Goin back to Cali - SCBWI Style

Ripple has raised $6000 as of today!!! - Amazing. I have- not drawn in a month... kinda a biproduct of do-gooding. So This weekend I worked on something new for the L.A. conference- a mini- book. I'm basing it on the sketch I did about my cousin and I'm calling it- "HEY! CUPCAKE!" - I hope it will be a little somethin' somethin' printed and a hand-out. Here's some of what's done.

Summer reading for the kid

What do you do with a 10 year old voracious reader?? Of course- as a Mom- you're thrilled. It can be challenging tho, when she's read so much that is age appropriate already - and finds many books in her words "too little" for her. She's devoured Harry Potter already a year ago. The Penderwicks were visited both on summer vacation and at Gardam Street. She's gone up the mountain to meet the moon and Percy Jackson was an affair to remember. Black beauty-Black Stallion anything with a horse has been read. Lately- we've been trolling the library shelves with me encouraging her to try anything... it doesn't have to be a book with "buzz"- it's like discovering treasure!!!But lately... her eyes turn to the YA.

Oy Vey!!! Not yet!- We will get there- -let's just get to middle school ok??? She's a dystopian fiend - put the kid in another reality - wizards- Olympians- EGYPTIAN GODS(yup Mr. Riordan -she's all over the new series) - she eats it up. She read "City of Ember" as part of her "Voyager Program" at school. Really? Wowo- post apocalyptic stuff floats her boat too!?

The school sends home a list- 2/3's of which she's already read. 1/3 of which she considers too little. -So it's the books of Ember so far. We made a trip to the Comic book shop- so we've got all of Bone to go through. She loves graphic novels - I try to keep up on them.


I may start the timeless Judy Blume run of puberty books at the end of the summer- it's about time. -oy vey. I loved those books - so I know where we are headed.....

So any suggestions for an advanced 10 year old reader??? I'm not letting her read Twilight -I'm a big bad mommy who believes in letting kids stay kids for as long as possible - no sexy vampires yet.

I'm open to hearing about the books you loved as an 11 year old.

My favorite art to look at??Artists' sketches - sooo why not make...

"The Sketchables" a new blog featuring Heather Powers, Priscilla Burris, Diandra Mae, Joy Steuerwald and ME.

We all have something in common - a fierce passion for sketching and looking at other artists sketches. We hope to share our own and the sketches of lots of others with you. Keep checking back as we launch this exciting new project!

establishing family resemblance

Working on a book that follows one family through a hundred years - is well - insane.
I did this this morning to help me sort out how I am keeping the family resemblance alive thru the generations. I have a family tree I'm working on too- cause Wow- it gets confusing- who is who's kid and who is who's grandma and how does it all branch out.



I've tied the family together in a lot of ways. Facially- I've tried to repeat certain features- nose shape, head shape, mouth shape- eye shape and expressions and attitudes. They're such a fun bunch!;)

You know the old saying "tortured artist" well I'm a self torturing one! But I have a need to tell this story so- I'm gonna get it done and then I will feel as if they've been done justice. I start each week talking to the main character in my head saying "Tell me your story".

On the drawing table

Still working on my PB dummy. I am closing in on the last 1/3....

The Gulf Sketchcards - are causing a RIPPLE

I'm moving the sketchcard effort HERE

The new blog "Ripple" - is nothing fancy. I didn't spend a lot of time on the header. I don't spend a lot of time on the sketches. I want each small act to build upon the first - and through doing them- something bigger can grow. Like ripples in water. Like I said- it's hard to cause ripples in OIL SOAKED WATER. But, with help, we can.

Thanks everybody!