The Dying Sunflower   graphite on paper    2018

Flower Study II - The Young Sunflower     graphite on paper    2018

Flower Study III - Impatiens (Impatience)     graphite on paper    2018

Gia, Sick    graphite on paper    2018

Spring Still Life      graphite on paper   2018

Flower Study I (Hairy Blossoms)      graphite on paper    2018

Little Self Portrait with Hair Up      graphite on paper    2018

Green is the Youngest Color     colored pencil on bristol    2018

Sketch of Gia Sleeping     graphite on paper   2018

Sketch of Gia Sleeping   black and white conte crayon on paper   2018

Sketch of Gia Sleeping    graphite on paper   2018

Marigold and Daisy     graphite on paper   2018

Happy Lunar New Year!   Since it is the year of the dog, I believe it is Gia's year (although every year truly belongs to her).  When do dogs not own the year?  They own every moment of their lives.

While I was working on this little drawing of gourds last month I couldn't stop thinking of Gerard Manley Hopkin's 'Pied Beauty.'  I'll include it below, for any of you who are so unfortunate as to have never read it before, and for those of you who have read it and, like me, delight in the chance of reading it again.

Pied Beauty
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Glory be to God for dappled things – 
   For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; 
      For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; 
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings; 
   Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough; 
      And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim. 

All things counter, original, spare, strange; 
   Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?) 
      With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; 
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: 
                                Praise him.