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daverclarke.myatproto.social
Dave Clarke
@daverclarke.myatproto.social
1.2K followers 620 following 870 posts
Artist, illustrator, teacher, storyteller. I used to think I was interesting then I realized I was just an old dude telling the same stories all the time. He, him. Currently living in Shawnee, Cherokee territory.
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daverclarke.myatproto.social
Goofing around
A pencil drawing of a head in profile with the top flipped open like a suitcase or other hinged lid. A giant eyeball creature is poking its head up while one of its humanoid arms holds the lid up and the other scratches the top of the eyeball head. Two pairs of hairy talons grasp the side of the opening. The person’s head has dark curly hair, a large nose, and a very hairy goatee.
November 19, 2025 at 1:58 AM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Anyone else checking out the aurora? Very visible here in Kentucky
A not-great phone camera shot of the sky over a 1960s house with a large swath of purple color which turns into bright pink as the aurora borealis are visible to the naked eye in Kentucky. Two street lights on the left out of frame diminish the visibility some.
November 12, 2025 at 2:43 AM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Organizing (okay, cleaning) the studio and wondering if I want to revisit chalk pastels. They’re very fun but oh so messy.
A chalk pastel drawing of a bedroom as seen through an open interior door. To the left as we enter we see a dark wood dresser with a royal blue cloth hanging over the top. On top of this is two rectangular boxes and a small light that is lit. Just behind this is the bed. It is sitting on a faded yellow wooden bed frame. Its mattress and rumpled pillows are depicted by a mix of warm light yellows and cool violets and pale blue-greens showing the effects of the light from the bedside lamp. A green duvet covers most but not all of the bed. At the foot of the bed are a slouchy pair of old Redwing cowboy work boots. On the other side of the bed (behind) we see a green vase lamp with an orange and pale green patterned lampshade. This light is not on. Next it is the heavy wooden casement of an open window. A breeze must be blowing in as the cloth curtain is gently billowing. A color study of whites and silvers in chalk pastel. The subject is three eggs, a silver spoon, a pewter julep cup, and a white ceramic bowl. The objects are drawn with a rainbow of hues contrasting with the assumed narrow natural palette of the subjects. The objects are arranged left to right as so: the julep cup stands behind one of the eggs which stands behind but almost appears to be in the bowl of the spoon. The stem of the spoon stretches over to its right where the two other eggs stand one partially in front of the other. Just to the right of them and somewhat behind is the ceramic bowl. Another color study of whites and silvers in chalk pastel. The subject again is three eggs, a silver spoon, a pewter julep cup, and a white ceramic bowl. The objects are drawn with a rainbow of hues contrasting with the assumed narrow natural palette of the subjects. This time the objects are arranged left to right as so: one of the eggs is in the background. The bowl of the spoon stands in front of the bottom right portion of the egg. We can see into the concave sweep of the spoon’s bowl. Its stem again extends to the right, disappearing behind the next egg. This egg’s pointy end on its right extends in front of the last egg which we see as a circular shape. Behind and mostly to the right of the last egg is the ceramic bowl. A short distance away to the right stands the julep cup casting its shadow behind the ceramic bowl.
November 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Needing to look away from the train wreck of DC and warm up from the early snow, I am cooking soup beans, collards, and bread.
A large soup pot filled with golden brown liquid simmering on a stove top. A large round loaf of sourdough bread with a crust dusted with cornmeal and whole wheat flour. A large x-shaped split cracked the top of the crust showing a golden brown crust with lightly seared edges.
November 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Early studies for a wee dog portrait. Chauncey was a sweet but reluctant subject as he doesn’t like men.
Four very loose pencil sketches of a Pekingese dog named Chauncey on a page of a wire-bound sketchbook. Chauncey is a fluffy brown-and-tan mix with a severe underbite that makes his jaw jut out and exposes his lower fangs. His face is primarily black and dark brown with two tans patches above his eyes that swoop in a way that makes him appear to be scowling. His ears are tan with black tips. The top sketch show him standing facing right while looking up at you. Below that he is lying down with his back toward you but his head turned around to look at you. Below that is another lying down pose. This time his body is angled toward you but he is looking off to the left. Finally, to the left of the others, is pose sitting on his haunches looking directly at you.
