New Sketch

This is a sketch from one of the projects I am working on.

Kind of messy, but creativity is like that sometimes.

School Visits

I had the great pleasure of visiting two schools last week in the Texas hill country area.  The students were incredibly attentive and had some great questions.  The faculty was beyond gracious and helpful.  I felt so welcome!  A friend of mine who lives in Fredericksburg accompanied me on both visits and helped man the power point presentation. To reach the New Braunfels school on time, we had to rise at 4:00 A. M.!  That's a true friend!

After the visits, I met my husband in yet another small Texas town to watch our youngest son play football.  The trip reminded me of why I love Texas so much.  The people.  There is just something special about the lone star state.

I'm looking forward to more upcoming visits in the next few months!

Shine Like A Supermoon

I spent the last evening signing Supermoon copies as I prepare for school visits next week.  I try to make each one special because each child is special. Looking forward to meeting them!

New Sketch/New Project

Love Learning

One of my greatest joys right now is watching my one year old grand daughter with books.  She LOVES books already.  She enjoys learning new words and putting them with pictures, but she truly takes joy in a story.  She will search the pictures thoroughly while listening to the nuances of voice as the story is read.  She wants to hear it again and again.  There is such eagerness and passion for learning and life.  I see that also in a different way in my college aged daughter, full of joy and eagerness to learn and meet new faces.  I realize, that  joy of discovering is something that you must determine to have as you get older.  It may not come as naturally.  It has to be intentional. I'm thankful to write and illustrate for children because it keeps me in tune with that love of learning and joy of discovering life in new ways. I think E. B. White said it best,  "Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder."

Stories That Need To Be Told

I am in the process of rearranging my office/studio and came across several papers containing research I have done for projects yet not tackled.  There are two that strike me as stories that NEED to be told--stories about real life characters that people need to hear about and children need to learn about.  They are now in full view so I don't forget; so I can hear them asking, loud and clear, for their stories to be told.

Clouds

Clouds

I remember going to an art festival in town where artists displayed their work in booths outside.  As my husband and I walked by admiring all the creative art work, we came around a corner and saw the clouds passing by at the end of the street like a moving canvas.  It was by far the most beautiful piece of art we saw that evening!  I guess no one can out do the creator of the universe.   

Today we went to an art gallery where one of my previous high school art students had work displayed.  She is one of the most talented students I ever had.  So happy to see her work hanging where others can enjoy it!  I have commissioned her to do a pastel painting of clouds that will remind me of that beautiful evening.