Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to Everyone!  These drawings are from a previous year.  I hope to be here to celebrate the next new year!  I have another trachea surgery on January 8 so if you are a person of faith like me, please keep me in your prayers.  I have enjoyed this year so much as

 another gift I did not expect to have.  It has been wonderful to see  that all of you who have visited this site and are coloring my drawings are from many parts of the world!   It has helped add meaning to my life to share my drawings with you.  Thank you!  

Happy New Year T. rex

Happy New Year Duck Bill Dinosaur Style

Father Time and the New Year Baby

New Years Prayer

NOTE:  These drawings are on the Holiday Button page.  

Eirikur & MIchaela engaged Fairies

Eirikur & Michaela

Eirikur is a male fairy who studied geophysics in college.  Some Fairies change to human or mortal size and attend college.  His name is of Nordic origin and means "ever ruler."   In fact the name, in some form, was the name of several early kings and rulers of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.  

Eirikur went to college in Northern Utah.  His Fairy village is located up by Gooseberry in Southern Utah.   He is now in charge of mountain stability in the forests that surrounds his Fairy village and all of the Fish Lake region.  We mortals are not aware of how much Fairies do to care for the Natural World.  

Michaela is a beautiful and smart female fairy who Eirikur married.   She is from a village in the mountainous forests of Northern Idaho.  Her name is from Hebrew and it means "Who is like God?"  In Germany it is the female equivalent of the name Michael.  Beyond being beautiful, Michaela is known for being very kind.   She is known for her love and care of horses.  She studied Equine Science at the same university where Eirikur studied Geophysics.  Currently she works with horses in the Southern Utah area.

Both Michaela and Eirikur actually went out into the mortal world and that is where they met.  When a Fairy wishes they can internalize their wings when they are disguised as mortals and are around mortals.  This drawing was done last summer when the two were engaged but not yet married.  It just took a while to finish it and get it posted.  

NOTE:  Printable version of drawing under the Fantasy, Myths, and Circus button up top.  It will be at the bottom of the list.  All new drawings are at the bottom of the list.

(So in reality. . . Eirikur is my nephew.  Above bios are part real and part fantasy.)
 Also, one more thing... It is impossible for me to capture the true beauty of these two attractive people.  And actually, both are very nice as well. . . not just physically beautiful, but also beautiful inside.  I have always said that physically beautiful people who are not nice people lose their beauty in my eyes.   Of course physical beauty is always a matter of opinion too.  I am far happier that these two found each other and that they are both amazingly good people.  They are too nice to realize how good looking they are.

They are married now.  

A Christmas Carol

Characters from A Christmas Carol play 
at Draper Historic Theater in Draper Utah

I went to this production last week.  It was SO well done!   I love the story of A Christmas Carol.  This was a local production and it was a musical.  I had family members in it too.   The message of the story is that PEOPLE matter more than money.  I feel that there are few things we take with us when our spirit leaves our body.  First is our relationship or lack thereof with God.  Second is our relationships with our fellow man. . . starting first with our family, then friends, and coworkers and neighbors and last is strangers.  Scrooge, for most of his life, chose money and power over family and friends.  When he chooses family and friends and decides to be nice he discovers happiness.

By the way, all these actors were exceptional.  I have come to believe that Community Theater can be an amazing experience with excellent acting.  These actors are all amateurs.  They all have day jobs.  My nephew, for instance.  (Fred)  . . . is actually a physician. 

I added some shading with pencil.  This shading is not there to be the final coloring.  You can use the photos to help you color the characters.  OR you can color them any way you like.

Fred Nephew of E. Scrooge

This was played by my nephew.  I chose to draw him in his house right before Christmas Dinner. 

Fred photo

Char Woman

...or Char Lady or Charwoman or Charlady

This was played by my grandniece. . . the daughter of "Fred"

A Charlady or Charwoman is a maid that comes to the house a few times a week to clean.

Char Woman photo

She is actually a beautiful young lady.  She was kind of scary looking in the play.

Ghost of Christmas Past

In plays and some movies versions this role is often played by a beautiful woman.  
In the book the sex of this ghost is vague.

Ghost of Christmas Past photo

Ghost of Christmas Present

Ghost of Christmas Present photo

Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come

Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come photo

Jacob Marley as a Ghost

Jacob Marley as a Ghost photo

Ebenezer Scrooge at his Counting House

I imagined Scrooge greeting a customer who was behind on his loan.   The walls are bare and rather ratty looking.  The windows are dirty as well.  His desk has some money and one of his ledgers.

Ebenezer Scrooge photo

NOTE:  All the printable versions of the drawings are found by clicking on
the buttons up top.  Click on Holidays button or on the All Printables buttons.

