June Calendar Ready to Go

I was so busy on the car that my May calendar went by the wayside. So June is ready to go. Sometimes you just need something soothing and mindless to do, and making flowers like these is just the ticket. I've got lots planned this month, and I figure coloring these in while watching a movie will be an equally soothing activity. The green bits are pieces of color card samples for paint. I like them, but I think I'll use a super fine Sharpie to write on each day. I don't think the India ink I used will ever really dry. It is not blotting off, but if you run your finger across it, it will smear just a bit.

Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

I just needed to take a quick break from Route 66 for a bit...so I went to Hawaii for the afternoon. Yes, I lead a Walter Mitty lifestyle!

 The ferns really are that big and bigger! It's amazing!

New Mexico and Arizona, Route 66

Today I went from New Mexico to Arizona, stopping at the Jackrabbit Trading Post. They have a giant rabbit so of course I had to put that on my car.

The Jackrabbit Trading Post used to have huge signs teasing travelers for hundreds of miles before reaching this store. Now there are just a few left, but they are eyecatching. And I added another Burma Shave slogan  (just because I love them):
To kiss
a mug
that's like a cactus
takes more nerve
than it does practice.
Burma Shave

I put a California attraction up today too...the Wigwam Motel. They say there are two Wigwam Motels left along Route 66, one in California and one in Arizona. In all, there were seven wigwam villages across the USA, and now there are three. You certainly don't see sights like this very often these days!

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

 

Finished Texas and moving into New Mexico! Here is the famous Cadillac Ranch. It's a bit tricky painting over the bumps on the fins of this car...from some angles the caddies look pretty wopper-jawed. I figure those cars look pretty wopper-jawed anyway after all these years of people painting and beating them up! As you can see, my kids, Mike and Jill and Colleen, have been there with their spray paint ;)

The Car is Moving Along...

I've pretty much got the back end done...

So far the blue whale may be my favorite. I may add another Burma Shave slogan going up the road above his tail.

Sights to see in Arcadia, Oklahoma: Pop's and the round barn.

The crazy leaning water tower of Groom Texas and the Silver Spur Motel sign. Route 66 sure has great signs!

 Here's the giant Ku-Ku bird at the Burger joint in Miami, Oklahoma..love all the giants along the old road.

Riding along in my automobile...

Working on the car (yes, still) and humming this Chuck Berry tune:

Riding along in my automobile
My baby beside me at the wheel
I stole a kiss at the turn of a mile
my curiosity running wild
crusin' and playin' the radio
with no particular place to go...

Every Day in May (scene 2)

May 5: Draw scissors
May 6: Draw something tart or sour

May 7: Draw how you get you news (soo sorry, Anderson)
May 8: Draw a light bulb

May 9: Draw a clock at your home (this is at work)
May 10: Draw something with a flame

Every Day in May

I'm following the prompts to make a little sketch every day in May. If you want to join in, the prompt list is here and there is also a flickr group sharing their May sketches. I'm doing mine in a little pocket Moleskine that has just enough pages left to do 31 days. I'm trying to keep them all fast too...a quick and easy way to practice really seeing what's in front of me.

May 1: Draw a bar of soap
May 2: Draw a power cord

May 3: Draw some exercise equipment
May 4: Draw salt and pepper shakers

It's a start...

I started another travel journal style "page" on artist's panel. I'm doing these as if they were done in my journal, but to hang on the wall.  This one has a little watercolor of a barn that advertises Meramec Caverns. This barn is just north of Pontiac on Route 66. So far, I like the start, and can't wait to see how it ends up...how's that for spontaneous?