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Little Luke

     I always wanted to write a children's book but never got around to it but my time has come. After signing up for the on line class Storybooks and Studious Girls I got inspired. After thinking of subjects that I could write about I thought of the adorable things my two grand kids have done, therein lies my inspiration.

     My first attempt is: Never Put M & M's Up Your Nose. Of course my grandson Luke did just that and his mom caught it with her camera. The on line class had a link to a book binder who makes  hand bound watercolor journals with a gold binding just like the golden books we read as kids. As I watched the how to video I said no way am I doing all that so I bought two blank books and off I go.
They finally arrived so now I really have to write a children's book.

Cover page rough draft

                                                                                                                                                                                      While I was waiting for my blank books I collected photos, did some tracing onto vellum and wrote the script for the story, then it dawned on me; how do I do all that lettering? I shortened the narrative quite a bit and will just do the best printing I can and remember that it doesn't have to be perfects.

     I'm proud of me.

ARTISTIC SOJOURNS

African Mask

Thought I would confess to some of my weird sojourns during my years of artistic ventures.  As  a volunteer for the Heathcote Botanical Gardens I was asked to donate art work done on coconuts which are so plentiful in Florida.  I collected dried out coconuts and began designing. All of them are sold or donated to good causes and I did not want to be labeled the "Coconut Lady" so I stopped producing them.

My Wilson Football coconut I could have sold four times when I participated at Art in the Park, an outdoor tented art show and one of my favorite one is this cupcake coconut. First you look at the shape of the coconut and then let your imagination go. It was fun but on to more serious art.

Later I will tell you about my Calendar Art....Year of the Bugs.

Oh, an update on my two children's books that I am writing for my grandkids. I have ordered the hand bound books, written the rough draft of the script and have started on the illustrations. I'll give you a sneak peek when I can. All of this came about after watching the on line class: Storybooks & Studious Girls.

Cupcake

I GOT 50% OFF ON LINE ART CLASSES

I am so impressed with the Jeanne Oliver on line class offerings so when I saw the 50% off sale my eyes lit up. What better thing to do when you are staying home due to illness? Oh, by the way, two doctors and meds later I am feeling so much better. Next week I will be back to my normal self.

In the past I signed on for: Gathering Beauty & Painterly Portraits, now I am lined up for a free business video, free art video, Living Studio, Storybook & Studious Girls and a webinar today at 4:00 pm today. Every time I run creatively dry an art DVD or an on line class perks me right up.

Danielle Donaldson, the creator of Storybook & Studious Girls, was easy to listen to and so uplifting. She made me feel that I too could develop a character illustration and a story line. It looked so easy when she drew her whimsical girls. For many years I have thought about writing a children's book so why not now?  For some reason I may be ready for this new adventure.

Now on to create a character or characters with a story line plus paint watercolor illustrations for the book. How hard can it be?  What could possible go wrong with my past history of fleeting focus;  "Oh, bright and shiny..... on to a new project"? 

How many are betting I will accomplish at least one small book and how many are betting, nice idea but it ain't going to happen?

NOT FAIR.....!

     I have been feeling under the weather so I missed our little talk. I seem to have developed asthma which has taken four long months to figure out. You know the routine; doctor after doctor until you end up at a pulmonologist. At least now my emotional self feels better knowing what it is.

    Oh, I'm not done. For a year my eyes have been allergic to something but who knows what. Many visits to three doctors, many prescription tries and nada. One night I desperately go to You Tube ( my head is hung in shame) for help.

     Did you know that you can use: rosewater, cucumber, potato and home made saline solution on your eyes? I had tried tea bags, cucumber so I thought I would give saline solution a try. After watching 4-5 videos I got the recipe and I already had an eye bath cup. Much to my surprise it helped... oh a little relief from the itching. Just to cover my bases I see an allergist this week.

     Needless to say I have been a little cranky and my art work has suffered. I even stopped painting for a week to see if I was allergic to the paints. My retired scientific mind went into over drive so I researched all my cosmetics, shampoo, no nail polish and on and on. Amazon Prime loves me as I order more and more of "no this or that" products. I even researched the ingredients in tissues and cotton swabs which to my surprise do have added ingredients. I resorted to using some of my husband's white cotton hankies when cleaning my eyes.


 I look/feel tired and old. I don't mind the old part but I do mind losing my sparkle which is attached to my smile.

The sun will come out tomorrow.