Illustration by Veronica Lawlor / Design by Hambly & Woolley, Toronto During the last weeks of his administration, President Obama secured increased protection for the rusty-patched bumblebee, which is now officially designated as an endangered species. Unbelievably, the rusty-patched bumblebee population has gone down almost 90% since the 1990s. (Scientific American) Besides contributing to the […]
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Of all the lessons learned by walking in the shoes of my fellow studio members over the course of the past 41 days of exercises, the one I am most embarrassed to say I discovered is that I have abandoned a tool that I have so heavily invested in but apparently disregarded. As I pondered […]
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This assignment was ridiculously fun! I wanted to use an alternate medium to see what it would deliver so I decided to use real apples to paint with. For anyone who’s ever made potato prints it’s the same concept. What came out of it really surprised me and sparked a whole new wonder in mediums. […]
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My local museum is the Montclair Art Musuem, or MAM. Only about 10 minutes from my house I don’t visit it enough. So last week I took a sketchbook and walked around. With no agenda, just to enjoy the time and see what I find. What a way to spend the day. Some of the […]
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I was working on an exhibit project about whales and ocean life and the plastic garbage that we dump into and fill our oceans with every day. I began to collect the straws that I was using every time I bought an iced coffee. This really hit home with me because it was something I […]
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Drawing flowers can be mesmerizing for me because I find myself getting pleasantly lost in the inter-winding lines and curves. Incorporating the collage element was a bonus. It added a new element in the enjoyment of exploration. There was a freedom in not having to make it look perfect, so to speak. I hope to […]
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This exercise is great for developing a mood in your drawings. I chose to make a mood board for the typical boardwalk fun house. The one my family and I went to last summer had a maze of mirrors, dark spooky hallways where we could feel eyes watching us, and a warped mirror wall. It […]
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No people whose word for ‘yesterday’ is the same as their word for ‘tomorrow’ can be said to have a firm grip on the time.” ― Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children India is a place I’ve always wanted to visit. In my mind it sits untouched by time, unchanging over the centuries. The Taj Mahal would […]
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OK, there is little evidence on the surface that there are trains inside. I remembered seeing drawings of it before construction started and not thinking much of it, but the Oculus Transportation Hub has become one of my favorite buildings in Manhattan. Honestly, I thought it was a forced idea on paper but as I […]
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This exercise evolved out of some drawings I did during a family visit to Newport, Rhode Island this past Labor Day weekend. Founded in 1639, Newport has long been considered to be the shining gem in the coastal crown of New England. A haven for religious dissenters, a critical Colonial Era port city, a thriving […]
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The Japanese Pavilion at Epcot is one of my favorite places to sit and enjoy nature and culture. I was sitting toward the back of the pavilion and I noticed the torii peaking through with its beautiful red color among the gorgeous green leaves and trees. I also feel very peaceful there. Art by Margaret […]
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The Elysian Café in Hoboken, NJ is a great place to draw, and the food and drinks make it even better. It is the oldest continually operated bar/restaurant in Hoboken, starting in 1895! So as you can imagine, the interior has a certain charm. I took out a fountain pen and brush marker and I […]
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This drawing is from a day out at Ochs Orchard in Warwick, NY. My kids collected tons of apples and drank apple cider. Taking time to paint and draw out doors is just so peaceful. It allows you to appreciate the uniqueness of the world we live in, especially for us city folks. The fun challenge of drawing nature is […]
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For this city drawing exercise I went to Hoboken New Jersey and stood at the Lackawanna train station intersection. It was challenging because of all the fencing around it. It’s a very old (and very beautiful) station so I imagine it’s being protected. But I was able to draw it from a distance. It was […]
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Here is a recipe for Bitter Melon that was given to me by a Pakistani cab driver as we made our way over the Kosciuszko bridge in Queens. I was telling him that I was going to make brussel sprouts with orange peel for Christmas, and he asked if I had ever tried bitter melon. […]
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Belonging to a CSA has its perks throughout the growing season, but when I went into the crisper to grab something to draw I didn’t know just how good I had it. There was an endless bounty— peppers, radishes, squash, a pumpkin and even a watermelon—literally right there ready for me. I just needed a […]
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I saved this exercise for a special day, one that I knew was coming. If you’ve been following ODAD for a length of time, you’d know September 11th is an intimate day of reflection for me, and my family. After a tender weekend filled with memorial services there’s nothing I’d rather be doing today than […]
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I was sitting outside the building on the Pratt campus in Brooklyn when this little girl came up to one of the huge flower pots and began to look at the different flowers growing there. She was so sweet and sensitive. She touched each flower gently. That was a drawing worth making! Art by Margaret […]
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Our vegetable garden, unfortunately, did not happen this year. However, we do have a bed of flowers and plants that line our backyard fence. Most of our flowers have already come and gone this year, but their green leaves are still there. I’ve always been attracted to subjects that are in many tones of the […]
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Drawing people moving is as enjoyable as it is frustrating! For this exercise that is based around Margaret’s Central Park roller skaters, I chose to cool things down a bit. I drew ICE skaters. They spin and glide just as much as roller bladers. These particular skaters were young girls so it was super sweet. […]
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