SKETCHVILLE!

Ghosts

2012-01-23T20:21:00.005-05:00

This piece was based on the photo below;
a Listerine ad from the June 1960 McCall's
magazine. It's fun to exaggerate the figures and
add elements to create an entirely new image.
It sparks your thinking in a new way and
offers the opportunity to draw things that might
not occur in a sketch stemming purely from the
imagination.

Janet and Gorrk

2012-01-17T01:50:00.002-05:00

Jenny Lee Hightower's Special Power

2012-01-03T02:28:00.005-05:00

This is Jenny Lee Hightower of Waukegan, Illinois.
She was born with a very unique ability.
Whenever wieners are consumed, be it at lunch, dinner,
picnic or ballgame, she helps to usher their mortal souls
to their final resting place.

In 2007, during a particularly energetic Hot Dog Eating
Contest, Jenny Lee was hospitalized due to stress. It
is said that 37 franks were left to wander the earth in
spirit form until Jenny Lee recovered and sent them
Home.

In 2009, Jenny Lee married a man named Frank, whom
she met at Coney Island. They currently live in a lovely
ranch house in the Greater Waukegan area with their
two small children and, of course, a dog.

Jenny Lee still does her good works.
She does so with great relish.

Scarf-gantuan

2011-12-29T12:31:00.002-05:00

Some of these scarves are getting out of hand. :)

Dr. Draconious

2011-12-26T01:09:00.001-05:00

Dr. Heinrich Trelaine Draconious

Sketches Dec. 2011

2011-12-23T14:38:00.003-05:00

Sharon and Trevor

2011-12-13T20:47:00.001-05:00

Jasmine

2011-12-12T18:19:00.000-05:00

Jerome

2011-12-09T23:53:00.002-05:00

Captain American

2011-12-08T12:57:00.002-05:00

Deanna

2011-12-07T17:44:00.001-05:00

The Operator

2011-11-10T23:13:00.002-05:00

Sophia

2011-11-06T15:12:00.004-05:00

Even a woman who carries an angry, masked lucha-dog
can be moved by the overwhelming beauty of the night
sky.

Do Conversationalists Speak of Talking Sheep?

2011-11-03T04:10:00.002-04:00

If Ridley Scott owned a coffee shop, the conversations
might go something like this.

Connie

2011-11-01T04:46:00.002-04:00

The Reader

2011-10-31T01:38:00.004-04:00

This was the result of last Friday's Sparrows sketch
session. This girl was sitting across from me reading
her book. I was drawn to her layered hair and the
snazzy stripey socks that matched her striped coat.
The most interesting thing, though, turned out to
be the arm she was resting her hand on. It wasn't
until she got up to leave that I realized it was a
prosthetic! Not something you see every day and
certainly not on one so young. It was impressive to
see how she had adapted to doing everything with
one hand. Human resilience personified.

Space Faeries

2011-10-27T03:11:00.002-04:00

Go back to the ship while there is still time!

Ah, Romance

2011-10-26T16:40:00.002-04:00

If only it were this simple. :)

Hair Flower

2011-10-24T14:33:00.001-04:00

Bullet Belt Couple

2011-10-22T15:54:00.001-04:00

This couple came into Sparrows for coffee Friday.
Of all their accessories, his bullet belt managed to draw
the most attention. They stood by the most white-bread
family in the place and completely freaked them out.
I chose to exaggerate his size a bit as the look he was
sporting seemed to call for a brawnier physique.

Lacey

2011-10-20T01:45:00.004-04:00

Another outfit based on a Sparrows customer. That's one of
the things I love about sketching in coffee shops, so many
different women wearing interesting clothing. It's fun to take
the various styles and pair them with my own imagery.

Calli Mari

2011-10-16T03:34:00.003-04:00

She was a sight for assorted eyes.

Bona Fide Brass!

2011-10-13T15:25:00.002-04:00

Forget "Real Steel".
This here is "Bona Fide Brass"!

Dreads

2011-10-12T03:22:00.004-04:00

Another Sparrows sketch from Tuesday. A girl sporting a
pretty impressive set of blond dreads inspired this piece.
Definitely a lot of time and effort put in to get them to this
level. And, no, her neck was not that long. Just a bit of
artistic license. :)

Sparrows Girl

2011-10-12T03:09:00.003-04:00

This girl came into Sparrows Tuesday while I was
sketching. She was only in line for a short time so
I had to get as much information down as I could
and then fill in the rest from memory. I really liked her
long torso, an illusion created by a combination of the
short denim jacket and low slung, baggy brown jeans. It
was a great look and I'm not sure I did it justice here,
but it's not too bad given the circumstances.

Tiki Thursday!

2011-10-06T02:47:00.001-04:00

Aloha, everyone! It's Tiki Thursday!

