Harry T. Burn – August 18, 1920

On this date in history, the 19th Amendment of the United States Constitution was signed into law 100 years ago in 1920. This was the amendment that granted women the right to vote.

I was recently asked to illustrate an article in Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Magazine that commemorates this story, which will appear in September’s issue (and who graciously allowed me to post this today on the 100th anniversary of the event). It’s a fascinating tale of a young 23 year-old Harry T. Burn, a Republican member of the Tennessee General Assembly.

 

Harry T. Burn on the steps of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville in 1920 complete with mama’s letter in his pocket before going in to cast his historic vote. (Click on image to enlarge.)

 

For an amendment to be passed, 36 of the then 48 states had to ratify it. Thirty-five states had done so, but one more was needed. In Tennessee, it was a hot-button issue with passions raging on both sides. It came down to a 48-48 deadlock in the vote, and the young Harry had yet to make his decision.

 

 

Harry had received a letter from his mother urging him to vote in favor of the issue, a letter he kept in his suit coat pocket as he sat there in chambers while all the heated debates raged on. Ultimately he voted to ratify, which was the final approval needed for the amendment to be the law of the land, all thanks to a letter from mama.

The art is a bit of a mixed media endeavor. It is partially traditional with warm gray colored pencil outlines, black ink wash, and then color tinting was added within Photoshop to help give it an old-timey feel.

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Pastry Chefs

Anyone up for a little cake?

 

I think it’s required that pastry chefs have mustaches.

 

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Lazy Days of Summer

Now that it’s August, we’ve officially reached those hazy, lazy days of summer. It’s the kind of time that is best spent in the shade by a stream with your best buddy. There’s a slight breeze, the sound of bees buzzing nearby, and without a care in the world.

 

 

This original 11×15″ watercolor and colored pencil illustration is for sale. $800, shipping included if in the United States. 

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Drawn & Quoted: Blue Dogs

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.“

– Groucho Marx (1890 – 1977)

 

Even the dogs know that was a corny line.
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The Old Coot

Sidewinder, whippersnapper, feelin’ mighty peckish, high noon, marble orchard, consarn it, sassafras, fair to middlin’, all down but nine, and dagnabbit are all words that come to mind with today’s sketchbook drawing.

 

You know a character has done lot of livin’ by the condition of his teeth.
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Business Elephant

If elephants worked in the world of business, I imagine they’d make good CPAs. Having someone who never forgets being in charge of numbers seems like a pretty good bet.

 

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Tax Day 2020

Since April 15 is usually the day, it seems awfully odd to me to type this today, but 2020’s tax day is finally upon us TODAY. I think ol’ Uncle $crooge here is oblivious to that fact, because no doubt he owes a few sheckels to Uncle Sam.

You know, two cartoonists most influenced me when I was a child. The first was Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. The second was Carl Barks, the man who invented many characters for his Disney comics stories such as Scrooge McDuck, the Beagle Boys, Gyro Gearloose, Magica DeSpell, and the list goes on. He also invented the idea of ol’ Scroogey being able to swim through his three cubic acres of cash as if it was water off a duck’s back.

 

A little morning swim is good for the pores.

 

This is my take on a classic pose Barks drew his signature character in many times in many of the 500 stories he did for Disney comics. If you don’t know his work, definitely use some of your tax refund this year to pick up some of the great hardcover reprints that have been published by Fantagraphic Books in the past few years!

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John MacArthur

The time of lockdown here during 2020 has got to be the strangest societal experience of our collective lifetime. One of the stranger of the restrictions placed upon us by our government has been the suspension of religious freedom despite stores being open, restaurants being open, open beaches, massive public demonstrations, political rallies, and even air travel where everyone breathes the same recycled air for hours on end.

Well, we have acquiesced, and have reverted to watching our churches online. All of our preachers have inadvertently become televangelists. During this time of uncertainty, I have been thankful for the biblical wisdom my own pastor has released upon us week after week, backing everything he says with what is written in the Bible, spoken in a calm, easily understood manner.

My pastor is John MacArthur. My church is Grace Community Church.

 

Believe it or not, this is my sermon notes.

 

You know, back in the day, I used to sit in services doodling while listening. For me, doodling was always a way to help me stay awake during a long talk, business meeting, sermon, or otherwise. It helped me focus on what was being said. Unfortunately, in church I was a distraction to those around me who would watch me doodle instead of listening themselves. So, I stopped.

With church being online only these days, I’ve gone back to doodling during the sermons. While some doodles are random, a few Sundays back I found myself doodling my pastor from the computer screen. Later, I took the inked drawing into Photoshop to add some quick color.

I’m not much of a portrait artist, but caricatures flow from my hand from time to time. So, this was drawn with the utmost respect.

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