My Journey: A benefit of Personal Projects, Having Fun in Hard Times

Within one week I was to take years of course development and put them online. On top of this I started homeschooling my children, I continued to try to get illustration work, and my books published, received more rejections and I, with so many others, are doing our best to navigate a world pandemic.

That can all be rather overwhelming.

I have many things I do to stay calm in situations like this. I pray a lot. I am slowing down and spending more time with my family. I try to help others by reaching out to others to lift them up.

I also make time to work on personal projects. One of the benefits of working on personal projects is they are stress relieving. There is no purpose for these illustrations, other than to have fun and explore the challenge of fitting things into a square. When I finish each one I just feel happy.

Releasing stress and finding joy is just one of the benefits of working on personal projects regularly.

International Tiger Day

This was one of my explorations of different approaches and when I was doing a lot of tiger studies. I thought I would post it for International Tiger Day.

International Tiger Day “was first celebrated in 2010 and was founded at an international summit that had been called in response to the shocking news that 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared in the last century, with only around 3,000 left alive.” You can find out more about it at Days of the Year or do something by going to https://support.wwf.org.uk/adopt-a-tiger

World Wildlife Conservation Day

Every December 4th is World Wildlife Conservation day. AS such I felt it would be good to repost my illustration of the vaquita, one of the most endangered animals on the earth today. There is an estimated 30 left in the wild.  They live in the Gulf of California and are threatened by illegal fishing. For more information on what the World Wild Life Organization is doing and what you can do Visit the World Wildlife Conservation Day page and Worldwildlife.org 

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Axolotl

Axolotl (ˈaksəˌlätl)

The axolotl is a critically endangered Mexican salamander. It is unique in that it keeps its larval form throughout life. Basically it is the Peter Pan version of salamanders.

Their major threat is due to land drainage and the introduction of predatory fish into their habitat. There is thought that they are extinct in the wild.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Saiga

Saiga (ˈsīgə)

Part of my Endangered Species Series, the Saiga used to inhabit large areas of the Eurasian Steppe, a temperate grassland and savanna area through Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Hunting, habitat loss and severe winters have placed these antelope on the critically endangered list. You can find out more about the saiga and what is being done to help them at The World Wildlife Federation.

They are not the most attractive creature because to the large nostrils that point down.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Blue-Footed Booby

Blue-Footed Booby (blo͞o ˈfo͝otəd ˈbo͞obē)

This is the last of the images I will be posting that has been hung in the art show, Blank Space. The closing is this evening at 6 pm in the Quimby Gallery. I have around 50 4 x 6 works of mine in the show. It has been incredible watching the exhibit live and grow. There are over 300 4 x 6 inch works of art in the gallery at this point and I expect more will be hung before the closing tonight.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Quokka

Quokka (ˈkwäkə)

This small, short faced wallaby lives in Western Australia. They are about the size of a domestic cat and are listed as vulnerable on the the endangered species list. Most posts of them on social media list them as the happiest animal on earth due to our personification of them. We see a constant smile on the their face.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Tapir

Tapir (ˈtāpər)

This is actually a rendition of the Malayan Tapir, due to it/s black and white fur. They are listed as endangered on the conservation status. It is the largest of the tapir species and is the only one native to Asia. The main threat to tapirs is habitat loss due to deforestation.

Their proboscis is highly flexible. I see them as an odd mix between a pig and an elephant.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Polar Bear

Polar Bear (ˈpoʊlər bɛ(ə)r)

This one has been a long time coming. He is a part of my endangered species series. The polar bear is a large white bear that lives in the arctic. They are listed as vulnerable on the endangered species list. They are threatened by climate change, conflict with humans because of the loss of their habitat due to climate change, and being impacted from industrialization, like oil spills, noise generated from oil operations, and similar human endeavors.

You can find out more about the polar bear and what the World World Wildlife organization is doing here.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Tiger

Tiger (ˈtīgər)

It has been a busy day and I almost thought I would not get one done. I have said it before and I will say it again. People are more important than art. Most of my day was focused on other people.

So here it is. The Tiger is an endangered species. It is threatened by loss of habitat, human and tiger interaction and climate change. They are the largest of the Asian big cats. You can find out more at the World Life Site

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Cheetah

Cheeta (ˈCHētə)

The cheetah is listed as vulnerable on the endangered species list. They are worlds fastest land animal.

