Arty Velarde Blog

January 27, 2006
San Diego Zoo with Bonnie

In early December, Bonnie from Everyday Matters Group posted a note that she was coming to San Diego from Canada. She was going to have some free time and was wondering if anyone wanted to meet with her. I sure did!

We started with breakfast and I got to meet her husband Rob.
We spent the entire day together,
drawing, eating, chatting and shopping.
Meeting Bonnie was a huge treat, however, my daughter still gets after me for meeting a stranger from the Internet.

Click above to see Me and Bonnie in front of a panda mural,
Hippos against the glass and Mei Sheng the 2 year old panda.

January 24, 2006
Aerospace Museum, San Diego

The Voice1156 had a graffiti art exhibit that sounded interesting.
I took a look on the way to the Aerospace Museum.

Pit Bull?
When I got there, I saw this dog sitting in the window, chewing on a piece of wood.
There was an "Open" sign hanging on the door but it looked dark inside and
I thought the dog was a pit bull so I didn't go in..

It was a little more inviting at the Aerospace Museum.
I drew this while sitting out side in the Edwin D. McKellar Pavilion of Flight.

The sketch is of the Bell AH-1E Cobra - gunship weapons of war during the Vietnam conflict. Built in 1977. Last flown by the Army's 7th light Infantry Division stationed at Fort Ord.
53 feet long, 10,000 lbs gross. 6598 lbs empty.

January 23, 2006
Family Fun Day

My husband and I went to see the Hispanic Family Fun Day at Community Park in Poway, CA yesterday. I was hoping to see some costumed figures to sketch and photograph for reference.

When we got there this little group called "Grupo Pequeño" was playing some peppy music. This is a sketch of the singer playing a Guiro.

A Guiro is a percussion instrument played by being struck, shaken or scraped. The Guiro is from South and Central America, originally made from a gourd that has been carved or notched. This modern Guiro was made of metal.

January 22, 2006
Illustration Friday Entry - Cats

I am not particularly fond of cats but I guess I liked my cat, Ned, enough to try to do a paper mache model of him.

We owned Ned's mother and uncle. Ned was adopted by my friend Anna who gave him back when she moved up north. He's kind of annoying. I guess Anna couldn't handle him because he talked too much.

This is Ned as a paper mache character
holding 2 mice.

January 17, 2006
The Mengei Museum at Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Click on the pics below to see more sketches from Balboa Park.

January 8, 2006
Ariel "Arik" Sharon

Ariel Sharon Prime Minister of Israel in a medical induced coma. THIS is one of my first sketches of 2006. I normally draw daily but for some reason this year didn't start out very productive in the art department.