The Visitor

2011-10-02T03:54:00.002-04:00

Danielle and the Alien-Repelling Chastity Belt

2011-09-29T06:16:00.005-04:00

Danielle had made a vow to sleep through the night.
When alien invaders threatened to put an end to her
much needed shuteye, she unleashed the power of
her IRON WILL and the awesome might of her
ALIEN-REPELLING CHASTITY BELT! The creatures
had no choice but to call off their foolhardy invasion,
leaving Danielle to slumber the night away in peaceful
tranquility.

Wahine with Tiki

2011-09-28T01:00:00.001-04:00

Boop!

2011-09-27T02:32:00.005-04:00

This was inspired by a shoe worn by dancer/
choreographer Amy Wilson. I saw her wearing
it at Sparrows and wanted to put it in a sketch.
The thing that caught my eye was the slit in
the side of the shoe. It's an interesting design
element that adds an intriguing air to an
otherwise ordinary object. The rest of the
sketch was a no-brainer. A girl getting her nose
booped by a lizard is always a winner in my book.

Spaceman

2011-09-22T22:38:00.002-04:00

Octo-hat

2011-09-21T05:13:00.002-04:00

The other day a girl came into Sparrows wearing
an oversize rasta hat and sporting long dreads.
This is what it looked like to me.

Ghost Dog and Zombie Girl

2011-09-20T01:01:00.001-04:00

Chair Girl

2011-09-12T01:35:00.002-04:00

Quick sketch from Sunday's Sparrows visit.
Had to get the basics down before she moved and then
filled in some details from memory. This is the kind of
relaxed pose that rarely occurs during formal life drawing.

Cowboy

2011-09-08T15:00:00.002-04:00

The Haunted Tiki Affair

2011-09-04T20:21:00.002-04:00

This is my entry in ArtPrize 2011. It's called "The Haunted Tiki Affair" and is acrylic on a 24"x48" back-stapled canvas. It will be on display at West Coast Coffee (55 Monroe Center NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503) from now through Oct. 9th. Check it out in person and throw it a vote once AP officially gets underway: Vote code: 55931

The Crooner

2011-08-30T14:28:00.002-04:00

Steamed!

2011-08-28T21:16:00.002-04:00

The Tray

2011-08-27T21:23:00.001-04:00

I'm as confused as you are, brother!

Flower

2011-08-21T12:25:00.002-04:00

MAILMAN!!

2011-08-10T02:26:00.003-04:00

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night
stays this courier from meting out justice before,
during and after the swift completion of his appointed
rounds."

He is... MAILMAN!!

The Texaco Man

2011-08-04T13:31:00.002-04:00

Hey, everybody! It's the Texaco Man!

Abstract

2011-07-19T21:41:00.001-04:00

Pen & ink w/digital voodoo

Victorian Joker

2011-07-13T14:47:00.002-04:00

Captain Midnight!

2011-06-30T03:05:00.002-04:00

PUNCH!

2011-06-26T02:17:00.002-04:00

Airship Captain

2011-06-18T00:17:00.002-04:00

The Haunted Tiki Affair (sketch)

2011-06-16T19:58:00.002-04:00

This is a rough working sketch of my 2011 Artprize entry.
It's a movie poster style image for the fictitious spy movie
"The Haunted Tiki Affair"
The final art will be 24"x48" acrylic on canvas.

Samantha Panther vs Crime!

2011-06-14T02:30:00.002-04:00

Rare poster preliminary for popular movie serial
"Samantha Panther vs Crime"

Samantha Panther!

2011-06-04T13:35:00.001-04:00

Schmerkus Circus: Cedric and Cedric

2011-05-26T18:53:00.003-04:00

Cedric Cavendish Von Whishkerchin
and his partner The Amazing Cedric.

In-cat-neato!

2011-05-26T18:51:00.001-04:00

Schmerkus Circus: Kolzinski and Felton

2011-05-12T04:19:00.000-04:00

Dagmar Kolzinski and
F. Waldo Felton III, Gentleman Bear!

Cindy

2011-05-06T12:46:00.004-04:00

She does love her frogs!

----------------
Now playing: "Frogs" Radio Spot
via FoxyTunes (To listen, click on the "Now Playing" widget at the top of the sidebar)

Francine

2011-04-06T21:32:00.001-04:00

Stare Trek

2011-04-01T01:13:00.002-04:00

Bear and Cat

2011-03-17T20:38:00.002-04:00

Don't do it, Bear! That's not funny, mister!
You leave Cat alone!
Bear?
Bear?
Do you hear me?

Ah, Romance!

2011-03-17T04:39:00.003-04:00

They were made for each other.

MCM Abstract Painting #1

2011-01-14T12:39:00.001-05:00

8"x10" Acrylic on canvas board

Gilligan!

2011-01-08T03:04:00.002-05:00

Everyone's favorite little buddy!

