November? You were barely here...

November is one of those months that just zips in and out, or so it seems... So, did you vote? Of course you did. I did too. I always do. 

The polling place is about a mile from my house, and I have a history of showing up at the wrong times (when I don't have to stand in line for 20 minutes is when I consider it to be the right time)... so, instead of showing up:

 when it opens - people on their way to work are there then...

 9am-11am - people who run errands and shop are there then...

 noon - lunchtime - everyone is there then...

 after 3pm - school is out, workplaces begin to close...

So, sometime shortly after 1pm seemed like a safe option. Ha! I stood in line with 100+ other people for 45 minutes.

For the record: I'm a democrat, I've always been a democrat. So, you know, in the 3 whole minutes that it took me to actually vote — I filled in the circle next to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Would have taken less time if the lead in the #2 pencil hadn't been broken. Yes, we have scantron style ballots. No levers, no punches. Just a bunch of adults filling in circles on a piece of paper.

Anyway, that's done.

Are you still reading this? Good. Because that last paragraph wasn't the end of the world, and I'm pretty sure I've mentioned my political leanings before... 

Anyway, November, I hardly know ye as a month, because you fly by every year while I'm trying to wrap up a bunch of illustrations. Yes, I have 6 illustrations to finish for the calendar — and I only managed to totally change my mind on a couple of them at the last minute and totally start over from scratch, ha!

So, in all honesty, there's nothing that looks super exciting about the sketch phase. Plus, my current sketchbook sat in the trunk of my car and I pulled it out because I ran out of sketchbooks, and well, the paper is kinda lumpy. It's usable, but warped... the usable part is the important part. So, yes, sketching and scanning and inking scan print-outs is what I have been doing fiendishly for the last 2-3 weeks, when not sleeping or cleaning.

I finished these back in June - for father's day.

male eastern bluebird

female eastern bluebird

It was interesting to take renderings that I had done at a certain scale and blow them up to fill in the details. Technically, it's something I do all the time, up until I started these - I hadn't drawn any birds that were quite that big.

I have some other bird portraits on the docket, but that's all on hold until I finish the calendar. So, I guess I should get to work finishing those pictures, and then maybe Christmas will be here and done and over with, and I can finally just relax, right? Until it snows and I have to drive to work in it...

Anyway, Thanksgiving is tomorrow — so HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A week for the birds...

They grow up so fast...

We had a second clutch of eastern bluebirds in the backyard. This time it was 4 babies. And all 4 fledged this last week. They're such cuties, aren't they? Yes, they are. Look at the little blue tails!

mauve morning rendezvous

I got a picture done last weekend. Which actually means I spent a lot of time sketching, drawing, and coloring birds last weekend — blue headed vireos to be exact. This wasn't really like a planned picture. I mean, if planning involves more than me sitting at the computer and thinking "I want to do something mauve / lavender colored with sunshine, flowers, and birds..."
Every once in a while I just need to start something and finish it.

It's been a strange and stressful week, and I capped it off yesterday by sleeping for 10 hours. Yes, 10... at the very least 9.5. My car broke down, it rained, it thunderstormed, it rained and stormed some more, and then the sweltering heat returned... The car is fixed now, and it didn't rain tonight, so perhaps this week will be better? I hope so.

Bluebirds...

So, the bluebirds...
Yes, I think I've mentioned the eastern bluebirds a gazillion or so times. When we're lucky, not only do they visit our backyard, but they nest there. So, below is a picture of the old nest box... it is no more. It was old, and it was literally falling apart. That's what happens with weather and age. My father made that nest box. And my father made the new nest box that after some swearing and consternation was installed in it's place.

Yeah, it's a wooden box bolted to a metal pole. The bolts holding up the old box were rusty. One of them had to be removed via hacksaw because the wrench and the can of WD-40 just wasn't going to cut it. Good thing my father bought me that hacksaw for Christmas, I guess...

This was the old box.

So, anyway, the bluebirds have been hanging around the yard again. They watched the demolition of the old house. There was much squawking and wing waving. And then, hours later they were in the backyard, nesting materials in beak, building a nest in the other nest box... you know - not the nice new one. Birds.

So, anyway, it is now Father's Day. So, if you're a father: Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day is one of those kind of annoying sneaky holidays. It creeps up on me every year. I love my father, don't get me wrong, it's just that Father's Day has this annoying habit of being on or around my birthday. No one likes multitasking on their birthday... There's a 2 day delay this year, but I still have to share it with the first day of summer.

