Blue cats, a second sketchbook flip-through
And ICYMI three coloring books
I’ve been thinking of the ways we can cultivate our own aliveness and how creativity (viewing it, making it etc) helps us hear our own inner voice and humanity. In an age of a continuous firehose torrent of marketing, misinformation and disinformation we try to stay in touch with our inner selves so we can know what's true, to know our own minds and what we want or need in order to be fully human.
We cultivate our own aliveness via reading novels, listening to music, doodling, sewing, writing, gardening, knitting, cooking and many other creative activities.
One morning during breakfast in my sketchbook I drew a cat drawing a “cave painting” of a cat playing with yarn.
Then another morning with my blue fountain pen ink I drew a cat playing with yarn in a larger sketchbook.
The finished drawing begged to be on a big 28 ounce soup mug… which is available via this link on my Zazzle shop. Here are two photos of it…
… I had such fun making the yarn tangle go all the way around the mug-bowl and I'm enjoying the visual pun/nod to the old fashioned blue willow china patterns - so I wanted to show you both sides of it!
I'm still working towards a printed (and ebook) reproduction of my entire sketchbook that I've been sharing with you this year. You can see the first sketchbook flip-through here. 👇
Sketchbook flip-through
In this video I flip-through my sketchbook "G" - which I've been sharing here on this newsletter. I plan to publish this entire sketchbook, in both print and ebook forms - page smudges, wrinkles and all - before too many more weeks pass. I'm doing my best to make the reproduction as much like holding my original sketchbook as I can make it.
And here's a second flip-through of the same sketchbook. 👇
If you prefer YouTube 👇
Since there are a number of new subscribers (welcome!!) here’s a quote I have thumbtacked to my studio wall which hopefully explains a bit of why I want to give my subscriber-community artistic things that are encouraging the cultivation of our humanity.
Towards that end here are three coloring books that can be downloaded and printed for your creative coloring pleasure!
Here's a dragon…
How to draw a dragon
Here's a coloring book with a story-poem that I wrote and illustrated titled “How to draw a dragon”. There's a printed book version here. The ebook version is downloadable from the button below. I hope you'll enjoy reading my story and coloring the pages. And yes, in a roundabout way it's about being creative and coping well with critics.
And hedgehogs…
Hedgehog Coloring Book
For some dear friends who were having a difficult time I hand drew a hedgehog themed coloring book. The act of coloring has been proven to reduce stress. (Here's a link from the Mayo Clinic about that.) My wife J. L. Sullens our Fairy Goddaughter and another dear friend Keri and her grandson Stanley helped me think of hedgehog activities for me to draw for my 32 pag…
Plus a thank you for being here coloring and folding downloadable printable book!
Thank you!
To say a special thank you to my subscribers I've designed and illustrated a sheet-book which can be printed, colored and folded.
Thank you all for being here!! Your encouragement, support and patronage is much appreciated!!! 💚💚
I love them! You drawing animals drawing is beyond cute. Thank you for brightening my day!
"...we try to stay in touch with our inner selves so we can know what's true, to know our own minds and what we want or need in order to be fully human..."
Such an EXCELLENT blueprint for life! THANK YOU. ☺️