"Into The Mystic" Van Morrison

"Hijos Del Sol" - Hermanos Gutierrez

Black Sharpie on manila paper

Miami 2010

I lived in Miami for a few years. I rented a small apartment right on the bay. It was lovely. Iguanas and land crabs used to wander around the yard. Beat that!

Miami has some of the most lovely beaches on earth. I used to hang out at oceanside cafes sipping esspresso coffee and drawing.

Back then my main art tool was the ultra fine black sharpie.

I was into drawing what to me were guilts. Crisp black and white drawings done off the cuff. I drew a bunch of them.

Here's another one.

Black Sharpie on paper

Miami 2009

Bay Harbor beach, Miami, Florida

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Tropical diving

colored pencil, calbayog city, 2025

I added more to this one. I love playing with these colored pencil pigments.

I brought heavy duty art paper from America that can put up with some abuse. I draw with the pencils and then rub them with alcohol. The colors smear around and blend together. When the alcohol dries I draw more and then smear again. It's so satisfying.

Lately I'm inspired by the blue of the Philippine sea near my home. I went diving a few days ago. The colors of the tropical waters were just like this drawing. As I dove around in a pastel coral forest I actually met a tropical sea snake. It calmly swam about ten feet from me. The snake, the coral forest and the tropical blue ocean were breathtaking.

Hermanos Gutierez - Esperanza

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Besame Mucho

colored pencil & pen, calbayog city, 2025

Not gonna lie, I really like this one. It has a deeply blue, blue, and the red.. the red was an accident. I love accidents.

Lisa Ono - Besame Mucho

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Pedro UK - Searching for light

I've been doing music video artwork for my friend Pedro UK. Some of them have turned out nicely. Pedro UK's music is great as well. The drawings are all done with pen and colored pencil. I used 'Paint' to assemble the covers. Tumblr only lets me upload one video per post so I uploaded Pedro's song "Then 2" (below). The other videos are uploaded on YouTube.

While we're on the subject, if anyone knows anyone who needs cover artwork done for video's or CD's I'm open for business.

Cheers.

Pedro UK - Then 2 first mix

Pedro UK - Mother

Pedro UK - Lockdown Sessions

Pedro UK - Lockdown Sessions

He's holding out on us

Sean, my son.

"Daddy," Sean asked me, "are cemeteries frightening places?"

I never know where his questions are leading, but I know his mother is afraid of cemeteries so I said,but

"Yah.." and waited.

"Then why," he asked, "do people cry instead of getting scared?"

"Good question." I laughed and looked for a piece of paper to write it down on.

Later he came up to me and asked,

"Daddy, why did God even think it was a good idea to create mosquitos?"

We live in the Philippines.

"I have no idea why God created mosquitos." I answered him honesty, "In fact," I said, "I bet even God doesn't know why he created mosquitos."

We both started laughing and he said, "I bet if you asked God why he created mosquitos he'd be like, 'Gosh, why DID I create mosquitos?'"

Sean was playing Roblox while we talked and laughed.  He can do that.  His little fingers ran over his iPad screen directing characters while he spoke.  Kid energy.  Then he looked up and asked,

"Daddy, who created God?"

I kid you not.

That is a question I've been waiting for without any plans for a good answer.

"Sean," I started, "That's a very big question.  No one really knows the answer."

"What?" he was astonished. "Can you look it up on the internet?"

"Nah," I said, "it won't even be on the internet.  Nobody knows who created God."

"Nobody?" he asked in disbelief.

"Nobody," I replied.

"Not even God?"

"Well," I said, "I suppose God knows who created himself."

"He should tell people!" Sean demanded.

That one made my sit back in my chair and look up for a moment.  Not gonna lie, I had to agree.

"He probably should tell people." I said, "But he's holding out on us."

"Humph." Sean said with no small amount of displeasure. 

And then he went back to his Roblox,

Calbayog City  2023

Sean wanted blue

colored pencil, calbayog city, 2025

Sean, my nine year old son, told me he wanted a drawing that was just blue, so I'm drawing this. I've used four different blue pencils so far, but hear me out. As I worked the pigments with alcohol, I could see that the darker blue was bleeding off some purple, which was lovely. So I went back to my pencil box and found a lavender pencil, which is not exactly blue, but it made the drawing look just like the ocean off the coast here which is way cool.

Sean likes it, so far, so..

I'm going to add more. I think. But I seriously love these colors.

Brian Wilson - The Lonely Sea

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A curious snail

watercolor on paper

black and white photo

Los Angeles 2018

It's easy, at least for me, to imagine that snails have characters.

Maybe it's those eyes, poking out on their stocks, looking....

I wonder, do snails dream?

And if so, of what do they dream?

Do snails dream of wet concrete and fresh clover?

Do juvenile snails have wet dreams?

I've never thought of that before but why not?

Little snail nuts messing up the grass where they sleep...

So cute.

watercolor

Los Angeles 2018

Each time you fall in love

Coloredpencil and Watercolor

Monrovia 1996

I made this drawing in 1996.

When I drew it, by the grace of God, I had been free form alcohol for one incredible year and I remember, so clearly, that as I drew, I was feeling a deep new creative surge born of hope.

Life is an epic journey my friends.

Each time you fall in love - Cigarettes after sex

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Eye candy

black sharpie

Culver City 1989

When I realized that I could draw nothing and have it be something, my world changed.

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Dream river and moon

Colored pencil and pen

Los Angeles 2018

When the mind dreams it is at play.

There is an appeal to illustration that transcends subject. My art is a reflection of nature. My art is my dream.

Somewhere, even in deconstruction, there is a promise of reconstruction. My art is my reminder.

My art is my ouija board.

Dream river blue moon

colored pencil

Los Angeles 2019

Dream river no moon

Colored pencil and pen

Los Angeles 2018

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