The TALENT of Chess

March 1 to March 7 Illustration Friday's topic is: Talent suggested by Childrens Illustration

"Games - Chess":  Black and white Pictograph Communication Symbols by Sandra Santa Lucia/May/1988

Chess, a game of strategy and talent is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a checkered gameboard with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. 

Pictograph

A pictogram, also called a pictogramme or pictograph,[1] is an ideogram that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and graphic systems in which the characters are to a considerable extent pictorial in appearance.

Pictography is a form of writing which uses representational, pictorial drawings. It is a basis of cuneiformand, to some extent, hieroglyphic writing, which also uses drawings as phonetic letters or determinativerhymes.

The quiet whispering of nature

February 22 - Feb. 28/2013 Illustration Friday's topic is: "Whisper" Suggested by Diana Toledano

While hiking a number of years ago, up a winding trail leading up to the base of Mount Rundle, stands a tree quietly standing for all to see.

I stopped, took a picture recording the peaceful and serene gift of nature. From this photo  I painted the acrylic scenic below.

Serene, an acrylic painting, painted by Sandra Santa Lucia, 1983

"All of nature begins to whisper its secrets to us through its sounds. Sounds that were previously incomprehensible to our soul now become the meaningful language of nature." 

Quote by Rudolf Steiner 

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/whisper.html#VdXJKdfLMKxdDKrz.99 

Mountain goats - dressed in a WOOLLY white double coat

This week's  Illustation Friday's topic for February 15 - Thursday, February 21st is — "Wool" as suggested by Claudea A. Larrauri

Mountain Goat pen and ink line illustration by Sandra Santa Lucia

Facts about this animal: Both male and female mountain goats have beards, short tails, and long black horns, 15-28 cm in length, which contain yearly growth rings. They are protected from the elements by their WOOLLY white double coats. The fine, dense wool of their undercoats is covered by an outer layer of longer, hollow hairs. In warmer seasons, mountain goats molt by rubbing against rocks and trees, with the adult billies (males) shedding their extra wool first and the pregnant nannies (females) shedding last. In the winter, their coats help them to withstand temperatures as low as -50 Fahrenheit (-46 Celsius) and winds of up to 100 mph (161 km/h). 
A billy stands about 1 meter at the shoulder and weighs about 90 kg. It has longer horns and a longer beard than the nanny. Adult males typically weigh between 45 and 100 kg, while females are usually 10-30% lighter. The mountain goat's feet are well-suited for climbing steep, rocky slopes, sometimes with pitches of 60 degrees or more, with inner pads that provide traction and cloven hooves that can spread apart as needed. Dewclaws on the back of their feet also help to keep them from slipping. 

 This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mountain Goat". 
Did you know? that by inhabiting this extreme and remote habitat mountain goats limit competition from other ungulates and predation risk? 
Factsheet: Class: MAMMALIA; Order: ARTIODACTYLA; Suborder: RUMINANTIA; Family: BOVIDAE; Name: (Scientific) Oreamnos americanus; Name (English): Mountain goat; Name (French): Chèvre de Montagne; Name (German): Schneeziege, Bergziege; Name (Spanish): Cabra de la montaña, Cabra de las Rocosas. http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/pick-a-picture/oreamnos-americanus

…on stormy winter day Snoopy ran the race

February 8 - 14/13 Illustration Friday's topic of the week is "storm" as submitted by Karen B Jones

" Snoppy would only run pulling the sled if she was chase Dorts…" 

from Wagging Tales book illustration a ink drawing by sandra santa lucia/published 2009

This "storm" illustration is from Wagging Tales by Dorts Stafford, a delightful book about one of Banff's families through the stories of many four-legged friends. This particular illustration of mine portrays Dorts Stafford and Snoopy in the Banff Winter Dog Race down Banff Avenue. The sled which Snoopy pulled was built by Barrie, Dort's young son. 

Lost…have you seen this man?

Back in August of '97 The Banff Crag & Canyon newspaper wrote a news story relating to a LOST hiker. "A 70-year-old hiker who was missing overnight was rescued when he stumbled upon a warden posting his description in a parking lot at Kootenay National Park".… the story was perfect material for a cartoon!

Pen and Ink cartoon by Sandra Santa Lucia published in the Banff Crag & Canyon newspaper Aug. 6/1997.

July 13 - 19 Illustration Friday's topic of the week is "lost" as submitted by Antonio Bernal

It is no secret

…the bears are up and they are hungry.

