Illustration Friday - Gravity

Gravity defying’s more like it. I do love a good analogy (any analogy maybe) and this one represents my LIFE. One of these cakes – let’s say the #2 cake - is my kids, since I have two of them. The bundt cake can represent my life administration like bill paying and toilet cleaning since I don’t care for bundt cake either but am sometimes compelled to eat it. The Happy Fourth can be my writing life because that’s how long I’ve been doing that. The cupcake is my promotion and marketing efforts – not quite enough! The upside-down cake is my social obligations like school functions and scouting events as anyone who’s lived through mid to late-twentieth century covered dish suppers would understand (an aside – this is an upside-down upside-down cake – how’s that for terribly clever?). The strawberry shortcake can be my illustration career because they are both so darned filling. The wedding cake is my marriage (though I’m sure my husband wishes that were represented by cheesecake instead). The pink-with-sprinkles cupcake is my “me” time, short and sweet. Chocolate birthday cake can be my own outreach; whether it is for my profession or personal life I believe in being an asset to the world around me. And the delicious lemon cake is for my friends and family, a bit sweet, a bit tart, funny and fantastic.

Am I the snakes you may wonder? NO, my analogy ends with the cake. I just wish I had talented snakes like these sometimes to take over for a bit.

I can even tie all this up to last week’s Illustration Friday theme – CRASH – my big fear for all the juggling I do.

This painting is for My Even Day, Sylvan Dell fall 2007

Weird Tag II

I've been tagged twice on this six weirdest things about you - I can't think of two weird things about me. I'm really so very tame and unassuming. Does liking my towels folded just so count? How about checking my alarm clock three times before I go to bed - just in case. Weird? I think it's more OCD than weird. How about the fact that I don't shower until about 1 pm - weird - or gross?
Hmm, well that's three HA HA HA. Stretching, stretching, uhhh... nothing. I don't eat dirt. I don't communicate with the dead. I don't have very many piercings and no tatoos or other maimings. I can't do any body part tricks. I've never traveled anywhere unusual or worked any truly bizarre jobs.

So my heartfelt thanks go out to Gail and Sherry. Sorry I'm not more entertaining.

Ok - I'll tag

wonderful mother
great wife
snazz E dresser
artfully arty
fartfully farty
sleepyhead

Bragging

Blah, blah, blah - I usually brag about myself here but today is a real treat - I'm going to brag about my nine year old daughter. Her work is one of sixteen finalists in the North Carolina State Reading Association's Young Authors contest. I love this! The works of all the finalists will be published in a book and there will be a ceremony for the authors and their families. A young fellow that lives across the street from us is also one of the finalists and has the same writing teacher as my daughter - coincidence? I don't think so!

Meet the Artist @ Highlights Kids

Go to Highlightskids.com for a very brief interview with me about the February '07 cover art - plus cool games and stories!