each

See, I told you it would be soon.

 I'm back and I have a new list of words.  

I took me a little while to think of what do do next, after the alphabet.  Numbers would have been a logical progression.  I also considered different colors, animals and children's names. 

I could have done the alphabet again, with 26 new words.  I do own a fat dictionary. 

I wanted to get started on the drawings.  I was just about to choose one already, when I passed by the hallway bulletin board at our house.  This is where we put up well marked papers and interesting pictures from school.  I was struck by the list of perfectly spelled "word wall" words and I knew what to do next.

The Spelling List.

There are only ten words which I'm glad about. I wanted to work on scene pictures rather than spot images.  I also wanted to add a splash of color this time around.  I knew that would take a little longer.  I wanted to start back to posting as soon as possible so I got right to work on the list. 

I completed all ten images.

I liked having the pictures already done, when I did the alphabet series. 

The words inspired an image.

The images inspired more words to go with the image  and perhaps this post will inspire another form of creativity.

 I love the idea of  the domino effect.  

What's the Buzz Tell Me What's Happening

The alphabet series is done and I am going to start the new series very soon...right after this post soon.

I learned a lot since I started the alphabet series.  My digital skills have improved and my comfort level as a member of the blogosphere has increased immensely.

I still feel like I'm bumbling along most of the time but that's part of the fun.

"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

Let's see.

The tax preparation is done.  Now it's in the hands of the accountant who will tell us how much to put into the hands of Uncle Sam and Aunt Massachusetts.

Speaking of aunts, I became an aunt for the...uhmm...fourteenth time (unless you count my great-niece and nephews which would bring me to eighteen).

The Clouds Book went in to it's second printing. My mother gets the saleswoman of the year award. Congratulations, Eileen!

On the subject of promoting family members creative endeavors, I made a poster for this show.

If you live near NYC, you can go see it.  It is running from April 7th to April 9th, 2011.
Here is a link to Bricken's website with time and ticket info.

http://www.bricken.org/bricken/Im_Not_Sure_solo_show.html

I am working on a picture book. I have all the sketches scanned. I am going to do a couple of pages in full color.  I've got all four of the words of the text done but they might need editing. So that will take a little time.  If you are an agent or a publisher and want me to send you a dummy book, please email me.

Hmm, what else?

Oh, it turns out I'm not the only one who gets inspired to make pictures from random words.  There is this great website that you probably already knew about called Illustration Friday. Once a week they post a new word for folks to illustrate. It's fun and it is free.  I've been doing it for the past few weeks.  I love to do it because I am totally free to do a quick illustration just for fun, no pressure.  I've been posting them on my Flickr page so as not to confuse my dear reader.  I might start posting them here though just to keep things simple.

I also plan on working on some new wall art and finishing some old wall art.  I'll be posting those on the atlanticmo page.

Ever since I got back from the SCBWIWCNYC the idea fish have been swimming by faster than I can draw a picture of a net.  I made some notebooks out of recycled paper with cereal box covers to keep nearby for all the ideas.

I have also been giving written affirmations a try (why not?*).

Of course I continue my pursuit of the laundry.

I am doing it right now as a matter of fact.

*I am a little concerned that repetitive phrases on the pages of a book made out of trash might be a little shining-ish. 

Next Time Won't You Sing With Me?

I am standing on the curve of Sunday into Monday on the last week track in February as I am heading up the ramp into both the Month of March and the beginning of my forty second year.

In my mind's eye I can see the road of my past, present and future.  It is a three dimensional, Dr. Seuss-like path that curves in a slightly upward and semi-spiral motion. I wish I could draw it for you. What I really need to do is animate it in 3D. To see it, you would need special glasses and maybe the use of my brain.

If you could zoom in on the path you would see another circular path within each year and more paths breaking down the hours and the days and the months.  

This is how I see time.

February is a good time for making a plan (fear not, John Lennon I am living my life as well). 

I've got my TripTik, map and tour book. I'm ready to go.

