the truck sunk.

A couple weeks ago this truck sunk in the DesMoines River. After a few days of submersion, car help arrived and the wet truck was yanked out of the muddy depths.
The debris looks nice wrapped around the hood ornament. It looks like the eagle is making a nest.
The interior was filled with silt and dead fish. Notice there are no human bodies present, no one was hurt when the truck sank. Lucky ducks.
I don't know where it came from but there was a deer skull laying in the truck bed. It couldn't have been in there before the truck sank, a skull would have floated away. Did someone throw it in there after the accident? I wanted to take the skull home with me...but I'm pretty sure that would have given me bad luck.

Small brown bat. Photographed on the hood of my Honda by the DesMoines River.

Animal specimens helps inform the content of my work (no animals are ever harmed by my hands and have died natural deaths). I am able to get an up close encounter without all the hassle of harassing small mammals. The photographs are often incorporated into complicated paintings or drawings. Real observations of real animals are important to my work and its more personal then picking an image to draw off of google image search (not that I don't do that occasionally).

cute guys.

The toad has a natural defense mechanism. Urine. Noone likes to get peed on. He tried to pee on me but only managed to pee all over the porch. His natural defense didn't work on me...but I'm pretty sure his skin secretions gave me a mini-rash.
This slug was about 4 inches long. Brag-able? nope.

poor baby.

I noticed a lot of bird chatter. Oriole bird chatter, to be exact. Frantic and concerned oriole chatter. I couldn't figure out why two adult birds were so upset with me...until I almost stepped on their reason. A tiny baby bird was sitting, scared, next to my big toe. I knew I couldn't do much for the baby bird but I could at least keep him from becoming a dog's breakfast or a mess on someone's shoe.
I put the lil' guy a tree and he scooted up the bark like an old pro. He was safe for the time being. Little baby oriole perched himself on a branch and began to sing at his parents. This went on for over three hours until he lost his balance and fell into the bushes. His parents, who were never far away, began to freak out...again.
We all know there's not much you can do for a baby bird, it's the circle of life. I picked him out of the bush, set him on a tree branch, and let nature take it's course. He sang to his parents for the rest of the afternoon.

a gift from the dog.

We own a puppy now. I am constantly yanking objects out of his curious mouth. Bottle caps, paper goods, rotten food, underpants, pennies. All sorts of fun things.

While camping, Mudd pranced up to me like he'd found something good, something super good. his tail was wagging.

"drop it, Mudd!" yells jane.

Mudd droped his treasure. A flattened and dehydrated leopard frog. Good eye, dog!

We went out arrowhead hunting but ended up as fossil hunting. Check out these beauties.

(Brachiopods)

These shells are among the most common fossils found in Iowa. Brachiopods lived inside the protective cover of two hinged shells, attached to the floor of warm, shallow seas that once covered the state. These eastern Iowa specimens are about 375 million years old (Devonian).

lovebugs. click on the image for a better view.

Also, I just caught wind of a great blog. I was in a print exchange called "Leftovers". The exchange was put together by Wingtip Press and encouraged artists to use their "leftover" paper to make a 20 prints. I silk screened hog on kitikata paper...because everyone likes leftover bacon. You can check out all the clever art from clever artists at the blog:

http://leftoversanyone.blogspot.com/

penny. penny!

I'm a collector. I collect rocks, bone china, books, fossils, postcards, nick-knacks, and basically any other small (and interesting) souvenirs. People know this about me and when my friends travel around this beautiful country they'll make me smashed pennies. I love smashed penny machines, they're classic Americana. Any good tourist trap will have a penny smashing machine. They're cheaper then anything(51 cents), even a postcard. So, why not get one? I'm planning on making a giant shadow box frame to display my amazing collection that would only partially exist without the help of my worldly, road tripping, pals.

i captured his essence. click on the drawing for a more accurate viewing.

fortune cookies that should exist: don't eat Cheetos for breakfast.

he's cooler then we are.

A Challenge for Jane.

(first drawing I've made in awhile, they'll get better. let's observe progress)

Confession: The puppy made me complacent until about a week ago. I got heady and cranky. I was upset because all of my drawings looked shitty. To feel better: I'd start a new drawing, work on it for 10 minutes, get pissed off at the sophomoric proportions, tear the drawing apart, throw it in the can, and play with the puppy to make myself feel better.

No more! I am not going to let myself get into the habit of not drawing. I took a hiatus. The hiatus is over.

My goal: a drawing a day. (I can't post on weekends, no inter-web access).

Wish me luck!

This is the best coaster I've ever seen.

A wild eyed, rearing, black stallion BLASTING outta two cans of delicious Busch light.

Three cheers, Busch.