Krampus and Claus

Merry Christmas from Krampus and Santa:

Once one has seen the Krampus costume options out there, it is hard to maintain interest in boring old Saint Nick.

Even if one has very deserving children who have been good all year....

Cthulhu Christmas

Or Merry Cthulmas

Perhaps our alien overlord is dreaming of a white Christmas?

One can never disappoint around here with a Cthulhu drawing...except maybe if one drapes him with poorly drawn strings of popcorn.

Esthetic Lens Piece

The very nice online arts and culture magazine Esthetic Lens included me in their 5 questions section with some pictures of my sculpture. 

I said some mildly embarrassing things which might not improve your opinion of me. 

But you really should follow the link and look at the other articles.

http://www.estheticlens.com/2017/12/20/5-questions-nina-levy/

Teddy Roosevelt Pets

Jonathan Edwards the bear with the unnamed one legged rooster:

Theodore Roosevelt had the most pets of any American President, including this bear and fowl. 

There were other pet bears, and other poultry, in the Roosevelt household (as well as a badger, a lizard, and many other creatures) But these two seemed to stand out for me.

But I never pass up an excuse to draw poultry.

Mr. Protection and Mr. Reciprocity

Mr. Protection and Mr. Reciprocity

Two of Benjamin Harrison’s more unusual pets during his term in the White House.

Did you know: Opossums are North America’s only marsupial. They are naturally immune to rabies and the bites of pit vipers. They have opposable thumbs...on their hind feet, so perhaps that makes them opposable toes. 

Not sure they make good pets for presidents or regular folk. 

This drawing is not one of my better efforts compositionally speaking, but I like the opossum concept. They are a nice combination of cat, giant rat, and raccoon qualities. 

Maybe nice is not the right adjective.

(Trump has remained petless so far. Perhaps he needs some appropriately named opossums?)

Penguins and Polar Bear

Non Denominational Winter Holiday Image...that no one at my house wanted to use as a holiday card:

I was trying to come up with a Happy Holidays image that wasn’t too Christmasy. 

Unbelievably, tomorrow is the younger kid’s last day of school before the winter break, so I felt like I had to take a stab at the holiday card idea. No one was impressed....even though, coincidentally that younger kid is reading “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” for Language Arts class.

And yes, I know that penguins and polar bears reside on opposite sides of the planet.

But maybe they get together when they have time off from work over winter break?

Max and the Grinch Light it up

Happy first night of Hanukkah:

My kids are not very much fans of the Grinch. He is more my reference point. 

But I feel like we’ve all been a little grinchy lately, so I thought I should not exclude the green guy from the Festival of Lights.

And pyromania is really the driving force behind my kids’ interest in the menorah, so a little unsafe fire handling seemed appropriate as well. 

And Max the dog was always a highlight, but one didn’t get the sense that he would stand in the way of setting something inappropriate on fire.

Cool Skin Art

The Boy With The Dragon Tattoo:
(Or The Ballpoint Pen Doodle)

As a parent, I cannot say that I respond with overwhelming enthusiasm when my son returns home from school, clearly having spent a good chunk of time doodling on some part of his body or clothing during a class.

But I try to fight the tendency to become solely the upholder of rules and the critic of disorder in my son’s life. There is some much petty crap to carp about: the homework that is not done, the teeth that are not brushed, the pumpkin pie that is smeared on the couch, the pen scribbled all over the pants....

So I tried to shift my thinking about the self doodling by redrawing his hand dragon.
He told me that my drawing had made it more cool. This was high praise indeed, but I will try not to be overwhelmed. There is still food smeared on the couch and I am not sure I can do much to shift my thinking on that front.

(Yes, this is yet another holdover from the #inktober series, Hideous Progeny, fantasy portraits of my kids...and it is a watercolor, and sadly, not a napkin)

The original hand art: (His dragon drawing is more interesting than mine, but there is no opportunity for flames)

Fowl Kingdom

Pigeons have been on our minds lately.

