the man who couldn't sit still

My dad is the most hard-working man I know. I would say 'no offense Edgar," but he's certain to agree with me...my dad is something else.

Mama and Daddy sold their business and retired my freshman year in college [thank goodness for in-state tuition!]; the only thing is, I don't think anyone ever explained to Daddy what it means to retire. After nearly forty years of back-breaking labor setting monuments in cemeteries throughout western North Carolina and east Tennessee, he doesn't know how to relax, or perhaps more accurately, doesn't enjoy it nearly as much as he does working.

Here's to the moment at the end of the day, when the daylight is gone and Daddy finally sits down to read...and quickly falls to sleep :D

gampaw and max

diagram of an italian dinner

One of the things that I appreciate the most about Italian cuisine is the freshness of the food and the slow pace at which the dining experience moves along. But, after dealing with delayed and long international flights, the last thing you may want to do is to take your time at the dinner table... you just want to crash. After traveling for almost 24 hours, I decided to dine at the hotel before catching up on sleep in my room. I'm pretty certain dinner took nearly 2.5 hours and I believe this is what may have happened...

florence: Boboli Gardens at Palazzo Pitti

To end my two day mini-tour in Florence, I decided to visit the Boboli Gardens at Palazzo Pitti. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to find a peaceful place to draw, meditate and relax. Not to mention, the amazing view of the city that awaits for you when you walk all the way to the top of the gardens. I think my spring fever is on now... can't wait to garden.

florence: Il Duomo

And of course... I could have not left Florence without trying to capture Il Duomo. It was quite a challenge to find a comfortable place to sit and draw in peace due to the amount of people circulating the streets. Luckily, I visited the Boboli Gardens at Palazzo Pitti where the view was breathtaking and the drawing spot peaceful.

florence: doors + house numbers

I wish I could have brought home one of the thousands of beautiful doors throughout Florence. All doors had intricate details, door knockers with mythological creatures and beautiful house numbers on ceramic tiles such as the door of Libreria Gozzini right accross from Galleria dell'accademia which houses the statue of David among other Michelangelo's works. I guess the Renaissance designers saw 'the door' as a very important threshold.

florence: firmness, commodity and delight

This past week I had the fortune to visit Florence, Italy after a short business trip to southern Italy. The city blew my mind. I just couldn't comprehend how artists were able to accomplish so much with their bare hands. There was not a brick left to randomness. I was quickly reminded of Vitruvius' point of view relative to architecture in which he explained that a building should be guided by three basic principles: firmness, commodity and delight. The city still stands as if it was built yesterday; it still accommodates the needs of millions of visitors and Florence's beauty still continues to amaze whoever visits it.

high roller

If the number of unscanned pages in my sketchbook are any indication, we've got a lot of catching up to do!

So to begin, a little drawing from what I'm fairly certain was the first time I ever stayed in a New York hotel with a view of something other than a brick wall.

jacob javitz in perspective

Just settling back into the routine after a little jaunt to New York to attend the International Gift Fair, followed by a super love fest with the boys on my return. Inspiration coming in from all directions! Can't wait to get to work on some new things....

busy days

These days have been busy, but somehow I have managed to spare some time to have fun in my journal.

Mon, Dec 12 :: Max kept us up all night as he is currently teething. Miles slept like a possum.

Tue, Dec 13 :: Flew to Dallas, TX. Prepared for a big presentation.

Wed, Dec 14 :: Presentation went well! Suzanne called me to tell me Miles said "Dah-Dah".

a happy recap

Sharing the work we do doesn't always come easy.

I remember being very reluctant to start this blog a little over five years ago as I didn't know how I'd handle the criticism that was certain to come with going public. The internet can be a very mean place after all. This fear, however, was erased within my first week's worth of posts as I was introduced to an incredibly warm community of people who not only didn't tear me to shreds, but offered their unrelenting support.

But, while it's one thing to hang out behind a computer screen, it's another to stand by and attempt to sell your work in person. For many years this is something Edgar and I have both wanted to do, but ahhh, the pain to sit quietly and watch others mull over your work's [or in a sense, your] worth.

For this reason, this weekend's double dose of craft fairs ---The Greensboro First Friday Indie Market on Friday, and The Big Crafty in Asheville on Sunday--was a big hurdle for us. We tried to go into it with 'no expectations' but inside hoped we'd receive a fraction of the support that we've had the great fortune to meet online. Looking back over the past three days, we are once again in awe of the supportive community that surrounds us and humbled by the way in which our illustrations have been received. Trust me when I say that no kind word goes unheard, no smile overlooked.

I'm sure I speak for others out there when I say it is wonderful to have people connect with the thing you love to do most. For us it's not about the money, but the feeling that we are doing what we should be. Your gracious response to that which we put forward confirms this...and its a very good feeling.

