Sheree Boyd

the Nuthatch

2012-02-10T14:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday as I was walking my dogs I came across a wounded bird...ugh...so utterly depressing and the third time this has happened to me. The little bird saw my large dogs and hopped under the fence into the parks parking lot...not good for the bird I thought. So I tied my dogs to the chain link fence and waited for the bird to hopefully hop over to my side. (I'm not allowed to go into the park with my dogs...a common theme where I live...but that is for another 'gripe' day). I took off my sweater and waited and waited....finally it came over and i slowly followed it until I could get close enough, then tossed my sweater on the bird and scooped him up. The little bird made lots of noise, but ended up being rather friendly. Unsure of what to do, I decided to take him to the woods (again, I'm not allowed to bring my dogs there, but I was determined to save the little fella so to hell with these stupid city rules I thought) and find a safe spot for him. I ended up running into a very nice human who helped me find a safe spot for it. The little bird hopped and chirped and scaled trees! It's right wing was definitely injured, but he/she seemed to be doing quite well, especially considering it could scale large trees at a great distance. I was sad to leave him there but figured his chances of survival were better there than in my yard where neighborhood cats enjoy using my backyard as a 'thruway'...I went home to do a google search and found out that I rescued a nuthatch...or maybe the nuthatch rescued me from my S.A.D...

*the other two birds I rescued previously had different outcomes...Sadly, one died and is buried under my holly tree along with a dead baby possum I found laying in my drive and a headless bird I found in my yard...(regular pet cemetery over here) and the other, a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest and could not fly...not only managed to survive with the help of all the boxes and bins I put in my yard so it could duck in them in case of a cat trying to eat it, but I got to watch as he learned to fly higher and higher each day until he flew away...There were days when he used to go to my back steps and i would watch him from the door...I'd like to think he remembered me and was just saying 'hi'...

Orca awesomeness

2012-01-26T10:34:00.001-08:00

Sketching to VH1

2012-01-26T10:12:00.001-08:00

Christmas Tree

2011-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday: Separated

2011-12-09T11:48:00.001-08:00

I broke part of my tooth off so thought I would pay homage to poor partly dead tooth. I have a fancy schmancy temporary crown that I must say, looks way more purty than my original. Now I'm just waiting for the feeling to come back to my face and tongue and the pain to hit...yahoo!!! Thank God I can still drink. ;)

My Adopted Turkey

2011-12-05T12:52:00.001-08:00

I adopted a turkey for Thanksgiving and was sent a photo of the cute guy. Look at the twinkle in his eye; it also appears that he is smiling. I suspect he is just happy that he did not become a table centerpiece. Adopted from Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY.

Illustration Friday: Round

2011-11-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary: Ian and Simone

2011-11-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

(image pulled from the peaceful prairieblogspot)

A beautiful true story of loneliness, love and loss between Ian, the turkey and Simone, the hen at the Peaceful Prairie farm sanctuary. It is a testament to the powerful bonds animals make and is no different than the bonds between humans.

Here is a small sampling of the story by Joanna Lucas:
"Simone collapsed late one afternoon. We found her floundering on the ground, unable to stand, hold her head up, eat or drink on her own, struggling, and failing, to inch closer to Ian who was standing guard nearby. We cradled her in a soft blanket and held her for what seemed like hours, stroking her back, talking sweet, reassuring nothings, helping her nestle next to Ian one last time, before moving her into the house for care and hospice and, in the process, inevitably tearing her from everything she loved, knew and trusted. When we finally got up and carried her away, Ian followed. He walked with us as far as the open gate. There, he stopped in his usual hesitant way, pacing in place, flapping his wings, shuffling his feet, dithering between opposing desires—to be loved, to be safe—taking a few steps out in the open, turning back. Only, this time, after taking his first strained, faltering steps forward, he kept going. The fear of losing sight of Simone was greater than his fear of leaving the safety of his yard, so he pressed on, trailing behind us stiffly, haltingly, hemming, hawing, squirming and stuttering all the way to the front door."