We watched “Death Peck,” a recent episode of Disney’s “Star vs the Forces of Evil,” where a misunderstanding between humans and “the Pigeon Kingdom” leads to the pigeons trying to enforce “death by a thousand pecks.” There was also the implied threat of weaponized droppings.

But we were already thinking about pigeons anyway. 

Our daily walk to the subway passes under an elevated portion of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. This area under the roadway has no doubt always a welcoming habitat for pigeons, but I can’t say that I really paid close attention until the last couple of years. 

In that time, a neighbor lady who lives quite close to the BQE has developed a serious pigeon support hobby.  It might be classified as quite a bit more than a hobby, actually. We pass her and her rather significant breakfasting flock as we rush to the subway at 7:10...or more often, ten minutes late at 7:20. 

Depending on our timing, she is either energetically scraping pigeon guano off the sidewalk, or laying out what looks to be several pounds of birdseed on the freshly scraped areas....or if we are really late, she is presiding over a huge feasting flock of fowls.

Recently, one of my kids focused on the health implications of walking through the droppings every day....and depending on our timing, the sartorial implications of placing ourselves under hundreds of potential droppers. 

He now insists that we go out of our way and cross the street to avoid the pigeon convention and its waste.

While I am not a big fan of the idea of being shat upon myself, I have to admit that I do think back a little bit fondly of the time before when we were on better terms with the pigeons and their human benefactor. She seems offended by our obvious avoidance of her flock.

But luckily, the pigeons don’t seem to care.

Movie Popcorn

Holiday Weekend Movie Goers

We did finally make it to the other superhero movie over the fall break. At the beginning of every day over the long weekend, we would start by announcing that we would go see the DC movie that day, and then motivation would somehow prove to be insufficient. 

But today we finally made it to to the theater, and I finally have managed to photograph this napkin. 

Low expectations are often good when it comes to such things, however, so by the time we did see the movie, our younger son pronounced it not so bad after all. My expectations were perhaps not low enough for the movie or the napkin. 

But I heard that the movie theater popcorn was ok.

Turkey Train

Happy Turkey Day:

I can’t really explain this one. We spend a lot of time on the subway, and this one man’s bright orange sweatshirt hood just seemed like it needed a wild turkey head. 

Koalas Wait for Their Train

Fluffy and cute, but not necessarily friendly or motivated.

Another very late watercolor completion of an inktober drawing.

Mollusc Oxytocin

Mollusc Oxytocin 

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 20

My younger son has developed the habit of telling me that he "needs to boost oxytocin" when he wants a hug, like when he is stressed out on the way to school in the morning. 

The closest thing we've had to a pet recently was a slug I brought home on a bunch of radishes from the local farmers market. Much to my husband's dismay, I managed to keep it alive for a week on a steady diet of fresh organic radish leaves. 

I may have been overinvested in the welfare of the slug. 

But eating all the extra radishes was probably not bad for the rest of us.

I neglected to post this one back on October 20th, although if was just a black and white drawing then. 

Cabbage Cross Patch Adolescent

Cabbage Cross Patch Adolescent:

Times are still tough...I am still tormenting my older son.

It’s for his own good. Really. 

And it might also be that I can’t help myself.

And, it’s still inktober around here.

Subway with Pets

Still finishing the watercolors for inktober. (This was from October 24th)

My younger son asked me today to please stop drawing his face. I reassured him that this was the same old drawing from a few days back, just with some color added.

Back to napkins soon!

Subway Homework with Not So Bright Fish

Yes, still inktober. 

I liked the fantasy version of the watercolor portion of this one that I had in my head when I didn't have time to finish it back on October 19th.  The fish was really jewel-like and translucent. 

I forget that my cheap student-grade watercolors do not have the same color saturation as my non-archival markers on napkins.

Snarky Adolescents

“I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would reply to mine.” 

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 31

This one was based on a moment of brotherly togetherness while waiting to see the dentist last weekend.