November 10, 2025 at 2:27 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Jeebus, I can’t keep this up.
Corner of an '80s basement den room with a small table holding a TV and lamp. The room is covered in blood. Text: Caption this with the 2nd to last text you sent.
October 26, 2025 at 7:59 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
It’s that time of year again, kiddos. Keep yer eyes peeled for the great pumpkin.
Pen and ink image of two kids dressed in bed-sheet ghost costumes for Halloween and their dog walk through a farm field/pumpkin patch as a giant figure dressed in bib overalls with a jack-o-lantern head and carrying a scythe steps out of the stalks of cornfield behind them to their right.
October 20, 2025 at 2:22 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Sausage pinwheels with homemade pastry dough
A baking sheet covered with parchment paper on top of which are about 16 sausage pinwheels - pastry dough (similar to croissant but not as laminated) swirled with ground pork sausage.
October 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
A small friend I saw on the road. I helped it gently out of danger and to the grass nearby. It might be a juvenile milk snake.
A small, juvenile snake slithering on the bumpy gravel of an old road. The snake has pale ivory skin with sienna brown hexagonal patches running up its back and sides. The front and top its head is a cool, pale grey.
September 27, 2025 at 5:45 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Focusing takes so much energy
September 20, 2025 at 2:19 AM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Laser focused on hunting a moth
Scamp, a black and white tuxedo cat, stares wide-eyed up and with absolute focus out of the image at a moth we can’t see.
September 20, 2025 at 2:16 AM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
The goldenrod in the yard is the party place for insects today.
A bunch of yellow goldenrod flowers drooping downward while a pair soldier beetles mate atop them with a halictid bee gathering pollen in the background right. Another bunch of yellow goldenrod flowers, their tall stems drooping downward, with a large fuzzy bee on them gathering pollen. The bee is seen from behind, its shiny, translucent wings on full display with its fuzzy black abdomen and pale yellow thorax seen through the wings. A bunch of yellow goldenrod flowers with a scoliid wasp possibly seeking out nectar or pollen. The scoliid wasp has smallish dark brown wings, a black thorax, and an abdomen divided into a black too half and a bottom half that is deep reddish-brown with two pale yellow ovals at the dividing line of the two halves.
September 19, 2025 at 6:49 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Got the covid jab and am all aches and fever as usual so sketching to distract myself. Here are some stiff headless horsemen.
A pencil drawing of a rearing horse facing off to the left with a headless horse rider on its back. In place of their head, the rider has a flaming jack’o’lantern. The tails of the rider’s coat flow out behind. A pencil drawing of a front view of horse in the process of a quick turn, with a headless rider on its back. The rider’s arm is held out to the side. The position of the arm is not fully worked out. Out of position (to be moved later) is the rider’s hand holding aloft a flaking jack’o’lantern.
September 15, 2025 at 12:24 AM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Speaking of pictures of water, I never posted a pic of this “finished”. Framed it to cover a hole in the wall. Should take it down and get a good shot of it.
An oil painting of the rapids at Great Falls National Park in November (viewed from the Virginia side). The foreground is filled with churning foam of the falls pouring between two large masses of grey rock. The river, a grey-green, continues back toward the autumn colored hills in the backgrounds. The sky is a cool blue with wispy clouds.
September 8, 2025 at 9:56 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
QRP with something watery
(It is at least water adjacent)
Wyrm, watercolor, 13 3/4” x 19 1/2” A painting of a writhing Wyrm (a snake-like form of early dragon from Europe) curling and splashing in the water. The top half shows the brilliant yellow and red face of the wyrm against an azure blue sky, its turquoise body curling in and out of the frothing water. The bottom half shows the rest of its body curling in the somewhat murky yellow-green water.
