Fishing Report

Well, it's time again to post a drawing of our yearly "brothers and friends" backpacking trip to the Uintah mounntians.  We hiked in to Crater Lake and it was way too far this year and it about killed me.  It was only a 3 day trip and we probably covered 30+ miles.  Last year I did a sloppy lame sketch of my little brother Duane catching a bigger fish (for once) and posted it here.  He grabbed it off my blog and used it as his phone screen saver all year long.

So, this time I told the truth...the fishing was kind of bad...no one caught a huge fish...but I remember mine was a little bigger.  So here ya go Duane, you get to look at this for the next year.  I even cropped you your own version!

There ya go.  until next year.

Happpiness

I've been thinking a lot about happiness lately.  This could become quite a long post, because I have a tendency to go on too long about things...just ask my wife.  But, I've been wondering why so many of us waste time being unhappy.  When I think of myself as a teenager, I was always happy.  There wasn't much that came my way that would change that for long...it's just who I was.  What happened?  Now, for those of you that don't know me...I'm not grumpy all the time now, but I've decided I have been spending far too much time under my own little black cloud.  Why?  I'm not sure.  Life is too short to waste time being unhappy.  For me it takes more effort to be unhappy.  It's not my natural self.  So I've decided to smile a little more.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to be happy.  How?  I'm going to "count my blessings".  My life is good.  There will always be things that try and trip me up...and I'm sure I'll fall every once in while, but why stay down...it's just not worth it.  There, I'm done.  I like my little illustration on the subject...no that's not me.  Way too much hair.

glasses

my eyes are all I got left...my hair is gone, one ear is going...but I've never had to wear glasses.
I went to the eye doctor a couple of years ago, and he was impressed with my vision.  That was then.
He told me it was just a matter of time, and looks like he was right.  I'm starting to move things farther away to read...I've notice I tip thing toward the light...it's official.  I'm starting to get old.

sketches for the forth of July

these sketches don't really have anything to do with the 4th of July...just thought I'd put something new up if anyone out there still comes by my blog.  I haven't got any comments in what seems like years...so, just to prove you stopped by, please leave a comment...or not...that's ok too.  hope ya like looking at these few doodles, just a bunch of random sketches just for fun. Happy forth of July everyone...be safe out there.

weekend cowboy

here is a cowboy sketch for your weekend.  hope ya like it.

feels good to do something

I've been wanting to do some more conceptual stuff for a while now.  I have a pretty large stack of this type of illustration in my studio at home.  I started thinking about taking pieces of things I've already painted and putting them together to make new concepts.  It was kind of fun to create this way.  Paint something out of one painting, then photoshop some new element or object in, and wow, a new piece.

Nothing too special here, but these are a few "new ones" from this weekend.

where did Feb. go?

I was sick for more than a week this month.  I usually don't get sick...but maybe I needed to this year, so I could realize how lucky I am that I don't usually have to deal with that.  Yuck!  I honestly don't know where the month went, but here are a couple doodles from my desk just so Feb. won't get the best of me.

rollerblader

Just a silly little doodle today.  I was trying to get the real awkward pose of a beginning skater, but didn't really achieve what I was after...oh well. 

Obamacare...

New year...and new health care costs.  At my workplace, they told us that their agent warned them of health care cost increases as much as 40%.  Thankfully it wasn't quite that bad, but our policy got worse and the costs still went up, and I did notice today that my take home total was less.  Tax increases combined with increased cost of health insurance.  I guess this is the "changes" that the majority wanted.

Here is my take on the new world of Obama Care.  "Good luck," the doctor says as he shows you to the entrance of the maze that has become our health care.

Where has Lael been lately?...and why no posts?

I have mentioned before on my blog some of my projects at my little rental house.  I have a basement apt that I've had rented for 8 years straight (same tenants).  Well, when the renters moved, I found out that they stopped caring about or cleaning my place years ago.  It was awful.  It required a lot of work to get it back to a presentable state.  I wish I had taken some before pictures so everyone could appreciate the transformation...but I forgot.  Maybe that's a good thing, because they surely would have grossed some of you out quite a bit.  Anyway, I know it's not art, but I'm quite proud of my efforts just the same, and I thought I'd share.

 this is the new look kitchen...simple but clean again.  I cleaned A LOT, and added a tile floor, new counter top and used range/stove and of course a fresh coat of paint.

 Here is the other side of the kitchen...I still have to put the new counter top on the sink side...but I ran out of time.  The new renters are in.

 Here is a picture looking past the pantry into the kitchen...I like how the tile edge looks with the new carpet.

 This is the stairs coming down into the apt from the side of the house. Clean, clean, clean.