ACTUALLY. . .I will be posting those printable versions right now. . . 

Santa drawings for Christmas

Santa decorating one of his Outside Christmas Trees

This is a new drawing so it will be at the bottom of the Christmas list under the Holidays button or the it will be near or at the bottom of the list of drawings under the All Printables button.  

I figured that Santa has lots of Christmas trees and that his elves do a lot of the decorating. . . but decorating a Christmas Tree always puts me in the Christmas Spirit. . . so I figured Santa would spend some time decorating a tree as well.  I would think he would have lots of Christmas Trees. . . including some outside like this one.  Here we see Santa putting garland on the Christmas Tree.  He has yet to place an angel or a star on top of this Christmas Tree.  I have seen garland in gold, silver, white, and even green.  Color it any color you want.   Personally, I prefer gold.  Our Christmas Tree always has some hand made ornaments that were made by our children when they were young.  I did not draw any of these because YOU may have some of your own ornaments that you would like to draw.   We also have special ornaments from Mickey's Christmas Carol and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer movies.  

Remember that this could be a drawing of noon at the North Pole if it was wintertime.  So the moon and stars are not a mistake.  It is dark all the time in December at the North Pole.   And YES you can often see the moon from the North Pole.  

This top drawing was done in a simple style for younger kids.  Now here are some more drawings from previous posts.   All are Christmas related.  

Santa and Mrs. Claus by a Christmas Tree

Santa feeding an apple to a reindeer

Santasaurus with a Candy Cane

Santa in the Snow

Vixen the Reindeer

Mary and Baby Jesus with Stone Manger

Mary & Baby Jesus with Stone Manger

I read recently that the manger that Mary used for a bed for her newborn baby was probably made of stone.  This would contradict the many drawings and paintings that show a wooden manger.  In ancient Israel the mangers were often made of stone.  The The Romans invented concrete in the 3rd Century BC.  Israel was conquered by the Roman general Pompey in 63 BC.  So it is likely that concrete was used in construction in Israel during the 6 decades before Jesus' birth.   The Romans also improved the arch with the use of their concrete to hold the rocks together.  The keystone in the top of the arch is very important as well.  Before the Roman Arch there WERE arches in many other ancient civilizations such as Babylon, Egypt, and Greece.  But the Roman Arch was held together with Roman Concrete and so it could support large structures.  Before the Roman Arch the arches were all small and use for smaller buildings.  Interesting that Jesus is the Keystone of Christianity. 

In the above drawing you see a manger outside a stable.  The stable entrance has an arch over it.  The stone manger is full of straw or hay.  You can see into the stable and view a lamb and an ox plus the back wall of the stable as well.  Since stonework had been part of the Jewish AND Roman architecture I drew a stable made of carved stone or perhaps bricks.

Remember that Jesus is the Lamb of God who would go on to suffer in Gethsemane and die on the cross for all of Mankind.  Because he made this sacrifice we all will one day be resurrected with perfect bodies that have no flaws.  Of course we also can be forgiven for our sins if we repent of them and try to do better.   That repentance is possible because Jesus died on the cross.

So we celebrate the birth of our Savior because he truly was and IS our Savior.   If we keep God's commandments and repent when we mess up we can one day return to live with Jesus on this Earth in a glorified state. . . with our Heavenly Parents and our Elder Brother Jesus . . . and with our loved ones as well. 

One final point is that the term "swaddling clothes" are strips of cloth they used to wrap around the newborn baby in the thought that it helped their legs and arms grow straight.  So notice the strip of swaddling cloth on Baby Jesus' arm. 

NOTE:  Printable versions of drawing is found by clicking on the Holidays button or on the All Printables button up at the top of the page.   Newer drawings are at the bottom of the All Printables list and this drawing will be under the Holidays button and last on the Christmas list of drawings.  

Icelandic Horse

Icelandic Horse by a Stone Wall

Icelandic Horses are considered the purest  breed of horses in the world.  They have lived isolated in Iceland for over 700 years.  I think they are beautiful animals.  They are more compact then many breeds of horses.  They are sturdy and can withstand the cold and sudden temperature changes in Iceland.  They come in various colors of fur and mane and tail hair.  So the people of Iceland have over 100 different names for the fur and hair color combinations in their horIcses.  

I drew several of these Icelandic  Horses last year at this time when we got home from our Iceland and Europe trip. I am posting some of those drawings.  The drawing above will be found on the Animals button and the All Printables  button.  The new drawings are always at the bottom of the correct list.   

