My submission for this week's Illustration Friday theme of "surrender" ... a generalized native, alone on the plain, facing defeat and necessary surrender.

I used everyone's new favorite digital sketch app, SketchBookExpress (thanks to the free download on Apple's Mac Store) for the initial version, then adjusted and refined the colors in Photoshop using Smart Adjustment layers.

You can view the largest version on Flickr here.

Meadow – Angle (uploaded by DRA Studio)Michelle and I decided to paint some books tonight while watching You’ve Got Mail (somewhat silly, I know) … this one goes out to “Evil Annie” … who has been waiting on something from me for a long long time now.Here’s to hairy mammoth’s and their sincere love and hoping that “Evil Annie” is reading this and will email me about confirming her address again.Love!

Painted Osiris – 2 (uploaded by DRA Studio)A bit of dipping and a touch of glossing and here you have what I did on my day off today. A couple of 80’s color gooey monsters that might have taken over and eaten my feet if it weren’t for being melted onto my Osiris shoes. Now to seal their fate by adding some black laces …

Pink Gaah! – Closeup (uploaded by DRA Studio)It was a nice laid-back Sunday today, so I was able to finish up a piece I had started on Thursday. I really didn’t have anything specific in mind for this one … just wanted to fill an empty canvas that had been sitting on my studio floor waiting. I am thinking I might not keep this one, as I really didn’t paint it for anyone in particular. If ...

iPod Love Bag (uploaded by DRA Studio)If you’re like me, you have fallen in love again with iPods … especially the new touch. How simply wonderful, though direct downloads could prove to be pretty dangerous for impulse music lovers.Here is one of the shots of the iPod pattern I painted on Courtney’s old Fossil purse. Click thru for more.

This is a painting I just did on my hoodie. I have come to the happy realization that I have more fun painting on my clothes/bags/hands/etc than on paper sometimes.

I ran into a little boy today on the way to the market. His hair was matted down and his feet were dirty from the city streets. As he stole a quick glance up at me, I caught a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. Tugging ...

Need to Cogitate
There are certain emotions that life evokes,
that grab at you hard, in strangling chokes.
Ones blatant, and rude and horribly coarse.
They are painfully real, fully void of remorse.

Sometimes those emotions give way to end,
to passing of life and eternal rest.
But with love in your life, and side by a friend,
You will find you aren't as wounded, not nearly, at best.

This is just another chapter in the story of a boy,
a man's attempt at freedom ...