Aikya Param

In many of the past years, I add a Christmas tree decoration that memorializes something special from the preceding year.    The year I got my first home computer, I hung a computer ornament on the tree.  The year I went kayaking for the first time, I found a cute ornament of Santa kayaking.  The year I focused on writing, I added an ornament of a little elf writing in a pad with a big pencil.  The year I did lots of biking, I hung a red bicycle ornament on the tree. The new delight of this year was rediscovering the joy of making art through courses offered by Sketchbook Skool.   Those who keep sketchbooks are a subculture in the art world. How they approach art is through easily portable supplies that enable them to sketch anywhere, that enable easy travel, but locally and internationally, with an easily carried sketchbook, pen and watercolor paints. This year's new ornament celebrates this easy portability.  There's an aspect of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) to this culture.  Al

In past years, Yule Frogs were stars of Christmas greeting cards.  They did not appear every year either but, when they did, they made me laugh and were well appreciated.  This year, Sandy Guderyon, who has graciously hosted a group of us for more than 6 years for SoulCollege, was so delighted when she heard about Yule Frogs and the possibility of a story featuring them that it pushed me to take my enjoyment of the goofy little guys and try to make a little story.  Enjoy!    Yule Frog 2014, pen and ink, watercolor, watercolor pencil, Stillman & Birn Alpha 10 X 7 notebook. Cover.   Yule Frog 2014, p. 1.     Yule Frog 2014, p. 2   Yule Frog 2014, p. 3   Yule Frog 2014, p. 4   Yule Frog 2014, p. 5  Yule Frog 2014, p. 6   Yule Frog 2014, p. 7   Yule Frog 2014, p. 8    Yule Frog 2014, p. 9  Yule Frogs 2014, p. 10