A Tribute to William Blake

 

The Tyger

Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright,
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

    -- William Blake

 

A Tribute to another great one.

I've been in a guitar playing mood lately and it's now starting to show in my work :)

Finishing Ray

I decided to finish in pencil instead of charcoal.  Pencil is still the most comfortable medium for me.  One day I'll be able to wean myself from the eraser.

Liberty

I began sketching the first thing that caught my fancy...images, magazine pics and came up with a combo that looks like it just could turn into something.

Profile Study

 

I've been struggling with pastels lately and this one portrait has been a challenge, so for me, it was back to the drawing board so to speak.  I realized that I still need to work on proportions, because if these are off, then the drawing is all wrong.  I came across the Drawing Coach website which has been invaluable in helping me to master proportions.  Having gotten down the proportions and values, I finally feel like I've captured something of a likeness in the profile.   Whew!  Now onto color...

Cookin' up a storm

One of the best compliments I get from family is that I cook just like my grandmother.  The funny thing is, "soul food" is the style I'm least comfortable cooking--even though I love to eat it!  Just about all of my cooking expertise has come from the likes of Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart!  Not exactly my idea of "soul food" icons!  My hope is that whenever anyone says I get my finesse in the kitchen from my grandmother, they mean the passion for cooking and the love that's put into the meal.

This is what happens when your brain is on winter holiday

 

My brain is flabby and my concentration is shot...almost looking forward to getting back to the old routine...if for no other reason than the structure...it forces me to be disciplined. 

Just another face

Charcoal Portrait

Still Life

 

My most recent attempt at watercolor

Faces

 

San Francisco

 

Had a great time in the beautiful city of San Francisco, but there's no place like home!

Swimming

Swimming against the tide is the m.o. of heroes, movers and shakers--the bravehearts of the world.  Right?  But lest we forget, the courage to bring a dream to fruition is birthed in the soil of conviction.  We are braver than we seem.

Kung Fu Panda

 

Just checked my Netflix queue and found out that Kung Fu Panda hasn't been released yet.  I keep hearing what a great animation film it is.  It seems that animators are putting out better and better films or some of us adults are still basking in fairy dust, refusing to grow up.  As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing at all wrong with that.

Currently Listening

"Her songs [are] still better than anything out there." ~Talib Kweli in "Miss Hill"

I just found out that The Fugees is one of Barack Obama's favorite groups.  Okay, that fact alone may not be enough to qualify him for the Oval Office, but it does confirm that the man has "soul."  I have to say, The Score is one of my all-time favorites, but it's not the best.  The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was the best CD I've ever heard...Then and now...I guess this officially makes me an "old fogey" and even moreso because, at 34-years-old I could care less about my rapidly diminishing "cool factor."  For all of us who love Miss Hill, it's been sad to see the slow dimming of this shooting star.   I listened to her MTV Unplugged album a hundred times, hoping that something magic would open my ears and make me like or appreciate that record.  I never was able to like that album, but I chalked it up to her being tired.  So I held out hope.  Hope never disappoints, and mine was revived when Miss Hill appeared with the Fugees at Dave Chapelles block party.  I kept hearing whispers that the Fugees were getting back together and again, I held out hope.  I'm still waiting for that comeback.  Somebody tell Miss Hill that whenever she's ready, there's at least one fan who'll wait in line.  My friends say that my gullibility if not kept in check may become a liability.  But the way I see it, I'm the eternal optimist.  And I've heard that optimists live longer, healthier lives.