This the March 29th sketch for Cedric Hohnstadt’s ‘March is Sketch Book Month’. Fellow artist William Palacio contributed the subjects of hound dog and jump rope. Thanks, William!

This Friday, April, 1st, is the debut of the new Swampy’s Florida: Lakeland coloring book at The General Store as part of Downtown Lakeland’s First Friday event.

The coloring book has lots to color and learn about Lakeland’s history and great places to visit. I was able to price the coloring book at $3. If you’re in the area come by and say HI! and get a free drawing between 6 to 9pm.

All of this happening at a store that I think every town should have, The General Store. You can’t miss the rocking chairs outside! Also, if you haven’t met Downtown Lakeland’s infamous Sparky at The General Store, now’s your chance! By the way, that’s Sparky in the middle on the cover.

Last Thursday I wrapped up my guest appearance at George Pieper’s cartooning class with an exercise I love: Take a few words and make a cartoon out of it quickly. The three words: boy, frightened, hot dog. Below are some of the results, including mine.

By Me, picking up from the cat drawing I had drawn there earlier and shown here on the blog.

By George Pieper

By Dick Daniels

By a Student, whose name I missed.

By a Student, whose name I missed.

Come by and visit the first Swampy’s Florida booth at Pine Castle Pioneer Days this Saturday and Sunday in south Orange County! I’ll be drawing Florida scenes, have some Swampy mini-comics & debut Swampy’s first coloring book. There’s lots more than me at the event to see, so come out and experience the Florida Cracker lifestyle with music, friends & fellowship!

Learn more by clicking here!

This rose popped up in the back yard. The rose bushes have been rose-less for a year until this one popped up.

Not a great photo. Shoulda used a real camera. The iPhone & camera photos have their limits.

Today is Jacob’s 16th birthday!!!

I attended the Orlando Remembered meeting Wednesday morning. Above is a sketch of Peggy Jo van den Berg. Below is a sketch of member, and fellow artist, Ellen Smith.

Above is our Orlando Remembered Chairman, Robert Serros, and our permanent Secretary, Grace Chewning.

On September 4th during my trip to Lakeland to shore up the National Cartoonists Society – Florida Chapter meeting we were putting together, I went to my friend at the Lakeland SPCA to get materials for goodie bags. I came out with those and a cat. I adopted an 8 year kitty that I’m naming Zora after Zora Neale Hurston. That’s her above.

The comic strip, Beetle Bailey, turned 60 years old today and some cartoonists on Facebook drew their version of Beetle. Here’s mine.

I drew this at Reececliff Restaurant in Lakeland, Florida, while lunching with my friend, Jeremy Buchanon.

Haven’t been going anywhere in the past week, just working on artwork. Above is a photo of a flock of artwork done in about 3 hours today.