Illustration Friday - Invention

The Tyger

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes!
On what wings dare he aspire
What the hand, dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

-William Blake

I love this topic: invention. The drawings above and below are ones I did some time ago, inspired by that William Blake poem above. The top one is like a draftsperson's "design" of a tiger, hence the link with "invention".

I hope to do another drawing this week. I haven't had much time lately. I've been flat out marking exams. I like teaching, but I really don't like marking.

I didn't get a chance to do a drawing for "Thanksgiving", although I'm glad of the topic, because it made me go and find out what exactly what Thanksgiving is. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia. I'd heard of it in American sitcoms, and knew that it involved eating turkey in some way, but that was about it. I didn't realise that it was celebrated in Canada too, or that it was based on the Harvest Festival. And yes, it involves eating turkey (I got that right).

I had an idea for a cartoon of some sad turkeys called Hank and Jed talking in a Southern American drawl (or my Australian interpretation thereof):
Hank: "Well, Jed, I don't know what we're giving thanks for?"
Jed: "Hank, it sure beats me."
But I never got around to drawing it.

Illustration Friday - Clear

I haven't been very good at art blogging lately. Unfortunately, work stress and a sick baby have been taking up most of my time. My poor little girl has had gastro, but she's a lot better today, so hopefully she will be all better soon.

Anyway, I thought I'd just do a really quick pencil sketch, just so I could do something. I feel miserable if I don't get to draw at least once a week.

I drew a glass of water on the coffee table with a pen and a piece of paper behind it. I didn't realise until I sat down to draw that the water not only bent the image of the pen and the paper, but it reflected it as well. It was quite hard to draw. Obviously, both the glass and the water are "clear". I was thinking as I drew how precious water is. We have a drought here in Australia at the moment: clean and clear water should never be taken for granted.