In the Banff National Park the Bears wake sometime in April and they are very very hungry. 

published pen and ink cartoon by Sandra Santa Lucia, April 14, 1993 for the Banff Crag and Canyon newspaper

Back in 1993 I illustrated the cartoon above for The Banff Crag and Canyon newspaper. Having a little fun depicting a bear munching away on a popular warden's lunch this cartoon warned readers of the dangers of  Feeding the Bears.

Illustration Friday's word of the week for June 15 to 21 is "secret"

scary dungeon

scary - dungeon illustration by sandra santa lucia/1961

This week's IF topic is "Scary" suggested by Zach (http://apexart.blogspot.com/).

"All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary." ~ Sally Ride

useless contraption?

pen and ink suitcase of energy saving ideas cartoon by sandra santa lucia for the Banff Crag & Canyon newspaper/12/09

Illustration Friday's October 7 - October 13's topic is "contraption". 

From the pages of The Banff Crag & Canyon's newspaper back in December of '09 my cartoon of "buck the elk's" contraption pokes a little fun at some of the cost efficient and environmentally sound suggestions put forward for The Town Banff and Parks Canada's Utility needs. 

contraption  (kn-trpshn) n. A mechanical device; a gadget.

Topic suggested by karen krings 

boundaries of honesty

published pen and ink cartoon by sandra santa lucia for the banff crag and canyon newspaper  in '95.

This week's topic for illustration friday is "boundaries" 
Media must never overstep the boundaries of honesty, fairness and objectivity.  Facts only please! Opinions belong in editorials and columns not hard news.
"Dreams have always expanded our understanding of reality by challenging our boundaries of the real, of the possible. " ~ Henry Reed
 "boundaries" suggested by Ronni at designing fairy

did this disguise work?

pen and ink cartoon by sandra santa lucia published in the banff crag & canyon newspaper/92

This week's Illustration Friday's topic is "Disguise" suggested by renee.

"Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise." ~ Margaret Atwood

launched — banff tourism bureau

new banff tourism bureau pen and ink cartoon by sandra santa luica/11/3/11

In the spring of 1992 the launch of a new Banff Tourism Bureau took over the duties of the Banff Chamber of Commerce's duties. The Banff Lake Louise Tourism bureau has done Banff proud serving the Town of Banff, Banff National Parks administration as well as the many vibrant businesses and citizens alike. It was at this time while working in the Production department of The Banff Crag & Canyon I was given the opportunity to create a cartoon illustrating the demise of the Banff Chamber of Commerce. Above is my first cartoon for the newspaper. My then cartooning career was launched!
This week's, June 17 - 23's, IF topic is "launch" suggested by Susan Sorrell Hill. "You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment." ~ Henry David Thoreau

swept off their feet

Cougar cubs are born spotted and gradually change into the sandy brown adult form. They live in dens with their siblings for about two months and remain close to their mothers for about a year. One notable difference between a cougar and other big cats is that the cougar can hiss, scream, and growl but it cannot roar.

cougar, cubs and chipmunk pen and ink illustration by sandra santa lucia/6/11

cougar pencil sketch by sandra santa lucia
This week's topic is "Swept" suggested by ssnchan (http://www.ohmytangerine.com/home.html)."You can't sweep other people off their feet, if you can't be swept off your own." ~ Clarence Day elephant sweepint     http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucytakakura/5071222716/in/photostream/

casting a shadow

pen and ink illustration of a lynx by sandra santa lucia/5/9/11

Casting a shadow on the tree branch the Lynx spotted a hare below.
Lynx live in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks, but not just anywhere in those parks. They establish home ranges in high evergreen forests occupied by snowshoe hare. Further north, in the boreal forest, hare populations rise and fall dramatically every 10 years, shadowed closely by lynx populations.

Lynx pencil sketch by Sandra Santa Lucia/4/84

This week's topic is "Shadows" suggested by michael (http://teako.blogspot.com/).

"I look out the window sometimes to seek the color of the shadows and the different greens in the trees, but when I get ready to paint I just close my eyes and imagine a scene." ~ Grandma Moses

the big sleep

'asleep' ink cartoon illustrated by sandra santa lucia and published in The Banff Crag & Canyon June 23/93

I drew the illustrative cartoon above for the local newspaper — The Banff Crag & Canyon. Below a clip from The Crag explains what happened or didn't happen to that particular Time Capsule.

This week's topic is "Asleep" suggested by Little Pixy Boots http://littlepixyboots.blogspot.com/.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.  ~Irish Proverb

royal wedding hat fever

ink fashion hats illustration by sandra santa lucia/4/2011

let the Royal Wedding begin…1980s to 2008 hats
The last of my three illustrations are complete…just in time for the Royal Wedding. Expect to see  hats of all shapes and sizes, this wedding will be the main headline for all fashion magazines and outlets throughout the world…let the Royal Wedding begin. Below are hats from the 1980s to 2008.

