Category: sources of inspiration

Inspiration and Sea Monsters

Inspiration can come from…anywhere. This sketch was inspired by the shadow of my bathtub faucet when backlit by candles! The shadows created by my hands when I photographed the sketch with my phone added unintended depth!

Cat Sketching

This summer I’ve been sketching my cat at least once a day. Sometimes I sketch the friendly squirrels of Baltimore too. (They are especially friendly if I have nuts.) The sketches prime my creative pump and get me started for the rest of the day, no matter if I paint or write, or both!

Mango Lassi (or smoothie)

1 mango peeled and loosely chopped

3/4 Cup yogurt

1/4 Cup water; if using Greek yogurt, use 1/2 Cup water

grated fresh ginger

pinch of cardamon

pinch of salt

3 ice cubes

optional garnish of a cucumber slice, or sprig of fresh mint

Mix everything but the garnish in a blender until smooth. Season to taste. If you like sweet tastes, add some honey or sugar.

Writing and Awareness

As I work on the craft of writing, I find myself observing people more closely. Here’s one sketch based on a gesture that happened within two seconds.

What Flower Are You? – A Quiz

To score your quiz add up the numbers you pick. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

A. Which would you rather do?

  1. Dance at a disco.
  2. Read a book by a stream.
  3. Shop.

B. What do you consider one of your most prominent traits?

  1. Creative
  2. Persistent
  3. Honest

C. What pisses you off?

  1. People
  2. Ugliness
  3. Hot days

D. What do you do when you are stressed?

  1. Drink
  2. Socialize with friends.
  3. Exercise.

E. What is your favorite trait in your friends?

  1. Kindness
  2. Creativity
  3. Enthusiasm

If you scored a:

  • 6 you are a daisy.
  • 8 you are a rose.
  • 9 you are a cactus flower.
  • 10 you are a dandelion.
  • 13 you are a lily.
  • Any other number, you goofed at your math. Count again!

Pigeons

I’m an urban naturalist. That means that I love my city (Baltimore) and enjoy wandering around looking at its denizens-pigeons, squirrels, sparrows, starlings, seagulls, and the occasional cardinal and junco ( a sparrow size bird with white belly and black head). There is a pigeon roost near me-an abandoned building with concrete bricks that the pigeons adore. Here’s some pictures!

Baby

I don’t usually paint from photographs – preferring studio still lifes or plein air painting. But someone posted a picture of their beautiful child and I was inspired.

Watercolors Whirling

Lately I’ve gotten back into watercolor painting. The tree paintings were inspired by a photograph by my friend Sooyong Kim. I found a caterpillar pencil sketch from summer and decided to color it. The abstract came from testing colors on a scrape piece of paper but I really like it!