My New Toy!

My second picture book that I'm illustrating (not writing) is Fergus the Ferret, and we're doing another toy for the book (Yeah!). I have to make simple drawings that show the toy makers the form we want the toy to take. For Fergus, I wanted "tall and skinny" like a real ferret. I found it funny that an option they had was to have a generic teddy bear body that they just tweak a little into a ferret (creepy, no?). As he is, Fergus is very graphically striking (red, black and white being the power trio of color schemes). I'm hoping the pink in his ears and muzzle will soften him up enough for the girls to squeal over.


And, no, he's not going to be wearing any underwear... he's SCOTTISH! heehee

Happy Easter!

For Easter, I Warholed myself (it'd be neat if my name turned into a verb someday). This candid shot was taken at our friends Rhi and Jeff's wedding where I was a bridesmaid bunny (would've also accepted the bridesmaid froggy position). Thought it made a cute Easter greeting card image. For our 2nd annual "Funny Bunny Storytime" party where I read LBKF and signed books, the manager of the store commented, "You know, on anybody else that outfit wouldn't look right" (was wearing the ears seen here and my silk kung fu outfit and tail). I just tell people that I'm the bunny's mother and that's where the resemblance comes from. :)

Happy Easter folks, bite some chocolate bunnies heads off, it's good for the soul!

Fun Picture

Here's a photo of me and the pooch in a pouch. When we have company over, sometimes he needs a little time out, so I have the baby sling and he's content to hang out on my shoulder. I think this is from the Oscar party. I do have some skin tone, but it was dim in the room and the flash sucked out all my color (promise!) :)

Artist of the Month for April

For my show in April, I wanted to get back to painting on canvas so I'm doing a "Tropical Color" theme that will focus on the vibrant colors seen in the jungles, like this painted mantella frog from Madagascar. So far I have frogs, reptiles and birds, but also want to include some flora and maybe some monkeys or tamarins.

My thoughts on the show are that before artist and designers were mixing paints and coming up with "color schemes" nature had been using color for it's own form-follows-function means. Sometimes it's to warn off predators, or attract the best mate, or to suddenly startle something else. The Rule of the Jungle being Eat or Be Eaten I think applies to the use of color in the Jungle, meaning that if you're going to use color, then use the most vivid and striking color and combinations you got!

This is a smaller 11x14" canvas, but I purposefully got some large canvas to try to break out of my routine, and I think the larger scale will emphasize the theme, too.