Monday, January 24, 2022

The Wrong Color

A painter with a paintbrush and bucket of green paint.

Even with the most thorough planning, things don't go completely as expected. But plan, then do stuff anyway. Like choosing a color, it probably won't be perfect, but as somebody wise said, perfection is the enemy of done.

Wednesday, December 08, 2021

We All Need Taxis

Picture of a taxi

We all need to use taxis, the cars that carry us around, and metaphorical taxis, the people and tools that help us do things and go places. Do you need a ride to the airport? Call a taxi. Do you need to fly from the airport to San Francisco? Buy a ticket and get on a plane (unless you are already there). Do you need to get warm in the winter? Buy a coat.

Left to ourselves, most of us aren't readily equipped to manage life on planet earth. We don't have fur to keep us warm. We don't have fangs and claws to defend and feed ourselves. We don't have speed or wings, to travel quickly from one place to another.

Instead we buy, beg, borrow, and steal the help we need. We can't do life on our own! Instead of trying to figure out everything on our own, we need to ask for help.

Wise and useful people, at work and in communities, are the ones who have learned where to get and use the resources other people provide.

Friday, November 26, 2021

Warm Places When My Feet Are Cold

Desert sun and cactus

I am not a fan of cold weather. When I'm cold, I like to think of warm things. Like maybe the desert. (Although I think it can get pretty cold at night in the desert.)

The desert is a place where you can learn about interesting wild things, like cactus. You may notice I have included some words in this picture that have to do with cactus. I found them when I looked up cactus in a dictionary. For example, you can see the word Cacti, which is the plural form of cactus. Cacti are from the cactus family of plants, called Cactaceae. The big cactus in the picture is called a Saguaro, with an official name of Carnegiea gigantea...

...in case you were interested, or needed something warm to think about.

Monday, November 22, 2021

Doing a Little Thinking

I spend a lot of time every day thinking about things. How about you?

Sometimes I think about my work. Sometimes I think about the people around me. Sometimes I think about the craziness in the world.

Sometimes I think about what I could be doing if I wasn't just sitting here thinking.

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Onion Anyone?

I drew this! With a marker on newsprint. After that, I scanned it, then painted the background with an Affinity application, either Designer or Photo. (The original is on a different computer, otherwise I would check.)

I planted onion seeds in our little garden this year. They are growing very well, but no purple skin, like this one. Still not very big, but I'm patient, I can wait.

We have a rule in our house, if one of us eats an onion, the other can too. The idea is one onion breath will cancel out the other.

Monday, July 26, 2021

The Doctor Isn't Really In

A drawing of a doctor

Long ago, while a grade-schooler in Kokomo, Indiana, I recall drawing a picture of a doctor, possibly a surgeon, operating on someone. At the time, I thought it would be fun to be a doctor. Later I realized I didn't want to be a doctor, I just liked to draw doctors operating on people! (I grew out of that.)  I also went through a phase where I thought it would be cool to be a botanist. But no, I just liked drawing plants.

Being an artist and designer has given me many opportunities to meet amazing people, doing cool things. I have been able to temporarily work alongside smart, accomplished people, without the hassle of actually learning what they learned. 


Wednesday, July 07, 2021

Shoe House: A Seller's Market

A shoe house for sale 

If you really wanted to live in a shoe, several questions come to mind.

  • Where would you get one to fit?
  • Are they available in new and used?
  • Are they available in various widths?
  • How do you prevent dampness, odor, and athlete's foot?
  • Do they come in pairs? Or are they randomly available like mystery shoes on the side of the road?