Go here for the entire story:
Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary

Judy is a Punk

2011-11-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

True Friends Never Forget...Especially Elephants

2011-11-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday: Silent

2011-11-15T20:35:00.001-08:00

I know it's a bit early, but it was either this or a commentary on keeping silent when one has witnessed abuse...I figured this one was more palatable?

Photographs of Dogs in Cars

2011-11-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

Go here to see amazing photos of dogs waiting in cars...It's a must see for anyone who loves dogs and photography...beautiful and haunting at the same time.

2011-11-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've posted about animal abuse, whales being hunted down in Japan and human rights violations in West Africa so I thought I should post something uplifting such as the story of the baby elephant, Chhouk. He was found missing part of his front left leg; an injury caused by a poachers trap (go humans! not!) Okay, so I'm dissing on crappy humans again. The beauty of this story was not only was he rescued by a Wildlife Rescue Group in Cambodia, but they replaced the missing six inches of his foot with a prosthetic leg! Go humans! (seriously this time) You can see the vide below:

and read more about Chhouk here:

And please don't buy any type of ivory, whether it is a frame, jewelry or what ever the hell else they make with ivory tusks. I don't think you'd like it if your foot were caught in a trap, probably maimed and cut off you and then have someone come round and pull your teeth out. In a note of irony, apparently the London newspaper, The Guardian, reported the intense poaching of tusks has caused a new breed of elephants w/out tusks...which scientists believe is a genetic mutation to help them survive. Go elephants!
(Maybe other animals will mutate to be bald for life and have their flesh taste like human flesh so we won't hunt them down or factory farm them for their skin or meat! That'll learn us (probably not but a girl can hope)

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T14:25:00.001-07:00

Human Slavery and Chocolate

2011-10-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

This Halloween, when buying chocolate, keep in mind how your chocolate was harvested. It is not uncommon to use child labor, and is some cases slavery, to harvest chocolate in Africa. These farms supply cocoa to corporations such as Hershey's, Mars and Nestle...who clearly have no issue with human trafficking and slavery. If you are against these things then I suggest you vote with your dollars. For more information and for information on companies that do not support these heinous abuses go here

Here is another article written at the time, by a high school senior. That is also where I grabbed the above comic strip.

Mary Blair google banner

2011-10-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

love this homage to Mary Blair via google banner...

Save the Whales

2011-10-05T13:09:00.001-07:00

Japan announced it will resume whale hunting this winter. Lucky for the whales, Paul Watson and his team at Sea Shepherd, are on the side of the whales..go Team Whales! Please go to Whales Revenge If you would like to sign a petition supporting Sea Shepherd. They would like to get one million signatures. Go here for more information on what you can do to help. Go here to read a great interview on Captain Paul Watson.

As long as people will shed the blood of innocent creatures there can be no peace, no liberty, no harmony between people. Slaughter and justice cannot dwell together.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer, writer and Nobel laureate (1902–1991)

It ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of God, the Compassionate, if we in turn will not practice elementary compassion towards our fellow creatures.
-- Mohandas Gandhi

Latest Job

2011-09-23T15:27:00.001-07:00

A sneak peek at a job I just finished working on...

Grateful Greyhound Fall Ball 2011

2011-09-22T17:34:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was the annual greyhound fall ball so we packed up the dogs and headed on over. Georgia got to see her old pal, Hawk, the white faced greyhound. Beatrix had to say hello to Hawk and gave him a good ear sniff. Beatrix, thinking everyone likes her, had to go 'hug' a perfect stranger. Thankfully most greyhound peeps don't mind. And lastly, i took a snap of a the grasshopper that hitched a ride on the car! At first, as we headed to the park, the hopper was on the outside of the car on the hood, but by the time we left he got all smart and stuff (deciding trying to hang onto a hood of a car going 80 mph sucked) and snuck inside the car for the short ride back home!

