In April 2011, I discovered how to once again draw and paint (albeit digitally) despite my physical limitations. I had no idea that I would stop work on this blog and dive into an orgy of image-making, but that is what happened. What follows is a report on how it happened and what resulted.
I had missed the ability to draw and paint for several years and spent a lot of time remembering what it used to feel like.
Remembering How It Feels to Draw: The first drawing I made in the adaptive workstation using Photoshop.
Having been unable to stand or sit for more than a few minutes for the past several years my drawing and painting days seemed to be over. Because I have to spend almost all my waking hours in a recliner, drawing and painting other than quick scribbles is very difficult to do. One afternoon while exploring my iPad, I discovered almost by accident that I could still in fact make images while lying on my back. I decided to adapt my main computer workstation to make it possible for me to digitally draw and paint on a larger scale.
An Adaptive Workstation
I rigged up an old Wacom graphics tablet in a stable position on a hospital over-bed table. While stretched out in my recliner, I can easily roll the table and tablet into a position near my drawing hand. My drawing arm is supported by the recliner arm while I stare up at my monitor, which is tilted down at me from an articulated wall-mount. This rig changed my life. All of a sudden I could draw again.
I broke the ice with some quick Photoshop images: 
I no longer felt isolated now that I could draw and paint again.
Now I wanted the greater expressive freedom I knew would be possible using Corel Painter. I ordered it and a week later completely dove into digital drawing, spending almost every waking hour making images. In my next post I will present a few of the Painter images I have made in the past 9 months.
It is nice to be back playing with the blog.
bobcomings.com 
I like your digital drawing and all your new work, it really does open new doors,and allows more people to enter,who couldn’t before. I went to the opening of the Teacher’s Gallery this afternoon and was very taken with your Self Portrait, and it catapulted me back to the time of Wayne Knight, your 3 dimensional class, your show upstairs in the Willits museum.I was surprised at the memories.
I have had to begin a difficult path to continue living longer, and have some understanding of reinvention.
Warm thoughts to you, Sylvia Byczynski
Today I looked at how the faces came out of the bark and your musical instruments,I shall have to think up new words to acknowledge/praise what I see…genius seems too tame….I always thought cartooning was interesting, you have found new depths to mine…..Thank you
Hi Sylvia,
So nice to hear from you after all these years have flown by us both. Since I was unable to be at the former faculty show, it was especially nice to get your comments on my blog. Your reaction is making me blush, but thanks so much.
Cartooning is often dismissed as a “lowbrow” art form, for mass consumption… not “Fine Art.” I have loved it since I was about 11 years old. At that time I did a weekly comic strip in my junior high newspaper. The strip was horrible; stiff and definitely not very funny. In spite of my embarrassment and failure, the cartoon form still intrigued me. 15 years later I did a series of paintings in the late sixties and more in the seventies that I called “RealArt.” The subject matter could vary widely, but they all were done with closed shapes outlined in black and each shape filled with more or less solid color… the cartoon form! To me that look is very surreal and magical. A place to practice “Less Is More.” The “Forest Painting” that sits at the top of my blog home page is an example.
Thanks again and best wishes for a successful reinvention.
Thank you ,Bob it was nice to get your reply,your description of cartooning gave me a couple of ideas to try…….I will keep exploring your blog………
thanks for taking a look. check out the “More Works” set of links in the right side bar.