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October 29, 2009

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. 

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) ;-)





October 28, 2009

Rainy Days And Wednesdays


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

October 25, 2009

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.  :-)



October 13, 2009

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)

October 6, 2009

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).




October 5, 2009

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......