Otter August

2011-08-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

This little otter was for a character sketch project...unfortunately, like my Jesus illo, otter was ultimately rejected.

Working into the Night and other Musings

2011-08-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

(click on image to enlarge)
So its a late night again working on a job and I find some vegan podcasters I have never listened to before and tune in to their 83rd episode. There is always a moment when listening to animal rights podcasts that I know I will be hearing a gut wrenching story that makes me wish I could erase it from my memory...sometimes I turn the volume down low so I can't quite understand what they are saying, but this time I didn't. (Ignorance can be such bliss, but does it harden us to atrocities?)

Anyway, they interviewed JoAnne McArthur and she told them how she met a bear that had been used to harvest his bile and when he longer had good bile they cut off his paws to make a soup with them...a delicacy in that region I believe. Anyway, what amazed Joanne about this bear who had eventually been rescued, was that he seemed to not only enjoy the company of humans, but preferred them over the other bears. She said he even tried to hug her in spite of having no paws.

After I cried and cursed humans I stopped working on my latest project to illustrate this tale of cruelty and the awe inspiring ability of this bear to still trust people in spite of us not deserving it. We humans like to talk about our humanity, but it seems to me animals are capable of not only more 'humanity', but are also able to forgive us humans for the atrocities we inflict on them.

My rescue greyhound, Georgia, is like that. In spite of having been commodified by humans she greets every person she encounters (whether they like it or not) with such joy and enthusiasm and will wrap her thin head around their legs in a kind of 'hug'.

Illustration Friday: Influence

2011-08-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Months back I had a small job that entailed drawing all things religious. I was influenced by medieval art when I drew my version of Jesus. They ended up not going with my Jesus (Jesus was rejected once again!) and chose another artist instead. My good friend, Heidi, ironically had the same type of job which also ended in her Jesus being rejected. Is it weird that I have that Depeche Mode song, Personal Jesus, rolling around in my head now?

Heidi & Cookie Visit

2011-08-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

Good friend and fellow illustrator, Heidi Younger, came out for a visit with her dog, Cookie, in tow. Photos taken by Heidi using an i-phone.

Illustration Friday: Imperfect

2011-08-09T15:05:00.001-07:00

My greyhound, Georgia, has a massive overbite that makes her look funny with her top teeth always sticking out. It is so extreme she has to use the side of her mouth to eat her kibble b/c there is about a one inch gap between her top and bottom teeth making it impossible for her to pick up food in a normal manner. So even though she is a pure breed (although the AKC does not recognize racing hounds) she would be immediately disqualified for this severe imperfection. But in my eyes, not only is she perfect, she is what humans should aspire to be.

Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-06T14:52:00.001-07:00

Beatrix enjoying her 'dog pool'...its really a pond liner but she's a sturdy gal and would likely break a flimsy kiddie pool.

Gardening

2011-07-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

I once again changed my garden around; moving pavers and plants to make room for a new pathway and add additional plants and shrubs. It is amazing how in just six weeks time my flower and vegetable garden have gone from bare 'dustbowl' to a very filled out mini paradise. Underneath all of those poppies grow several types of gourds, cucumbers, lettuce, beets, corn, okra, edamame, broccoli, carrots and chives.

Strawberry Cat's Paw

2011-06-09T09:30:00.001-07:00

Is it me or does this strawberry from my garden resemble a cat's paw?

Strawberry Fields

2011-06-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Strawberries from my garden which I used to make a salad. The lettuce, consisting of arugula and mesclun mild mix, was also plucked from my garden.

Summer Garden & Greyhounds

2011-05-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday: Journey

2011-04-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Kids on a day trip...for Turtle Magazine ages back...

Sissy and the Raccoon

2011-04-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

Sissy wistfully looking through the screen door as I stand on the steps looking at the fat raccoon nestled on a branch...Can you see him up there napping?