Thank you so very much.

there's an elephant in the room

When my oldest sister was just a toddler she had an infatuation with elephants. Having asked for one as a pet, this is what she got. He's been standing in the window sill of my parent's kitchen ever since.

all hands on deck

We spent our vacation at the beach with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew. Not only was it wonderful spending quality time with my family, but the extra hands also meant that mine were free to do a bit of sketching.

Oddly enough, in a few short months I'd almost forgotten how much more of a moment I soak in when tracing it with my pen. I must do this more often...especially when it comes to my boys [more on this in my next post].

silly business

I spent some time at my mom and dad's over the weekend, and for the first time in quite a while had an opportunity to draw for pure pleasure--and what a pleasure it was!

This is my niece Wren (aka the best babysitter I know) reading Silly Business, a much-loved book in the Buchanan house. Originally given to my father by his grandfather in the 1940s, my sisters and I have studied this collection of cartoons to the point that we reference it's punchlines nearly every time we're together. It's good to see the humor isn't lost on Wren.

Today happens to be Wren's 8th Birthday! Can't believe it has been four years since she was a sleepy tot in a car seat!

brown knight + pf changs

In the last two months, Suzanne's mom broke her ankle...bummer; and my mom broke her wrist...double bummer. As they both recover, they deserve extra care and attention. On Tuesday, Suzanne and I decided to give my mom a surprise visit in Raleigh along with takeout from P.F. Changs. She was so pleased! and so were we.

flat stanley comes to visit

I finished up a project this afternoon for a very patient client: my seven-year-old-niece, Wren. Some time ago, Wren had sent me her friend, Flat Stanley [you made have heard of him...or in this case her], to "take care of." And...with the help of Uncle Edgar, Flat Stanley has seen a thing or two. Take a look...

Dear Wren--

Thank you for sending Flat Stanley to our house. It was nice to have some company. In fact, this is why it has taken me so long to send Flat Stanley back---I'll miss her!

But, the house will soon be filled with other visitors...the twin babies I'm expecting in May. Can you believe that in just a few short weeks you'll have two new cousins?

Flat Stanley went with me to the doctor's office when I had an ultrasound to check on the babies. She thinks one of them looks like Grandpa! I told her that all bald babies look like Grandpa.

Because I'm pregnant, I haven't been able to do a lot of things with Flat Stanley that I think she'd enjoy, like jumping on a trampoline or going to the water park. We have, however, spent a lot of time outside, walking the dogs and enjoying spring.

Occasionally Flat Stanley got a little bored hanging around the house. Whenever this would happen she'd pack her bags and travel with your Uncle Edgar. You probably remember that Edgar goes a lot of places with work---this spring was no exception and Flat Stanley fit snuggly in his passport.

In the last few weeks they've gone to:

Do you know what city that is?

Here's a hint: your parents lived there before you were born.

Flat Stanley has certainly been earning some frequent flier miles! Perhaps she can use them to take you somewhere neat soon. In the meantime, she told me that she misses you and the rest of your class so she's ready to go back home to University School.

I miss you too Wren. I'm sending my love along with Flat Stanley and hope you'll both come visit once the babies arrive. How do you think Flat Stanley is at changing diapers?!?

Love, Suzanne

suzanne wants a cracker

Hope this post finds you well!



Had a terrific time at the Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough. The atmosphere was PERFECT for drawing. Lots of characters. Lots of activity. Lots of spots to sit and observe. It was also the most perfect of fall weather: sunny and breezy without sneezing!



In other news, can anyone explain this parrot in the streets of Tennessee? Didn't notice him until I got home and found him in several photos, eyeing my sketchbook.



There are many more sketches from the weekend, but I'll have to wait a bit to show these...

quick captures

As promised, a few more images from the Hillsville Flea Market

...captured quickly on my phone:

...and in my new agenda:

Good times. Wishing you well wherever you are! Thanks for checking in!

happenings in hillsville

Good Wednesday morning to you! Getting a late start this week, but I have several fun things in store, starting with a glimpse into the Hillsville Labor Day Flea Market. I made a pact with myself prior to going that I was going to resist the urge to buy stuff I didn't need by instead focusing on capturing the event in sketches and photos. The thrill of the hunt is a difficult urge to resist, especially when surrounded by acres and acres and acres of goodies, but my strategy worked. In the end, I returned home with cash in hand and several fun sketches and photos to boot.

I think there were just as many food vendors at the flea market as their were antique sellers. The variety of deep-fried items was unlike anything I've ever seen before. Only in the south :)

I'll share some photos from the day a bit later. Until then, why not sit on a hill, have some corn on the cob and watch the people go by? Trust me, it's a great way to pass time.

matera, italy

What a place! My third time in Matera and still can't get over the beauty of this place.