Ashamed - Process from sketch to framed painting.

I was looking through my sketch book and I found this man, looking down at his feet. I don't remember when I drew him...maybe sometime earlier this year.

I'd forgotten him, but when I saw him again I suddenly wanted to be his friend.

He looked sad.

I asked him what was wrong, and he said in an invisible voice "I'm ashamed of all the things I can't remember."
I wrote those words down next to him, so that other people would understand
without having to ask him what was on his mind.

His name is Edward Tolby.
Edward Tolby is ashamed of all the things he is ashamed of. H
e is also ashamed of all the shameful things he has done in the past, but forgotten.
In fact, he is more ashamed of the forgotten shame.
I tried to cheer Edward up by telling him that there was no shame in forgetting.
I hope the next time I draw Edward Tolby he is smiling.

AFter the sketch, I copied Edward onto some fancier paper using a light box (putting the original drawing under the new paper and placing them both over a clear lighted area).






I then painted a few different versions using different colors and mediums (some with water color and some with acrylic ink).
I don't do this with every drawing. Sometimes I paint the first one and I am satisfied.
At least half of my drawing don't involve a sketch, but just go straight to painting...in those cases I only do one draft.









In this case, I wanted to see how other colors would change Edward so I did three different versions.

Which one do you like? Do you think Edward feels differently in each one? What is he feeling?


The last step in the process...I choose the Edward I like and put him behind glass. He will live there until someone or something frees him.

Make Time for Nonsense

I went to the Los Angeles zoo. A small boy was playing by the elephants. Her mother was tugging his hand "Let's Go". It was time to leave, but the boy did not want to go. He stayed with his hand on the fence. His mother yelled "I don't have time for your nonsense." After she said this, an elephant walked to where the boy was standing and waved his trunk up. He made his elephant noise and looked at the boy. I understood what the elephant was saying. He was letting the boy know that he had plenty of time for nonsense. I like that elephant.
After the boy and his mom went away I stayed and played a game of elephant charades. I didn't leave until the final closing announcement.
It's important to make time for nonsense. If I ever forget about that, I will go back and visit that elephant.

Acrylic ink and watercolor on rag paper (Elephant is actually longer but he would not fit in the scanner.

Water Color is fun.

I painted two paintings with by friend BPPB's water color set.

BPPB and I collaborated on the octopus one. She drew the octopus shape and I filled it in and did words and background. The octupus' name is Jamie Octopus. I guess Octopus is a common last name for Octopus. She only has six legs because she is a shark attack survivor. On march 12th 2007 she was attacked by a white tip reef shark near Cairns, Australia.


I did the other painting by myself. This is one of those paintings where I did not know what I was going to draw, but just played with the brush, and this guy came out. I will name him Jacob Blueyman.
He is a very nice man. He was arrested while looking for his mommy in front of his own home. Do you think he's guilty?

These are both for sale for $32 The size is 6.5" x 7.5"

You can buy them by paypal...just send email to me Kentanakala (then type the atmark) then type gmail then dot com. like this ______@gmail.com