• 1960s: Left: A  pillbox hat is a small woman's hat with a flat crown and straight, upright sides. Jacqueline Kennedy, First Lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, well-known for her 'signature pillbox hats' in the 1960s, designed by Oleg Cassini. The sixties boosted of a great many glamorous hats.
• 1980s: Top centre: small hat with a slightly shallow crown and a round brim accented with lace vail surfaced during the late 70s and 80
• 2000s: Right: There have been fans of floppy hats for as long as women have wanted to shade themselves from the sun. But over the years the style has grown out from its roots as the hat of choice for not only lounging by the pool and digging in the back yard garden but the floppy is back in the fashion magazines. Hats have taken on a new younger look. Our soon to be Royal Princess, Kate Middleton is setting the pace with very stunning hats. 

painting eggs…a fun-filled easter journey!

"bunnies little" ink sketch by sandra santa lucia, 24/4/2011

Bunnies Little were having so much painting the Easter eggs that they completely lost track of time! …Big Bunny needed these eggs now for the annual Easter Egg Hunt .

"big bunny" pen and ink illustration by sandra santa lucia/ 4/2010

Big Bunny, although understanding the creative journey which the bunnies little were on realized that he needed to hurry them along! Once the need of urgency was established, the decorated eggs were gathered up and dropped into Big Bunnies huge magic basket. Off he ran— ever so fast. His Easter Egg deadline completed for another year! Illustration Friday's April 15 - 21 topic was journey which was suggested by botanick. "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."

 HAPPY EASTER everyone!

bottled up emotions?…get help dude!

bottled up emotions pen and ink illustration by sandra santa lucia

Bottled up emotions — such as illustrated above: joy, surprise, happiness, panic, anger, guilt, acceptance lead to wrong conclusions and a lot of crap one doesn't need. Recognizing and describing our emotions helps shape the brain. Not recognizing and describing them, I believe, stunts the brain. - Philip Hartland

Illustration Friday's April 8 - 14th topic was bottled suggested by norma jay.

"Our names are labels, plainly printed on the bottled essence of our past behavior".  

- Logan P. Smith

musical chefs…a duet

Pen and ink "Musical chefs…a duet" illustrated by Sandra Santa Lucia, Banff, Alberta

"Duet" — this week's Illustration Friday's topic fit well with a freelance logo which I had designed and illustrated for a restaurant in Jasper, Alberta back in the early 90's

raggedy ann and andy…timeless toys

Pen and ink wash of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, favorite toys of my daughters
 illustrated by Sandra Santa Lucia

When my little girls were born in the late sixties my mom made each of them large Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. Those two dolls are the subject of this week's Illustration Friday's topic, "toy" pictured above.

Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls have been loved and cuddled since 1915 when artist Johnny Gruelle, a cartoonist-illustrator and a natural born storyteller illustrated and wrote the Raggedy Ann and Andy Stories

 http://www.marcellasraggedyann.com/raggedy-books.html

Raggedy Ann and Andy: History and Legend by Patricia Hall 

Raggedy Ann, and her equally spirited rag brother, Andy are the world's best-known and most adored rag dolls. At the hand of their creator, cartoonist-illustrator-author Johnny Gruelle, the Raggedys weren't ever simply dolls. They were literary characters as well, possessing attributes and outlooks reflecting trustworthiness, kindness, and spunk. Because Gruelle was a natural born storyteller, it followed that his dolls would star in whimsical, fanciful tales, based on fantasy and make believe. 

elizabeth taylor in giant

Elizabeth Taylor in giant 1956
Born February 27, 1932 - March 23, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor one of my all time favorite actresses, passed away Thursday, March 23/11. She was a stylish glamourous women on and off the screen with a very big of heart. 
Not only was she a magnificent international film star but a great humanitarian. 
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in London on Feb. 27, 1932, the daughter of Francis Taylor, an art dealer, and the former Sara Sothern, an American stage actress.
Movie career: Her more than 50 movies included unforgettable portraits of innocence and of decadence, from the children's classic "National Velvet" to the sentimental family comedy "Father of the Bride." She won Oscars for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Butterfield 8," and a special one for her humanitarian work.
One of my favorite movies, which she starred in, was Giant.  Elizabeth Taylor received top billing in Giant and plays an intelligent, compassionate, yet resolute woman who refuses to be a subordinate to men. This was the mid-1950s, and portrayals of independent women were extremely rare to come by in movies.  

Poster