If only those all teeth were brushed more conscientiously... Now that it is November 14th, I wish I could say that this last drawing is the end of Inktober, but yet I am still finishing the watercolor portions of a few previous images. 

I would like to remind anyone who might possibly take an interest, that I did make it to day 25 and the theft of my phone before everything fell apart completely. 

I never ever missed a night with the napkins, but now that I don’t stay up so late, things move so very much more slowly. 

And strangely, as my sons mature into adolescence, they are not becoming less time consuming...or less toothsome.

Cushioning

“A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquility”

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing #30

There is such a strong need for relaxation, yet too much time spent pressed up against the couch cushions might not be a good thing.

(Yes, it is November 9th and Inktober was supposed to end, well, in October. I have somehow not managed to post the last two drawings. That’s just kind of the way things are going lately)

Cabbage Crosspatch

“I wished sometimes to shake off all thought and feeling”

Is it stress? Or just fear of vegetables?

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 29

I am constantly torn between wanting to shout at my kids to grow up, to be more responsible, to realize that they live an over privileged, over indulged, insulated life...and simultaneously seeing that they are completely overloaded and over stressed and not able to really enjoy their childhood.

(Yes, I remain far behind on this inktober thing...but still trying)

Talk to the Hand

“What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?”

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 28

The day I after started this drawing, one of our kids was trying to deal with his life stress by being, shall we say, inappropriately over assertive. What had seemed like a humorous sketch when I started, seemed a bit less funny.

But a couple of days later, I have mostly regained my sense of humor. 

Mostly.

Halloween Sibling Carving

“The companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.”

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 27

Yes, it is October 31st today and this is drawing number 27.  

While I was arguing with my younger son about his homework on the subway ride home late last week, an unsympathetic individual relieved me of my cellphone, and due to a terminally uncooperative series of computer and “cloud” backups, most of my data. 

Several days, and over a dozen hours of Apple tech support later, I am pleased to report that I did not lose everything, although I did lose all of some things... but at least I know when most of our dental appointments are scheduled. Mostly.

So, back to finishing Inktober. I still have a few more drawings in the pipeline. And I have yet another appointment with Apple tomorrow. So more delays. It will be a bit of Inkvember, I fear.

This drawing was originally destined for National Pumpkin Day last week, but it seems equally appropriate today.

Happy Halloween! And maybe consider printing out the contents of your phone on paper....

Arboreal Marsupials in the Subway

"From my infancy I was imbued with high hopes and a lofty ambition"

(But don't let my parents know)

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 25

Did you know that because of their low nutrient diet, koalas sleep 20 hours a day? That they are "asocial" and "spend just 15 minutes a day on social behaviors." They also have the smallest brain in proportion to body weight of any mammal. Koalas are therefore definitely not innovative thinkers. According to Wikipedia, "when presented with plucked leaves on a flat surface, the animal cannot adapt to the change in its normal feeding routine and will not eat the leaves." 

Perhaps those koalas were busy watching YouTube videos while reclining on the couch and were hoping if they remained motionless long enough their mother would heat the leaves up in the toaster oven and serve them?

But they are cute! 

Maybe...

Are they still cute? I remember hearing that they were adorable, but when I look closely...

Who was I talking about?

Just kidding guys. I really just wanted to draw you with animal heads. Among other creatures, I considered birds and snakes, but nothing seemed more appropriate than Koalas.

You may disagree.

Strangers and Familiars

"I believed myself totally unfitted for the company of strangers."

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 24

What could make the stressful morning commute in subway cars packed full of strange humans better from my son's perspective?

Perhaps if everyone brought pets.

Passive Aggressive Massage

"I will be even mild and docile...if thou wilt also perform thy part, the which thou owest me."

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 22

My son is under the impression that being available to provide back and neck massages at any time is in my job description as his mother. 

We disagree on this point, and I have made this clear a good many times. 

