There are a few people that believe that sneezing is “a method of protection against evil spirits entering the body through the open mouth of a sneezing individual”. If that is true, I have been engaged in a brutal battle with an evil spirit for two days now- as I have been sneezing non-stop. I wish it would just go away to some reformation program and come back as a good spirit. The world is better with good spirits and without the common cold.

* * *

These are detail screenshots of drawings that I’m doing for a Mural that’s going to be mounted in a school library, north of Cebu. I’ve never seen a tiger- yes, not even in a zoo! They seem so mysterious- and these drawings are based off photographs.

For this project, I’m doing some of the ink work while Johanna colors (the image posted here isn’t it- this is just me playing around with washes while I wait to go out for a walk, and buy new studio lights). It is very strange to be doing two straight mural projects, as we never really thought of it as a feasible illustration avenue.

Meanwhile, take a look at the marvelous work of Tessar Lo (who has painted a few tigers, btw). I hope he continues to paint forever, I find myself looking at his art on the web every now and then, it is very moving and some pieces speak to me in a very personal way. I hope that one day I can get to see his work in person. His website is tessarlo.com and he also keeps a blog at tessarlo.blogspot.com

-CNN

Seriously, work can kill you.

I listened to the radio on the way to the studio tonight:

“Princess of the Stars, a large passenger vessel capsized because of the storm yesterday, eight hundred people missing, some children. [radioman goes on to read a list of survivors]…

Rice and other basic goods rose in prices. Fuel prices too…

The average salary of a janitor in Singapore is twenty seven thousand pesos.”

When she played, even the stars came down to listen

* * *

Something from the sketchbook

When I am not such a poor boy anymore, I would like to travel with Johanna. Go to all the famous ports and the big cities. I could watch the sun set from all the corners of the world. Yes I could.