Saturday, March 26, 2011

Morning Sketch No. 19



"I always thought it was wrong to copy ... no ... you learn by copying." Unknown

I am a magazine addict! This mornings sketch is the result of a collision between my desire to read a fabulously fun new magazine ... Where Woman Cook ... and my desire to ramble through a morning sketch! What to do ... sketch and read! So here it is ... one blissful morning sketch done in my studio ... while happily snooping through a tiny New York City kitchen in my new magazine!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Morning Sketch No. 18



"Being productive can bring great peace; I love to work every day." Sarabeth Levine

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A Message to Japan


"I have found that to love and be loved is the most empowering and exhilarating of all human emotions." Jane Goodall

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Charlie


"...and above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places ... those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Roald Dahl

Monday, March 14, 2011

Afternoon Sketch


"One word frees us of all the weight, and pain of life ... that word is 'love'. Sophocles


In all honesty ... this is an afternoon sketch! Today was a busy day ... with an agenda all its own ... so I took a deep breath and went along for the ride. It was almost 3:00 when I finally sat down in my studio ... brain tired but needing to create ... so I reached for paper and pen and began to doodle ... just like the morning sketch exercise ... only I forgot to set the timer! That meant I needed to decide when to stop. Found out, I missed the BING of the timer and that last burst of energy that comes moments before it sounds ... but even without the timer and the silent energy it adds to these sketches ... this was a fun sketch to create ... I felt refreshed ... and I do love its quirky personality!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Morning Sketch No. 16


"Nothing is really work unless you'd rather be doing something else." James Barrie

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Albert Einstein ... Morning Sketch No. 15



"There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein fascinates me! Last year, I was thrilled to discover a book at Barnes Noble filled with old photos and stories about his life. It has now become my habit to slowly explore the pages of this little treasure chest of Einstein history with a sketchbook and pen. Today ... I enjoyed this little ritual for my morning sketch!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Morning Sketch No. 14


"It's a reactive thing, like a geiger counter; you click whenever you come close to whatever you were built to do." Stephen King


Happy Weekend Everyone!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Caldecott Medal Book 1938


Look what I discovered at the library ... Animals of the Bible, this is the very first children's book to be awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1938!

For those of you who may not know ... the Caldecott Medal is awarded each year to a freshly published children's book. It was named in honor of Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) ... a beloved 19th century English illustrator whose work brightened the path for children's literature!

Animals of the Bible
was illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop (1891-1980), another beloved illustrator in the 1930-40's. Her simple pencil and wash drawings seem tame compared to the brightly colored, graphic illustrations of today ... but as I turned the pages ... I knew that this book has been a special friend to many children! So, after a 40 year love affair with children's books, discovering this delightful little bit of Caldecott history ... (and a new illustrator too) ... has been a thrill for me!

(A few of my favorite children's book illustrators over the past 40 years have been William Steig, Ludwig Bemelman, Tomie de Paola, Alice & Martin Provensen, Eric Carle, Arnold Lobel, Margot Zemach, Laura Cornell, Lucy Cousins and Beatrix Potter. But, hands down, my all time favorite is ... E. H. Sheppard ... whose simple pen and ink illustrations brought Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends to life!)

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Morning Sketch No. 13


"I have perceived that to be with those I like is enough, to stop in company with rest at evening is enough, to be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough." Walt Whitman