Illustration Friday: Bottled

2011-04-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

An illustration for Weight Watchers Magazine

Illustration Friday: Toy

2011-03-29T16:28:00.001-07:00

Back view of a little girl holding onto a toy she made...

Sissy and the Valley of the Dolls

2011-02-17T12:05:00.001-08:00

Georgia's Third Year

2011-02-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

On his day three years ago, Georgia came into our lives via a greyhound rescue organization. She is my shadow, my velcro dog, my anti-depressive pill and my best friend. She always has a smile at the ready and a wag in her tail. I hope I make her as happy as she makes me; although I sometimes think the love we have for our nonhuman animals pales in comparison to the unconditional love they give us. I mean who else in the world will ALWAYS be happy to see you?

Cakey hearts and orange roses

2011-02-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

A cake I made yesterday using a coconut cupcake recipe from "Vegan with a Vengeance" and orange roses found on my doorstep.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T07:54:00.001-08:00

A wire sculpture valentine, Georgia's rewrapped splint in a Valentine's print bandage and a chinchilla that will eat your heart out.

Illustration Friday: Sweater

2011-02-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

A sweater my Aunt wore in the sixties.

Elephants in Love & an Elephant Cushion

2011-02-10T11:24:00.001-08:00

I made this cute cushion for a certain little someone that arrived on a cold morning in December....when he is big enough he'll be able to sit his sassy little self down on his very own seat cushion. Directions for cushion found here.

Old Cards, Udon Noodles & Dogs using Dogs as Pillows

2011-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Another blast from the past Valentine's Day card circa 1985 (and yeah, thats the Care Bears), a yummy broccoli curry udon dish and Beatrix using Georgia's very bony head as a pillow cushion. I admit to using Bea as a pillow on occasion b/c she is built like a bull in a china shop whereas Georgia is so dainty she is the china shop.

Old Valentine's card and Coconut Pancakes

2011-02-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

An old card I received many moons ago as a kid and some seriously delish vegan coconut pancakes from the book "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I pretty much followed the recipe which is something I don't do too often (often due to lack of proper ingredients) except that I used coconut milk rather than soy or rice milk. For more recipes by Isa check out her site: Post Punk Kitchen.

Hippos on the Brain

2011-02-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Some sketches I did to try and work out the shape of a hippo...I was going for cute and graphic. I tend to work very small; each hippo sketch is probably less than 1" x 1"....then once I get the drawing I like I blow it up and work on the details. Done with pencil

When I was little I went to the zoo on a school trip and I saw a huge hippo swimming in a tiny pool. That image has always stayed with me. I think the hippo could have used a bigger pool. There's a life quote in there somewhere...

Georgia's toe

2011-02-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

drawing done with marker

Animals in Love

2011-02-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

done with charcoal, ink and marker

Illustration Friday: Surrender

2011-02-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

So Georgia broke her toe. She gets to wear a splint and a bootie to keep her foot dry in this awful weather. The word surrender conjures up many ideas, but the one I have had on my mind these past few weeks is the idea of surrendering to the things we cannot control such as my dogs broken toe and the huge bill that came with it. Life does not typically follow the course I would prefer to take and I find myself more often than not surrendering to plans unforeseen.

Drawing is of Georgia wearing her splint and bootie. Done using only the multi-touch track pad on my MacBook pro...talk about difficult! Below is the video I was taking of Georiga running in the backyard. I unintentionally caught her injury on this video...

Georgia and the Octopus

2011-01-31T07:05:00.000-08:00

Georgia playing with her favorite toy. Unfortunately, all her exuberant running left her limping. She is now sporting a splint until we can get her x-rayed.

My Winter Garden Part Trois

2011-01-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

My two greyhounds leg deep in snow...Georgia, as always has her favorite octopus toy out and about with her.

My Winter Garden Part Deux

2011-01-26T09:44:00.001-08:00

I'm beginning to lose count how much snow Mother Nature has bestowed upon us since Christmas...but lets just say Spring can't come soon enough for this Texas transplant. However, my skinny greyhound, Georgia, can't get enough of all the snow; she runs hops, chases me and pounces on her favorite toy all the while the snow continues to fall. At least one of us can enjoy it.