I can see there is going to to be a lot of hard work and persistence to get where I want to be. I am not worried. This is my path after all and all I have to do is move forward.

Woo Girl

I drew this whole alphabet series before I started this blog, before I decided to put words with the pictures. We can thank or blame Marcella for writing in the comments of the fourth letter, "hmmm, I'm wondering what's the rest of the story...".  

"Rest of the story? What story?  I guess I better come up with something."  And so it began. 

It has been a fun challenge to come up with a story for each semi-random word and picture.  Some have been more challenging than others. "Urchin! What the heck am I going to write about urchins?". 

I thought I had a great essay for "X".  It was all about how I've turned into a Cape Codder over the past sixteen years, since I moved here from the big city.  It was very positive and was a reminder to myself that even in January I love being here.  

Then the economy, much like the recent snowfall dumped itself upon our household. It gets you wondering about that roof over your head.  This was a big reminder that just like winter, this recession is not over yet. I couldn't bring myself to post a message that was counter to how I was really feeling. 

So, I posted nothing but the title to remind myself that I even when I am unsure of the future that I am happy to be here.

I moved on to the letter "Y" and had to laugh when I saw that, "Yippee" was the next word. I left the picture alone in a draft and thought, "Maybe I will have some good news by the time I get back to the blog."

A couple of days later I got a letter in the mail from the town.  My first thought was, "Oh man, did I forget to pay the water bill?".  Then, I noticed there was another letter from the town to my daughter.  She is nine-years-old and can not be held responsible for the water bill. What could this be?  I opened the one addressed to my husband and myself to see what this was all about.  

The letter was from the superintendent of the D.P.W. It was addressed to "the parents of". The letter was informing us that our girl got an honorable mention for her recycling design and she was invited to receive her honor at the next selectman's meeting.

The Dump Sticker Contest!

Honorable Mention!

I couldn't be more proud.

Yippee!

So far the metaphorical and physical roofs are holding. Thanks to my husband, on both counts.

Happy to Be Here

It Was a Very Good Year for Small Town Girls

Seventeen was the age that I knew everything. I would like to say that was a great year for me but it was not.  The only people who believed that I knew everything were my fellow seventeen-year-old friends.  All of the adults would shake their heads and say, "You have much to learn".

As I turned eighteen, I could feel the purity of my sense of knowledge start to tarnish.  So I decided to learn more to gain back the light of knowing everything I need to know.

I learned quite a bit at college. Somehow though, the books, the courses, the friends, the boyfriends only pointed out how much I didn't know. 

So I moved to the big city. 

I kept trying to learn to fill my brain with books (damned books, why do I keep reading them?) and life experiences that would get me to that high ground again.  No doubt, many lessons were learned. The main thing I learned was I didn't want to live in the city.

So I packed up my books and moved to the seashore.

I got married and had children.  Now, if there is a sure way that you want to prove that you don't know squat, get married.  

To really feel dumb, read several books on child rearing and then have some children. Children are happy to show you just how much you don't know. Despite the sleep deprived nights and maintenance filled days, there is beauty in seeing these kids grow up. 

You get to watch them learn.  They learn through trial and error, watching others and occasionally listening to advice from a grown-up. This is a messy process that often leaves someone or something bruised or dirty. It is an inspiration that learning is always possible. It is OK if you don't know everything. Keep trying and eventually you'll get the hang of it.

One day my kids will be seventeen. I am going to do my best not to ruin it for them by telling them that they don't know everything. I hope that they can bask in the light. It won't last. 

Trust me. I know.

A Byte from the Apple

My son felt that it was only right that he pick the word for the letter, "V" since his name begins with that same letter.  He also thinks that when he grows up he will have red hair and a beard and be a Dutch painter.  I don't argue. I draw the snake.

This got me thinking about an article I recently read about VanGogh and his famous ear mutilation. According to some researchers, it was Vincent's roommate at the time, Paul Gauguin who sliced the ear. The theory is that VanGogh attacked Gauguin and Gauguin defended himself with a sword. Word is Vincent covered for his friend who took off for Tahiti. This sounds like a reasonable turn of events based on my own personal roommate experiences.

