Dinosaurs

In college I met a weird kid named Vinod who, knowing I'd been born in the Soviet Union, would interrogate me endlessly about all of the Russian writers I hadn't read and the Russian composers I'd never listened to. I've read lots of Russian writers since, but of course I've lost touch with Vinod and can't give him my opinions now.

Over the weekend I was going through some things, and I found this fantastic box of dinosaurs he gave me when he graduated.

There was a time when all you had to do was mention Vinod's name to get a good conversation going about his many marvelous oddities. Now, only a few far-flung friends remember him, and I never hear his name. All I have left of him are these dinosaurs and the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange, which I either borrowed or stole from him. I don't remember. Henceforth I will refer to these dinosaurs as Vinod's Legacy.

New Year, New Monster

My first sketchbook page of the year. (Earliest prototype seen here.)

Drawing book in review

I like monsters. Before I drew them with my red litho crayon, I often used purple marker. Or I made them with paper.

Here are sketches of a dog breed I'd never heard of until last year:

After I made these sketches I drew this Schipperke on a postcard and mailed it away.

(More about postcards later. I love them.)

Oh, and one time I drew a house:

I meant to fill this page with more houses in other colors, but never got around to it. I like how blank it looks, though.

In March I began a series of portraits in red litho crayon. Then I started this blog. I've enjoyed sharing my drawings with you, and I look forward to sharing pages from my new drawing book, too.

A few things inspired me to start blogging. Jill's Today I Saw blog was one of them. It combines two things I really like: drawing and postcards. If you're fond of either, and you have an address, then you'll definitely want to be part of her postcard swap.

Hurrah, Hooroo!

Today's a celebration sort of day.