Mention of Annie Jump Cannon, Astronomer on The Planetary Society blog

Great to see a mention of the Annie Jump Cannon on the Planetary society blog. How exciting is that?

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2012/review-story-books.html

This is so huge. I am a massive Carl Sagan fan. Check out my web comic entry about it:

http://popsmoothie.com/2012/07/09/cosmos-by-seth/

More Sketches

Hattie Heron at the champagne pyramid...

 More sketches from The Ultimate Sinister character I am developing. Mostly warm up sketches as I am painting a lot of the time right now.

Bertie Whisker on the Piano...

Sketching in Covington, KY

Scan from my sketchbook... It was a beautiful and blustery day...

We walked around Main Strasse yesterday with Troy's parents (and I worked on this in my sketchbook). 

The streets were strangely deserted and many of the shops were closed. Someone talk me down and tell me the area leaps into action after 5 on a Friday. It was a little disconcerting especially on Black Friday. I worry that many of the businesses they are probably struggling. Hopefully they got a boost from small business Saturday today?

Covington is a really beautiful place with a lot of old buildings and cute shops. It seems like a lot of buildings are empty on Pike Street. I hope they can revitalize like the Gateway Quarter has but it is tough. The architecture is beautiful but renovation is very expensive and there are a lot of factors that make these areas living organisms.

We had a great Thanksgiving with a lot of food, wine and good conversation. I hope everyone reading this had a good holiday.

I love this sign on Pike Street. It looks like something out of Game of Thrones...

Happy Thanksgiving in the Year of the Dragon!

Did you doubt this year's theme??!!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I am preparing a turkey from a local farm. It should be a good day!

Krohn Conservatory and the Area Around

A little sketch of the Krohn Conservatory and some details around the area. I cannot believe I did not know the balloon lighting at Eden Park was yesterday evening or I would have stayed longer... As Homer would say: "Doh!"

Started the morning at the Crafty Supermarket and Findley. A beautiful day!

The Ultimate Sinister

This is a character I have drawn for years. I am now working on a mini-comic of it. I first drew him in grade school, he looked very different though. Now it has a bit of Jeeves and Wooster, Downton Abbey, cats and mice...

Sketching and Painting the Figure

Homes in North Avondale

I just started breaking in a new sketchbook. Vanessa and I were walking in her neighborhood Tuesday to keep our minds off things and away from the TV. There are some gorgeous homes. I sketched a couple, but would love to sketch more of them. Another place I would like to sketch is Oak Park, IL.

Also, I have been taking a Painting the Figure class with my retired DAAP ID professor Gil Born at the Art Academy.

Painting or drawing from a model is one of the best ways to improve your skills as an illustrator. I really need to start going to life drawing sessions at Manifest.

My November 8th painting at the Painting the Figure class.

Buckeye Book Fair

Angela Johnson and Me sharing a table. Photo by her cousin Roz.

I have had a really good time both visit to the Buckeye Book Fair in Wooster, Ohio. This year we sold out of a Warm Winter Tail and almost out of Why the Possum has a Large Grin.

Angela Johnson was fun to talk to and made the day pass quickly (which is good when you are at a table all day). She was a big advocate of the Possum Book (and got a copy for her niece).

I bought a couple copies of her picture book Lottie Paris Lives Here illustrated by the amazing Scott Fischer for Christmas presents. It is so cute!

She is best known for her YA books (which I would like to read) but has also authored some amazing picture books in addition to Lottie illustrated by Loren Long (one is a Golden Kite winner).

Here is a sketch I did that day:

I added color to this while I beat Troy and Cline at Scrabble...