Thank God for hard stones; thank God for hard facts; thank God for thorns and rocks and deserts and long years. At least I know now that I am not the best or strongest thing in the world. At least I know now that I have not dreamed everything.    G. K. Chesterton 

We have a heavenly country, but in a sense it is too difficult to love, because we do not know it; above all, in a sense, it is too easy to love, because we can imagine it as we please. We run the risk of loving a fiction under this name. If the love of the fiction is strong enough it makes all virtue easy, but at the same time of little value. Let us love the country of here below. It is real; it offers resistance to love. It is this country that God has given us to love. He has willed that it should be difficult yet possible to love it.      Simone Weil

Houses in February

More Caran D'Ache play.

Self-portrait

I will never see myself as others see me. This sketch is after viewing Felix Scheinberger's class on watercolor wash and glaze, in Sketchbook Skool. He uses pencil-- graphite or color, Hahnemuhle paper, and Schminke watercolor. Highly recommend his book, Urban Watercolor Sketching, which is a bit mis-named--as it addresses watercolor sketching in general... and also in wonderful particular.

Green tables in winter light

Poinsettia in winter

Chick-fil-A. (How long have I been doing this, and still can't remember to leave white for the reflections? So it goes.)