Gynandromorph

My newest drawing – isn’t nature amazing? The female blue crab or Sook, has a red claw and the male or Jimmy, has a blue one. The shape on the underside of the shell is also different. This She/He is divided right down the middle – bilateral gynandromorph. 

On a side note, it feels so great to finally use these round sheets of paper that I made over ten years ago.

One Part He, One Part She

A title I have stolen from Patricia Edmonds in the January 2017 Issue of National Geographic.

This is not just a drawing. I feel it says something special, so I have moved it from my last post to this one. To quote the NG article: ‘The difference in appearance between a species’ males and females is called sexual dimorphism. The term implies that there’s a bisecting line between sexes, a clear divide. But in the animal kingdom, a lot of creatures straddle it.’

I thought this ‘bilateral gynandromorph’ so beautiful that I had to draw it. And I post it today in support of the Women’s March yesterday, and the spirit of openness and acceptance that it engenders. Get it? En-genders? 🙂

March on ladies, and the gentlemen who support them!

Just drawings

As it has been almost a year to the date since I posted anything, I thought it might be time to end this blog. But after looking at it again I realize that I still enjoy it. So just a small post for now, of some drawings I’ve done this year and one I finished today

Tent Rocks, NM

This place was so beautiful. Sara and I had a great hike, a visit to the Georgia O’Keefe Museum and a fantastic dinner at Georgia in Santa Fe. We even shopped a bit in between. What does a rattle snake totem mean? This guy definitely presented himself to us today.

Our friend at Tent Rocks, a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

 I read about snake totems – ‘When snake comes into your life you can look for a rebirth into new powers of creativity and wisdom’ – Animal Speak by Ted Andrews. I have just celebrated a pivotal birthday and I have had a lot of time to myself, so I have definitely been thinking about my life up to this point and where I want to go from here. This sounds pretty good to me. 

  

       

El Santuario de Chimayo, NM

   Inside are the healing sands of Chimayo, a wall of hanging crutches and a statue of the Holy Child of Atocha surrounded by little shoes. Photos of people line the walls, the smell of hot wax, whispers, a couple wearing Harley t-shirts pray at the alter. We are not allowed to take photos or videos inside. This isn’t a tourist attraction, it is a living sacred place and it feels it. 

 

A portion of the wall of childrens shoes

     It’s heartbreaking to see how many people have come here with their hopes and prayers for the people they love, but there is something beautiful in the ritual and belief. I don’t believe, but I’m willing to accept that there are many things we don’t know.

This Little Truck Book

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I didn’t think I would write again until traveling to India (or anywhere else worth writing about) but I have had some new developments with Sound Horn Okay! After returning home from India I finally came up with a solution for the book cover (realizing I had to differentiate the cover from the back) and began hand inking the title graphic. I also sold a book, so I made a drop spine box to house it. I have been included in the Spring Printmaking issue #25 of Uppercase Magazine (for the creative and curious) so I thought I would do a little shameless self promotion. Check it out at uppercasemagazine.com. It is a beautiful publication that has had issues on type, children’s books, quilting, calligraphy, color and all things creative, including many articles on living an independent creative life. Now who wouldn’t want that!

I have also submitted Sound Horn Okay! to the Boston Printmakers Biennial 2015 juried exhibition. It is being juried by Willie Cole, whose work I love by the way. Just knowing he is going to lay eyes on my book is thrilling. Wish me luck!

 

I am amazed at the number of countries that have viewed my blog at indiacloudhouse.com. I’m ashamed to say I hadn’t heard of one of them. Can you guess which one? Perhaps I’m not alone…..

Cambodia

Belgium

Sudan

Brunei

Poland

Switzerland

Pakistan

Iraq

Singapore

Mexico

Phillipines

Brazil

Indonesia

Spain

Vietnam

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

Thailand

Germany

Italy

Hong Kong SAR China

Canada

France

Netherlands

UNited Kingdom

Malaysia

Australia

Tomorrow I’m off to Evanston Print and Paper Shop, where I keep my press, to print the colophon for my book. I’m taking Venkatesh and Ashwin with me for some printing fun. The best way to spend Mothers Day!