Other Projects

Like any other blogger, I've found myself recently pulled away from the tablet. Not (primarily) thanks to the humdrummery of everyday life - but rather to a group of projects, creative to varying degrees. A friend's blog wallpaper, a musician's portrait, a cover design for a Most Important Album... and the list of preparations for our upcoming wedding. A gown to be made, a dress form constructed, decorations worked out, and - among other things - a papier-mache javelina to be created. Oh, and of course... Matt's sheik costume. This is serious business, you know.

So, my head's been a touch full of things outside of this blog - for this I apologize. But today I faced the unexpectedly enjoyable task of weeding out the porch garden, and was thoroughly inspired by the experience. While I adore gardening, weeding isn't my favorite activity - but this time around, I was treated to some pleasant company... green anoles.


I'm a nut for animals, and these little beings bring enormous delight to my soul. Frisky, inquisitive and amusing, they dart from plant-to-plant, sunbathe on the stucco walls, perform territorial push-ups, and go from dusky brown to lime green in a matter of seconds. Fascinating little buggers - who watched and nibbled at bugs while Matt and I trimmed out the overgrown side-yard. The one above is a girl, identified thanks to her dorsal stripe. Additionally, I nabbed a photo of this little creature, camped out for the day alongside our porch light:


This gave me hope, as I would love to see some interesting moths this summer. Sacred Datura plants will soon be sprouting along our porch - although half of their appeal lies in their beauty and notoriously hallucinogenic reputation, I admit that I'm really hankering to see a luna moth... and they crave Datura flowers. Here's hoping.

Both of these little encounters in the garden have their way of providing some wonderful inspiration for me, especially as an illustrator. Particularly the anoles, being colorful, linear creatures - animals in general are a strong presence in my work, so I'm eager to see the little reptiles manifest therein.

Otherwise, a quick photo to show another project that recently took place at Casa Tolentino - the clean-up and gradual restoration of an early 20th century Beuscher trombone, as well as the polishing of Matt's 1950s Martin baritone saxophone. As I've said before, we're both preservation junkies, and our shared activities reflect that extensively.


And oh, what the heck - I'll throw in a photo of Matt on his restored 1953 Schwinn Super Deluxe bicycle. Particularly impressive, as he did the restoration work by himself... back in high school.

I'm marrying well.