My Winter Garden

2011-01-07T13:30:00.001-08:00

Hibiscus New Year

2011-01-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

My hibiscus bloomed today...indoors of course.

Joy to the World

2010-12-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

This is almost as old as I am...I used to pretend I could live in this treehouse when I was little...

Christmas at my House Part II

2010-12-19T15:16:00.001-08:00

Christmas at my House

2010-12-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

a few of my favorite ornaments...

Illustration Friday: Phenomenon

2010-12-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

I find it phenomenal that people believe commercial advertising actually advertises the truth about their products.

This week a yogurt company was sued b/c they claimed in their advertising that one serving of their yogurt will help with digestive problems...when apparently you have to eat three servings...

And McDonalds is being sued b/c of their use of toys to get children to want their products...well, duh....

Deceptive advertising folks...its everywhere...take for instance the false claim that milk promotes strong bones...when in fact the countries with the highest rate of osteoporosis and bone fractures are in countries that consume the most milk (that being the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and the Scandinavian countries).

Illustration Friday: Savour

2010-11-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

I savoured this story about the baby elephant that was saved by locals when he fell in a hole and could not right himself nor get out of the hole. Not only did the community join together to save a fellow sentient being, but the mother stood by watching and waiting for her baby. Acts of human kindness towards the 'least of these' give me hope.

Garden pickings and a Thanksgiving for Turkeys

2010-11-24T15:36:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I picked lavender, sage and rosemary from my garden...I'll use the last two for my Thanksgiving cooking and the lavender to put in vases.

A really sweet article about Victor, a 45 lb. turkey and his turkey friends eating a thanksgiving meal at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary. Here's an excerpt from the article:
"But before humans sit down to eat, the farm's six turkeys have their dinner. Terry Cummings, Poplar Spring's executive director, begins by introducing each one. There's Victor, of course, who has gained about 20 pounds since his Germantown adventure, along with a handful of other heritage birds. The lone white turkey, Opal, rescued from a Virginia slaughterhouse, more closely resembles the fowls that end up in your grocer's freezer. Her oversize breast and cropped toes cause her to pitch forward when she walks, and she has arthritis. But Cummings is quick to point out that, at 6 years old, she has bested the four-month life expectancy of most factory birds."

10 amazing facts about turkeys:
Turkeys recognize each other by their unique voices.

Researchers have identified more than 20 distinct vocalizations in wild turkeys.

Turkeys have excellent geography skills and can learn the specific details of an area of more than 1,000 acres.

Like cats and dogs, turkeys are intelligent and sensitive animals who form strong social bonds and show great affection to others.

On factory farms, turkeys frequently have the ends of their beaks and toes cut off without anesthesia — practices know as debeaking and detoeing — to prevent them from injuring one another as they are crowded by the thousands into dark, filthy warehouses.

Between 1965 and 2000, the weight of the average turkey raised commercially in the U.S. increased by 57 percent, from an average of 18 pounds to an average of 28.2 pounds, causing commercially-bred turkeys to suffer from crippling foot and leg problems.

Completely unlike their wild ancestors not only in terms of physique but also in hue, most commercial turkeys are totally white — the natural bronze color selectively bred out of them to eliminate uneven pigment colorations — because of consumer preference for even flesh tones.

Also catering to consumer preferences for “white meat,” the industry has selectively bred turkeys to have abnormally large breasts. This anatomical manipulation makes it difficult for male turkeys to mount the females, eliminating these birds’ ability to reproduce naturally. As a result, artificial insemination is now the sole means of reproduction on factory farms, where breeder birds are confined for months on end.

Turkeys, along with other poultry, are not protected by the federal Humane Slaughter Act, and are frequently killed without first being stunned.

