Ancient City Inkworks

Working on a new piece...finally!

2009-07-31T15:35:00.002-04:00

I started on a new sketch of a tower on one of the historical buildings in town. Hopefully I'll make some progress on it in the next month or so.

A Stroke of Luck

2009-04-28T07:36:00.001-04:00

I should be dead: pushing up daisies, taking a dirt nap, shuffling off this mortal coil. I should be looking at the grass from underneath and the worms should be going in and going out, and playing pinochle on my snout. Why I’m not is a mystery, or at least a rare stroke (pardon the pun) of dumb luck, because I had a stroke of the brainstem and aside from a few lingering effects, pretty much walked away from it. Because the brainstem controls vital bodily functions such as heart rate and breathing, victims of a brainstem infarct often die. As relieved as I am to still be alive, I’m even more pleased to not be a vegetable. The idea of having no future prospect in life other than lying in a bed being kept alive by machines scares the living hell out of me.
It started as a bad cramp at the base of my skull on the left side of my neck in the middle of the night. At the time, however, I didn’t realize what that cramp had in store for me. It woke me up out of a beer-induced sleep, but after the initial cramp sensation passed, I went back to sleep until the morning. I got up and was having the obligatory morning coffee when the cramping sensation hit me again, this time with tingling in my left arm and the left side of my face, and my throat felt like it was being squeezed shut. It was hard to draw a breath and for a few minutes it was difficult to speak normally. I was getting a little scared when the symptoms kind of turned off almost as quickly as they had begun, the whole episode lasting perhaps ten minutes or so. I should have gone straight to the Emergency Room, but didn’t. I looked up information on strokes on Google, and gathered that I had had a TIA—a Transient Ischemic Attack or a mini-stroke as it is sometimes called. I knew I should have gone to the hospital, but I think it was a combination of male ego, fear, and lack of insurance that made me hold off. I wish I had gone then; it might have saved me a lot of aggravation later. The old saying about hindsight holds true once again! As it happened, I ended up sleeping most of the rest of the day and that night without any further incidents until the next morning.
I woke up Sunday morning feeling okay. I figured that resting the day before had done me some good. Wrong! I was going about my usual morning routine, and I was in the middle of scooping out the litter box (digging for buried treasure, mateys), when it hit me again. It was pretty much the same as the previous day, except stronger, and although it slacked off, it didn’t stop. I knew then that I had better get to the ER., so I got in my truck and drove to the hospital. The trip was uneventful. Thankfully, it was 6:30 on Easter Sunday morning, so traffic was light to non-existent, most people either still in bed or at sunrise church services. I made it to the hospital and drove to where the Emergency Room used to be and now wasn’t, much to my chagrin. Oh, yeah, they moved it! I drove around to the other side of the building, found the E.R. and staggered inside. Being the cynic I am, I was prepared to wait for hours to be admitted, but whether it was due to an empty E.R. or the fact that I was having a stroke, I got right in which was a relief, because my condition was deteriorating pretty rapidly. I walked into the E.R., but by the time they took all my info, I could barely stand up, let alone walk to the examination rooms. My left side was becoming numb and my left eye quickly went out of alignment with the right, and I experienced extreme double vision and vertigo. They took my vital signs and some blood, and then took chest x-rays and a CAT scan of my head. During the wait in between tests, I watched Spiderman on the swingarm TV and tried not think about what was happening to me. I have always been very independent and used to being able to do what I wanted when I wanted, and I couldn’t accept the fact that those days might be over for good. The vertigo finally got the better of me and I vomited into a medical waste container that was luckily nearby. The strain caused the world to grey out for a minute and black spots danced in my vision. I did feel better after that, though, and I didn’t experience any more nausea after that. They then rolled me up to the second floor for an MRI scan, and I couldn’t even get out of the chair without help. The MRI tech practically had to lift me onto the machine because when I tried to stand, I would just fall over to the left. The MRI takes about a half-hour to complete its cycle, and I was so fatigued that even through the noise of the machine, I almost fell asleep during the procedure. I was then taken back to the examination room and was given a cardiac ultrasound. I really wish I could have seen the screen, because that kind of stuff is fascinating to me. At any rate, I could hear my heart pumping steadily which was strangely comforting, although the tech had no sense of humor. I made a comment to the effect that my wife would question whether or not I even had a heart, and the tech assured me in a serious manner that I did indeed have one. Sheesh! Lighten up, Sparky! Man, those ER techs have no sense of humor. The doctor finally came in and informed me that I had not had a TIA, I had had a full blown stroke, and they were admitting me. Shit. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I was wheeled up to the SICU (the Surgical Intensive Care Unit- there are a lot of acronyms in the hospital, kind of like the military) and that was the beginning of my week-long hospital stay.
I was put into a room that contained a bed, a TV on the wall, equipment that monitors vital signs, and little else. I was fitted with a cannula to deliver oxygen, had an IV drip inserted to deliver a cocktail of glucose solution and an anti-coagulant called Heparin into my system, and was fitted with an array of cardiac sensors stuck all over my chest, one on my left index finger, and a blood pressure cuff on my right arm that were all connected to a telemetry machine to measure all of my vital signs. The first day was the worst. I didn’t know what to expect and I couldn’t really see anything clearly even when I shut one eye, because at first, both eyes were suffering from nystagmus, or involuntary lateral eye movements, which is just a fancy way to say that my eyes couldn’t focus in one spot, but kept moving away from where I was trying to focus. The ICU is a pretty busy place in the hospital, and there was constant activity, even in the wee hours of the morning; sometimes especially in the wee hours. Patients were being brought in at all hours and the nurses were always busy, so getting more than an hour of sleep at a time was damn near impossible, not only because of the constant activity, but also because I was periodically subjected to the ministrations of “the vampire”: the loving term of the nurse’s aide that takes blood samples. Samples of my blood were taken every couple of hours to monitor the level of coagulation, called PT/INR tests. The Heparin was being administered not only to start dissolving the blood clot in my left vertebral artery, but also to prevent new ones from forming. They also gave me aspirin and a blood pressure medicine called Lopressor because my blood pressure was so high that it’s a wonder that my head didn’t blow off of my shoulders. When I was admitted, my blood pressure was around 195/90. After a day in ICU and a few doses of Lopressor, though, it was down to almost normal.
