Last week my new worm-bin arrived. Even though you can easily make them yourself, I decided to go for a prepared bin because I don't have that much excess energy.

I set it up according to the instructions and held a few of the worms. They haven't grown to their full size yet, I think, measuring only 5-8cm roughly (2 to 3 inches). They wriggle a lot and I fed them some cabbage and teabags.

I've only had them for a week so I don't know how it will go. I do like them though, always wanted a worm-bin as a kid. I remember this time my mother and I got up really early to look for them and to dig them up. She let me do crazy things like that ;)

I made a page about the worms with some freehand drawings and the actual bin. The bin drawing ended up a bit wonky due to the tendinitis in my neck and me shifting position. Close enough though.

I recently read somewhere to get good at drawing you need to draw something you love.

Well, I love marmite -- on ricecakes with cheese, in soup, in sauces -- and I love maggi sauce -- in soups, in sauces, with canned artichokes (yes, I have weird eating habbits) -- I've drawn them both.

Mmm, marmite and maggi sauce. What would I do without them!

I can't tolerate wheat completely, and they make maggi sauce from wheat. Luckily for me, I can tolerate that, woohoo!

I've never drawn my scar before.

It feels quite intimate.

I had to draw it from a photo because I don't have a large mirror in my flat.

I did it quickly, hasted even.

And now, I celebrate.

The writing says:

Scars They show our power to heal and overcome adversities. Don't hide them or feel ashamed. Celebrate.

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Yesterday I went to the Efteling, a Dutch amusement-park that I've visited often as a child. It started out with the fairy-tale forest and grew larger, with rollercoasters and fun rides. We did go into those too, and before we went I decided I wanted to draw the dragon in the fairy-tale forest. As a child, I loved and feared it.

In the afternoon, when others went into the rollercoasters I went to the forest and drew the dragon, a musical mushroom and one of the mushroom-houses. These mushroom-houses have doors through which kids can enter and look around. Some have moving parts; the one I drew had a door that opened and a little fellow looking out to see who rang the doorbell.

The dragon has a treasure chest in front of him, and if you try to take the crown, it'll growl, move his head and flap his wings. He also has smoke coming out of his nostrils and his mouth opens while he dives at you.

It moved a lot while I sat there drawing. Some people watched me draw, an entirely new experience for me since I usually try to hide and draw.

I had a great time!

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These photos of my latest drawings don't look too great. I took them with my phone; they look a bit dark and skewed. They'll have to do though, for now, until I have the energy to scan them or make better photos.

They do all look like happy little drawings, and I feel very pleased with how they turned out. I tried out a few new things, and liked it. Now that the kitchen-stress has started to subside a bit, I feel like drawing.

I did two sessions today, about half an hour each, and came up with all of this.

After I did the balloon I wanted to keep on drawing, so I ripped out the page from my pocket Moleskine watercolor with the help of the perforated edge. Before, I couldn't do it, it felt like sacrilege. This time however, I just wanted to continue drawing and the page got in the way. I tore it out, put it aside to dry and continued drawing.

Very refreshing.

Having the kitchen redone eats up a lot of energy, because it requires me to sort through all my stuff and get rid of what I don't need (or want) anymore.

I say require on purpose. Putting everything back without sorting will only eat up my energy more in the long run. Having stuff in the way that I don't want, don't need or can't use gets annoying. So I slowly go through it all and put the things I want and / or need in the cabinets. It works pretty well.

Today I made two drawings of hot air balloons. I used to live somewhere where they let them up several times per year. Sometimes I'd go to the field and watch it. Nowadays I live near the airport and have lots of planes flying over.

I drew my hair clip today. I think it qualifies as the worst drawing I made this year.

Understandable, since I drew it with my non-dominant hand.

And the writing looks awful ;)

I've tried out some new foods recently, some for eating and some for drawing. The kohlrabi roasts in the oven as I type this and the aubergine -- I just can't call it eggplant! -- lies waiting for an idea to pop into my head. The aubergine doesn't look like the kind I know, the deep dark purple ones, so I just had to buy it.

I've taken out a veggie(and fruit)-box subscription which should introduce me to more and new and exiting veggies and fruits -- which I'll then draw.

Today didn't go too great, and at some point I decided to make a little drawing. I drew the little (handy) scissors I bought recently. While I took the photo I noticed the other drawings in the moleskine and realised I hadn't put a bunch of the others drawings online yet. I made them all in 2007, and I enjoyed looking at them today.

The headphones have broken since (cable), however, I still have and use the wallet and the dog leash. And I wouldn't mind one of those raspberry cocktails ;)

I crawled around a bit today, trying to hoover under the sofa.

Today the first sketchcrawl of 2010 also took place, so I also did some drawings. I didn't crawl during the sketching though, not good for the knees...

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I used one of my hemp sproutingbags to store some sweet potatoes. They liked it so much they started to grow.

After a week of drawing I suddenly didn't draw for a few days. Not sure why, I just had all these other things to do suddenly. I decided to draw something I wanted to draw for a while, but thought would be too hard to draw.

Pretty satisfied with how Zoji turned out. I call him Zoji 'cause we're very good friends.

I did it, I made that first drawing! I drew my camera, because it was there. And it seemed patient.

Unlike my dog who tried to get in between my pen and my book...