DC: Spy Museum

I visited the Spy Museum in Washington, DC this past November. The artifacts from a long history of spying were quite interesting. Tiny cameras in watches and hairbrushes and even in the buttons of a wool coat! Secret messages written on the cloth of hankies! * Visité el Spy Museum en Washington, DC el noviembre pasado. Los artefactos de una historia larga del acto de espiar eran bastante interesantes. ¡Cámaras minúsculas escondidas en relojes, en cepillas, y hasta en los botones de un abrigo! ¡Mensajes secretos escritas en la tela de un pañuelo!

Tiny guns hidden in lipstick tubes, gloves, and cigarettes! Radio transmitters hidden in fake dog poop! * ¡Pistolas pequeñas escondidas en un tubo de lápiz labial, en guantes, y en cigarillos! ¡Transmisores de radio escondidos en una imitación de caca de perro!

,

Spy cameras strapped to the bellies of pigeons! Cyanide capsules that you activate by chewing on the end of your glasses! * ¡Una cámera grande atada a la barriga de una paloma! ¡Pílulas de cianuro escondidas en los anteojos!

The Spy Museum doesn't allow you to use cameras, though there are a couple of station where you can take a photo of yourself scattered among the exhibits. There is no rule against sketching, though! Scribbling down notes on stealthy weapons and recording devices really augmented the flavor of the exhibits. * El museo no permite fotographía, aunque hay algunos lugares donde puedes sacar un autoretrato entre las exhibiciones. ¡Pero no hay regla contra dibujar! Capturando con mis bosquejos información sobre armas secretas y grabadores de espionaje realmente aumentó el sabor de la exhibición.

DC: White House and Navy Memorial

The presidential inauguration is happening on Monday! I should get my last sketches from the trip to DC posted in time for that, huh? * ¡La inaguración presidential toma lugar este lunes! Debo compartir el resto de mis dibujos de mi visita a Washington, DC, ¿no?

White pencil on black paper. *

Lápiz blanco en papel negro.

Our first night in town was actually election night. Fast sketch the White House, all lit up while votes were being tallied around the nation. * La primera noche del viaje fue la noche de la elección. Este dibujo rápido de la Casa Blanca iluminada de noche captura el momento en que estaban contantdo las votas por toda la nación.

White pencil on black paper. *

Lápiz blanco en papel negro.

DC is a town full of memorials. One of the favorites we found on this trip was noteworthy for its simplicity--the Navy memorial features a lone dude with his bag, bundled up against the cold wind, waiting to depart on his ship. Tells a heck of a story with very little "pomp." * DC es una ciudad llena de momumentos comemorativos. El monumento del Navy era uno de nuestros favoritos. Hay un chavo solito, con mochila, abrigado contra el viento frío, esperando salir en su barco. Presenta un cuento muy emotivo sin mucha pompa.

 

Meeting Notes

A co-worker was trying to remember who had attended a certain meeting. * Una compañera de trabajo estaba tratando de recordar quienes assistieron a una reunión.

She ended up using my doodles on the paper that covers the meeting tables to figure it out. * Ella usó los dibujos que yo había hecho en el papel sobre la mesa para averiguarlo.

Sketchbook Archives: Portrait Series

My charming husband is going to have an article in Bicycle Times magazine. They asked him for an author photo--and he asked me if I could find that one sketch I did of him, years ago... * Mi esposito escribió un artículo para la revista Bicycle Times. Le pidieron un foto para incluir en la página de los autores--y él me pidió si yo podía hallar el dibujo que yo hice, años en el pasado...

Chris, 2000. Ballpoint pen/bolígrafo

My old sketchbooks are not well organized at the moment, so I had to look through them all. I love this drawing of Chris, but that's not the one he was thinking of. * Mis libros de diubjos no son bien organizados ahorita, así que tuve que mirar casí todos. Me encanta este dibujo de Chris, pero no es el retrato de que él estaba pensando.

Chris, 2006. Ballpoint pen/bolígrafo.

