Day 5029: Meticulous Ballpoint Drawings & Edible Dormouse.

"Sea Thistle": junk collage, photos, ink & digital.

 

  

Want music?

    Click: Supremes, Someday We'll Be Together.

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Meticulous Ballpoint Pen Drawings

by Habib Hajallie

“This Mind Hath Demolition Reached” (2025), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 11 3/4 x 16 1/2 inches. 

In ballpoint pen on found fragments of philosophical and historical texts, Habib Hajallie delves into the emotional realm of memory, connection, and loss. The Kent-based artist often celebrates Black cultural figures and beloved family members, along with examining his own personal experiences as a British man of Sierra Leonean and Lebanese heritage. In his current solo exhibition, Black & Blue at Larkin Durey, Hajallie grapples with the devastating stillbirth of his daughter and the “indescribable emotions that sit beneath language,” says the gallery.

“Still Remain” (2026), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 11 3/8 x 16 1/2 inches

For this show, the artist deliberately switched from using black ballpoint ink to blue. As he made these works, Hajallie also reflected on the loss of his sister four years ago. Using antique maps and snippets of philosophical and sociological writings, he portrays subtle sides of what the gallery describes as “an altered sense of self.” Figures, including several self-portraits, exude feelings of despair, confusion, numbness, care, and the nuanced emotions that emerge in-between.

“Nothing Else to Fear” (2026), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 33 1/8 x 23 1/4 inches

“While this series is concerned with the internal landscape of loss and what it means to endure a profoundly altered reality, each artwork has acted as an invaluable step towards healing,” the gallery says. “By drawing directly onto antique texts that explore morality, purpose, and transcendence, Hajallie’s personal pain enters into a wider conversation about finding meaning and the ways in which drawing can become a space of solace and catharsis.”

Black & Blue continues through May 22 in London. See more on the artist’s Instagram.

“Arise and Walk Strongly and Fearlessly” (2026), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 33 1/8 x 23 1/4 inches

Habib Hajallie

                                                                           

According to superstition, saying “rabbit rabbit” before anything else on the first day of the month will bring you good luck for 30 days, or not.

   

The Fascinating Edible Dormouse: A Tiny Creature with a Rich History and Amazing Abilities. Did you know that the Edible Dormouse (Glis glis), also known as the common dormouse or fat European dormouse, has a rich history and fascinating abilities?

Name and History: The name "edible dormouse" comes from an ancient Roman tradition where these small creatures were considered a delicacy. Romans even kept them in special cages called glirariums to fatten them up before serving them at lavish feasts.

Climbing Ability:Dormice are skilled climbers thanks to their long toes and sharp claws, allowing them to move nimbly through trees. This ability helps them avoid predators and find food easily.

Long Hibernation:The name "dormouse" comes from the French word dormir meaning “to sleep,” as these little creatures can spend up to 9 months of the year resting or hibernating. They truly live up to their name!

 

  

 

A 2+ minute video,  Antartica, here.

 

 

Just because ...

Blue Pita

Monday's Smiles ... 

 

Hoping you feel all the good things in your day.

  

 

 

Day 5028: History of the Selfie & Sheep w/6 years wool.

 

"Attention span": junk paper collage, digital.

                                                                       

  

Want music?

    Click: Tom Misch, South of the River.

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History of the Selfie.

In 1839, Robert Cornelius stood in front of a makeshift camera in the yard of his family’s gas lighting business in Philadelphia. He took a photo, then stood motionless for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the daguerreotype process sufficient exposure time. The resulting self-portrait — taken using a camera with an opera glass for a lens — shows a ruggedly handsome man with a fashionably upturned collar. It was a great technical achievement, coming just a little more than a decade after French inventor Nicéphore Niépce took “View From the Window at Le Gras,” the world’s oldest surviving photograph. Cornelius’ photo is generally considered the earliest surviving photographic portrait in the world — and, therefore, the first-ever selfie. 

   

In 2004, a merino sheep named Shrek became an unexpected celebrity in New Zealand after surviving on his own in remote mountain terrain for six years.

Merino sheep require regular shearing because their wool continuously grows throughout their lives. Without being trimmed, the fleece can become extremely heavy, trap heat, collect dirt, and eventually interfere with the animal’s movement and vision.

Instead of remaining with his flock, Shrek wandered into the rugged hills of New Zealand’s South Island, where he spent years hiding among caves and rocky landscapes that made him nearly impossible for farmers to find.

When he was finally discovered, Shrek looked almost unrecognizable beneath his massive coat of wool. His fleece had grown to an extraordinary size, weighing around 27 kilograms after shearing. The thick wool covered much of his body and face, making him resemble a giant walking ball of fleece.

Despite carrying years of uncut wool, Shrek was found alive and in surprisingly stable condition. After his rescue, he was carefully sheared during a live television broadcast in New Zealand, instantly becoming a national sensation.

Shrek’s story later became one of the world’s most famous animal survival stories and highlighted the importance of regular care for domesticated sheep.

 

  

 

A 4+ minute video, The Ant & Lazy Beetle, here.

 

 

Just because ...

Himalayan Snow Cock/jpg

Sunday's Smiles ... 

 

Hoping you see all the good things in your day.

  

 

 

Day 5027: Friday morning in France & African Lion Cubs.

"tool of destruction": junk paper collage, digitized.

 

                                                                       

  

Want music?

    Click: Quincy Jones, Secret Garden.

2GN2S

Where did Friday morning go? Well I was busy in France, Roland Garros to be exact. It's a yearly thing. I invest an inordinate amount of time watching tennis. The French Open is a tournament on clay, chronologically the second of the four Grand Slam tennis events every year, held after the Australian Open and before Wimbledon and the US Open. I go to all four. 

Joao Fonseca

This is an unusual year in that all the top players are out, Carlos Alcaraz is home in Spain, injured. All the top players have lost in the early rounds and this year's champ will be a newbie. Friday morning I spent 4 hours, 53 minutes sort of coaching 19 year old Joao Fonseca who defeated 39 year old Novak Djokovic in a tough 5-set match. One of the best matches I've ever watched, that's a lot of years & matches.

Djokovic congratulates Fonseca after the match.

I am still working on my future app that will let me burn the calories of the activity that I watch. Stay tuned, I am going to make a mint! And for you tennis fans, Fonseca served three aces in a row to finish and win the fifth set. Unreal!

   

African Lion cubs are fully weaned around the time they reach 8 months old. However, they may accompany their mother on hunting trips starting at around 3 months of age to learn how to find food for themselves. Most cubs will live with their mother for 2 years or until she has her next litter. Female lions typically remain in the pride they are born into, while males leave the group when they mature.

 

  

 

A 4+ minute video, Dust bunnies,  here.

 

 

Just because ...

Seram Golden Bulbul

Saturday's Smiles ... 

 

Hoping you see all the good things in your day.