Views from my studio

Rock
(This is a view from my computer's IPhoto collection. I often use photos in my collages -- so I collect oodles of "texture" pictures like this one -- everywhere I go. It's fun to look at the world through such a lens)

Paper
(Reams and reams and reams of it. Drawers of it. Piles of it. Confetti all over the floor.)

Scissors
(Run with them.)

Change

My studio is my sanctuary.

I'd rather be there than almost anywhere else.

So it's difficult to wrap my head around the fact that I'll be leaving it soon.

I guess I need to make the formal announcement. Here goes: I'm moving -- my family, my studio, my life -- to Malaysia for two years. My husband has taken a two-year assignment for work there.

As you can imagine, my little world flutters in a whirlwind right now.
This week I had to start packing.

I never in my wildest dreams ever imagined I'd be hauling my studio across the ocean!

But I am.

I have a two-year art retreat waiting for me.

You'll still be able to buy stuff from my etsy shop -- a friend said she'd take care of shipping stuff for me while I'm gone (Thanks Marcy!). But I won't be making new journals and photo albums while I'm gone (get them now, folks! I can't very well do craft shows from Malaysia!).

Instead this will be the first time in my life that I'll be dedicating 100% of my work time to children's book illustration and writing.

Watch out world.

Because even though change whirls around me and my to-do list is longer than my leg and I'm bidding adieu to beloved people and places and responsibilities
--
my center dances in the eye of the storm.

Sitting down at my drawing table to work on the children's book dummy I'm working on makes me feel giddy like an ant at a picnic. And the way I've been getting through this transition is to make sure I keep working on that story that holds my heart.
Every single work day. Every. One.

The rest of the to-do list can wait at least a few hours every day.

Question.
Do you ever find yourself whining? Dragging? Wondering how to get through?
Count your blessings.
Seriously.
Get out a journal and write a few down.
Because that's your eye of the storm.
And you can thrive there.

Good News in the mail!

The very last piece of mail in the giant stack of mail that was delivered to my house after being gone for a week was an official looking envelope from Writer's Digest.

The letter inside informed me that my story, Patchwork By The River (submitted under the title Patchwork Goodness) got an Honorable Mention in the Children's/Young Adult Fiction category of the 78th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition! Sweet!

It feels pretty awesome to get a happy letter in the mail, even if it's only an honorable mention. Honorable mention is nice. And for my writing, not even my art (plus I never enter contests -- this one was a fluke, I swear). Kinda makes having the flu more tolerable.

Me As A Muppet

Have you been to the Jim Henson exhibit at Experience Music Project in Seattle yet?

You only have until August 16!
I put this quote from one of the exhibit's signs in my journal:
"Jim Henson described his characters as his palette."
The best part of the day: I GOT TO BE A MUPPET!!!!!!
I even got to play in a Muppet band a few times.
Lest you think I'm exaggerating when I tell you that this moment was a dream come true, here is a picture of me from high school with my favorite puppet that I made back then:
The puppet's name is Boris. He lives above my drawing table (next to a few other puppets) and distracts my muse when I should be working. Or maybe he reminds me to use my characters as palette. Ya, that's the ticket!

As a bonus after I checked out the Jim Henson exhibit, I also checked out the exhibit: American Letterpress: The Art Of The Hatch Show Print.
I'm sorry, I failed and am blogging about this after the show is over.
But if you like letterpress work, here's a cool video that was at the show about Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest letterpress companies in the US:

Handmade Book of the Week(s) Feb 7 - Mar 1, 2009

I call this design "Tree Of Life."
I thought I'd put it up because I'm leaving for a big adventure in Spain soon. And adventure gives me life, so why not the Tree Of Life book.

I guess technically I could have had posts scheduled for the weeks I'll be gone. But that's not very much like vacation. I'm taking vacation. So this book will be book of the "week" for several weeks.

I might put up a few posts from Spain though if I feel inspired to share something cool and crafty or awesome and arty that I find. We'll see.

To see more photos or to buy the book go here.

Happy trails!

Handmade Book of the Week Jan 24 - Jan 30, 2009

I'll Fly Away...
(One of my favorite Songs)

My Fly-Away Journal is this week's book of the week in honor of the cool idea that Creative Kismet put on her blog. Many artists all over the internet partook in the "Birds Of Change Giveaway," including my friend, Kim who made an awesome bird with map wings. I was late in learning about it but maybe at a future date I'll give away one of my new Book Birds (click here for a picture of one in an old post).

Anyway, happy hope everybody!



For more pictures of the Fly-Away Journal, or to buy the book, click here.