I also love this drawing--but that's not the right one, either. * También me encanta este dibujo--pero tampoco es el dibujo correcto.

Chris, 2007. Pencil/lápiz

This quick sketch from our trip to New York City makes me smile. But that's not the one he wanted. * Este bosquejo rápido de nuestro viaje a Nueva York me hace sonreir. Pero no es el dibujo que quería.

Chris, 2004. Black and white ink/Tinta negra y tinta blanca.

I finally found it! This was the year he took a bunch of classes in bike mechanics. He came home and immediately started building a wheel from scratch. So that's what we ended up sending to the magazine. * ¡Finalmente lo encontré! En este año, Chris tomó unos clases de la mechánica de bicicletas. Cuando regresó a la casa, empezó a construir una rueda a partir de cero. Es ésto que enviamos a la revista. 

Edited to add: My most recent sketch of Chris is from a very muddy bike race this past November.
Editado para añadir: El bosquejo más receiente de Chris es de una carrera de bicicletas con mucho lodo, el noviembre pasado. 

Sketchbook Project

I did it! I finished my entry for The Sketchbook Project and got it off in the mail yesterday. Not especially brilliant, but it has a few nice moments. Not terribly novel, but I did push my own envelope a little bit. The book will go on a cross-country tour this spring and summer, and will be digitized for easy reference online as well. Fun. * ¡Lo cumplí! Llené mi libro para The Sketchbook Project y lo envié por correo ayer. No es particularmente ingenioso, pero hay momentos bonitos adentro. No es nada nuevo, pero sí traté algunas cosas fuera de lo normal para mí. El libro viajará por el país en primavera y verano, y también una version digital estará en el internet. Que divertido.

Perspective

Lois Reynolds Mead, one of my wonderful aunties, just installed an art exhibit in her hometown of Orinda, California. The show features not only Lois' wide range of lovely artwork--ceramics, bookmaking, photography, collage--but also a sampling of drawings and paintings by my grandfather, Chang Reynolds.

Collages and travel journal by Lois Reynolds Mead.

Now, I need to confess something--I can get frustrated with my old artwork. Sometimes I just want to take all my old drawings and paintings that are stuffed into boxes and folders all over the house, and just chuck them out the window. Why they heck do I keep this stuff around?

Sketchbook by Chang Reynolds. Photo by Lois Reynolds Mead.

But looking through Lois' photos of her art show reminded me that preserving my old work really is a wonderful investment. Even if I am not working in a certain medium any more. Even if I'm not convinced that it turned out quite how I wanted it too. Despite any doubts that I may have, being able to lay out decades of adventures in art and see how it all builds on itself is a magical process. And the way I'm reacting to these photos--"Man, I just LOVE that!"--may well be how other folks react to some of my stuff, too. (It's hard to remember that, sometimes.)

Photo by Lois Reynolds Mead

I also realized that seeing artwork that is done by family members has a unique layer of wonderfulness built into it. It's not just a question of thinking, "That is beautiful." There is also the thrilling additional dynamic of thinking, "That is part of who I am."

Sketchbook by Chang Reynolds. Photo by Lois Reynolds Mead.

Big thanks to Aunt Lois for putting this show together, and being a delightful inspiration in so many ways. If you're in the Bay Area, I'd encourage you to swing by the Orinda Public Library and see the show in person! It's up through the end of January 2013, and the artist’s reception is on Sunday, January 27, 2013, from 2:00-4:00.

Best of 2012

It’s always interesting to see which posts get the most attention. Here’s a list of the top 5 most-seen entries on this sketchblog from 2012. * Qué interesante es, ver cuales entradas reciben la más atteción en este blog. Aquí tenemos la lista de lo más popular de mis dibujos de 2012.

1. One Foot in Front of the Other

2. Winter Boat Parade

3. Cape Lookout

4. Hippo Adventure

5. The Hills of San Luis Obispo

Thanks so much for reading! And here’s to happy, creative adventures in 2013. * ¡Mil gracias por leer! Que todos tenemos adventuras divertidas y creativas en 2013.