Epilogue

After reviewing my effort over the past year, I have concluded this blog. I always intended it to be a project with a beginning and an end. I learned a great deal and appreciate the comments and input from those who visited with me along this journey.

I found that posting daily was virtually impossible. I give a great deal of credit to those who can do it. I enjoyed having a goal that encouraged me to produce work, but found my day-to-day to be too hectic for consistency.

I became a part of the IllustrationFriday community. I will continue that in my new blog--http://olddognewtricksillustration.blogspot.com--along with regular postings from my work.

I continue to be confused about my direction. I hoped to clarify that in this exercise, but I still am uncertain about what I want to do with my art.

I hope you will join me in my new blogventure and hopefully this old dog will learn some new tricks.

Peace.

Drawings Continued

Full Circle--IF Equipment (49-1)

Here I am, one day from the end of my 365 days. Unfortunately, I've been very distracted from posting and have missed all of April and half of May. I have been working, just not posting.

For the sake of Illustration Friday, these pictures are of lacrosse players and show their equipment--sticks, goggles, ball, uniforms, and cleats. You can't play this game without equipment!

For the sake of my team, these are my seniors. As I did last year, I created a pencil drawing of each of them which they will receive tonight at the school's awards ceremony. I've done this for several kids that play on teams that I coach, and they really enjoy them. In some cases their parents won't let them have them because the parents want to keep them.

As for this blog...well I've tried to keep it all in perspective. I've probably done more artwork becuase of it, even though my most recent posting absence would indicate otherwise. So tomorrow, I'll wrap it up as I mark my 50th birthday.

IF: Rescue (50-56)

I was in the U.S. Air Force from 1985 until 1992 where I worked as a Munitions and Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Maintenance Staff Officer. Because I was responsible for munitions storage I came in contact with most of the operational units on the bases where I was stationed.

The Air Force has two remarkable missions (that I had frequent contact with) aside from the standard fly and fight: Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) and Rescue/Recovery. This illustration is of a PJ (pararescue specialist) securing an injured pilot awaiting transportation. The PJs are really remarkable people. Like EOD, they are often the kind of people going toward trouble when others are running away from it. They are remarkably fit because they have to be prepared to go in and rescue stranded or injured people in every environment, usually under fire, and often without regard to their own safety. They are skilled marksmen and highly trained.



I had a friend that I went to munitions officer school with, who then went on to become an EOD officer. He was an amazingly regular guy, not prone to bravado. Anyway, here's to all of those remarkable people going in harms way to save others.

Moo (57-59)

Did these cows this morning for some packaging. Photoshop

IF: Expired (60-94)

I've been absent from my blog for about a month. Anything I did in that time wasn't worth posting. It was a tough month ending with the passing of my little beagle Sadie. Sadie was my very special friend and companion for 13 1/2 years. She raised our daughters with lots of snuggles. She is missed.

Anyway, here is my entry in IF for the topic Expired.

Another Layer (95-106)

I have an abstract painting that has seen at least two version so far. I watched videos on Basquiat and Pollack this week and thought I would take a crack at that canvass again. So here it is. I'm going to let it dry on my art cabinet for a while to see if I still like it or if I want to add more.

The yellows and greens seem to get lost in the photo, but the general picture still survives. 18 x 22 oil