BOO!!

(click on images to enlarge)

What do a Farmer, a jar of pickles and an old 

lady ghost have in common? 

The answer is Tony Johnston's delightful, 

spooky story, BOO! A Ghost Story That 

Could Be True, that I illustrated for Edie 

Weinberg at Scholastic/Cartwheel.

Thrills and chills and laughter as well as a 

surprise ending for young readers. 

A treat to illustrate. As I laid out the pages 

and began the drawings, I discovered the trick. 

The story begins at night, ends the next 

morning...... as it began... sort of.
(read the book, look at the pictures) ;-)

Rainy Days And Wednesdays

Just now: Among items I'm 
sorting trying to make some 
studio order out of studio 
chaos. Poverino!  =^..^=
;-)

Trick or Treat

My illustration from QUESTIONS,by Lee Bennett Hopkins

The smell of the greasepaint (literally), cold cream,

spirit gum, horse hair wigs and beards and false 

mustaches and black out wax for teeth. A beat up 

top hat and Mom's old black velvet opera cape and 

assorted old clothes, accessories and sheets as needed. 

Greasy faces, painted freckles and scars, blackened 

teeth, red lipstick, itchy wigs. I longed for a glitter 

mask, a little tulle, perhaps a magic wand. 

Something pretty.

One year when  I was 5 or 6 and had a Halloween 
party to attend, our next door neighbor, Ann Roth 
made my costume. A modern dancer with many 
beautiful costumes and accessories.

Ann Roth and me 

Over my blue cotton leotard a long swirly dance skirt 
pulled up under my armpits and tied at the waist 
with a long silk scarf. Pinned with a perfumed 
nosegay of handmade silk pongee roses. More on 
the skirt, another on my shoulder and some on my 
hair. Pink lipstick and cheeks.
So pretty I walked on tiptoes.  :-)

Birthday Boy, Oh Boy!!

Sister Susan and I were already here when
brother Ted arrived. I tease Mom that we 
two sweet obedient  little girls deceived her
into having an other child, Ted (and even one 
more after THAT! brother, Jonathan).
I recall the color draining from her face
watching 2 year old Ted hanging by his knees
from the top bar of the backyard swing. Too
afraid to shout, lest he fall.
Chaos, his milieu. Couldn't stay still or
stand peace and quiet. Yet never mean.

Growing up, a few broken bones, many practical jokes.
Second grade teacher didn't appreciate his iconoclasm
or my Mother defending his creativity.
So many stories, now family legends.
These days he's also a husband and Dad, a most respected
Children's Dentist, an inventor, writer and infamous punster.
My dear brother and friend.


So on the sixty first anniversary of his arrival, 
wishing my dearest brother Ted, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

(you can click on photos to enlarge)

Freddie Rothko Abstract

(click on image to see paw, whiskers and chin more clearly)

Marc Rothko?

Try "Freddie Rothko".

Took me a minute or two to figure out what

this was..........

Looking more carefully noticed 3

cat toes next to a whiskered chin across the

middle near center.

A Freddy cat game. Pushing his paw under my drawing 

board/lightbox until I pat it and he pulls it back. Red at

the bottom, the cover of a paper pad.

Variation: pushing what he finds back there, pencil, 

ruler, plastic triangle through until I grab it (or it falls).

Automatic Dish Washer

This morning followed Fred into the kitchen. 
He went right to his food bowl quickly gobbling 
down the remains of last night's meal.
Then he cleaned out Tizzy's bowl as well. 
Ready for breakfast......