The creepiest things around my house are snails and slugs. They creep along, leaving their silvery trails of slime. Yuck. My gardeners warned me that the big Agapanthus plants left behind by the former owner of my home were snail havens and wanted to remove them. But I like the crazy purple flowers and left them. To collect snails to sketch I knew where to go: I filled a plastic cup from two Agapanthus.
Most of the snails curled up in their shells and hid. One was very curious and climbed onto a leaf I stuck in the cup. I put the leaf and snail on the table to draw but he was a busy guy so I had to keep moving him when he reached the end of the leaf. Then I put him in the cup and he started climbing up and over the side, giving me a clear view of his face, which was just a little nub, with no apparent eyes or mouth. Extremely creepy.
The lock above is one I’ve had for many years. It lives in my gym bag and even though I sometimes go long stretches without using it, I seem to always remember the combination. I keep the combination in my iPhone’s contact list just in case I forget. I don’t want to be stranded in the locker room! I struggled a bit drawing the lock so did it several times, starting with the one at the bottom.
More about snails:
Even though I didn’t see eyes or mouth it turns out they have them. Their weak eyes are on the end of their tentacles, the mouth is underneath the head. They don’t have ears and can’t hear but have a good sense of smell (though no nose). Lots more interesting snail facts on Snail World.com.
Jana Bouc, Artist 
5 replies on “Something Creepy and A Lock: Every Day in May 9-10”
That energetic one needs to race. Are there any snail races you could enter him into? Sounds like he’d be a winner.
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Wow! We have big ol’ slugs here in Washington state and I can’t imagine collecting them to sketch! Although I have sketched them from time to time from a ‘safe’ distance!
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I get such a kick out of the items you select for sketching, slugs & locks. You help me to realize that subjects for practice in drawing & painting are always right around me. Thank you for that! I love how you achieved the silvery part of the top lock. Wonderful!
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Slugs, who would think to draw them? I’m glad you did! Very cool sketches. Like you I have kept a combination lock from 7th grade. I think I still remember the combination but don’t know where I put the lock. Love your drawings and paintings!
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Love the locks, hate the slugs. They are totally skeevy. (but I love your painting of the slugs).
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