Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Liquid Masque

I've always used rubber cement for masking areas in a picture that I don't want painted but recently I needed something a little thinner so I picked up liquid masque. Some of the edges turned out pretty rough and bits got through here and there. If anyone out there has tips for applying or removing masque I'm all ears.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Nurse gets sick

So it seems that the Mama nurse finally got sick too. I'm in bed, hot and cold, stuffy, sore muscles, gross. Good thing it is spring break and my kids are happy to watch cartoons on PBS this morning.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Spring break

Spring break starts today and I am grateful that we are not going to Florida. I just need a little rest in my own home. A chance to do some spring cleaning and work in the studio. I'm okay with using the TV for a babysitter for a little while as the kids hardly ever get to watch. Anyhow, TV turn off week starts the week after vacation so it will be off limits then. Beautiful day. I think the forsythia will be in bloom before the end of next week.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Passover

Tonight is the first seder of Passover. Ours will be a very laid back affair this year. I was hoping for my kids to have friends to share the experience with but we have had a lot of sickness over the last month and I didn't invite anyone in time. So it will be just us and not a very fancy dinner. But the important part is the story. The story is the thing, with its characters, and conflict, and ultimate changes: Moses and the pharoh, Miriam and Yoshevet, plagues and protests, slavery and finally freedom. I should write so well. Check out the full moon tonight!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to my son. He is seven today. It is a little amazing to think of myself as a mom of a seven year old. It is a beautiful sunny day to remember my little guy's spring birth. When we brought him home from the hospital seven years ago, snow flurries hung on the edges of the daffodils. Tiny pink perenials that we had cut from Chris's grandmother's garden were blooming. She has since passed away and we are in a new house but I always think of Ruth and those flowers on this day. It is amazing that with your first child you are able to luxuriate in the newness of their life. With my second child I was already too busy to just watch him sleep.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

The mommy is restless...

"8:41, 8:45, 8:50, Honey, when will the parents get here?"
"Not until 9:00, Anna."
"When is that?"
"Soon. Now come eat your breakfast."

Saturday, April 08, 2006

The marauders are restless...

"7:31, 7:35, 7:50, Mom, when will they get here?"
"Not until 5:00 tonight."
"When is that?"
"Dinner time. Now come eat your breakfast."
Imagine this conversation repeated about a million times. I lost it a couple times between cleaning and baking. My guys were so excited about the party. It turned out great. The kids are so self-directed in their play at this age. I just stayed out of the way and made sure noone got hurt. It is a little hard giving up the "game leader" position though.

Now, the sleep-over gang is trying to settle down. I'd feel a lot better about going to sleep myself if they were all sleeping. My husband just went to quiet them down again. I imagine they are pretty beat after playing hard for five hours and consuming great amounts of junk food. Hmmm, it's getting quieter. Thank goodness I have bookclub to escape to in the morning.

Soccer mom

Today I am prepping for our first slumber party. My son turns seven and I agreed to this a few months ago. I started out saying only three friends but I quickly gave into more when he couldn't invite this or that friend. Now we have five other kids, still managable. I hope the rain clears up so I can send them outside as much as possible. Spring soccer starts today as well.

I got some of my program brochures in the mail yesterday and I'm hoping to finish addressing the rest of the "local schools" stack today. Checking off those spring goals!

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Online Exhibit

Here it is... the long awaited Art of Illustration, an original online art exhibit by maine illustrators with an exclusive audio track by pleasure technicians. Don't miss it! No babysitter needed.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Illustration friday "spring"

I did this last year but I'm pulling it out again to rework in gouache for my portfolio.

Sushi at noon

Yesterday's rain
brought my husband
home
from construction work
at noon.
We went for sushi.
Alone.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

New Sketch


I can't show you my card submissions but I'd love to hear comments on this portfolio piece I've been sketching.

Today paint...

...and photoshop, and papercut.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Today, draw.

The deadline approacheth.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Fluctuating art forms.

Yes, that is fluctuating not flatulating. It's funny how, as a writer and an illustrator, I fluctuate between those two muses. It tends to be that I want to write and write, then I don't want anything to do with it until I draw, and draw. Often deadlines are the catalyst that pulls me from one art form to the other. I have a deadline for greeting card submissions pulling me from the computer to my drawing board right now. Aack! It's got my rolly chair! Wait, I want to finish this query for Charlesbridge.....

Saturday, April 01, 2006

The art of the query.

I am big into the art of the query these days. I recently found a used copy of How to Write Irresistible Query Letters, by Lisa Collier Cool and also took the online "course" provided by Mridhu Khullar. (This is really a teaser to buy her query book.) I am starting to put the learning into action with queries to magazines, agents and publishers. I find that I am less afraid to act on my non-fiction ideas with a query as I only need to outline my plans as opposed to creating the entire finished piece as with fiction manuscripts. In fact, I am hoping to knock on some "closed to unsolicited manuscript" houses with fiction queries as well. I'll keep you updated.

In other news, I am expecting a slew of rejections any day now as I sent out a few manuscripts in late December and early January. I tiny diamond of hope inside is saying that I haven't received them yet because they are being considered for publication. Never the less, I am expecting Spam (not steak). Has anyone else had delays in communication from the Cricket group perhaps due to their move?