The horse in the drawing is standing at a bit of an angle and his head is turned a bit more than his body.  I drew this drawing of the Icelandic Horse in the summer months.  My other drawings are mostly from winter scenes. . . like we saw last year.   We really want to go back to Iceland and see the island and the horses in the summer.  

Icelandic Horse drawing from Magnet

Icelandic Horse in the Snow Covered Mud

(This drawing is from a picture I took a year ago in November.  

The grass was yellow and poking up through a few inches or few centimeters of snow.)

Jesus is the Light of the World

Jesus is the Light of the World

The scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ is the Light and the Life of the World.  HE created the world and so in many ways he is the King of Creation.  He was assigned to create our world under the direction of His Heavenly Father and OUR Heavenly Father.  Of course, Heavenly Father is also the father of Jesus' Earthly body.  The scriptures say that He, Jesus, is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.  All of us are begotten children of God the Father because HE is the Father of our Spirits.  Our Heavenly Father and Jesus, and all of us were together before w(Heavenly Father's children), came to Earth as mortals.  Jesus volunteered to be our Savior.   He also defended the Father's plan for us to have our free agency to choose right from wrong and for a Savior to pay the eternal price for our sins so we can return to live with Him and with Heavenly Father.  

This lamp is probably a more modern lamp.  .   . it is kind of a candle holder with glass to protect the candle from the wind.  I like the picture anyway.  If not for the atonement of Jesus Christ I would be lost.   In fact, we all would be lost.   Jesus tells his people in the new world,to hold up the light and that He, Jesus, is the light that they should hold up.   That account is in the  Book of Mormon.  In the Holy Bible Jesus tells the people to not light a candle and put it under a basket.  

Printable versions of this drawing are found by clicking on the Religious or All Printables buttons up top.   

Volgatitan . . . Ammonites . . . and Shonisaurus

Volgatitan

Volgatitan fossilized bones were discovered in Western Russia on the banks of the Volga River.  The bones were placed in a museum collection until more fossilized bones fell off a cliff and then more were found on the cliff by the river.  The paleontologists were able to collect the bones from the limestone cliff.  It was kind of a weird situation because Limestone forms in deep oceans and Sauropods, like Volgatitan are land animals.  There were many marine fossils in the rock, like Ammonites.  Ammonites were cephalopods that lived in the ocean.  They are related to Nautaloids and squid and octopus.  

Apparently this particular dinosaur must have died near a river and been washed out to sea.  Another possibility is that it was washed out to sea by a tsumani.   This animal lived around 200 million years ago in the very early Jurassic Period.  Volgatitan was big compared to modern land animals.  It weighed around 17 tons or about 34,000 lbs.  ...or 15,422 kg.  

Perhaps Volgatitan was an ancestor to the later huge Sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Sauroposeidon.  .   .   .  or maybe even an ancestor to the Tatanosaurs like Argentinosaurus and Patagotitan.   Those titanosaurs are from South America, but in the Early Jurassic the continents had not yet totally broken up.  Therefore the Volgatitan dinosaurs, or their ancestors.... could have migrated or spread out to other areas far from Russia. 

Ammonites and Shonisaurus

In this second new drawing we see a close up of an Ammonite.  It was a cephalopod that had a shell.  It is related to modern nautiloids, squid, octopus, and cuttlefish.  The marine reptile in the background is eating an Ammonite.  This marine reptile was up to 70 feet long.  It was a type of Ichthyosaur called Shonisaurus.  The fossils of this marine reptile were found in what is now land locked Nevada.  The vertebrae were the diameter of 5 gallon buckets and about a foot deep.  That is 30.5 cm.   The fossils of Shonisaurus can be seen at Ichthyosaur State Park in Southern Nevada.  It is out in the middle of the desert but 200+ million years ago it was ocean.

NOTE:  I just added to this post.   I decided to draw an Ammonite with a Shonisaurus in the background.  Please stand by.  All drawings are found on the All Printables page and the Paleontology page. . . reached by hitting the buttons up top.  The new drawings are at the bottom of the correct list.  Since I mentioned Brachiosaurus,  Sauroposeidon, and Shonisaurus so I added older drawings of them.  I also took a photo of some of my fossils that relate to this blog entry.  The round fossil is the vertebrae of a much smaller Ichthyosaur.  The other three are all fossilized Ammonites.  Notice the chambers in the cut open Ammonite shell.  This gave them the buoyancy to float around in the ocean.  