Despite my fine application of loving, positive, parental boundary setting, there may have been a few passive aggressive neck rubs delivered over the last year.

Sympathy Fish

"Pitiless as you have been towards me, I now see compassion in your eyes"

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 19

Doing reading homework on the train on the way home is pretty damn difficult...even for those who are not a tired, distractible 10 year old boy.  

But I can't afford to be too sympathetic, or else, we will never be finished, and never get home.

It finally happened. I had a good run of 18 days of finished ink and watercolor drawings. this Inktober. But there is no way this one is going to get a color treatment tonight unless I stayed up extra late, and I am no longer allowed to do so.

So here it is as a monochrome. The fish was going to be a really lovely reddish orange to contrast with the florescent light of subway. 

Please use your imagination to conjecture what a nice job I might have done with that.

Sadly, when I finish it later when I don't have a deadline, I will probably fuss over it and kill it. 

But it is safe for now.

No Exit

"Have I not suffered enough, that you seek to increase my misery?"

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 18

It's been a rough week.

And it's only Wednesday.

Commute

"We must continue our course with the rest and learn to think ourselves fortunate"

Inktober 2017 / Hiseous Progeny Drawing 17

Hard to be grateful during the morning commute on the NYC subway.

But cold weather and the approach of Halloween does present the opportunity to dust off the skull neck gaiter- and to reveal one's essential undead nature.

Skulls

"There is something at work in my soul which I do not understand"

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny drawing 12

Those electronic rectangles, so soothing to the individual when one is surrounded by others...providing virtual human connection, and shielding one...from other humans in physical proximity.

Yeah...I wanted to draw some skulls. That's a pug and a house cat.

Sorry boys. 

Underground Monsters

"It is true, we shall be monsters...but on that account we shall be more attached to one another"

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 14

It is true, I biked the kids to school for five years at least partially to avoid having to deal with them on the train twice a day. 

We are all much more mature and calm now, but we still have our moments.

Not that these comments explain this drawing. I can't claim that.

Collosal Stature

"My person was hideous and my stature gigantic."

....particularly when standing on the living room furniture.

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 13

A little pretend for Friday the 13th.

Some kids want to imagine being doctors or firefighters or superheroes....

I did not do him justice. But sadly, the health gods have ruled that I am no longer allowed to stay up late to work on silly drawings.

Mutually Assured

"For while I destroyed his hopes, I did not satisfy my own desires."

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing #11

Mutually assured destruction/devotion

Misery with Cords

"Misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous."

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny drawing 10

The abject misery of adolescence. The absurdity of being asked to do homework when there are so many important electronic cords. 

It is hard to be polite to your humorless jailer in these circumstances.

Yeah, it's late and unfinished. Again. I was busy with feeding, nagging and transporting today. Same old.

Wet dog

"There is love in me the likes of which you've never seen"

...And the smell of wet dog.

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 9

The burning, yet unsatisfied desire for a pet meets a particularly unsubtle metaphor for the challenges of self regulation in an unfinished, poorly documented drawing. 

Maturity

"I must not be trifled with."

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 8

Our older son has been master of the dismissive look since six months of age. And, as his nursery school teacher observed, he has never been afraid to say no to an adult. 

Now that he is 14, we are not earning his approval any more frequently.

Another late, unfinished and poorly photographed drawing for Inktober. (And it's only the 8th day of the month) I am definitely going to have to get my act together, or fall hopelessly behind.

Many Handed Progeny

"You are my creator, but I am your master"

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 7

Late and unfinished again. 

But there were people who needed to be fed and taken places today, so time to make drawings about neediness was limited.

We Belong Dead

"I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter."

Inktober 2017 / Hideous Progeny Drawing 6

Unfinished and poorly photographed as I missed the daylight today, but my son tells me I should post it anyway as to not fall behind.

I guess this one is about the intersection of the love of zombies and the hatred of homework. I will try to explain tomorrow when I finish it and take a better picture.