Hi everybody, it's been a while! Crazy summer and whatnot, but it is what it is. Wait, whatnot is what it is? There's some philosophy for you :)
So, my good friend Tayler Morrell at Our Fairy Tale was kind enough to send me a Liebster, which as I understand it is basically a blogger to blogger award to connect and spread awareness of small blogs. She nominated this page, and also recently posted about a fun double date she and her husband went on with my wife and I. Her blog is pretty cool, you should check it out: Our Fairy Tale
Along with the Liebster, Tayler gave me 11 questions to answer, which you will find below. I have also uploaded some old sketches to break up my yammering. Don't forget to check out the links at the bottom to my nominations, some of my friends' art blogs.
1) What made you start blogging?
2) What is your blogging dream?
Hmmm . . . blogging dream? I suppose firstly that my art is seen by entertainment industry proffessionals and helps me get work. Other than that, I hope that people see it and are entertained, and hopefully touched in a positive way. Lastly, it's a way for me to track my progress, motivate me to grow, and stay in touch with friends and family.
3) What is your dream job, and do you have it/are you working toward it?
Lol as a teenager I wanted to be a Paleo-Artist and I am very blessed to be doing that right now. I will always be involved in dinosaurs, but my ultimate dream is to work as an artist and storyteller in family friendly film, animation, books, and comics.4) What are you a junkie of?
My wife and I enjoy going on retro-cartoon binges, particularly the Power Rangers (yes, they count as a cartoon). Also Ernest movies :)
5) Since I'm a teacher, what was your favorite subject in school? Why?
That's a tough call! I think that rather than a particular subject, my favorite classes had more to do with the teaching approach. Kids are usually in school because of someone else's goals– their parents' goals to make sure they are raised right, the government's goals to bring educated citizens into the workforce, etc. Those things are important, but rather than thinking of kids in those terms I think it's vital to consider what the kids want. What are their goals, their hopes and their dreams? Why not gear the classes around that? I was blessed to have several teachers who thought in this way, though they spanned a variety of subjects. In those classes, I felt a freedom and an exhilaration from pursuing my own dreams that lead to higher commitment to the work and a lasting love of learning.
6) What is your favorite book? Why?
I would have to say the Book of Mormon is my favorite. I learn from it all the time, it seems there is always something new. Besides, it puts The Lord of the Rings to shame for cool battle scenes.
7) Name a country you want to visit from every continent.
North America— Canada. I've always wanted to see the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.South America— I would love to see the Inca ruins in Peru, as well as visit the north part of the Amazon Rainforest
Europe—Oh gosh . . . everywhere? Particularly though, I would love to see France. My wife has spent some time there, and is always telling me cool stories
Africa— Madagascar would be way cool– I've always been curious about the Stone Forest
Asia— China. For lots of reasons. Chiefest among which, though, the Shaolin Temple.
Antarctica— It would be neat to go diving underneath the glaciers, see the wildife there, and explore ice caves :)
8) What are all the languages you speak (real or fake, fluent or not)
When I was a kid, my parents would speak Pig Latin when they wanted to hide something from my sisters and me, it used to make me so mad. I am proud to say that I eventually cracked the code, though the subsequent use of the language has proved limited. What is the use in speaking like a native when none can direct me to the land of Pig Latin nativity (Pig Latvia? Pig Atlantis)? Also Spanish. Sort of.
Intolerance for benign behavior. It irks me when good people are excluded and bullied for being eccentric.
10) What are three interesting things in your house?
—A crocodile head on our bookshelf— An odd tree we found at DI over Christmas, decorated with happy meal toys. We intended it to be our Christmas tree, but it looks to have become a permanent fixture
—My wife's Japanese wooden flute
11) What is your favorite post that you've done in the past year?
Link :)
My 11 random facts:
1. I am a connoisseur of cheesy puns.
2. I have ridden an elephant twice.
3. I like to eat peanut butter straight from the jar with a fork. Everyone thinks it's weird but my wife, who joins me :}
4. My grandpa is the guy riding the horse on the Wyoming license plates.
5. I take a sketchbook with me everywhere. My friends say it's a horcrux.
6. I can't wait to be old so I can make funny faces in the mirror and draw them.
7. One of my life's ambitions is to create and consume an orange chicken pizza.
8. I hoard books, especially ones with pictures.
9. My favorite bug is a rolli polli.
10. I hate tapioca pudding.
11. Emily and I have an ever-growing playlist of songs with unintelligible lyrics called "The Mumble Mix". If we like it but can't understand a word the singer is saying, it goes in the mix :)
Now for my 5 nominations:
Emily Cotton (my wife) of The Shipyard
Mitch Ellis of The Best Sketch-Blog Ever
Stephen "Stephe" Anderson of WASP-Art
Joy Liberatore of Imaginative Ink
Kiersten Pack of Kiersten's Sketchblog
My 11 Questions:
1. What do you hope to accomplish with your art?
2. Who is your greatest art hero?
3. What is your favorite thing to draw?
4. What is your philosophy about sketchbooking?
5. What do you feel is your greatest strength as an artist?
6. What do you feel is your greatest weakness as an artist?
7. Who is cooler, MacGyver or James Bond?
8. Do you feel physical condition (fitness, sleep, nutrition) impacts your artwork? If so, how?
9. Do you feel spirituality factors into art? If so, how?
10. You have one sentence left to live. What do you want to tell the world?
11. Eleven random facts
