GRIZZLY PEAR

written snapshots

Category: Alphabet Magic

  • Alphabet Magic (2022-2023)

    Last week, I uploaded the letter “Z” of Alphabet Magic, pairing photos of everyday life with sketches of my hand forming the ASL manual alphabet.

    Just another post, but I couldn’t let it pass without comment.

    I took more art studios than architecture studios in college, but stopped drawing over the past two decades; constipated with perfection. After turning forty, I eliminated drawing from of my list of future projects (along with reading Chinese and the Guan Dao kung fu form).

    Then Post came online last year. I wanted to help make the place that I wanted to see, so this alphabet series was my contribution. The winter of 2022-2023 was a magical season when quirky artists came together for a mass experiment. (Much as Substack has become a beautiful writer’s oasis).

    When it became clear Post management was focused on news and opinion, I hopped over to Substack and turned the drawings into a formal series, pairing it with my contributions to Charlene Storey’s weekly thread of “everyday magic”.

    Twenty-six weeks later I’ve posted half a year of hands and magic.

    So what next? Well I have plenty more hands. After joining Substack, Wendy MacNaughton hosted a 30 day sketching challenge around the same time Ashlyn Ashantee got me really into fountain pens. So I kept drawing with hatching and new wacky nibs.

    Next week, I’ll start the second series, with a bit more variety, still with a pop of everyday magic, but with less alliterative titles. Maybe I’ll throw in the occasional calligraphy experiment and zine (inspired by a conversation with d.w. and John Ward on Notes).

    In home, school, or work, I’ve learned that projects start with promise, grind through midlife, and shutter with little fanfare. But I’ve also learned that the anticipation of triumph will eventually realized in retrospect long after the moment has faded.

    As I mature, I’m slowly embracing the process. It’s a privilege to draw. It’s a privilege to do anything beyond the bare necessities. It’s a privilege to share — thanks for reading!

    The results are up to the fickle gods, but we can always exhilarate in the chase.

  • Zydeco zebras zestfully zapped a zillion zig-zag zucchinis at zealous zombie zoologists.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “Z”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    The boy made a potion with sugar (flowers) and salt (sand) to put out a fire (thorny weeds) in the backyard. His hands were stained with red ink from doodling with my flexy fountain pen.

  • Yesterday, yodeling yaks yarned yellow yo-yo’s yodeling youthful yelps to yonder yugoslav yearlings.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “Y”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    The morning sun hit the kids’ holey socks. They now wipe off the the pens after refills.

  • Xeruses xylographed xenogenetic xeranthemum xeriscapes.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “X”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    The kids found my typewriter under my desk. I bought it for writing the text in my grad school portfolio.

    She had fun and he loves banging those keys.

  • Weepy weevils wailed wheezy whines of wiley weasels waylaying waltzing whales within woven woodbine webs.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “W”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    The kids woke up and saw my sketchbook with pens on the desk. The flipped the page and made their mark.

    ~

    Taegan MacLean’s One Word substack is one of the best projects on the internet, and his latest video Woodbine is another great installment in this series. Check it out!

  • Vibrant vultures vanished vulgar violet vampires via victorious vats of viscous vaporizing vegetable vinegar varnishes.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “V”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.
    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letters “H" and "V”, in yellow chalk on a beige CMU wall.

    A lovely cool sunset after a weekend of heavy rains in the desert. The kids were drawing a highway for a rollypolly.

    ~

    The Liszt transcription of Beethoven’s Fifth, played by Glenn Gould.

  • Uniformed unicorns uncovered uncouth unagi underwriters under unruly Union University.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “U”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    The boy wanted to paint the Scarbunny Pokémon so I drew one for him on watercolor paper.

    She wanted one too so I pulled out my rarely used light table, traced it, and let them loose with watercolors.

  • Timid tarsiers triumphantly trapped ten tetradactyls, toppling their treacherous tyranny.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “T”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    Last month, Hurricane Hillary slowly worked its way up from Mexico, prompting warning texts from from NOA. The boy kept asking about when the flood was going to hit. We explained that floods are bad events, but that couldn’t dampen his excitement.

    Turned out to be a minor event. We got a little rain on Friday afternoon which led to a massive double rainbow during the golden hour.

    We finally got our heavy rains and street flooding a week later — from a storm that had no name.

  • Silly skalds softly sang seven sympathetic sonatas stoutly skewering sixteen sadisistic satraps.

    an outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “S”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    My rediscovery of fountain pens has resulted in a more purchases. The hedonic treadmill led from cheap flexible nibs to boutique inks and now better paper. Ironically, the photo below shows drawings with decades old ink, but on a fresh Rhodia pad. And yes, it’s a world of difference from the cheap Office Depot steno pads I’ve been using.

    Along the way I’ve also discovered Pinterest after being nudged by some folks on Substack. It’s an amazing place for reference imagery (duh!). I had assumed that Instagram would be the place for such a library, but Meta has turned their place into a video service.

    Here’s to new (and old) tools, toys, and platforms.

  • Rational raccoons rashly rationed reimbursements remonstrating reckless rabbits rearing rough rascals.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “R”, in red ink on a yellow spiral bound steno notebook.

    On our way home from San Diego, we checked out the dying outlet mall at Primm. The adjoining casino is trying to revive it by making the cavernous space a huge mural gallery.

    There were a couple claw machines at one end of the concourse. After watching Toy Story, they begged to try it out. I told them to not expect anything.

    We had one dollar.

    We got lucky.

    An outline handsketch of a hand shaping the ASL American manual letter “R”, in black ink with a red ink wash on a white background.

    This is a $200 drawing, the most expensive that I’ve made.

    Late last year, I started sketching again, drawing the letters of the alphabet in my steno notepad. After drawing the “R” at the top, I tried again on decent paper, splashing an ink wash. It blew my mind that this could come from my hand.

    It kept me drawing. Half a year later, I found Ashlyn Antsee’s series on fountain pens and bought a mix of nibs and new inks…and I plan on upgrading from the cheap Office Depot steno pads.

    It’s a fuzzy line between art, consumerism, and privilege. I’m grateful that it’s no big deal for us to buy fancy drawing supplies.