Ammonite and Ichthyosaur fossils

Brachiosaurus feeding on a Cycad Tree

Sauroposeidon protelus the Tallest Dinosaur

Shonisaurus Feeding

Scrooge and Marley

Dickens Festival Scrooge and Marley

These two actors were in A Christmas Carol play last week at the Dickens Festival.  I think the man on the left was one of the gentlemen collecting for the poor.  The man was playing Ebeneezer Scrooge.  I decided they would make a good Scrooge and Marley.  Marley is on the left and Scrooge is on the right.  As you can see, Marley is a ghost, but this is a spoiler from the book Jacob T. Marley.  It was written a few years ago and it is the back story of Mr. Marley.  I have often made a point to read A Christmas Carol most Christmas Seasons.  But now I also read Jacob T. Marley.  I highly recommend the book.  

In this drawing Scrooge is thanking Marley for his help.  This is a scene from my imagination.  I figure that Marley would maybe be forgiven and reappear to his old friend Scrooge.  You will notice that Marley is now free of his chains.  Both are standing outside their office.  Scrooge is trying to pat Marley on the back.   Look closely and you can see Scrooge's arm and hand through Marley. 

In the below photo you see the two actors.  I based my drawing on them . . . but only rather loosely. 

The Actors

Jesus gives Comfort

Jesus comforts a Man

(New Drawing)

I was feeling despondent a couple of weeks ago and I drew this.  It is really not my best work but it gave me comfort to draw it.  We all need the Savior in our lives.  He helps us overcome and forgives us of our sins and mistakes when we repent....but he also comforts us when we are suffering from things that are not our fault.  He also sends us the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit to comfort us in our trials.  I have suffered from my own sins, but because of repentance I will not have to suffer eternally because Jesus Christ suffered for our sins. . . IF we repent and do our best to change.  Also, because of Jesus' resurrection we all will one day...after we die...get our bodies back in the resurrection.   Those of us who struggle with terrible health challenges will have perfect bodies.  That will be nice.   

Below are other drawings I have posted before of our Savior serving others:  

Jesus teaches about Forgiveness

Jesus told the accusers of the woman caught in adultery that he who was without sin should cast the first stone at the woman.  The men all left.  Then Jesus told the woman to go her way and sin no more.  Jesus did not condone the sin, but he was willing to forgive the sin if the woman would repent.   A good lesson for all of us.  

Jesus comforts a Young Woman

Jesus calms the Sea

His disciples were terrified the ship would sink.  

Jesus with a pair of Children

Jesus heals the Lepers

Jesus heals a Sick Man

Cretaceous Friends

Cretaceous Friends

This is a simple drawing for younger children to color.  The animals are a Sauropod or long neck dinosaur, a Pteranodon  which is a type of flying reptile,  and a Cretaceous Period mammal called Ameridelphia.  It lived in North America.  This is a cartoonish drawing so maybe I'll draw Ameridelphia later in a more accurate way.  The main identifiable index animal or index fossil animal that tells you this is a Cretaceous Period scene is the Pteranodon.  That type of Pterosaur lived only in the Cretaceous Period.  The flowers on the bush are there because recent evidence shows flowering plants evolving way before previously thought.  Some biologists think we could put dinosaurs into their own class so if that were done. . . there would be pictured here:  Class:  Dinosauria,   Class:  Reptilia,   and Class:  Mammalia.   

Dickens Festival part 1

Dickens Festival Young Female Sales Clerk

We went to the Dickens Festival last week.  This festival is held in the Salt Lake City area in the Mountain America Credit Union Expo Center.  It was a lot like the Christmas Markets we went to in Europe and it was a lot of fun.  We bought some delicious syrup and preserves from this sales clerk at one of the stalls.  The company she works for is called:  Pioneer Valley.  They are out of Orem, Utah.  And in case you are wondering, NO I am not paid to endorse their yummy products.  I DO like to support local businesses.  That may be kind of funny since many of you who read my blog or at least print and color my drawings are located all over the world and nowhere near Utah, USA.  

Dickens Festival Young Female Sales Clerk in costume 

NOTE:  I am drawing more people from the festival and I will post them as I get them done.
This drawing, in printable form, is found by clicking the Holidays button and going to the Christmas section.  It is also on the All Printables page.  There is a button that says All Printables.   

Santa & Mrs. Claus

Santa & Mrs. Claus by a Christmas Tree

Santa and Mrs. Claus were working out the other day.  I happened to be at the pool swimming with wife.   OK, I am not allowed to swim but I do do aerobics in the pool.  I was impressed with these two good people who clearly are either the real Mr. and Mrs. Claus or a very good pair of Santa's helpers.  My mom told me, when I was a little boy, that there are many Santas who are Santa's helpers all over the world.  They report back to Santa.  If you look closely you will see Christmas Magic in the form of sparkles on Santa's and Mrs. Claus' skin.