Animal Wednesday - Reptile sightings

Being in Florida always helps with the animal sightings. 

This was a very different type of turtle that I saw in a local pound.  I usually see snappers, but this one was flatter, and had a pointy snoot.  Does anyone know what type of turtle this is? 

 And of course - these enormous alligators. They were sitting on a rivier bank soaking up the sun.  That's one thing I love about Florida in the winter - it's cool so the reptiles are outside warming up their blood. .  You can't really tell from the picture but each one must have been around 15 - 20 feet long.  And each one was FAT!  Happy Alligators....and Happy Animal Wednesday.

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Sorry sorry sorry!!!! I'm still alive and kicking

This is what I was doing last week at this time - bike riding thru a Florida state park, sweating in the sun, and enjoying it like crazy.

My mom is feeling great - and the fall and bump on the head was probably due to dehydration and being sick.  She's doing very well now and is looking forward to her party at the end of March.

I came home in the middle of the week and am staying home this weekend because of this: 

Actually the falling snow is a great excuse to stay home. It's not snowing much but is slushy and nasty out there and I'm not in the mood to get wet and cold. 

Instead I have spend almost the entire weekend on work for my Childen's book class.  I've mentioned before that I thought I would do something "easier" than the Water Lily Girls - well guess what - NO type of book is easy and I'm learning that the hard way - but enjoying the learning and the process. 

I started out with an idea of a book called "Dad makes a Pizza" - and did small thumbnails and a very rough dummy book.  Now I'm working on refining the dummy to a larger dummy book and working out all the kinks and problems.   DH is not home this weekend so I can spread out my stuff all over the living room and kitchen - which is great.  (I hate to be in the basement studio when I'm the only one in the house, it's too isolated) 

I've learned that most Childrens books require a minimum of 28 pages. I'm not 100% sure that's true but that's what we're being told.  So that's 28 pages of drawings for me, because I'm not big on words.  I could have done 14 drawings and left the facing pages for a story...but I don't write well, so the fewer words the better. 

Here is the mess I'm making in the kitchen - using tracing paper and sharpening the pencil to a nub.

Here are a few "scenes" from the book.  Working on this dummy is great for me as you can see my perspective is all off so I'm working out those types of kinks. 

Yes, it's basically the "Em" family - I tried to make a "normal" family and it was not great. Even the teacher said "oh choose those funny people, editors will love them"...so I did. 

I spent about 4 hours on this on Friday night, went to class on Saturday and worked on it Sat night...and ALL DAY sunday.  No other chores have gotten done. 

I still have about 6 pages to go, and only 3 pages of ideas left.  I'm going to take a break and do something else for awhile.   

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend, staying warm, and enjoying whatever weather you're having. 

Giraffe Love

  Giraffe Love on Valentines Day

Animal Wednesday - Peter and the Duck

I'm still working on this - and you've seen it previously as a black and white drawing.  Here it is colored in completely on the computer (gulp) and still more to go - don't really love totally green trees, it looks like a broccoli forest.

I'm taking a digital illustration class on Monday nights and have learned more in two sessions than I could have taught myself with "photoshop for dummies" which was what I was going to do.

Do you think one ever stops learning?

I dreamt of my dog Samson last night, he was old and I was stroking his head with two hands back across his ears.  He had that look in his eyes of total adoration  -  I miss that so much.  But it was nice for him to visit me in my dreams, he's such a patient dog.

Happy Animal Wednesday!  May your dreams be sweet.

Drawing as Therapy

It always makes me feel better to draw out my fears and insecurities.  This was done a few weeks ago, but is a good visual for the way I often feel. Once I draw it....the fear goes away and I feel calmer.

Mom feels great today, is taking it easy, eating well and drinking plenty of water.  I asked her not to walk near the pool for a few days and we had a good laugh.  We have no idea if this heart thing is related to her passing out, or if that was because she had a fever and some random illness. We're going ahead with the party as planned...and if plans change, we'll just figure that out when the time comes.

Illustrations for Peter and the Wolf.

For my Children's book illustration course, we had to illustrate an paragraph from either Peter and the Wolf or The Little Match Girl.    I chose to do P&W - cause I always liked that story, loved the music and remember Leonard Bernstein conducting it at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The Scan actually did not come out this grey, I'm not sure what is going on here.  I'm coloring it in using Photoshop, in my other class - Digital illustration. 

I also did this illustration - as I have time on my hands what with this Blizzard we are having.   I like the tree Pinocchio noses.

Things have been going well, job is good, husband healthy ..and then this past week  - my mom fainted and fell and got a bloody head. Luckily my brother was in town so took care of her for a few days and she felt great...except that she had another episode.  Today she went to the Doctor and she has something going on with her heart, maybe needs a pacemaker - we're all not sure.    I've called the housekeeper (who she adores) and asked her to walk the dog twice a day, and visit with mom to see that all is well. Normally I'd be on a plane already, but Logan airport is shut down with this blizzard and no one is going anywhere.   I'm frustrated...and of course, worried and scared.    As usual, never a dull moment in my life. And of course, I've sent out 50 invitations to her 90th birthday party in March.  Well...I'm just going to wait and see what happens with that situation.

Hopefully we won't lose power in this storm, but I think that's wishful thinking. If the winds pick up like the TV hysteria says they should...then we might all end up in Oz. 

I hope you are all well, warm, safe and secure.  

What I have learned this week

This week I have done very little but work and come home and read on the sofa.

In that quiet time I have learned a few things  - some I already knew, some are new things:

I have discovered that I have gluten "sensitivity" and that sugary things give me a tummy ache.

That I am on a roller coaster because of working all week and then going to a class on Saturday and another one starts on Monday night.  I happen to love roller coasters but this one is a doozy.

That you have to make time to catch up with friends and however you do it, squeeze in the time for some kind of visit or communication.

That you can design, print and mail out 50 invitations to your mom's 90th birthday party in only two hours.

That I love love love having a breeze on my face when sleeping.

That peepers are ever hopeful, and will peep if the temp goes high in the middle of winter.

That it's OK to take a vacation from being active, doing a million things, always on the go...and just lay on the sofa reading.

What did you learn this week?