 This is the new look bathroom. Here I had to fix some really bad drywall (that the previous renter installed...yikes) and then I put in a tile floor and new vanity and marble counter top...and of course paint.

 Here is a shot of one of the bedrooms...not too special, but they sure look better cleaned up.

 I added some tile in the back entry area...that'll help the carpet stay a little cleaner here.

Here is the only picture I have of the main family room...I wasn't smart enough to take it before the new renters started moving all their "stuff" in...

So there ya go...my budget remodel.  I say budget because I did it all myself...I know it's not too fancy, but it's clean, smells good and it is a "rental" so I didn't want to go too overboard.

Mel has been beggin me to start posting more.  He's telling me things like, "come on Lael, it's halloween, this is your time of year when you come alive and start posting."..."let's have it!"

so, Mel, here ya go.  it's a pumkin.  Happy Halloween everyone.  be safe.

Things have been busy for me lately...I'm feeling a little ragged.  I've been working on fixing up my little rental house for a couple months now.  Things go slow when you do everything yourself...and it done at night after work. 
Here are some doodles from my desk at work...I know, nothing that great.  (I'm not sure if anyone even comes by my blog anymore.)  I guess if I want to read some comments, I'll  have to dig a little deeper and put up something comment worthy.  Maybe next time.  Until then, this is all I've got.  "puka shell necklace"...I'm loosin it.

Annual Fishing Trip!!

Last weekend was our annual trip to the Uintah mountains.  We went to a less traveled spot way up the east black fork drainage.  I had a great time with my brothers and friends.  Here is a very quick sketch that my little brother should enjoy... documenting the rare occurrence of out fishing me. :-)

I'm not dead yet...and to prove it...

it's been a fun summer, been busy working and wrenching on my ghia and going on vacations.

here are a few doodles from my desk at work. 

Summer is almost here!

Looks like we've made it through another winter.  This last winter wasn't as bad here in Utah, but honestly there are days when I really miss my other southern California life.  When I lived there, I was young, and I had summers off.  I miss that.  This week is the last week of school for my kids, and then...let the fun and craziness begin!

Illustration Friday: Jump

It has been a real long time since I've done anything for Illustration Friday, but I've been in a real slump lately so I thought just do a little something and see what came out.  Do any of you remember being young and stupid.  Honestly sometimes I think back so some of the stuff I did on a daily basis and wonder how I ever survived.  I look at this poor kid and think this isn't going to end well, but when I was young, I would have gone off this jump...500 times...for several days...until it got boring.  Oh to be young...and stupid again.

Boogie Boarder

I'm not all that great at character design, but I thought this little drawing had some fun things going for it. I woke up this morning to a few fresh inches of snow on my front lawn...that got me thinking about my warmer life in CA.

It's been a long time, but I used to have a lot of fun with my old boogie board (that I won in a drawing back in '78) Anyway, I guess that me dreaming about the "warmer and younger days" was what brought this sketch on. Have a great Easter weekend everyone!

doodles from my desk

when I get bored I draw faces...these were a few from my desk.

2nd post for March! Not feeling it!

Feeling pretty run down lately...creatively tired. I hope spring and some warmer weather can turn this around.

Here is another little doodle.

happy st patty's day everyone!

Here is a painting I started several years ago...back then it was small,quick and a bit rough. I blew it up really big and tried to clean it up a bit. (I like to get in a noodle sometimes) Been a while since I've done much digital painting, so it was fun!

bug on the brain.

I sold my blue bug a few weeks back and it got picked up yesterday...I would be sad, but I've got another project already. The "orange" Ghia above is next up. This one is much better than what I usually start with, so

should be fun!!

Look at this...another post! that's two this week! Hopefully a sign of things to come. Here is a sexy young mermaid. I had fun drawing her, and am fairly happy with the way she turned out. Even if a sketch is awful, I like when it has happy little moments of drawing...and that's how this one was for me...some fun moments.

Hope ya like it.

just a sketch book page

just a couple quick stetch from a page of my sketchbook...not much I know.

Two posts this month...I can do better than that!

Happy New Year!!

One of my new year's resolutions is to post more...unfortunatly this resolution is going about as well as all the rest of my resolutions...anyway...

I recently had to do some illustrations for work for a story about a kid and a cat...these two drawings were some of my cat exploration...I don't really draw cats. These were too stylized for what I was doing, but I still kind of liked them...the drawings, not cats!

sketchbook post with a seasons greeting

Here is just a quick sketchbook sketch with a Christmas Wish for everyone...Merry Christmas!

walk the dog.

do any of you remember the stupid invisible dog leashes? fess up, who of you remembers having, or worse yet, buying one at some fair or amusement park. I never did, but I confess, I wanted one...bad. My parents were to "wise" to spend money on such things. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.