Hey Macy's, You've got Nothing on This Parade

Sweet, sweet Coney Island

Yesterday I had the extreme pleasure of witnessing the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. I use the word 'witnessing' because I was half expecting to be questioned by police after it was over. Talk about a fest of fins and flesh! I'm aware my blog has gone totally kid friendly so I'll shelve the tons of nudie sketches I brought home.

The heavy exposure of parts usually best left unexposed was very exciting for the younger audience.

A Week In Pictures

I started a new job last week, full time with benefits, the stuff an artist's dreams are made of. It's funny but things that went from bad to worse all year long are now spinning in full speed in the opposite direction. Things are going from great to fantastic to fantastically great. Along with the theme of the week I discovered Washington Square park on one of my lunchtime jaunts last week. Now I spend most days there drawing during lunch or after I punch out. It's about the best thing ever.

Most kids are easy to call. They're either New Yorker kids or tourist kids. Tourist kids are always freaked to death by the squirrels.

The Summer blockbusters have arrived. I can tell it will be essential to see movies on opening weekend if I intend to continue drawing kids in the park. They love spoiling the plots. These soaked girls were playing at being Jean Grey back from the dead. After a week of drawing this one's my favorite. She looked and acted like I do so of course she was the coolest kid on the block. Now, if only the drawing of her chasing the mean boys away from the pidgeons they were terrorizing had turned out better. . .

Naturally Wonderful Natural History Museum

It's been months since I've been to the Natural History Museum. I had forgotten how fantastic the place is! My sister and I spent a day there a few weeks ago and had a marvelous time. These are some of the sketches I did while we partied dino-style.
My favorite dino of the day is as follows, it is far from anatomically correct but it's got something I want all of my drawings to have. When I look at it I can almost detach myself from it as if someone else drew it and my first thought is, whoever drew that had fun while they were drawing. That's what an impulse I want in all of my work.

I really like the museum's dinosaurs, they awe me and make me feel like a tiny child in a vast world, which is my favorite feeling. This time they weren't my focus. We spent a lot of time in the North America rooms and I had one of my favorite moments with my sister while we just sat quietly and drew owls. There were plenty to draw and these were my two favorite. The case they have them in is lit in a creepy way. They made me want to run straight home to watch 'Twin Peaks.'

I spent my fair share of time at the North American ducks

We visited the rhinos before we put the sketchbooks away. I can't wait to go back.

YAY for the baby!