The Think Bottle Blog was created to gather great art, ideas, and inspiration into one place. I hope you get inspired to take a chance and dive into something of your own. Plus it’s a great place to interact with me on a daily basis. Cheers!
Tip Of The Hat To You
I draw what I know best. How many people talk to the things around them? Okay, at the risk of sounding like I'm off my rocker, I admit that I do. And that literally includes the rocker, and the lamp and the guinea pig and, of course the dogs. I'm not suggesting that I have a "hello chair, that's a mighty fine cushion you have there", conversation. I'm referring to my acknowledging their presence, responding to them person to person and trying to look at the world from their own unique perspective (the chair must get an eyeful) and including them in the narrative of the moment. " The things I include in my drawings are arranged in my space and I move about them as I would in physical space. Drawing and painting to me are actually physical actions; they are much more than just moving a pencil or a brush around on some dead paper. My subjects are alive and I feel their actions. My muscles strain as they mirror the drawing's actions; like the kind of muscle memory you have when you remember climbing the stairs or running across the lawn in your bare feet.
Now that I've given you an idea of where these things come from, you might be wondering why this all matters. Here's an example: everyone loves a party- I do, my personal favorites are the little tiny meatballs and shrimp, but the point I'm trying to make is: most of us like to party because we get to mingle and get the dish on people. Now imagine trying to follow all the action standing outside knee deep in the myrtle looking through the kitchen window. It's much easier to create a narrative when you're face to face with the guests.
So now you're wondering; "what about all the bugs and stuff, I ‘people' my drawings with?" Same thing, I get introduced to them by a mutual acquaintance and we hang out at the meatballs and rap for an hour or two. Or in the case this morning, we have coffee and sit in the garden.
I met this fellow underneath our hackberry tree; he has a very long and interesting sounding Latin name that I won't get into, but suffice it to say after a short while, I had my pencil in my hand, drawing his portrait. After turning and twisting the hackberry leaf he was chewing, I got a pretty good likeness of him.
It's amazing what you learn from a person while they're sitting nice for you. Before long I felt I'd learned enough about him to draw the guy without looking, which is when the magic truly happens: I get to step into his shoes and crawl around for a while. You might say we became fast friends, so much so that he trusted me enough to dress him up.
Your Comments
Your Comments
yes, especially ones i get a good gander at-
as in crawling on one’s shoulder.
Your Comments
The drawings of dogs made me laugh out loud! I am new to your silliness and am excited to see more.
Your Comments
Yes!! I also talk to everything and animate everything! It’s our wild imagination that helps us see things differently. I can make anything entertain me which I guess comes from me being pretty much an only child (sisters 20 yrs. older) and a great playhouse that I created fond memories in! 
Your Comments
Dave - How do you go about choosing which books you will illustrate.
Your Comments
that’s a hard question to answer; i think the perfect book talks to me- something that feels familiar, like “molly lou”- or maybe even hints at an adventure in the making, like “rotten teeth”. i choose a book much the same way i decide which amusement ride to climb into.
Your Comments
Dave,
I read your book Funny Lunch to my students last spring! We also watched your video of how you come up with ideas for your stories. We enjoy your illustrations and lighthearted take on things!
Your Comments
thank you jill, for those nice words. your students are the guys i have in mind when i’m drawing. max thanks you too!
Your Comments
I read one of your books for the first time yesterday, “Dino Hunting”. It was great! I love Max, his sweet personality comes through loud and clear. Your drawings are an inspiration to me. I used to be an artist but have not drawn for a long time.
Your Comments
hi julie- thank you for such nice words. you said:“used to be an artist”? you still are!
once and artist, you are forever so. you just have to pick up where you left off.
all best and good luck!
dc
Your Comments
Mr. Catrow,
Your work is truly amazing!! The sense of motion that you add to your work is unreal. I have recently been laid off from my elementary library position, but had always read Lu and the Swamp Ghost to my students.
I am a writer and wish that I could illustrate my own work, or plug a usb cord into my brain that would conect to the computer!! LOL
Dave, your drawings continue to amuse, entertain and inspire all at once. I’ve always thought you had incredible insight into the ‘inner dog’ but I see that rare talent extends to other multi-peds.
And what a stylin’ one at that.