My Comfort Zone

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Probably the result of all the years I spent as a student. 

Elementary school, junior high, then high school. 

Plus 4 years of art school. 

Followed by nearly 20 years teaching 2-D Design, 

Fashion Illustration and Children's Book Illustration, 

part time at the old alma mater, the Philadelphia College of Art.

(now the University of the Arts).

September first has always been my new years day.

Heat and humidity won't last much longer.

School starts.

Put on socks.

And a sweater.

Can't wait!

Goodnight Irene

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Started the week with an earthquake.
Which struck just as I'd finished downloading
some trial software from Adobe. The IMAC 
started dancing. Weird noises. First thought.
OMG the mother of all VIRUSES! 
Then NPR announced "Earthquake!".

My illustration from WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE?, by Lynda DeWitt, HarperCollins

Now we are having a Hurricane, named Irene.

(see August 17, 2009 post in archives).

Pounding winds and rain last night.

Meteorologists tracking weather, from WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE?

More expected this afternoon.

Watching TV. Schuylkill River and 
Manyunk streets flooded. Many trees down.

2 young gents featured rowing a
just purchased raft down a Manyunk St.
Interview over, immediate arrest by
Philadelphia's finest.
The charge (as stated by an officer), 
"No common sense." 
How infinitely more crowded the
jails if that was law.
The Cat Boys and I are on the top floor,

37 stories above all but wind and rain.

A little scary.

More evidence that I've drawn everything in the word at least once (or so it seems). ;~)

                                             

                                         Looking forward to Monday!

(My art for a different, but apropos, project. )

The Bead Of A Different Drummer

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I can hear them now. 

My future heirs, in my apartment

sorting and clearing what I've left behind.

"Do you realize how much she would have

left us if it wasn't for all these beads and books

and dolls and stuff?"

I can almost sympathize. 

I will have taken my adventures, stories, characters and moments of

serendipity traveling abroad and/or more locally with me.
And the beat goes on..  
Uh, or make that the bead goes on

The name of my favorite booth at last weekend's BeadFest

Philadelphia 2011. (actually in Oaks, PA- west of Valley Forge).

My equally bead obsessed cousin Janet came from NYC with

a group from FIT and met me there. 

Beaded beads at the bead goes on

another view/ the bead goes on booth at BeadFest 2011, Philadelphia

So much to see, touch and talk about while choosing.

Got to tell Diane Hawkey how much I love her wimsical beads.

And the visual feast at the bead goes on's booth of tempting treasures.

Hand painted beauties from Asia, the bead goes on

2 head beads/ the bead goes on

Huge apple green jade beads from Asia/ the bead goes on

Old Afghan coins / the bead goes on

2 huge Venetian blown glass beads with millefiori decoration/
the bead goes on

Diane Hawkey's delightful handmade ceramic  houses and mermaid

     Strand of pretty Chinese lampwork beads, carved bone kitties,
        Venetion blown glass and Diane Hawkey ceramics together in grande finale  :~)

the bead goes on      www.beadgoeson.com
Diane Hawkey        http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com/

What's Cooking?

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In today's mail, a copy of the latest Old Farmer's

Almanac for Kids, volume 4. Including a spread 

I did about a year ago. Takes a while to assemble 

all the parts; words, art and photos.

Given just the space I had to work in and the request

for Dad to be rolling out dough with lots of ingredients 

on the table and children watching. But what were they

cooking?

rough sketch

©Carolyn Croll 2011

Didn't know anything else until I opened the 

Almanac this afternoon. Good fun.

And I didn't forget to add the cat.