T-Rex does the Hop

Easter T-Rex • iPad with Procreate

In the Spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.  

- Mark Twain

As Spring comes kicking and screaming into our area, like a cat being taken to the vet, another holiday quickly approaches. Fake plastic grass, themed items of every pastel hue in the spectrum, and candy enough to put a gargantuan dino into a diabetic snooze have littered the stores since before Valentine's Day.

So, what's up with the picture? A result of a jelly bean overdose hallucination? A mockery of Eastertime commercialization?

None of that. He fell into my head - kerplunk! - one day while pondering what kind of bunny drawing I was going to do for illustrator Dani Jones' March Daily Doodle Challenge.

The Challenge can be followed on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr (mostly on the first two) under the hashtag #dailydoodlers. Each day, from March 6 to 29 minus weekends, has a different theme and participating sketchers post their offerings. The results range from sublime to hilarious. A collection of crazy creative blossoms for all to see and enjoy. It's been so much fun, and the daily sketching has sharpened my skills in ways I didn't expect.

I am also taking my Easter T-Rex to Aquariann's Bunny Blog Hop, where I hope he'll stick to egg distribution and abstain from gobbling up the cute little critters featured there.

Click below to visit, and feel free to participate, too!

Shine Together

The Conversation - iPad with Procreate

When something happens, it can leave a trace of itself behind. Say like, if someone burns toast. Well, maybe things that happen leave other kinds of traces behind. Not things that anyone can notice, but things that people who "shine" can see. 

- Dick Hallorann, The Shining, 1980

Stanley Kubrick's film version of The Shining glossed over the family dynamics and more emotional elements in Stephen King's novel, and that's a shame. But, in spite of the slasher theatrics and cartoony performances by Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, it's still visually impressive and has some nice moments in it.

There was a 1997 mini-series that was a bit more faithful to the book. Unfortunately, it went too much to the other extreme and came off like an ultra-sappy Hallmark Moment-of-Truth movie.

The above iPad portrait features my favorite scene from the Kubrick version. Hotel chef Dick Hallorann converses with little Danny Torrance, played wonderfully by Scatman Crothers and Danny Loyd, respectively. A small child who is stuck in a situation he has trouble understanding is comforted by an adult who offers advice and lets him know he is not alone. In all incarnations of the story, the character of Dick Hallorann is a kind, compassionate and brave soul.

Sometimes, when you are small and feel disconnected from everyone around you, it means the world when another person makes an effort to offer kindness and help you find the strength within.

The Midnight Star

Stella - iPad with Procreate

The world is what you make of it, friend. 

If it doesn't fit, you make alterations. 

- Stella, Silverado, 1985

This week's portrait features another strong lady, a fictional one from the 1985 film Silverado.

I saw it when it first came out in theaters. It was a fun homage to the popcorn Westerns of the past, with all the traditional elements - corrupt lawmen, outsider heroes and the final showdown shootout. It wasn't a movie that was out to blaze any new trails, proudly serving up every cliché in the genre. But I loved it anyway and thought Kevin Costner was the cutest thing in a fancy two-gun rig I'd ever seen.

The most impressive supporting character was a diminutive barkeep named Stella, played by the always impressive Linda Hunt, currently of NCIS: Los Angeles fame.

Stella sits in the eye of a storm of evil swirling around Silverado. She runs the Midnight Star Saloon with a calm demeanor and has the townspeople's respect. My favorite scene is when she first meets Paden, a luckless wanderer. He stays mostly on the sidelines as events unfold until Stella says the words he needs to hear to help him choose a direction:

Some people think because they're stronger, 

or meaner, that they can push you around. 

I've seen a lot of that. 

But it's only true if you let it be.

That's a statement worth raising a glass to.

Thank You, Harriet Tubman

Miss Harriet - iPad using Procreate

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. 

Always remember, you have within you the strength, 
the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars 
to change the world.

Harriet Tubman

But your father lived by a philosophy, a principle really.
He believed that...that if you could do good things for other 

people, you had a moral obligation to do those things. 

That's what at stake here. Not a choice, responsibility.

- Ben Parker to Peter Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man 2012

March 10, 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of Araminta "Harriet" Ross Tubman, a woman whose heroic efforts in the freeing of many slaves through the Underground Railroad continue to astonish.

While creating this iPad painting from an old fuzzy photograph, 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man was playing in the background. But, it wasn't till later that I noticed the coincidence. Two figures, one real, one fictional, and both choosing to do the right thing and help others, however difficult. 

Today's kids are more impressed with a swinging web-slinger than anyone in a history book. Computer generated monsters hold their attention longer. But, there was nothing artificial in Harriet's mission. She worked mostly in the cold of wintertime and in the dark of night. And the night was really dark. 

We in the modern world, especially those close to towns and cities, forget what real darkness is. When you can't see your hand in front of your face if it's cloudy or there's no moon. When it's clear, the sky is crazy with stars. There's nobody to call on, no phones, no passing cars, no maps or GPS. You're completely on your own. Add as a bonus, that in Harriet's case, she and the people she was leading to freedom were constantly pursued. 

Harriet escaped from slavery, but didn't stop there. She returned for her family, but didn't stop there. She continued to go back for people, through all kinds of adversity and the threat that she could be caught and/or killed.

What kind of courage is that? Where does it come from? And why is it so hard to find within ourselves. Looking at this life makes our own little problems seem beyond absurd. Our roadblocks don't come in the form of slavecatchers and dogs. They are the ridiculous illusions built up in our minds that we cannot do a thing. That our goals are too far off and we don't have what it takes.

If Harriet agonized over whether or not she had what it took to perform this incredible work, she didn't let it stop her. This little five-foot-nothing woman did it anyway. She set out to blaze a trail and succeeded, and that path to freedom continues to light the way for anyone who has dared to realize their dream.

Now, what possible excuses could any of us have?