Color me tired..

I'm off to bed. I am halfway done. I need to finish the flat color, then do the shading. I may actually stay away from the computer tomorrow and go out. I'll post the finish by Friday.

I walk the line..

Final line work, now to color.

Oh.. Aloha, Hoaloha, means; "Hello Friend!" "Koa"-girl's name means "bold".

Anatomy of an illustration...

I'm trying to churn out 3-4 illustrations that will be consistent with the look of the BNL and "Taking Flight" illos I've done recently. I seem to be zeroing in on a style that's working, and have to adjust my portfolio/website accordingly. In the past, I felt I didn't have enough "real" examples of work so I put everything in plus the kitchen sink. Now, I'm editing and re-evaluating. I've got a few more cooking, will post as they develop.

When I was 7, my Mom and Dad took the family to Walt Disney World. Obviously, that had a big part in shaping my future. We stayed at the Polynesian Hotel. It started a lifelong love and ongoing dream of Hawaii. If I ever get there... I wanna learn to hula, play the ukulele, sing tiny bubbles, wear hibiscus in my hair and drink from a coconut. I also will buy 2,000 shirts. All of the cliches, I know, but I want that 7 year old's version of Hawaii. So, I drew this up! See how messy I sketch? I'll post the final line and color as I go.

I'm going to another SCBWI conference in June, and then I'll wait for NYC next winter. I think the next NYC conference, I will feel much more ready. So, I'm going down to Orlando, to show my work again, meet my college pal Sara AU,
who wrote the potty training book that I illustrated. I also hope to connect with a talented BNL friend, who works for Disney Parks merchandise. I'm passing along some samples for her to pass along, in hopes of work for the House of Mouse.

So much going on and it's all good.

I'm schlepping on an airplane....

I'm off for a week long tour of Florida to visit the Light family for Passover. Maybe we'll find Elijah hitchin' on the side of the road.. the mini-van door is always open for him! I plan on drawing up a storm, but for now, here are some words of wisdom, well Walt's actually:

Pinch Me...

The final art for the contest and announcement : http://www.bnlmusic.com/default2.asp

To paraphrase a BNL song, "... during a week such as this, it's hard to tell if I exist...."

'Cause I'm expecting someone to pinch me and all of this will go "POOF"!

May 6th- Barnes and Noble- NYC- Snack Time - LIVE, Me, Maggie, Leigh and a few of our musical friends...
Come on down with your kid in tow, it's gonna be a good time!

A Day in the life...

For a stay at home Mom, who wasn't sure if she would survive re-entry into the art world, Saturday was a good day.

I was up at the New England SCBWI conference. I took some great workshops with amazing illustrators and had a positive critique with someone from Greenwillow books, an imprint of Harper Collins. I met some really nice people. Donna, Bree, Cathy, Maureen, Mary, Angie, Jennifer and Tracey. I met up with Gina Perry, the talented illustrator I met at the NYC conference, and met her friends and fellow SU grads. New England is abundant with warmth and easy conversation and friendliness...,and an awful lot of people have relocated there from Long Island!...hmmmm....

The NESCBWI held a poster design contest with the theme "Take Flight". I watched other eager, enthusiastic, talented artists put up wonderful work all around me. Some so good, I was tempted to write someone else's name on my ballot. I sat as they read the award announcements.. People's Choice.. honorable mention, third place, second place... winner... me. ME? Really? Me! Hooray! What a great thing!- I went up got my award-sat down, happy.

Next category, unpublished: I was a little foggy from happiness and kinda heard, "The people have spoken and the judges agree, a repeat winner, Kelly Light"...my next door seat neighbor, Bree Baldwin, nudged me and hit my shoulder, and I popped up out of my seat... in shock.

After that , a blur of warm wishes and congratulations and wonderful words of encouragement.

I drove home today with some new feelings I've never felt before in my 17 years since becoming a working artist. Validation. Hope. Possibility. Pride. I think I'm going in the right direction after all of those detours. Sign post up ahead reads "Keep going!"

PS: The published winner: Frank W. Dormer - great stuff, google him!

Shhhh...I won..again....shhhh

Be vewy vewy quiet...Don't tell anyone yet, til the band announces it....so forget you are reading this...I won the BNL Snacktime cd release contest to draw BNL. Oy... I can't believe it. I'm hoping this is sign from the great beyond... Good art happenings will be coming my way. People like what I do! It makes me so happy! Oh please, Children's Book Gods smile down on me! I'm here in New Hampshire waiting for the weekends' New England SCBWI conference to start. As usual..I get nervous and feel nauseated. But I am hopeful and this win adds some wind to my sails. Ok...remember...you never read this, you didn't hear it from me..consult the BNL Music site to find out who won..

IF "Save"

IF topic this week "Save". The thought of a Momma polar bear following her maternal instinct and normal migration route in the arctic... only to find home's all melted. It's just inconceivable to me that I could have grandkids one day and have to tell them about what a Polar bear was.. gone the way of the dodo.. it's a painful thought to an animal lover.


What can we do?
http://www.polarbearsos.org

The best art hits you straight in the heart...

Thanks to Brett for commenting and mentioning this brilliant series of Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. It's touching and so true to my life right now.

Catharsis

I'm still a little upset over the cat. We're gonna have a service this weekend. I've been thinking about how much mothering was involved in this event in our lives. And how much pets mean in our lives. As kids, they are our first loves. Teaching us to be compassionate, caring, responsible, patient and kind. Being our secret keepers, our best friends, playmates and protectors.

It's brought up thoughts of all of the pets I have had and what I learned from having them in my life. They were all there that day the cat died. Memories of them came bursting forth as I felt that same feeling of love and loss. My daughter has had a lot of fish.. which, with the exception of "Sushi"- didn't live very long. But even they teach you about the frailty of life.

So, kids out there could probably use more books about this. I thought I should show some other emotion in my art than bright cheeriness. Cartoons can be sad. I just couldn't bring myself to make the cat black and I discovered, I can draw and cry at the same time.

I promise to not keep dwelling on this, this was a cathartic illustration.