cooking

Something different (But in all honesty quite the same)

November 16, 2014 — 2 Comments
I went for a good 20 mile mountain bike ride today by myself into the hills outside town.
I saw a number of Scrub Jays and two great Red-tailed hawks.
I believe we have established by now my fascination with the various birds of prey.
When I got home I cooked what would be my approach to steak tacos.
It’s a wonder how I could manage to destroy such a simple meal but cooking is another story for me. When I’m on I’m on. When I’m off, well, something usually gets burnt…
The internet connection has been patchy at best lately so I decided I would do myself a favor and venture out and work somewhere like a coffee shop.
I say favor because I’m not usually quick to go to public places like that alone. I find that I am most comfortable off of the pavement. It’s a good idea to do something outside your usual comfort zone, or so they tell me.
I will say It was nice to get out of the house and hear new sounds other than the freight trains outside my window. I walked to a café on Garden St. I ordered an Ice Chamomile tea to combat the days caffeine and sugar water. (That works right?) I brought this pencil hawk with me and as I sat I translated it to pen.
hawkholdsstillforme.jpg
 I brought my headphones, but only listened to them for a bit. I was finding the new change of background noise to be interesting enough to listen to while falling into the drawing.
The lighting was shit, the table unlevel, and without my amplifier I was unable to play music through my headphones at a terribly unhealthy level.
That being said, it did me some good to get out of the rut of my home studio and try something different.
myhawktonightagain.jpg
Even if when I was finished drawing I went straight home and baked French fries…
I’ll try again in a week or three…

The hints of progress in the kitchen or on a page of paper.

March 31, 2014 — Leave a comment

I’ve already introduced you to the Peregrine Falcon. And by now you’re no stranger to my affinity for illustrating the birds of North America.

My father makes some really good spaghetti sauce. He’s always tinkering with the recipe, changing this and that.  And almost every batch he makes, it seems, he swears, “This is the best batch yet!”

I always laugh at him, saying something to the sort of “What about last week’s batch?”

Come to find I find myself thinking the same with these bird drawings.  “My goodness this one looks a lot like a bird this time!”

People may get tired of eating spaghetti, or not interested in a hawk or sparrow sketch.

Either way, my Dad will keep making his best pasta sauce ever and I’ll keep drawing my best assorted feathered what-nots. Weather or not the depth of the craft is appreciated in full or not.

Its a stubborn sort of discipline, that has so far lead me to better clarity in the drawings. I’ll say that counts for something.

peregrineoncoldpress.jpg

I laid this drawing down in pen today, after a series of study drawings to figure the posture I wanted. This falcon just took down a small pigeon or dove. It’s pausing briefly checking for any vultures that might try and make off with the score.  It’s perched on a rock ledge somewhere with some considerable elevation, this is their preferred sort of joint to dig into dinner or take shelter.

closeupfalconshead.jpg

closeupdeadbird.jpg

 

I need to call him for that recipe again…