Every year, more than 46 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving holiday dinners, but it doesn’t have to be this way. If you think these birds are as incredible as we do, you can join talk show host and animal advocate Ellen DeGeneres, Farm Sanctuary’s 2010 Adopt-A-Turkey Project spokesperson, in starting a new tradition this year by adopting a turkey instead of eating. Visit adoptaturkey.org for details or call the Turkey Adoption Hotline at 1-888-SPONSOR.

Illustration Friday: Sneaky

2010-11-19T14:39:00.001-08:00

"Death in the Water"

My Fall Backyard

2010-11-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday: Burning

2010-11-15T14:22:00.001-08:00

An old illo I did for a tween magazine about blushing. I like the bl/white version of the guy better (b/c I modeled him after my guy), but they wanted me to give him 'trendy' hair...ah the compromises of an illustrator :)

Diaper Bag

2010-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

A diaper bag I made for my sister-n-law for her baby shower last weekend. I found this cute pattern and had to give it a whirl. The only real issue I had was sewing with PUL which was PEW...haha...that stuff is slippery to sew with, but it is supposedly waterproof so good for the inside of a diaper bag.

Illustration Friday: Afterwards

2010-11-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Some of my prints from 2009 Surtex show being used for my soon to be niece or nephew's baby room...so basically 'at a later time' I finally got to put some of those prints to good use.

"Bea" still

2010-10-21T12:57:00.001-07:00

sketching Beatrix last night on the couch...materials: pen, highlighter and lined paper

Illustration Friday: Spooky

2010-10-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Georgia's deer look, back seat drivers and a tiny mouse comes to visit!

2010-10-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

Georgia folding her self up into a little deer...

the doggies after a fun day at the local dog show...

and a tiny mouse stops by for a visit! Okay, so its my friends tiny chihuahua, Bambi, but she looked like a wee mouse next to my greys...I even walked all three of them together which was a feat!

Greyhound Drawings

2010-09-30T11:52:00.001-07:00

Water soluble oils on paper

GG fall ball festival part II

2010-09-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

More costumes: a headless horseman, a banana split and a bumblebee!

Lady GaGa, shark and devil dog!

Some beautiful greys waiting to be adopted...

and my two greys, Bea and Georgia taking a nap on the cool cement. And lastly, getting in the truck for the ride back home!

Grateful Greyhound Fall Ball Festival

2010-09-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took the dogs to the annual greyhound ball at the Belmont State Park. I got to see the couples that fostered both Beatrix and Georgia and witness a hilarious costume contest. And the ladies got some fancy new collars.

Here is Bea in the back seat on the way to the ball.

We arrive...

just in time to see the parade of available greyhounds up for adoption (having just arrived from a closed track in Florida!) My brindle, Georgia, is 'greeting' the black greyhound adoptee while he is 'greeting' Beatrix, my fawn grey (u can just see her behind)!

And so begins the costume parade! Georgia is giving "Lady Gaga" a sniff and a hello.

*More photos will follow tomorrow!

Illustration Friday: Dessert

2010-09-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Dessert is much better when shared with a friend.

Okra, hot chips and a lazy grey

2010-09-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

A great recipe (scoll down a bit) I found that made good use of the tomatoes and okra I grew in my garden. Also, some extremely hot chips (burn your mouth hot! my brother would love these) and Beatrix making do with the love seat to take her daily nap.

Illustration Friday: Atmosphere

2010-08-23T17:52:00.001-07:00

Queens

2010-08-18T21:10:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I went to see a friend in Queens and met the sweetest labradoodle and walked through the very lovely Forest Hills Gardens and took some photos.

In Honor of the 19th amendment

2010-08-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday: Star Gazing

2010-08-15T10:31:00.001-07:00

I had two ideas for this; gazing at stars (hence my 50 cent celeb) and then a reflection of stars in a woman's glasses...I'm still on a (head) roll...

Find the Rabbit

2010-08-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Rabbit hiding amongst the foliage

Most amazing salsa ever with papaya, mango and pineapple...

