Commission for a Christmas present.  He likes to climb at Joshua Tree National Park.  She prefers to do the camera work.  They both create their own designs in pottery, so I included one of her cups.

Christmas card 2017.  Obviously, my Goldwing was my inspiration this year.

Lauren is leaving Mt Wilson and the Cosmic Cafe this December, and had always hoped to see a ring-tailed cat while living there.  Her wish was never realized, so I drew her one as a small consolation.

Wonder Women was amongst Kristi's favorite movies this year, so this was my weird solution for her card.

My sister Shauna and her husband recently moved to St George, in the southwest corner of Utah, where they are surrounded by stunning ocher, orange and vermillion cliffs and mountains, as well as various critters and varmints...creeping, crawling, hopping, darting, running, and flying…startling everyone who happens to cross their paths while trudging through the Mars-like landscape.

For her birthday card, I couldn't help but think of the Looney Toons Roadrunner, speeding through  similar desert scenes, ever elusive of the hapless coyote, who could never seem to make his acquisitions from ACME work quite as expected in the never ending pursuit of his prey.  Like the roadrunner, birthdays seem to arrive like a blinding flash, faster every year!!

While I love my beast of a Goldwing for long distance traveling comfort and pleasure, my younger brother's desires run somewhat sportier, so for his birthday I Photoshopped (badly) his head onto his dream bike.  It may be as close as he gets to the real thing, but at least it looks like he's having fun, (or scared shitless), depending on your point of view, haha!!

Lauren turns 24 this year and she decided to re-visit a theme that she thrilled to on many occasions at her mother's house, affectionately called the Barbarian feast.

They would construct a giant table built low to the ground, upon which they piled all sorts of food stuffs to be partaken sans chairs or utensils.  Most participants would get into the spirit of the event by dressing up in their finest barbarian garb.  After filling their bellies, the leftovers would become weapons of war in a massive food fight!

A desert dwelling friend from Landers, CA offered to host Lauren's birthday feast, and from the pictures I've seen, it looks like everyone had a riot fully committing to the messy, barbarous melee!

My piano teaching sister requested another t-shirt design for her students as an incentive, to hand out at their recital this year.  I remember my mother awarded little composer statuettes to her students, and we thought it would be fun to use this idea for the design, Beethoven being the most universally recognized  and influential composer.  Can't mistake his unruly, very full mane, and though almost completely deaf, and despite a rather sullen countenance, he managed to write the most magnificent, inspiring music that truly changed the world.

Kristi and her sister recently returned from a trip to New Zealand, and amongst some of their adventures was attending and participating in a Maori cultural performance.  I thought the facial expressions during the Haka dance would be perfect for her 25th birthday card.

I guess my thoughts were that since my sister Karen is turning 55, cheetahs can outrun the old speed limit and jeeps can go over, around and through stuff.  Happy birthday sis!  It is what it is…;)