Dance (if you want to)

Still adjusting so daily doodles are a little behind. Here’s today’s:

Now that I feel like I’m stepping into a rhythm, I’m revising my daily rituals, even when it’s just mark making and composition practice.

Return of the daily doodles.

Was recently hired on to work full time for an org I’m absolutely in love with. So it’s been a month of orientation to a new schedule and pace.

Practicing my sketching technique!

A big ole zine.

I have been disappointed in Jon for decades. For all the good points he makes, he makes just as many points rooted in ignorance and privilege

God damn it Jon Stewart & The Weekly Show podcast. The stories of the economic benefits of immigration ARE BEING TOLD. It’s just that WHITE people aren’t interested in these stories because you are more interested in hearing stories you’re familiar with than STORIES PEOPLE OF COLOR TELL.

If white and white passing women stood between protesters & violent state police, protecting protesters, and calmly, driven by anger, strengthened by community, stood and demanded oppressors protect the innocent what message would it send? Perhaps we’re trampled. Perhaps.

The algorithm was algorithm-ing a few weeks ago when I was suffering from a case of “crushing on someone who could care less if I live or die.” Thanks to Rama Lauw for the ✨AmaJing✨ inspiration. Anyway, I cured what ailed me with a strawberry whipped cream sando.

Ink & watercolor. Looks much better in person.

Found objects! A whole book about vintage tractors is my new project.

More stock photo practice in ink. Really loving this medium.

Went to another Bring Your Own Pen get together at Stories in Echo Park. What a lovely gathering.

Pencil doodles, pressed flowers from a recent date. A little note that says, “I hope I’ll get to feel that alive again soon.”

Maybe far too vulnerable for a Blue Sky post but I’m old enough to remember that I can say whatever I want about love and desire and no one can stop me.

Really enjoying ink these days. Apparently, I make this face a lot. Self portrait in ink and watercolor.

Practice! Found objects, sashiko, quilting, textiles, ink and watercolor.

Today I went to Bring Your Own Pen at the Last Bookstore. I brought pens but ended up using charcoal.

Another watercolor, partial blind contour. Reference photo comes from the Heidi Duckler Dance book of photos.

Portraiture practice. The reference photo comes from The Sartorialist. Watercolor in my sketchbook, not so great mixed media paper, but very enjoyable practice. Still lots to learn.

New sketchbook stuff! Celebrities and a self portrait.

I’ve been struggling with proportions. Practice makes progress!

Liz Cheney a republican had to come up with our
Project 2029 but it’s so good I can get behind it! Cause fighting this fascist president has aged me considerably!

It feels like Americans really enjoy saying, “we’re so fucked.”

May I suggest an alternative? Could we try to focus the things we say on statements that offer care? How will we shelter, support the most vulnerable, give our community strength to help us protect schools, farms, hospitals?

Ok, so I had to upgrade my phone and got the one with the better camera, and I’m wondering if that’s what’s holding me back, and not my own practice. Here’s a chonky borb in watercolor.

A reminder that if the government can send migrants to a prison camp without any due process, it can send U.S. citizens there, too. I know because this happened to me and my family in 1942.

The color palette is darker today. Vogue Japan, watercolor & gel pen.

I haven’t practiced for a good amount of time and it shows. Back at it! Apocalypse or no!

Japanese American National Museum takes a stand against DOGE cuts to NEH The National Endowment for the Humanities warned museums across the country that it was slashing funding, including money previously pledged to places such as LACMA and the Japanese American National ...

Can we get more of this? “The Japanese American National Museum will ‘scrub nothing,’ Fujioka said, and instead will highlight the importance of DEI.

“Our community is based on diversity, equity is guaranteed to us in the Constitution, and inclusion is what we believe in,” Fujioka said.

Watercolor, ink, colored pencils. Doodling some characters, practicing with color.

Stock photo portrait practice. Watercolor. Tried some wax resist to keep the highlights. Wax was rose scented, and from an old candle.

New sketches! Watercolor, ink, gel pens.