I wasn't a very good roommate. I don't like to do dishes or laundry. I am a bear in the morning. I freely express my opinion.  I don't like your boyfriend.  My art stuff is taking up more than my fair share of the apartment. I smoke your cigarettes and wear your favorite shirt. I don't like to grocery shop or to refill the ice cube trays.

I would like to apologize to those of you who have had to live with me. My housekeeping skills have improved slightly and I quit smoking a long time ago. Mornings are not my best time of day and I still don't like your boyfriend.

If I still owe you for the phone bill in 1993, give me a call. I'd love to hear from you.

We're Not In Kansas Anymore

My kids are always asking me what my favorite color is. I tell them I don't have one. I love all the colors equally.

There is no color that I do not find amazing and beautiful. Choosing one is like choosing my favorite child (if I had billions of children).

Now, sure there are many purple tones that (when worn close to my face) make me look as if I have a blood disorder. Purple on a a ripe plum or in the twilight sky or a healing bruise is beautiful. Purple makes the word Dioxazine sexy.

My kids will try to trip me up by asking if I like the color of poop or throw-up. I tell them I don't like the smell of those things but the colors are amazing. In fact one of my favorite sweaters was a multi-colored knit that closely resembled vomit.

I can start to get overwhelmed if I dwell on all the beautiful colors that occur in ordinary ways on ordinary objects . A slight shift of the Earth's relationship to the sun and the colors change. Awesome. When I see an actual rainbow I get pretty excited.

On the other hand, I've always been a big fan of black and white. When I was a teenager I went so far as to decorate my entire room in black and white.

I never feel the absence of color when I work in black and white or when I'm viewing black and white. It's right there in my imagination. I unconsciously fill in the colors and I am satisfied.

Color though, is my true love.

I recently learned how to "paint" with software and I am having a good time.

There are a lot of hyperlinks in this post which goes to show how excited I get when talking about color.

The Opium of the People

I look at my (smart)phone first thing in the morning, before I eat breakfast or brush my teeth or get dressed.

I get the kids and myself ready for our day.

Like generations before me, I read the (online)paper while I have my morning coffee.

I spend the next eight hours or so doing my work by the soft glow of a computer screen.

During lunch, I take a break. I read the (e)mail and see how my (fb)friends are doing.

The screens go off for supper, homework and story time.

Then the grown-ups can relax and watch the wide screen for a couple of hours.

Then it's off to bed, right after I check my phone.

What I Got

"...the leading cause of wrinkles" was a phrase that caught my ear the other night as I was watching Project Runway. Through the sea of beauty product ads I heard those words . I sat up and replied, "The leading cause of wrinkles is life.".

Time on the planet, what you did with that time and genetics are the leading cause of wrinkles.

I know because I've been working on a pretty good collection of lines over the past forty years.

I've got a pair of parentheses framing my mouth, one from smiling, one from smirking.

The birdlike footprints by my eyes are from being in the sunshine as often as I can.


I've got some small ones here and there from the mistakes I've made. The cigarettes I smoked and the sunscreen I didn't apply aren't even the chief culprits.* Worrying about events that are beyond my control is a mistake I continue to make. Let's call those lines, stress fractures.

The deepest valley on my face is just above the inner part of my left eyebrow. I'm pretty sure that's from making the the quizzical, what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you face. I think this is one is genetic since my brother has the same crease.

Hey, don't get me wrong. I can be just as vain as the next woman. I often will take a too close look in the mirror to examine the topical map of my face. I then take a step back (some days way back) and remember that I am lucky to be here.

I then throw on my sunglasses and put on some lip gloss as I head out into the sunshine.



*Smoking cigarettes is a bad idea because some day you will want to quit and quitting really really sucks. I know drug addicts who had an easier time quitting drugs. So don't smoke...or do drugs. Oh, and reapply the sunscreen, that's the key not the SPF.