I'm on a (Head) Roll

2010-08-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

More heads I drew last night while watching L.A. Ink....guilty pleasure...one of the heads is supposed to be Kat Von D...that I drew from memory (well, during commercial)

More Heads

2010-08-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Inspired Heads

2010-08-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to draw some profiles after watching Beautiful Losers. I was especially enchanted with Maragaret Kilgallen's drawings which reminded me of Love and Rockets.

This is the best blueberry recipe ever...I used fresh blueberries rather than frozen.

Illustration Friday: Caged

2010-08-10T20:10:00.001-07:00

The other week I mentioned that my chinchillas ate my phone....well it finally died so I had to buy a new one. This is my version of that dark and sinister night when my three chinnies lured my unsuspecting phone into their cage only to kill it....My chinnies may be caged in, but they can still manage to eat my phone. Done with ink, beets and computer....

Sleepy B & G

2010-08-09T19:44:00.001-07:00

While drawing Bea & Georgia, I noticed something quite interesting when writing down the date: 8.9.10...I'm pretty sure I'll never see that again in my lifetime.

Just watched a documentary called "Beautiful Losers"...if you are an artist (or not) it's a must see.

Lazy dog weekend

2010-08-09T13:32:00.001-07:00

My good friend and very talented artist, Heidi, came for a visit and took a picture of her foot next to Bea...funniest photo ever. Heidi inspired me to sketch my dogs all weekend...thanks Heidi!!!

Zinnias

2010-08-04T21:52:00.001-07:00

...that I grew from seed.

Illustration Friday: Artificial

2010-08-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

In memory of Morrie Yohai, the maker of Cheez Doodles...can't get any more artificial than a cheez doodle. Chinchillas do not eat cheez doodles...However, I discovered quite by accident that they will eat your cell phone if you stupidly leave it on top of their cage enabling them to jump up and down until they succeed in having it fall into the cage whereby they proceed to eat it, pull out the battery and pee on it. And yes this is a true story and I have the pictures (and the now very wonky phone) to prove it. Just imagine having to explain that to the good people at Verizon who take one look at your phone and say WTH happened! hahaha

Illustration Friday: Breakfast

2010-07-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

An illo for Turtle Magazine awhile back. And yes, apple pie constitutes breakfast in my book. :)

Gardens, Granola and Greyhounds

2010-06-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Poppies in my garden, home made granola from my sister-n-law with raspberries from my garden, and two lovable greyhounds resting in the shade before hopping in the truck for a trip upstate.

Illustration Friday: Ahead

2010-04-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

In other news, a very lovely blogger, Stine, blogged about the last book I did for a publishing company in Norway. If you want to see what it looks like printed up, check out her blog. (My book is the one with all the birds). Unfortunately I never received copies of the book. :(

Illustration Friday: Detective

2010-04-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is an illo I did for a girl's tween magazine a few months back for their health and body questions. Hopefully it came through as humorous and understandable.

If anyone has been following Sam the greyhound's story on my blog, he is now in his forever home and I am extremely happy and grateful to Claire Sygiel and the rescue group Greyhound Options for making this happen. Finding a home for rescue's is like detective work in itself. I wish all animals could have such a happy ending.

Lastly, this past Saturday I went to Books of Wonder for the 'Kids and Comics' event and to pick up a copy of my friend, Mike Cavallaro's, latest book Foiled.

Illustration Friday: Dip

2010-04-07T12:39:00.001-07:00

My greyhound, Beatrix, loves taking dips in the ocean. She runs, frolics, and plops down for a good sit in the cool Long Island Sound. She constantly reminds me to cherish the small joys in life; dogs are like that.

