Xmas cards for everyone!!!

Off to the printer with these! Let's all take a deep breath- huh-huh-huh- siggggghhhhhhh... I will shortly be HOLIDAZED. So- before I forget- Have a great, wonderful, happy, warm, loving holiday season!!!!!


I'm wondering if my almost 10 year old stills believes... she hasn't written a letter to Santa yet this year. I'm ready as always with great moments in animation words of wisdom:


"I believe in Santa Claus, But, there was a time I thought I had grown too old for such a childish rhyme. He became a dream to me till one Christmas night. Someone stood beside my bed with a beard of white, "So you're too old for Santa Claus"? He said with a smile. Then you're too old for all the things That make a life worth while. For what is happiness but dreams and do they all come true? Look at me and tell me, son What is real to you? Just believe in Santa Claus like you believe in love. Just believe in Santa Claus and everything he does. Wipe that question from your mind. Yes, he does exist! Just like love. You knows he's there waiting to be missed. Just like love I know he's there waiting to be be missed" - The year Without a Santa Claus-Rankin Bass

Lunch Bag Monday

There's been lots of cat drawings in my life these past 10 years... 9 out of 10 lunch bags are of cats.

Give Thanks- Give Back- Give Art -Buy Art - Help Kids

I am really Thankful to be taking part in this art auction to benefit The Loma Linda University's Children's Hospital. I posted on Facebook that I wanted to donate some art. Thanks to Pascal Campion- for sending me the submission info!

If you are in the area of Loma Linda, CA - Rancho Cucamonga (best name ever) -or can make a short drive from Los Angeles - please go to the opening! Chris Ayers will speak- his book The Daily Zoo is a master class in drawing. There is a blog for the show and here is the hospital schedule too. The great blog Lines and Colors has a feature on it.

I wish I could go- I can not say how much I wish I could go! To see my art hang with Glen Keane, Peter De Seve, Stephen Silver and so many talented artists (Pascal-my own daily dose of inspiration). It would be great to meet so many artists whose blogs I have followed. Alas- Long Island is a tad bit too far from Loma Linda. But I know it will be an AMAZING evening and all of this wonderful art can do so much good. So get out there and take home a treasure and give a little to help the kids. It's also a Toy drive!-so bring a new unwrapped toy if you can! Thanks to Thomas Brillante for putting this together!

I will have 2 prints for auction.

First ever sketch card

Sketch card exchange in my crit group- I broke out the dusty watercolors... and doodled. Hope she likes it!

Lunch Bag Monday

Everyday- I scribble something onto my daughter's lunch bag. This was one of her fave's - she used it a lot- that's why it's so wrinkled. The best ones- rip and fall apart!!:)

Holiday promo

figuring out color


refined chicken scratch




Working on a holiday quicker picker-upper postcard. First step- chicken scratch.

Xmas music before Thanksgiving!!? - How could I!?? We have a rule here in the Light house - no Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Because I tend to sing it all year long- and play it continuously from Thanksgiving to Xmas: I need to cut my poor jewish husband some slack.

But I need a little Christmas- right this very minute! Not just to do this drawing- but it's comforting- and happy. And these days- we need more of that. I try not to watch the news- I listen to NPR instead. But it seeps in doesn't it? Phone calls from school about a near abduction of 3 girls in our town - swine flu - no flu shots - the war - the political fiascos....

It all makes me want to have cocoa- wear feetie pajamas and listen to Nat King Cole sing about chestnuts and Yuletide carols..

I don't want your Black Fridays and your door busting deals. No more deluge of catalogs breaking my mailbox- they go straight into recycling! You can keep the insanity away for me this Christmas - Santa. No big expensive pile of stuff under that tree. I want to lie down under a silver tree with a color wheel spinning and dream .

Swim Season

Swim team season is underway! - At least 7 hours a week- my 9 7/8's year old- is at the pool-swimming better than I can believe. so- I volunteered to do a tshirt design. the current one- is a weird top of person's head in swim cap/goggles . They're the Stingrays- that should be on the shirt right? So first sketch- sent off. It's not a masterpiece- but- it's a quickie- back to work now.

Doodle of the day

November books that knock me out!

This week- I took the young'un- maybe not so young'un to the bookstore. Almost 10... we're crossing a line and she's going to the favorite series aisles.. and I'm looking up at the picture book wall saying- "C'mon- just come look..with me..." So 2 eyerolls later - she's perusing some picture books with me.

I went to the store knowing I wanted to buy Peter de Seve's Duchess of Whimsy. (Philomel publisher) Having done a dance of joy when he started a blog not too long ago; I was eagerly anticipating this book. Commenting on his art seems silly- It's like saying "Oh I love that Da Vinci!" - It's just a given. The art - all of his art - is drool inducing. My hand longs to do what his does.. tracing the curves and swirls of his brown lines under radiant watercolor... ..gagahggghghhhggg- oops sorry drooled there. The story! Written by his wife Randall de Seve- is charming. She created wonderful personalities for him to riff on. Just loopy enough to allow for a lot of fun. Big endorsement here- I would buy anything he does- but this did not disappoint at all!



Everyday - either on blogger or on facebook- I look at this guy's work. Everyday. It's better than Prozac -it is spirit lifting- and game lifting. It has "Joie de Vivre!"- And I can say that cause he's french! -He's an animator- a colorist- and a storyteller and when I saw this book- one look at the monkey and I said PASCAL! Then I saw it was They Might be Giants and snatched it off the wall faster then you can say Istanbul and Constantinople! "Kids Go!" (Simon and Schuster) TMBG and Pascal Campion are a match made in heaven. The book bursts w/ the infectious energy it is trying to well- infect kids with!- The art is alive! It's Alive! Get off the couch and GO!... buy the book!!!!

IF "Skinny"

Illustration Friday- "Skinny"

I did not do a sketch first- and that explains how messy this is- but it was fast and fun to doodle- w/ no lines. So unlike me. LIKE ME- on the other hand - is the image.

When you don't look like what is expected- BE unexpected.

I danced for 8 yrs. as a girl. I had girls tease me cause I was never SKINNY. - I just danced to my own tune- and moved on.