The greatest invention that could ever exist in the history of the human species is a pause button for holidays.
Archive for May, 2009
For the wish list
Monday, May 25th, 2009Go, boldly…
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009If this current shuttle mission hasn’t given you a few goosebumps, you’re no true fan of the manned space program. We haven’t even scratched the surface of all the astonishing feats an astronaut could potentially achieve.
Legacy Artworks
Friday, May 15th, 2009I now offer personalized watercolor artworks created by hand to commemorate highlights from any adventure experience, including a milestone hunt, trek, climb, dive, eco-trip, research mission, or sea voyage. My archival-quality originals are executed to reflect the “golden age of expedition-style illustration.”
I met Maria at the Safari Club International dinner. She won a commission through the silent auction held that evening. It took her a year to decide precisely how my donation should be redeemed. It took me even longer to deliver the finished work.
Six years after a hunt in Zimbabwe marked by disappointment and sadness, she had returned to the continent with a highly successful safari in South Africa. Ultimately, she trusted me to appropriately interpret her personal triumph.
This piece signifies a breakthrough in my long journey as a traditional illustrator that began with the home-study Course for Talented Young People in the 1960s. I wish some of my former instructors could see it.
Maria Eckerle Safari (+detail)
John Andrew Dixon
Ink, watercolor, colored pencil
14 x 11 inches, 2009
Collection of Maria Eckerle
Eliot’s lunker
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009Cousin Dan let me know about a picture of his nephew Eliot (with an impressive smallmouth) that’s currently featured at the Bob Coan site. It’s been a while since I saw the lad, and—wow—is that generation maturing fast or what? Tom C responded, “That reminds me of the time Uncle Ed caught a big catfish in the Stillwater. Then he distracted me and put the fish on my hook and threw it back in the water; I was about eight.”
Dan thinks Tom’s recollection of my dad is a good reminder of “the kind of guy he was.”
It is, indeed.
Nice “hawg,” E.D.
Can’t you smell that smell?
Monday, May 11th, 2009An apartment house located about a half block from our home burned while we slept last night. Bruce said he heard and felt an explosion. Dana and I figured that the frequent sirens and steadily increasing traffic noise downtown has inured us to sounds that would otherwise wake us up. It’s amazing what one can get used to. Reminds me of when I was twelve, and, for a few months, our family slept only a few feet (literally) from the active B&O rail line that ran through Tipp City. I did awaken when the police rang the doorbell at 4:30 am, looking to take a statement from Bruce about the fire. Rumors have circulated today concerning the potential of foul play. If it turns out to be arson, I hope the culprits are nailed, but the greatest concern to me is losing another old structure in this endangered historic district.
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
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Jack Kemp
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