A while back, there was a Web meme for drawing Batgirl (meme as in “lots of people decided to do it”). And I meant to and never did. So here’s my take on Batgirl, who is not much like the existing Batgirl. She’s more of a street kid. And I figure she needed a sidekick, but as a street kid, she needed a street dog.

When Illustration Friday announced the word as Hierarchy this week, I rolled my eyes. Not one that inspires any immediate ideas. But in the Dog a Day spirit, I let my mind drift and came up with the idea of nesting dolls. There’s certainly a hierarchy, quite clear, of smallest to largest working together to form a whole. Technically, a compositional hierarchy.

For the first time, I have created an Illustration Friday piece on the day the word is posted. This week’s word is impossible. And when you live with our dog, you realize that something like this would actually be a supernatural event. I imagined this piece as a page out of an ancient book of the weird and unexplained.

I can’t really explain the cherry on the dog food. It just wanted to be there.

Illustration Friday’s word this week was fleeting, and this image came to mind. Dogs are such fleeting creatures, here for a while and then they vanish from our lives like smoke.

I’m going to go hug Storm now, I made myself sad.

We’ve just returned from Mexico, where we spent our time lazing on the beach. Well, I did draw a lot, and decided that I should do at least one dog. Even though the project is officially ended, I do want to update, and more regularly than I currently do. Perhaps once I get well ahead on Hex Libris. 

Anyway, we didn’t actually see any crabs, though I did have a scorpion run down the inside of my shirt (I still have the willies). But I drew and inked this guy while sitting on the beach with a moderate breeze ruffling my papers, the waves crashing in the background, and a German tourist looking over my shoulder.

Oh, and exciting news: You can now order the Dog a Day Project: Artist’s Choice Edition through Createspace or Amazon. How cool is it to have a book on Amazon?

Written by Maggie Gallant, co-directed by Erik and Maggie, art and editing by Erik. We had fun making this thing, and now I hope Maggie will work with me on an animation project we’ve been talking about for a while.

We did it in honor of the book launch. Yep, there is a book of the best of Dog a Day, 120 pages of full color images hand-picked by Erik and organized by month. It’s a beautiful book, if I don’t say myself. It will soon be available through CreateSpace and Amazon, and I’ll post details when it is. If you’re interested in a book, they’re $20 plus $3 shipping and handling. I’ll even personalize it and draw a simple little sketch in it. I’ll be selling them through this site, as well, but  if you’re interested just contact me and we’ll work it out.

A friend, and someone who has taken some of my classes, is celebrating a birthday today. She shares her cool work with me, and I love her style. If only I drew that well at her age.

Anyway, today’s piece is influenced by some of the pieces she’s sent me. Happy birthday, Stacey.

Is the moon made of green cheese? It must taste pretty good. Then again, dogs will eat anything. It’s been a little while since my last dog, but I guess finishing out the project last year has left me a bit tired. I’ve been working hard on Hex Libris and finishing the sale of our place and…

And working on something else. Big announcement soon. Dog related.

This week’s word for Illustration Friday is “pale.” And I left it until the last possible day to put it in as an entry. I just drew up the rough of this while sitting in the yard with the dog. She loves just sitting in the grass and sunning herself. So this piece is the opposite of the circumstances under which it was drawn.

This week’s word at Illustration Friday is “contained,” and the thought of a dog in a hamster ball seemed like a good fit. It’s one of those “it just struck me” ideas and without those, I never would have been able to do a dog every day last year. But thanks to Illustration Friday, I get a weekly nudge.

It’s nice not to have to do a dog every single day this year, but I have been keeping up weekly, and probably will continue to do so with no particular scheduled day for posting. So check back once in a while. And more announcements soon.