Another major discomfort of my ICU stay was the fact that I couldn’t have any food or drink for the first day and a half due to the dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing). They wouldn’t even let me have any ice chips due to the chance I could choke on them. I have to say, those little lemon swabs they give you are a poor substitute for a cold drink of water. By Tuesday morning, though, I was able to have some ice and finally a little ice water. I don’t think water ever tasted so good as that first sip after my almost two-day fast. Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, I was moved to a regular room because I was stabilized and they needed the bed space in ICU for people sicker than I was. Speaking of people who were worse off than me, there was one code emergency in the ICU unit while I was there. I never got the details of the incident, but apparently an old woman who was there had some sort of episode and the staff had to perform resuscitation to keep her alive. There was quite a ruckus for a little while, but I couldn’t see what was happening because they had pulled the curtain across the doorway when it all started. I suppose they got the lady stabilized and averted a tragedy, but I never found out what happened to her.
I was transferred to a regular room and taken off all the telemetry equipment, the only thing connected to me being an IV with the Heparin drip and the cardiac electrodes that were connected to a portable reader that fit into a pocket on the front of my hospital gown. I was visited by nurses with meds, nurses who took vital signs, nurses who took blood samples (I felt I was being drained 1.7 ml at a time), and several therapists: a speech therapist, physical therapist and occupational therapist, and although it wasn’t real pleasant to be poked and prodded constantly, I can’t say enough about the ladies and gentlemen that work the seventh floor- they were all great. I hope when I get finished with the respiratory care program at school, I can be a part of a team of people like them.
I was feeling better and looking forward to getting out of the hospital when I had a setback. On Wednesday morning, I had another minor stroke: pretty much the same symptoms as before, but not nearly as intense. Nonetheless, I was taken for another CAT scan, and then for another MRI series, one normal run and another with dye injected into my bloodstream. As it turned out, it was another blood clot, but the symptoms passed fairly quickly and I was back to feeling only mildly crappy. I didn’t feel too bad physically, other than the lack of balance and the double vision. I could deal with the minor weakness in my left side and the topical numbness of my right. The numbness actually came in handy: they took so many blood samples that not feeling pain was an asset. It was strange not to feel temperature, though. I can still grab a handful of ice and not feel a bit of coldness. It is a strange sensation.
The worst part of the hospital stay for me was the boredom. Aside from the nurses’ visits, the days were broken up only by mealtimes—breakfast at 8:00, lunch at noon, and dinner at 5:00. Even with my wife sitting with me, the days were long and drawn out periods of watching TV and waiting for the next bland installment of hospital food, and the nights were even longer drawn out periods of watching TV and trying to snatch an hour’s worth of sleep between bloodlettings. I couldn’t read due to the vision problems I was having, and I couldn’t get up and walk around without an aide because I was hooked up to the IV and I couldn’t walk without hanging onto a walker and I couldn’t walk without someone to pull the IV stand and hold onto me. I couldn’t even get to the bathroom on my own. I can tell you, you get used to peeing into a bottle fairly quickly, but it was good to get back to doing it the old fashioned way. I don’t know which I looked forward to more at the time, eating real food or having an upright pee. It was definitely a toss-up.
After a week of all this fun, I was finally allowed to check out and go home. They performed a final PT/INR test and determined that my numbers were close enough to ideal to be released. By now I was not only on the Heparin drip, but also taking Coumadin to keep my blood from forming clots. Before I was released, I was disconnected from the Heparin and given a booster shot of another anticoagulant injected into my belly, which wasn’t very pleasant. I joked to the nurse about stabbing me like Jack the Ripper…she got a good laugh out of that. Like I said before, the nurses were all great and most of them appreciate and reciprocate a good sense of humor, but they all seemed to like me anyway.
It was a great feeling to finally breathe the outside air after sucking the canned air of the hospital for a week. The humid air with its odors of salty breeze, cut grass, and car exhaust were like a sweet perfume after the generic, antiseptic air of the hospital. It was good to be free! It was even better to be free and still be more than semi-functional! I had survived a moderate to severe brainstem stroke with basically little more than some double vision, some misbalance, minor weakness, and topical numbness of the right side. The doctor at the clinic where I go for my follow-ups was amazed and I’ve heard the word “miracle” a couple of times, but I really don’t feel that much different, and I certainly don’t feel miraculous. After seeing the work that the nurses and techs do, however, I do feel an urge to be a part of that profession and to do something that has some substance. Maybe this whole thing is pushing me to that end. Hopefully I’ll soon be spending more time in the hospital as an employee instead of a patient and providing the same care to other patients that was provided to me.