This was a particular challenge for me on many levels. First I struggled with the facial structure of the cat. In many of my earlier drawings it looked like a dog. Second, was the depiction of speed. In the end I feel I did well on both accounts.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Asian Elephant

Asian Elephant (ˈāZHən ˈeləfənt)

Even though I have just returned from Europe with my Sketching class, I am already planning next years trip to Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I am excited to draw some elephants.

The Asian Elephant is on the endanger species list. Their major threat is loss of habitat, but they are also threatened by poaching, and the capture of elephants for domestic use. They are smaller than their African cousins, have smaller ears and not all of then have tusks. Interestingly, they have five toes on their hind feet but only four toenails.

You can find out more about the Asian Elephant at worldwildlife.org

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Hector's Dolphin

Hector's Dolphin ()

Estimated at a population of around 7000, Hector's Dolphin lives along the shallow coast of New Zealand. They are the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world. They are around 4 ft in length. Their biggest threat is baycatching. They are also threatened by pollution and being hit by boats.

I thought I was done with posting dolphin's, but my visit to Delphi inspired me to do one more. You can find out more about them at the World Wildlife website here.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Kakapo

Kakapo (ˈkäkəˌpō)

The kakapo is a large flightless parrot found in New Zealand. It is also called the owl parrot. They are on the critically endangered list with only 124 known left to alive today. There is a strong push to save this bird which is threatened mostly by non native predators in New Zealand. New Zealand's department of Conservation has been relocating the Kakapo to refuge islands.  

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Manta Ray

Manta Ray (ˈmantə rā)

The more I study the manta ray the more I am fascinated by it's simple form and beauty. They are amazing creatures. The manta ray are listed as vulnerable on the endangered species list due to pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and harvesting for medical purposes. 

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Irrawaddy Dolphin

Irrawaddy Dolphin (irəˈwädē ˈdälfin)

Found in costal areas, estuaries, and rivers of South and SouthEastern Asia, the Irrawaddy Dolphin is similar in appearance to the beluga whale. The most distinctive difference from other dolphins is their short beak. They have been placed on the vulnerable list of endangered species. Their major threat is from bycatching. More information on the irrawaddy dolphin can be found at the World Wild Life web site.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Sperm Whale

Sperm Whale (ˈspərm ˌweɪl)

The Sperm whale is the larges of the toothed whale that normally feeds on squid. They are listed as vulnerable on the endangered species list. 

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Red Panda

Red Panda (red ˈpandə)

There are less than 10,000 Red Pandas in the wild. They predominately live within the Eastern Himalayas and are threatened by deforestation of the trees they live in and the bamboo, getting caught in traps meant for other animals and for poaching. If you want to find out more on how you can help save them you can go to the World Wildlife Federation here.

I thought it would be good to show a little of my process. I start out collecting a large amount of images. I have recently found that Instagram and Pintrest have a great deal more images than just a google search. I started a pint rest page of animal references that can be found here (Pintrest Site.)

I then do a number of sketches getting used to different proportions. This is a particular animal I have been struggling with. Here are a number of sketches I did before I felt comfortable enough to do a final. I think it is important to realize that we do not always get it on the first try. It is also important to explore options and allow yourself to do some bad drawings. This is the way I learn. It gets frustrating at times, but I always work through it.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Dolphin

The Common Bottlenosed Dolphin (ˈkämən ˈbätlˌnōz ˈdälfin)

I never realized there were so many dolphins. This will more than likely be the first of many. Although listed as least concern (there are around 600,000 living in the wild), they are still  on the Endangered Species list. Threats to the dolphin are bycatch, costal development and environmental degradation.  To learn more about them and other endangered species you can go to the World Wildlife Foundation site here.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Beluga Whale

Beluga Whale (bəˈlo͞ogə (h)wāl)

I have been aware of the Beluga Whale for some time. I love the size of their foreheads. It is called a melon and it can change shape which allows them to make facial expressions. They are related to the Narwhal.  The Narwhal Bow tie Guy can be seen here.

The Beluga whale is threatened by ocean noise and oil and gas development. For more information on the Beluga Whale and what you can do to make a difference go to the World Wildlife Federation website.

I love doing this project. I have discovered so many new and different animals. They are all so unique, beautiful, and odd. This makes me appreciate the world we live in more and more. It is so amazingly diverse. It is remarkable how interconnect everything is as well. The more I draw, the more I learn. The more I learn the more grateful I am for the world we live in and for the blessings we have received from God.