MCM Design

2011-01-03T21:29:00.002-05:00

Arabian Nights

2011-01-03T20:12:00.002-05:00

Yolanda

2010-12-29T22:47:00.002-05:00

The lovely Yolanda is seated in a stylishly low-
slung 50's era Danish Modern chair. This chair
(with different fabric) was featured in the book
Living Retro by Andrew Weaving.

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-24T04:24:00.002-05:00

Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New
Year and all that other holiday jazz!

Three Monsters

2010-12-20T13:11:00.003-05:00

Los Straitjackets Poster

2010-12-07T10:39:00.002-05:00

This is a poster I designed for an upcoming
Straitjackets show at Billy's Lounge.

Sea Critter

2010-11-26T14:44:00.002-05:00

Schmerkus Circus: The Amazing Rita Fandita!

2010-11-11T14:06:00.002-05:00

Schmerkus Circus: Esme & Bob

2010-11-04T03:24:00.004-04:00

It's Tiki Tuesday!

2010-11-02T12:51:00.001-04:00

MCM Design

2010-11-02T01:18:00.002-04:00

A line drawing jazzed up with digital tomfoolery.

MCM Design

2010-10-28T12:43:00.002-04:00

Emilia

2010-10-22T11:06:00.000-04:00

MCM Design

2010-10-19T23:56:00.002-04:00

It's Tiki Tuesday!

2010-10-19T11:46:00.002-04:00

GRAMPS!

2010-10-17T15:37:00.001-04:00

I would suggest you seriously
consider staying off of his lawn.

Sketches

2010-10-17T11:51:00.002-04:00

The Antagonists

2010-10-14T03:13:00.002-04:00

Long Legs McShortarms and Short Legs McLongarms
could never seem to find common ground.

Retro Sketch Page

2010-10-12T02:00:00.002-04:00

Tiki Sketches

2010-10-11T23:31:00.002-04:00

Tiki fun and tropical music madness!

Takin' a whiff

2010-08-12T13:48:00.000-04:00

Dodectopus

2010-07-14T03:53:00.006-04:00

Dodectopus has many eyes
He roams above in starry skies
searching for a love so rare
the stars themselves cannot compare
Once it's found, he holds on tight
to that love throughout his flight
Eventually he comes to ground
softly and without a sound
He takes the love he did not lose
eats it, burps, then has a snooze!

Three profiles

2010-07-07T05:58:00.001-04:00

Irana

2010-07-01T02:49:00.002-04:00

Camille

2010-06-24T13:29:00.002-04:00

Another stylish look from the lovely Camille.
This time she arrived sporting a brand new hair style
courtesy of the Vivacious Miss Audacious. The cut
was a combo of punk and a 30's flapper look. Amazing!

I may not have all of the details/colors right (this
was drawn several days after I saw the outfit and I
was understandably distracted by those long, sexy legs
at the time :)) but this is the overall impression it left.

The Chinese People

2010-06-23T02:19:00.003-04:00

This is a sketch drawn during a performance by the
fabulous Chinese People! The Chinese People are
Sarah Jean Anderson, Philip Anthony Anderson and
Jan Lewis Griffith Jr.. On the night of the show a
group of writers/poets wrote songs/poems on the
spot and The Chinese People composed the music and
performed them on stage. Amazing! The musical
inventiveness and humor on display made for an exciting
evening of entertainment. If you ever get a chance to
see them (or hire them), do so without hesitation!

Note: One of the themes of the event was the Distinguished
Gentlemen's Club. Everyone was given a false mustache to wear
and adopted a DG name. Mine was Ivan Stivan Von Klivenhaven.
You can see in the sketch how the band chose to sport their 'staches.

Darlene

2010-06-17T14:43:00.001-04:00

Juliet

2010-06-11T05:08:00.002-04:00

This is a memory sketch of Juliet Bennett Rylah,
front woman of local band The Fainting Generals.
This is an approximation of the look she sported
during Thursday's performance at the BOB.
She's loaded with talent and plenty easy on the eyes! :)

Miriam

2010-06-06T02:11:00.001-04:00

Cleo and the Cage

2010-05-24T23:56:00.002-04:00

Cleo can't resist the sweet nature of a domesticated glorph.

Leslie

2010-05-19T02:25:00.002-04:00

Chicks & Chumps

2010-05-17T14:52:00.002-04:00

Hawaiian Dancer

2010-05-16T03:32:00.001-04:00

Carly

2010-05-11T14:00:00.002-04:00

Go-Go Girl

2010-05-06T23:01:00.001-04:00

You go, Go-Go Girl!!

A Mid-Century Skull

2010-05-03T05:07:00.002-04:00

Coffee House Head Gear

2010-05-02T23:51:00.003-04:00

Hat sketched at Kava House 05/01

Bandana sketched at Sparrows 05/02

Whoa, Nellie! 2

2010-04-29T22:42:00.002-04:00

Caroline

2010-04-27T13:08:00.001-04:00

Lorelei Abernathy, Wiener Finder!

2010-04-26T00:17:00.004-04:00

She found her a wiener!