Pilot Boat

2008-12-30T05:08:00.002-05:00

I finally had a little time to do a little artwork, so I did a little piece of art. This one is about 5" X 7", done with a Micron on card stock. It's one of the Bar Pilot boats up at Mayport that ferry the Bar Pilots back and forth to the huge cargo ships that come in and out of the Saint John's River. The Bar Pilots board the ships to navigate them through the channel to avoid the shifting sand bars, etc. This one is The Mayport, a Chesapeake class pilot boat.

Lazy River Morning

2008-07-21T15:09:00.003-04:00

Finally finished the little gator...image size is 10" x 13" ink on Bristol vellum. Click the pic for a larger view!

Prints For Sale!

2008-07-05T07:57:00.012-04:00

Hi all! I just want to post a reminder that I have prints for sale! They are available matted and mounted to 16" x 20" in basic black OR matted and framed in either an oak or black frame. Matted prints are specially priced at $25.00 and framed prints are only $50.00! Prices do not include shipping.

All materials are acid-free and framed prints are completely sealed with a back dust cover for maximum protection to keep your print in perfect condition for years to come!

Coming soon...prints will be available of the Brough Superior!

Deep Retreat Takes 4th Place

2008-06-28T07:38:00.003-04:00

I recently entered Deep Retreat in the 2008 Honors Show at the Saint Augustine Art Association and it took 4th place. There were about 50 entries juried into the show, so 4th ain't bad! Being a winner in an honors show also qualifies me to enter honors shows for the next three years. I think I'd rather have had more prize money...heh.

Gator WIP

2008-06-20T19:12:00.004-04:00

A small update today...

Here's a large view for you.

Little Gator on the Board

2008-06-12T05:57:00.001-04:00

This is what I currently have on the drawing board...isn't he cute?

More later!

Bob Marley RIP

2008-05-11T10:17:00.002-04:00

Since today is the anniversary of the death of Bob Marley, i did a quick portrait this morning. This is done in sepia ink with a dip pen on Bristol Vellum. RIP Bob.

Cat Eyes ACEO

2008-05-04T16:50:00.002-04:00

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals". They generally refer to works of art that are 2.5" X 3.5", or the size of your average baseball card.

This was done with ink and watercolor on bristol vellum and is, of course, 2.5" X 3.5". A lot of fun and a LOT quicker than an 11" X 14" piece! heh

1936 Brough Superior SS80 Final

2008-04-29T18:16:00.003-04:00

Finally done with it...woo!

