, Faber-Castell PITT artist pens.

sunset

View from my porch. Large moleskine sketchbook, color pencil and brush pen.

the hat shop

Sketched in large moleskine.

pumkin patch

Sketched from the local town square. Half page from large moleskine sketchbook. Ink and color pencil.

Devil's Backbone ridge

I've started using the larger moleskine sketchbook (8.25"x5.25"). This was the first sketch, using the full two pages. It seems huge, my lines go on and on across the page. A vast open-sky landscape was appropriate for a start in this book.

Drawn on location at a roadside rest stop's picnic table. Old Blanco Highway, between Wimberley and Blanco, Texas. Sunday, October 26, 9:00 am.

hillside agave

One of many varieties of agave in the Texas Hill Country. You learn quickly to avoid the sharp points on these plants.

free napkin with every order!

Blanco, Texas cafe. While filling my truck gas tank for $2.20 a gallon, I noticed this cafe. The shoe polish graphics on the windows have such a great sense of humor, I just had to sketch this place.

Dallas skyline

Colored with photoshop.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/

downtown Dallas

Wimberley Valley in the evening

After lots of traveling since August, it's good to be home for a while. This is a sketch from up on a ridge, very close to home.

Fair Park, Dallas

Fair Park, Dallas. Finished in 1936 for the Texas Centennial Exhibition, this park has the largest collection of art deco buildings in the world. Along the Esplanade there are 6 statues of women representing the nations that once ruled Texas. Along one side are Texas, the Confederacy and Spain. Along the opposite side are Mexico, France and the United States. This statue represents United States