Hope Card Art

Back in February, Australia was hit very hard with devastating fires and flooding. In response to this tragedy, chapters from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) have made donations and are still in the process of creating Hope Cards. Many chapters from around the world will feature their local artists and authors on their cards. Our Indiana chapter asked me to create art for our card. I based my illustration on an anonymous quote:

"Dreams are like stars …you may never touch them, but if you follow
them they will lead you to your destiny."

I hope those affected by the fires will find comfort from our cards and begin the process of rebuilding their lives, homes, and communities. I used acrylics and some colored pencil to create this ‘starry' illustration. Hopefully it will give those in Australia a positive outlook for the future!

New art on the PBAA Promo Poster! !

I'm a member of Picture Book Artist Association (PBAA)
and our Spring Promotional Poster is on our blog-
The Dust of Everyday Life!

Please visit PicturBook Artists Online Store see the wonderful
poster created by our PBAA Promo Committee (and more!)

Can you spy my Green-House art in the poster? GO-GO GREEN!

Happy Spring!

The weather outside is still cold and wintery!
But spring has officially arrived in the studio with
this new painting (just completed) for a custom invitation.
Please respect the © Thanks! Happy Spring!

Flakes, Friends & (Upcoming) FUN!

As the last of the snowflakes were falling ... dumping more than a foot of snow on Indianapolis, (marking the city's biggest snowfall in 13 years) I was chatting on the phone with my friend, poet and author (and neighbor)Rebecca Kai Dotlich. We caught up on news and discussed plans for a Bella & Bean Valentine's Day Party - and Book Sale at the Simply Sweet Shoppe in Carmel, Indiana.

Our beautiful, turn-of-the-century neighborhood candy store has every type of confections one could imagine. The Valentine's Day Party will take place February 14 from 2:00-4:30 pm on the second floor of the shoppe, which is the home to the Second story Playhouse, a performing and visual arts studio for young people.


There will be a book signing by "Bella & Bean", author Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Valentine cookie decorating, and Valentine card craft with the help of Rebecca and myself. Bella and Bean is illustrated by Aileen Leijten who has a wonderful sneak-peek website with links to the characters, activities, and reviews!

I hope you can join us in this magical place, for a Valentine's Day filled with friends, FUN, and hopefully NO snowFLAKES!

A portion of the proceeds from this book sale on February 14 will go to Best Buddies Indiana.

The theme of Flakes, Friends, and Fun inspired me to post an illustration I did for one of Rebecca's poems titled, What Is A Snowman Made Of?

Holiday Postcards

The holiday promo cards are in the mail! If I missed you, please shoot me an email or a text - NO, just kidding on the text, I do NOT have text messaging on my cell phone. Text messaging is the theme of this year's holiday card. Texting has become a common form of communication... especially for kids!
This year's card illustrates how technically savvy today's
kids are ... why, even Santa can't surprise them on Christmas Eve.!
At the first sight of St. Nick, a text is sent ...

Wishing all my blog friends a Happy Holiday and Best Wishes to all for 2009!
PS -I've had a LOT of trouble with people taking art off the blog and using it on their sites. Please respect the © Thanks!

Thanksgiving SNOW!

With a blast of cold air and just the right conditions we got SNOW in Indiana.
Not just any snow ... the perfect packing snow needed to build a Snowy Bird Feeder, a craft I wrote & illustrated in this month's (December) issue of Highlights For Children Magazine. Check it out on page 38 and build a holiday feast for your feathered friends!

PS - All our pie tins were filled with (pumpkin, apple & cherry) pie so I improvised by using aluminum foil to line the feeder- keeping the bird seed dry and safe.

Highlights Illustrators' Party 2008

I was honored to once again to be invited to the Highlights Illustrators' Party 2008! This year's theme was the Enchanted Forest. Here is the invitation with a stunning illustration by John Sandford.













It's a weekend filled with face-to-face fun with Highlights folks and illustrator friends. Here's a group posing for pre-party photos: Phyllis Harris(fairy princess), Judith Moffatt (Queen Malificent), and me (mushroom-Ms Shroom), also Emilie Boone (bumble bee), Sharon Holm (mother nature), front, Lily Gucfa-Flanigan as Dorothy.












The costume party
takes place in the
Highlights offices
with an art show
featuring all the
illustrator's in
attendance.
The Beach Lake fire hall is where the dinner and big shindig/square dancing takes place.



We DO-SI-DOed
the night away!



The staff does a remarkable job making sure we have a fun filled time with emphasis on each and every detail - like this coaster (I'm sure from the enchanted forest : ) for each guest!















The weekend was truly a HIGHLIGHT in the beautiful Pennsylvania mountains at the height of the fall colors!
We ended with a group photo of PBAA'ers!












Left: Emilie Boon, me, Sharon Holm, Jennifer Emery, Anni Matsick, Layne Johnson, Laura Jacobsen, Judith Moffatt, and Phyllis Harris.
Thanks to everyone who worked so hard on this event!

For those requesting more mushroom shots - here you go ....