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Friday, November 9, 2012

Seagull and Pigeon go leaf surfing with the squirrels from the big tree

Seagull and Pigeon are going leaf surfing with the squirrels from the big tree!



I’ve had the idea of them leaf surfing for a while, so when I found out the topic for Illustration Friday this week was tree, it seemed like a good fit. I decided to add the squirrels, because like the pigeon and the seagull, squirrels are abundant in my neighborhood. We also have black squirrels, which I’d never seen before I moved here, so I included a couple of them in this drawing, along with a grey squirrel. I’m still drawing every day for DaDraMo (Daily Drawing Month)! If you want to join me, there’s still time. Click here for more info.
A quick follow up to Monday’s post: as you might have seen on the news, we got hit again this week with a nor’easter. Some people that just got their power back lost it again, and there are many that still don’t have power or places to live due to Hurricane Sandy. If you’re looking for ways to help, there’s a list below.

How you can help people affected by Hurricane Sandy:
American Red Cross (They list several ways to help on their site, and also how you can get help if you need it.)
The Humane Society (To help our furry friends, many who were left homeless after the storm.)
A more extensive list of how you can help, from NBC / Rock Center with Brian Williams
A list for how to help if you live in the NY area, from The Gothamist
Kidlit Cares (An auction from the children’s book community. Round two will be starting soon at this link.)
NYC Food and Water Distribution Locations (If you live in NYC and need help.)

For Occupy Sandy, there are two sets of listings below. One for New York. One for New Jersey. Both need help.

Occupy Sandy *New York* (They have a wedding registry where you can order items they need now, like cleaning supplies, blankets, and diapers, and have them shipped directly to Occupy Sandy in New York, who will distribute to the people who need them.)
Twitter: @OccupySandy
Occupy Sandy *New Jersey* (They have a wedding registry where you can order items they need now, like cleaning supplies, blankets, and diapers, and have them shipped directly to Occupy Sandy in New Jersey, who will distribute to the people who need them.)
Twitter: @OccupySandyNJ

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Seagull and Pigeon think voting is cool – for DaDraMo

I wasn’t going to post a DaDraMo (Daily Drawing Month) sketch today, but then I remembered it’s election day, and Seagull and Pigeon love to vote!* Seagull even put on a tie and combed his feathers.



* Seagull and Pigeon voted in the Bird Election, but they got their stickers when a couple of people dropped them (birds don’t get stickers when they vote because it’s hard to get them off of their feathers … Seagull and Pigeon like stickers anyway).

Monday, November 5, 2012

Doodle for DaDraMo, Shy for IF, and Seagull and Pigeon in NYC

I did three quick sketches the last three days because I didn’t have a lot of time, but I also felt it was important to keep drawing every day during DaDraMo (Daily Drawing Month). Note: you can still join DaDraMo if you want! Click here for details. All of these sketches are small. The largest one is about four and a half inches wide.
A Doodle For Saturday:



Shy Pigeon and Outgoing Seagull:



Seagull and Pigeon Take Manhattan By Storm:



I can’t believe it’s been a whole week since Hurricane Sandy raged through our area. When I decided to draw every day this month, it was to get back to drawing every day, and because I was stuck at home with a lot of nervous energy and no way to physically help the people who got the worst of the storm. We were very fortunate, but many in my area were not. Things are starting to get better, but we’re not back to normal yet and won’t be for a while. The hardest hit areas will probably take years to recover. The pigeon and seagull are birds I see in my neighborhood every day. In a time where things aren’t the way they used to be, the birds are the one constant, and so they seemed like a good way for me to channel some of my frustration with the storm.

Other things I can do are donate, and help spread the word about how to help people affected by Hurricane Sandy. If you want to help and are able to help, here are some places to start:
American Red Cross (They list several ways to help on their site, and also how you can get help if you need it.)
The Humane Society (To help our furry friends, many who were left homeless after the storm.)
A more extensive list of how you can help, from NBC / Rock Center with Brian Williams
A list for how to help if you live in the NY area, from The Gothamist
Auctions from the children’s book community, with items for writers and illustrators:
Kidlit Cares
Kidlit Community Giving Back To Benefit Red Cross (Look on the sidebar for a list of auction posts in Oct. and Nov. or scroll through the blog – all posts are auction posts)
If you live in NYC and need help:
NYC Food and Water Distribution Locations

Friday, November 2, 2012

Seagull and Pigeon: Have Forks, Will Travel – for DaDraMo

The seagull and the pigeon are back in my DaDraMo drawing today, to help me celebrate my birthday. Looks like I’d better grab a fork before they eat all the cake!



I really liked the exclamation mark accident above the pigeon’s head yesterday, so I added it to this sketch on purpose. BTW, I won’t be posting again until Monday, but I will be drawing! Have a great weekend everyone :)
It’s not too late to join in to DaDraMo (Daily Drawing Month)! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Click here for the details.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Introducing DaDraMo – Daily Drawing Month

Every November there are monthly writing challenges, like NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo, which are great. I’ve participated in both before, and may do so again this year (haven’t quite made up my mind).

Every year, I wish there was an art challenge in November. This morning, I woke up with the idea that since I hadn’t found an art challenge to join, I should start one. So I did.

Introducing DaDraMo (Daily Drawing Month)!

Goal: To draw, scribble, doodle, paint, or pixel one picture a day for the month of November. It doesn’t have to be a good drawing. The point is to do it daily. The more you draw, the better you’ll get and the more fun you’ll have!

Who: Anyone! You don’t have to be an artist to participate. You can draw stick figures or doodle circles, or splash paint. Whatever works for you.

Accountability: Nobody will be checking your work, it’s on the honor system. This is a fun project, so if you want to join, go for it!

Prizes: I don’t know, maybe? I thought up this idea this morning, so I’m not sure yet. Right now it’s just for fun, but I will announce prizes if they happen.

Badge: Here’s a badge for your site or blog if you want one. Please link back to this page if you use the badge, so that others will know what it is and can participate if they want.

Daily Drawing Month 2012 Logo

I know it’s last minute, but I hope some of you will join me for the first year of DaDraMo. Leave a comment if you plan to participate. This could be fun to do with PiBoIdMo if you’re an author/illustrator, or author who wants to sketch out their ideas. I’m thinking of doing both this year. Will decide later today.

Here’s my drawing for today. It’s a pencil sketch inspired by the pigeons and seagulls I see every day, and a Norman Rockwell picture that shows him painting a self portrait (it’s always been one of my favorites of his).



I left the accidental pencil mark above the pigeon because it looks like the pigeon has an exclamation point over its head. It’s funny (to me, anyway) because I can imagine so many things the pigeon could be thinking. I’m planning to share my art throughout the month, probably a couple of times a week, unless I get really ambitious and post every day. Let me know if you’re going to try DaDraMo. I’d love some company!