Anyway, every year there is a last minute Father's Day gift... so this is this year's. Yup, it's a drawing of a male eastern bluebird. Yes, I draw a lot of bluebirds, you can see them here.

I sat down in front of the computer whilst catching up on the Daily Show & Colbert on hulu and drew the bluebird on a branch.

Then that was scanned into photoshop. I cleaned up the scan and adjusted the layer to just black and white. Then I blocked the scan and started filling it in with colors and used a photograph for the background.

This was the photo I used for the sky. I took it on Thursday morning while it was sprinkling on and off. Stormy skies are generally the most interesting to look at. Obviously, when I used it in the picture I adjusted the colors and levels.

I printed out the colorized scan of my drawing onto some 2-ply plate bristol and began coloring it with my favorite medium: prismacolors.

And there it is. Well, I have to sign it and slice off the border so I can fit it in a picture frame, but otherwise it's done :D

Have a Happy Father's Day!

Outside: birds in spring

Well, Happy Easter!

Maybe since it's technically Easter Sunday as I begin typing this at 2am EST — I'll get around to coloring some Easter eggs today. It just wouldn't be me if it wasn't done at the last minute.

Truth be told, I've been sick. I seem to have acquired some sort of cold. I never seem to just get the sniffles, no, every cold has to be some sort of hacking / coughing nightmare with a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and a fever. I slept for 11 hours today... and believe me, I did not wake up feeling well rested. I think I want to go back to bed.

Anyway, the weather seems to have decided to coordinate with the way I feel. It's cold and rainy and dull, and rainy, and then it hailed... You know, c'mon, weather — it's April, could you act kind of springy already? Could we have some sunshine and some calm skies.

Anyway, before I was hit with this virus, I wandered out and took some photos. The red-winged blackbirds are holding steady to their territory in the marsh. And yes, that third shot is a sandhill crane — believe me it is not a Canada Goose. We have Sandhill Cranes and Great Blue Herons in these parts — so when a giant bird flies over I always have to pause and wonder which one it is. Sandhill cranes fly with their neck fully extended. Great Blue Herons fly with their neck tucked back to their bodies.

The last three shots were taken in the backyard. The bluebirds have returned (sometimes we wonder if they really ever leave). They're scoping out territory in the backyard and waiting for warmer weather. The pussy will has been waiting to bloom. It got all fuzzy and cute... and then the weather got cold. Hell, it even snowed one day. Yes, there was the magnolia bush out back covered with buds which were blanketed with snow. Really, weather, c'mon, enough with winter already.

It seems to be warming up, so hopefully I can ditch this cold... particularly by Friday - because that's the Art Walk. If you're anywhere near Tecumseh, Michigan: Friday 29 April 2011 is the annual Tecumseh Art Walk. I'll be at Timeless Stitches, so if you're in town, then please stop by. The event is 6-9pm. Hopefully this year it doesn't rain!

Spring is for the birds

There is an age old argument over who was the better front man of Van Halen. So much so that songs have been written about it ("Van Halen" by Nerf Herder). You either think David Lee Roth was the consummate front man or you're a Sammy Hagar devotee. As it turns out, I come down hard on the side of Van Hagar. Yes, that's right, I said it: I prefer Sammy Hagar.

Now, I realize I may lose some friends or endure some scornful Roth-lover sniping... it is what it is. Anyway, Dave left the band, recorded some solo work, had that radio show, did that weird thing at the MTV something-or-other awards, there was some reunion, eh, whatever. Sammy Hagar is awesome!

Anyway, on some abysmal solo record David Lee Roth sang "Just a Gigolo" which contains the lyric: "life goes on without me." I've heard the song repeatedly on the "hair guitar" station at work, that and "Yankee Rose" — surely Diamond Dave must have recorded more than 2 songs, although if you listen to that station you would never know it...

Anyhow, since they play "Just a Gigolo" like it's one of only 2 DLR songs on earth, even though I'm not a fan, I still get the damned thing stuck in my head. And the quote is apt: life goes on without me.

That it does.

So, while I'm busy doing whatever I'm doing - life goes on without me. I have been busy lately, and it's been raining, so my time with the camera is limited. But the birds have gone on with their business nonetheless.

The pair of eastern bluebirds have 4 eggs in the box in the backyard, which the female has been sitting on diligently.

And the goldfinches finally discovered the feeder that I put out solely for them. Amusingly, they both make exactly the same expression when being photographed. As if to say, "you there, what are you doing?"