Illustration Friday: Rescue

2010-04-01T12:24:00.001-07:00

If you have been reading my blog you already know that I rescued two greyhounds, Georgia the brindle grey and Beatrix the red fawn grey. They both raced down in Florida; a state full of racetracks sad to say. But luckily there are some fantastic groups such as the one I got both my greys from that go down and rescue greyhounds off the tracks. Greyhounds are extraordinarily gentle, sweet and loving dogs that love a good couch and a nice treat. Mine happen to not have any prey drive, but it is an issue with some due to the way they were trained. If you are looking for a 45 mile per hour couch potato look no further than a greyhound. Rescue a dog and you'll have a friend for life.

Georgia & Beatrix

2010-03-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

Beatrix and Georgia doing what greyhounds do best; napping! Actually, Bea, my red fawn loves to go on two hour power walks so she is less like Georgia, who is the ultimate couch potato dog! Beatrix jumped over the baby gate the other day w/out hurting herself or breaking the gate! And she is finally learning how to sit; not an easy feat for greyhounds!

Illustration Friday: Expired

2010-03-22T14:45:00.001-07:00

Quick illo of my new greyhound, Beatrix. Please note that for the many greyhounds that are rescued there are many more that are 'expired'. It's a sad state of human affairs when animals are exploited for money , and once they are of no use (can not make any money for their owners) they are gotten rid of. The same is true of the horse racing industry. As long as animals are commodified it will continue, sad to say.
I got Beatrix from the same wonderful rescue organization, Grateful Greyhounds, that rescued my first greyhound, Georgia.

Beatrix the new Greyhound!

2010-03-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

So we just brought home our latest member of the family, our rescue grey Beatrix! She is the bigger fawn colored grey sticking her head out. I'm beginning to think my tiny toyota isn't the best car for hauling around some big dogs!

Update on Sam the senior greyhound

2010-03-19T15:32:00.001-07:00

I have to say the power of the internet is truly amazing at times. From my office in NY I reached out to people on a greyhound message board and w/in days I had people willing to help with transport and wishing the best for Sam's situation. I also got three people who were willing to help. One greyhound rescue group located in MA, Sam's home state, was not only willing to get Sam this weekend, but they immediately had a foster family for him. So tonight, Sam will meet his new foster mom and her greyhound as well. Not only am I truly astounded at the quick mobilization for Sam's plight, I am eternally grateful for all the greyhound people willing to lend a helping hand. To think it all started with an email from a friend in South America asking if I could help a friend of hers located in MA. Amazing!

Please consider supporting local rescue groups that typically do not even have facilities to house the animals, but rely on people to foster the animals until they can find a 'forever home'. They do not have the millions of dollars to back them up like HSUS, but operate on a shoestring budget and depend on people willing to foster. The greyhound rescue that came to Sam's aid is Greyhound Options; they do not have a kennel and have been able to place over 1000 greyhounds...pretty amazing!

Greyhound Options also has a really great article on why it is sometimes easier for foster dogs to find homes than kennel dogs. Having volunteered at my local shelter I would agree. Of course it would have helped if my local shelter actually made an effort to get the dogs adopted, but that is another sad story.

Georgia blends in

2010-03-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is what Georgia looks like after a long walk in the sunshine.

Illustration Friday: Subterranean

2010-03-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

I kept thinking of subterranean subterfuge on the part of the worm.

Georgia sunning herself

2010-03-17T12:07:00.001-07:00

After all the rain here in the New York, the sun is out and Georgia can get back to sunbathing her skinny brindle self.

Sam the Senior Greyhound

2010-03-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sam needs a 'forever home'

Illustration Friday: Brave

2010-03-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes being brave means standing up for your beliefs even when they are not popular.

"You can't eat your friends and have them too" Franz Kafka

Crocus

2010-03-04T14:12:00.001-08:00

I keep forgetting to take a picture of the 3 crocuses in the front yard so I just drew them instead.

Illustration Friday: Perspective

2010-02-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Life is always a matter of perspective...

Illustration Friday: Propagate

2010-02-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

propagate: to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (as an idea or belief).

Propagate mercy and compassion to all living things.

"Animals are my friends; and I don't eat my friends" George Bernard Shaw