Rob's Blog

Tag: water

On the #drawing board: Start of a mural of Cracker Florida!

by on Sep.15, 2014, under Cartooning

2014-0914-Mural-RiverScene

This is just a small sample of a twenty foot wide mural I’m starting on. This part is of a stream with a cypress tree. In the stream is a bear and bunny making there way along. The mural also includes a Cracker-style home, a Florida panther cooking and, of course, an alligator – playing a banjo. I’ll add updates as I go along.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

June 11th, 2014 – Today on the drawing board: Pencils of cartoon illustration for musician’s t-shirt.

by on Jun.11, 2014, under Cartooning

2014-0611-DrawBoard-Pencils

Here’s are the pencils for a proposed t-shirt design for a musician. It goes in for approval and let’s see what happens. If i can, I’ll try to post the final art as it comes along.

I ordinarily would include the background, but in this is for a t-shirt, simplicity is important. It might still be added. I do get into other details from chickens to fish. I’m likely to really tone those down quite a bit when inked.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

Today on the drawing board: Travelin’ caricature in the process!

by on Jun.03, 2014, under Caricatures

2014-0603-TravelCaricature

This couple from South Carolina have requested a larger illustration than I usually do. 16″ x 20″. They provided a good list of activities they are or will be involved in. I added the majority in to the drawing.

I’ve prepped the art and it’s ready for watercolor. I’ll get to painting it soon and post it here.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

May 27th, 2014 – Today on the #Drawing Board: Prepping a studio caricature!

by on May.27, 2014, under Caricatures, Florida Outdoors!

2014-0527-Cari-FSilSpr-MarkClaudia

Here are the pencils for two people who volunteered at Silver Springs State Park to clean up the Silver River and area around it. it’s figured they’ve raised some $3,000 in cans collected.

This is the pencil version that I’m sending in for approval. After approval, I have another step for prep and then adding watercolor. I’m sure to post the finished artwork in the next couple days.

I have a painting to also paint and plan to do both at the same time.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...


February 5th, 2014 – What I’m drawing: My Springs Symposium Watercolor Painting #1

by on Feb.05, 2014, under Caricatures, Illusration

2014-0205-SpringsAll-KnightBob

On January 28th I was part of a symposium about the condition of our springs in north Central Florida. My part was to illustrate each of the speakers. This is one of the set of Dr. Bob Knight, one of our most knowledgeable experts about water in Florida. Knowing Bob helped me play more here than i did with the others.
Bob opened his talk by announcing he had more bad news. I took it from there.

I’ll be posting the rest over the next week or so.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

January 29th, 2014 – Springing to Illustrate Speakers about of Florida Springs

by on Jan.30, 2014, under Caricatures, Illusration, Swampy's Florida

2014-0130-SpringsEventArt

Last night I was part of a Florida springs symposium with a wide variety of speakers updating the audience about the current status of our natural springs and about upcoming legislation.

My role was creating a unique painting of each speaker during their presentation. A few are on the table below. I have a bit of cleanup to do with each and I’ll post them here in the next week.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

January 5th, 2013 – #5 – When frogs become mermaids..,

by on Jan.06, 2014, under Cartooning, What's New?

2014-0105-5-FrogMermaid-RobSmithJr

This is the painting my father got for his birthday this year. Each year the painting involves a frog and some other subject matter. This year it’s frogs and Weeki Wachee mermaids..

The Weeki Wachee mermaids are legendary in Florida. It all goes back to over fifty years ago when young ladies donned some hand made fins to promote Weeki Wachee Springs, a tourist attraction featuring the natural springs that flow out to supply the Weeki Wachee River. The ladies used an underwater breathing apparatus developed by, inventor, Newt Perry, to be able to perform swimming routines underwater that visitors could watch in a specially made theater.

The theater is still there today as are the mermaids. The park is now part of the Florida Park system and visitors still travel there today to watch mermaids dance and swim :

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

November 22nd, 2013 – #Dailyinks #21 – Santa Claus!

by on Nov.22, 2013, under Cartooning

2013-1122-21-SantaWater

This is just a part of a larger Christmas card proposal for a company. There were three i drew. if it gets rejected, I’ll post the entire card here.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

August 24th, 2012 – Charles Lee watercolor painting.

by on Aug.24, 2012, under Caricatures, Cartooning, Illusration

Charles Lee is the director of Advocacy at Audubon of Florida and came to speak at our event at Silver River State Park June 23rd. He spoke about how water is used. About 50% of our water resources in Florida are used to water grass.  As Charles points out, grass is just for decoration and yet swallows up so much of our water. Something to add is that the decorative grass is also responsible for the poisons of fertilizer and bug killer being added to the soil that filters it’s way into our Florida water supply. His talk is below and was recorded by Live Oak Production Group.

This is another in a series of five watercolor paintings of speakers from a conference I was involved with this past June 23rd.

Leave a Comment :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

January 12th, 2012 – Hiking and Sketching!

by on Jan.14, 2012, under Florida Outdoors!, Sketchbook, What's New?

I joined the Thursday morning hiking group of the Florida Cracker Chapter of the Florida Trail Association for, what turned out to be, a strenuous 6 mile hike through San Felasco State Park. There are many more photos at the Swampy’s Florida site. You can see those by clicking here.

Along the way I got some sketchin’ done, too. Not as much as usual. Below are a couple of the slight scribblings I made along the way.

    

While hiking it’s always good to be prepared for emergencies by carrying a well stocked Pez container!

We found ourselves in an empty bed of a cypress swamp.

This should be under at least some water. Below is a lonely cypress knee.

2 Comments :, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , more...

Looking for something?

Use the form below to search the site:

Still not finding what you're looking for? Drop a comment on a post or contact us so we can take care of it!