The Little Princess Final

2008-03-07T06:01:00.003-05:00

Finally finished! (in spite of myself) lol. Life took over for awhile, but I finally kicked myself into gear and finished it up yesterday. All I have left to do is to mat and frame it, and I should have that done today. As always, click on the pic for a bigger view! Thanks for looking!

Zebra Portrait

2008-01-27T07:13:00.000-05:00

I did this as an exercise in hatching and because my niece wanted a zebra pic. The eyes were stippled, but the rest is hatched. It's 11" x 14" on Bristol smooth...about 8 or 10 hours. (click on image for full size!)

Portrait Update

2008-01-20T09:05:00.000-05:00

Another update on my little princess...she's coming along slow but sure!

Portrait Update

2008-01-13T15:19:00.000-05:00

I've managed to get in a few more hours on this over the last couple of days...it actually looks like I'm making some progress!
I've been laying down layers of graphite, trying to build the tonal values up slowly. It's almost like watching the image slowly fade into view. I like the way her face is coming along, but I'm not sure about the hair. I just jumped right in on rendering the hair, trying to pay attention to the darks and highlights and the form of the hair. There's a long way to go, yet, but I think it's coming along well. Now I need to think of a title... "The Little Princess" maybe...

Portrait WIP

2008-01-08T06:16:00.000-05:00

This piece is a little different for me in that I'm doing it in graphite. Yes, graphite! I felt it was time to broaden my art horizons (and I just wanted to see if I could do it! ;-))
It's 11" X 14" on bristol using an HB mechanical pencil using the "circulism" technique. That is, I'm laying down multiple layers of tiny circles creating a "chain mail" of values. It's almost like stippling with a pencil. You can create infinite value transitions and subtle gradients with this technique. I think I might like this graphite stuff!

More later!

Stippled Rose

2008-01-03T08:31:00.000-05:00

My first piece of the new year!

This is 5" x 7" on pink card stock done with red and brown micron pens...about 20 hours.

Shiny Balls

2008-01-01T08:33:00.000-05:00

I just got this done on New Year's Eve...it's 11" x 14" ink on bristol board. about 8 or 10 hours. It was done for a challenge over at Wet Canvas. Thanks, Ethan!

Egyptian Scarab

2007-11-28T14:48:00.000-05:00

Just a little doodle I did today of a scarab beetle. I stained a sheet of 140# cold press watercolor paper with coffee, and rendered the scarab with a micron pen and watercolor pencils. I think I'm going to try some more of these!

Spotted Moray Final

2007-11-21T05:31:00.000-05:00

I'm finally finished! After laying in the powdered graphite background and about 40 hours' total work, the moray is done. Time to get cranking on the next one! What will it be? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode! Click on the image for a larger view!

Sending Christmas Cards

2007-11-18T06:21:00.000-05:00

This year is a departure for me.

Usually I could give a flip for Christmas cards. (Unless they had a little cash inside, that is. heh) This year is a little different. Thanks to the Wet Canvas Pen and Ink forum Christmas card exchange, I'll be sending and recieving handmade cards from all over the United States and all over the world. It's going to be a lot of fun seeing all those postmarks from places like the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Spain and Australia, even if they don't have any funds inside! lol
I'm almost done filling them out- I have about 25 cards going out, and I'm adding a little note to each one, so it's taking a little time, but I think it's definitely worth it to have friends in every corner of the globe!

oh,well...back to addressing cards! cheers!

Spotted Moray WIP

2007-11-14T06:41:00.000-05:00

I finally got the inking done on this piece! Now all I have to do is lay in the background, which will be done in graphite. I'm looking for a certain effect and I think graphite will give me what I'm looking for. Wish me luck!

Christmas Tree Tessellation

2007-11-08T05:24:00.000-05:00

This was done for a christmas card exchange at Wet Canvas' Pen and Ink forum. It's a tessellation of christmas trees and cardinals and is my first tessellation ever! It's a little different than what I'm use to doing- this is done with markers instead of stippling to give it an illustration feel.

I'm still working on the moray...it's hard to make time during the week, but I'm getting it little by little. I'll post an update soon. Later!

Spotted Moray WIP

2007-10-29T19:38:00.000-04:00

I've been plugging away on the moray...here's where it stands right now. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! woo!

Scribblerz Pics

2007-10-25T17:34:00.001-04:00

This is a gallery of old work I did using oekaki, a neat little japanese drawing program. Enjoy!