Hopefully you've been busy or happy lately, or at the very least well rested & fed : )

Outside: Bluebirds, the Treasury, & the Voter

It's been a wee bit warmer recently, and the pair of Eastern Bluebirds have been establishing their territory in the backyard. Every once in a great while the male will let me stand really far away and take a photo... just every once in a while.

This is a shot of eastern bluebird eggs in a nest in the nest box (from last year). It's called "nest" and is available at my "sarahknight" shop on etsy

"nest" is also featured in this wonderful treasury of bluebirds & butterflies by Starzyia
I invite you to go check it out : )



My "say's phoebe" print is also featured in this lovely treasury "Cloud Watching" by Polestar



I invite you to go check it out : )

And, of course, I encourage you to go vote in this round of the etsy "voter." It's called "What's in Your Ideal Garden." And one of my pieces, "Happy Together" is in contention! So, yes, I'm asking, begging, pleading, & otherwise strongly encouraging you to go vote for my print!

When logged into your etsy account you can vote here:
http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=101

projects, projects, projects...

I always seem to forget in the winter that spring is coming. I get into a schedule of coming home from work and spending my downtime working on illustrations relentlessly. That's good, because, of course, then things are completed in a timely fashion...

And the spring arrives.

And suddenly I have the desire to go outside and wander around the yard with my camera... I even stopped on my way home from work a few days ago just to take some pictures. Which means that working on illustrations sometimes comes to a screeching halt.

My desktop is presently filling up with PSDs.
These are some compositions for sarahkdesigns that I'm supposed to be working on, but the outdoors seems to be beckoning me...

tulips & ladybugs
the forest
the koi pond
barn swallows
eastern bluebirds

But they will eventually be finished!
"tulips & ladybugs" is almost done.
I have to draw butterflies for "the forest."
The koi pond just needs to be color edited.
The composition that the barn swallows were drawn for needs to be scanned & filled.
I have yet to compose the background picture for the bluebirds, but I think I have an idea.

I've been procrastinating with some photo editing in the meantime. I got some good shots of the ever elusive pair of bluebird that are scoping out the nest box in the backyard. The bluebirds are a little camera shy.

Hopefully, your spring is productive!

Picture Story: happy together

I like happy pictures. As far back as I can remember, that's what I've drawn. I like things with bright colors, and a lot of different colors. I like landscapes, I like sky, and sun, and flowers. More specifically, I like drawing them.

I recently decided to make some artwork specifically for myself (the house). And in the process I ended up working out a number of compositions since I made a variety of elements. When I was drawing the calla lilies I also drew a bunch of tulips. And then I made "the house" — well, I also drew out the bird house. Technically, it's not actually a "bird house", it's a bird box, more specifically a nest box.

Anyhow, the reason that I would draw myself a nest box is because I have them in my backyard. They are for eastern bluebirds. And every year, there are a pair of bluebirds that have a brood in one of the boxes.

So, I decided to make myself a picture using the nest box with some bluebirds. The bluebirds usually show up in March, right around the time we have spring here in Michigan, to scope out the yard and claim their territory. They always arrive before the tree swallows.

close-up of the bluebirds

They spend a lot of time inspecting the box. Sitting on top of it, perching on the back, and doing the wing wave.

This will be available as a print at "sarahkdesigns" soon : )

Outside: the bluebirds are here

Since spring seems to be upon us, my favorite harbingers have arrived: the eastern bluebirds.
There are 3 bluebird boxes in the yard, and every year we have a pair of bluebirds occupy one of them. They usually have between 3 and 5 babies.

This week our bluebirds have returned and they're outside scoping out the nest boxes.
This is a male:


The male is on the left, the female is on the right.


And this is the box they are currently laying claim to.

(although, I photographed this a few weeks ago when there was still snow on the ground...)

Hopefully, they'll stick around and build a nest and have some babies.

I have a lot of bluebird items in my shop: sarahkdesigns I invite you to check them out!

I invite you to check out my interview at Liz Ware's blog

Outside: eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis)

sarahkdesigns

♥ Most-Hearted 8 X 10 Print Sale ♥ (June 14 thru June 20, 2009) ♥ Any open edition 8X10 print with 7 hearts or more will be just $10.00! See something you like? See something you want? Heart it into the sale!♥
♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ •


this is in the sale : )

and these are some photos of the male of the pair of Eastern Bluebirds who are currently nesting in the box in my yard.