Illustration Friday: Five

This week's topic at Illustration Friday is 'five.' So five card draw (or 'stud') jumped to my mind immediately. And probably the most famous hand played in that game was the 'dead man's hand' held by James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok. On August 1, 1876, in Deadwood in the Dakota Territory, he held two aces and two eights (much debate on what the fifth card was... lost forever to history) when he was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall, ending the life of the notorious gunfighter and sometimes lawman.

Peace to all, and sit with your back to the wall in risky situations. 

Illustration Friday: Juice

Okay, so Tang isn't really juice, and Buzz Aldrin said it sucks, but it just came to mind when the 'juice' topic was presented for this week's Illustration Friday challenge. And walking on the surface of the moon would tend to get one pretty juiced.

Peace to all, and remember: breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Illustration Friday: Silence

Almost 10 years ago I discovered a cool site... IllustrationFriday.com. It's a place where a word... abstract or concrete... is given as a challenge for folks to visualize in art. The art can be digital or traditional. Really the only requirement is that you have a blog or webpage on which to post the art and to which a link is provided at IF's site.

Back in 2005, and for a couple of years after, I posted links darned near every week taking on the topic of the week, and it was my introduction to a form of social media. Folks would comment on the various blogs, and for a time little support cliques sprouted up here and there, and it was all very cool.

It's probably still very cool, and please don't take this as a trite little muse of melancholy. In 2008 or '09 real life got very busy for me, and my submissions to IF dropped off to only one or two a year. I still check the topic of the week and browse. But I've lost touch with most of the folks who used to comment on my stuff and on whose stuff I would comment. The newer format has made it a little harder to follow folks, I feel. I imagine there are still groups of folks who check in on each other, and it's good to see the site thriving.

So, all that said, and looking over it, it probably needn't have been said. Doesn't really say anything. But it would take too much effort to go back, highlight it, and delete it. Maybe that notion of deletion dovetails well with the subject this week... silence. This week's IF topic is here, and I'll post it.

Peace to all, and don't go deaf.

Illustration Friday: Egg

After a night on the town, Mr. Dumpty made a poor choice of routes home.

Peace to all, and designate a driver (or leader).

March 30, 2013

Puzzling

March 29, 2013

The Long & Unwinding Road

(with apologies to the Beatles)

March 28, 2013

Where RVs Go to Die

March 27, 2013

Books on Nightstand

Illustration Friday: Swim

Not having learned to swim, Gerard never really enjoyed time spent in the water.

Illustration Friday: Eyeglasses

Don't know why, but the first image that came to mind with this week's topic was one of John Lennon wearing shades. (Well, Elton John's wild performance glasses also popped into my head, but I chose to go a little more understated.) So I started searching for some source material on Lennon and sunglasses, the chosen one being the well-known Bob Gruen shot... with its associated story of his asking Lennon to wear the $5 NYC shirt just purchased from a street vendor.

Peace to all, and go find yourself some cheap sunglasses. 

Illustration Friday: Paisley

Sherman came to work on Monday proudly displaying his Father's Day gift.

Happy Everyday and paisley peace to all.

Illustration Friday: Strong

Putting up three re-posts in honor of my old friend Blackie, who had to be put down a couple of weeks back due to a cancerous tumor. Some of you may remember these posts from previous years, when I used our adopted SPCA mutt as a model for some of the IF topics.

I'm using the 'Superhero' illo as a submission for 'Strong', but I'm also including two others I did of Blackie... one for 'Chair' and another for 'Portrait.'

He was a good friend that we had the pleasure of hosting in our house for fifteen years. He was completely deaf the last few years, and that tumor crippled him the last couple of months, but he never lost his wag or his good spirit, even on his last day. The veterinarian agreed that the cancer had finally spread to his lungs (his breathing had become labored), and an operation for a dog his age was out of the question. He was truly strong to the end.

Peace to all.

Illustration Friday: Celebrate

Our little corner of the world has suffered from a couple of years of drought, so I celebrate the rain that has visited us these past few weeks. The wind and the wet really hurt the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (the corporate descendant of Bing Crosby's Clambake), but the weather has always been iffy for that tournament anyway... always a gamble.

We're about up to normal, year-to-date, but that still doesn't get us out of the dry woods. 

So to all you fair-weather fans, let us have our day in the showers. Peace to all, and don't forget your galoshes.

Illustration Friday: Resolve

There's a worthy organization that can be found at www.resolveuganda.org. Go to that site. I'll let it speak more ably than I can.

Peace to all, and especially to the troubled lands in Africa.

Illustration Friday- Clandestine

Stereotypical cloak and dagger, Spy vs. Spy stuff comes to mind when I think of the word 'clandestine.' Dark alleys, microfilm, and the like.

This past year has been somewhat of a drag for my household, which is why I haven't been posting to Illustration Friday... too many time-consuming unpleasantries. But we still count our blessings, which are many, no matter what comes our way.

Here's to a better New Year. Peace to all, and keep your eyes open for shady characters. 

Illustration Friday: Memories

Upon graduating from college, I gave myself a present of a then state of the art sound system. A Pioneer turntable, a Concept tuner, Cerwin-Vega speakers, and a Pioneer cassette deck (replacing my old eight-track tape player)... all perched on a cinder block entertainment center. Sitting above the bakery in my rented room ($40 a month... whatta deal), music was a much bigger part of my life in those days.

Peace to all, and stay clear of the melancholy blues.

Illustration Friday: Rude Teen

Yeah, this is my submission for Rude... what's that? Oh, crud. Guess I didn't read the subject carefully enough... Oh, well, it is what it is.

Peace to everyone, and keep your routines rude-free.

Illustration Friday: Foggy

You are just a dreamer,
and I am just a dream.
You could have been
anyone to me.
Before that moment
you touched my lips
That perfect feeling
when time just slips
Away between us
on our foggy trip.

You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
To somewhere safer
where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but
I'm getting blown away.

From 'Like A Hurricane,' words and music by Neil Young

The illustration is based on a photo by a San Francisco Chronicle photographer, name unknown to me.

Peace to all, and keep your wheels on the road side of the fog line.

Illustration Friday: Sour

It only took a few minutes of socializing for Hank's mood to go south, and he soon retreated to the driveway with his whiskey sour and a cigarette.

Peace to all, and don't drink alone.

Illustration Friday: Wide

Shameless product placement: Mickey's Wide Mouth, aka Mickey's Wide Mouse.

We on California's central coast are going through a heat wave. Cervezas of any brand hit the spot on days like these.

Peace to everyone. Stay hydrated and choose a designated driver.