September 8, 2025 at 9:43 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
It’s National Dog Day (?) so have a dog drawing
A pen and ink drawing of a a dog walk. The image is reading in a clockwise way. Starting in the top center is a large image of a dog sitting at the door looking over its shoulder asking for a walk. In the upper right we see a person putting on a coat while looking at the dog; next, the dog going out the door; walking along the street; sniffing at things; doing its business; chasing a squirrel, leaash flying loosely behind it; smelling garbage cans; meeting another dog; facing a hissing cat; walking tiredly up the street; finally, re-entering home. This last panel overlaps into the first panel suggesting the whole process is a neverending circle.
August 26, 2025 at 8:14 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
I guess my little carry-on was enough to stir up concern at security. Meanwhile my bigger suitcase didn’t even warrant a look. Some folks are just scared of rainbows it seems.
A rainbow Ikea shopping bag with a zipper attached making it a small handbag.
August 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Pieniä aarteita tämän päivän lyhyeltä vaellukselta. [Small treasures from today’s short hike.]
A hand holding a small collection of wild blueberries and lingonberries picked from the trail side. A view up the rippling waters of the Heinäjoki as it flows into the woods and around a bend. The dark, clear water appears greenish in the shadows and bright blue where it reflects the sky. The river is a triangle pointing up from the bottom of the image with a small trapezoid of blue sky pointing down from the top center. The woods are a mix of silver birch, spruce, and pine trees. Prunella vulgaris, common self-heal, flower. A whirled cluster of purple and deep red flowers. The central lobe is fringed with long ”hairs”. A mossy wee folk’s tree stump home (kantu). When Mervi first said it was a wee folk’s kantu, I misheard it her, hearing ”condo”. I suppose it could be a condo too but I don’t know the ownership situation.
August 19, 2025 at 4:48 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
I love drawing birds along with all other living things
A pencil drawing of a young boy in a t-shirt wearing a falconer’s glove upon which sits a phoenix bird. The phoenix is a large raptor resembles (somewhat) a golden eagle with flames emerging from the top of its head.
August 18, 2025 at 8:52 AM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
I’m not sure it’ll fit
A small, salmon-pink birdhouse mounted about 10 feet (3 meters) up on a tree trunk beneath the bright green foliage. On the front of birdhouse, painted in white, is an image of a flamingo in silhouette, and the word “flamingo”.
August 17, 2025 at 8:02 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
The 69 Eyes and Michael Monroe and band rocked the house (well, parking lot) last night in Helsinki.
The 69 Eyes on stage outside the Olympic ice arena in Helsinki Finland. Five guys dressed in black denim and leather, most with many tattoos rockin’ hard with smoke and colored spotlights shining thru the haze. From left to right, guitarist Timo-Timo, bassist Archzie, singer Jyrkie, drummer Jussi, and guitarist Bazie. Michael Monroe sings directly at the viewer in a very tight black outfit with red and white floral embellishments and a black sequined peaked uniform hat with Monroe across the front. Steve Conte, guitarist, plays a riff while Michael Monroe dances and sings behind him. Rich Jones, guitarist, and Sami Yaffa, bassist, rock it with a purple Hagstrom Viking and a yellow Fender Bass.
August 17, 2025 at 2:01 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Peak aging metal fandom. The show starts in an hour(?) but folks packed in at the stage in anticipation. Or it could be Helsinki in August (13C/55F). Ready for Michael Monroe and The 69 Eyes.
A crowd of mostly black leather clad people stand like “sardines in a can” in the 2 meters in front of an open air stage set up for a rock show.
August 16, 2025 at 3:44 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Sketching some quick animal heads to clear the cobwebs
A sketchbook page of loose pencil sketches of the heads of a mongoose, grey wolf, domesticated hog, orangutan, ram, cat, dog, squirrel, beaver , and raven.
August 5, 2025 at 8:27 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
The thing I like about dogs: a dog might drink your coffee but he won’t take a steam bath in your cup so you give him more attention
A tuxedo cat with his head laying over the opening of a coffee cup as a hand tries to grab the cup.
August 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM
daverclarke.myatproto.social
Seems like a good time to revisit the jackalope.
A small pencil sketch of a close-up head and shoulders view of a jackrabbit with antlers coming out its head sipping whiskey thru a straw.
July 31, 2025 at 2:07 AM