Photobucket Album

Spotted Moray WIP

2007-10-16T08:34:00.001-04:00

I'm currently working on something new, a spotted moray eel. This piece is 11 X 14 on bristol board (as usual) and done with rapidograph pens- a 2x0 and a 3x0. I put it together from a few references and I think the composition works well. This is about 12 or 15 hours' worth of work so far, and puts me about halfway done.

More Art Show Pics

2007-10-15T09:09:00.001-04:00

I finally got around to resizing some pics and uploading them, so here they are! Enjoy!

The Black and White Show!

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My First Art Show...a Success!

2007-10-10T06:20:00.000-04:00

I entered my piece "Ruler of the Night Skies" in the Saint Augustine Art Association's "black and white" show this month and came out with 4th place. Not bad for a first effort.

The worst part was waiting for the show itself. The butterflies were pretty busy, if you know what I mean. Once I got there, it wasn't too bad. I was expecting it to be a bit snobby to be honest, but everyone I met was very nice. After the awards ceremony, we meandered around, looking at all the wonderful artwork on display, sipping wine and chatting with the other guests. I took a few photos of the artwork and here they are.

the third place entry.

the second place entry.

first place.

best in show. huh?

I've been told that I kinda got screwed here, (and I tend to agree) but I'm happy with the results. I got my entry fee back with the prize check, and I got my name out there, and a LOT of compliments on my work, so no complaints. Nowhere to go but up, right? More later...

Ruler of the Night Skies final

2007-09-02T12:26:00.000-04:00

After about 40 hours of work, Ruler of the Night Skies is finished. Surprisingly, the branch was more difficult than the owl itself, but I think it came out okay. Comments are welcome!

Hanging Some Prints

2007-08-25T05:44:00.000-04:00

It was time to peddle some prints.

I framed up two prints of my Bridge Sentinel the other day, anxiously anticipating taking them to possibly be displayed in some cafe/galleries in town.

Yesterday I loaded them up and off I went to meet with the owner of the first place, a little coffee shop that displays local artists' work. Seeing as how I've never done this before, I was a little nervous. The owner was very gracious, however, and we were soon chatting about art and what not. I asked her what their policy was for displaying artwork. She replied that they charge 50% as most galleries do, but that she would put mine up for 30% as a trial. ( I had explained that I was an up-and-coming artist and just trying to get my foot in the door, so to speak.) So I went and retrieved one of the framed pieces from my truck and went back inside. She was very appreciative of my work, to say the least! After some oohs and ahhs and showing it to her counter person, she promptly removed a painting from a wall and replaced it with my piece! I played it cool, but inside I was like "cha- CHING!) This was a more positive response than I had hoped for! If everybody who sees it has the same response, I should sell quite a few prints!

The next place I went was a little sandwich shop/gallery. (I think restaurants are great for displaying art. Nothing to do while you eat but look around, right?) Anyway, the owners were out of town, so I'll have to wait till next week to talk to them. I left a card, however, so maybe they'll call me before I go back. We'll see.

Finally, I went to another restaurant that displays some artwork for free. I've been going there over the years and am friendly with the ladies who own it. When I asked to hang a print, they said "Sure!" and took down a small watercolor painting and replaced it with mine. RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WALL! I had the primo spot! I was naturally pleased as punch! I ordered a sweet tea, thanked them and went on my way, more optimistic and motivated than before. Then reality peeked into my head..."Now all you have to do is actually SELL some!"

damned reality voice...

Ruler of the Night Skies WIP

2007-08-12T06:35:00.000-04:00

This is what I'm working on at the moment. Ruler of the Night Skies is the most difficult piece I've done to date. It combines stipple (dots) with hatching (lines) to create the texture and patterns of the great horned owl. It also includes graphite work on the full moon using a technique called "circulism" which is simply making tiny circles, building layers until the correct darkness is achieved. The amount of dark background also adds to the difficulty in this piece for the simple fact that it is SO time consuming to get an even tone on an almost black background.

Bridge Sentinel

2007-08-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

This is the first piece that I'm making prints from, and it's also my first serious stipple work. It is 11"X14" done on smooth bristol board. It is a rendering of one of the white marble lions that guard our "Bridge of Lions" here, and took about 40 hours to complete.

Castillo de San Marcos

2007-07-27T19:23:00.001-04:00

This piece is of the Castillo de San Marcos, a 400 year old Spanish fort here in the nation's oldest city. It is 11"X14" on smooth bristol board.