With an 11 foot wingspan and the cutest, beady black eyes, it’s [...]]]> I’ve never seen an albatross in person.  The closest thing I’ve seen is probably a very fat pigeon who preferred walking quickly to flying.  I’ve seen some fairly large seagulls as well but even they cannot compare with the greatness of the albatross.

With an 11 foot wingspan and the cutest, beady black eyes, it’s no wonder the albatross inspired many a great writer and individual.  I’m very lucky to say that the mighty albatross will be inspiring me this month as I work on a commission for the owner of The Pious Bird of Good Omen.  Yes, that’s right.  She loves the albatross from Samuel Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner so much that she named her boutique after it!  Isn’t she the coolest?  I love literary nerds.

So while I was researching the albatross, I came across some photos that I just HAD to share with you.  We all have those embarrassing teenage pictures but who knew that the largest birds in the world have the same problem?

But one day this bedraggled and molting bird turns into a majestic featured creature.  I can’t help but think this ‘teenager’ looks like the stuffed animal I had for ages.  There’s that same matted look of love, snuggling, and no washing.

I know that sketches can seem like magical items to people who aren’t drawers themselves so I wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at my sketches for this commission.  And yes, they normally are this messy and filled with scribbled notes.

The albatross did not make an appearance in my sea book, How to Outsmart Tea Pirates (and other useful sailing tips) but his brethen, the seagulls, have a whole story in it!  You can now read one of the stories in the book as well as listen to an audio excerpt.  The pre-order is still going so you can grab your signed copy in time for summer!

Ever since I was little, I’ve adored everything Edwardian!  I was that weird teenager who skipped rollercoasters during the summer and instead toured old houses.  I suppose that’s why so much of my artwork contains that sort of antique feel.  I used to joke with my art professors that I was born 200 [...]]]>

Ever since I was little, I’ve adored everything Edwardian!  I was that weird teenager who skipped rollercoasters during the summer and instead toured old houses.  I suppose that’s why so much of my artwork contains that sort of antique feel.  I used to joke with my art professors that I was born 200 years to late but now I think it’s the perfect time for a little Edwardian revival.

If you gave me an Edwardian house, I’d want to wear an Edwardian dress.

And, of course, if I were wearing an Edwardian dress, I’d need a diamond star brooch to go with it.

And if I were wearing a diamond star brooch, I’d want to walk to my study and look up some books on stars.

And if I were in my study (and it looked like this), well then I’d need an Edwardian house to match.

And if I had an Edwardian house, I could skip the rollercoasters this summer and explore my own home instead.

What would you do if I gave you an Edwardian house?

So these [...]]]> Drawing is like any muscle; if you don’t use it, it goes all wimpy on you.  Instead of bird legs and twiggy arms though, you just get blah on your page.  (And while less people see it, it’s still enough to push you to get back to the ‘gym’.)

So these last few days I’ve been setting aside half an hour to just doodle.  No pressure, no purpose, just drawing.  I started out a bit rusty but it felt very nice to just go with the flow again.  It’s almost like being back in art school, except for the fact that there is not a nude model in front of me (although my boyfriend has offered for $50 an hour).

There is a reason why my professors asked me once if I could see color properly.  The answer: Yes, I just can’t put them together in a palette nicely.

I’m constantly scribbling little encouraging notes to myself in my sketches.  It helps me keep going and I think it makes the white paper seem a bit less daunting.   The notes are also there to help me decipher my scribbles later.

It’s a slow process to get my skills back up to college level, where I was drawing 3 hours a day.  I’ll get back there though, with a little bit of effort.  I have a few commissions for this month that I’m really excited to start working on!

Speaking of commissions, the painting I created for the rabbi, Minna Bromberg, is now on her cd, at the edge of the unknown!  Growing up in North Dakota, I didn’t think I would ever meet a rabbi (let alone one who sings), but Minna is one amazing lady and her whole mission to to bring happiness to other people.  That’s why for the next few days she’s offering up her newest cd, all 12 songs, for only $5.  Isn’t that kind of her?  I have already picked up my copy.  You’ll definitely want to pop over to her site, listen to a few sample tracks, and then grab your own.  It’s a cd that will bring happiness to your ears and (hopefully) to your eyes.

]]> http://www.studiomme.com/2012/my-first-cd-cover.html/feed 1 http://www.studiomme.com/2012/why-childhood-dreams-shouldnt-come-true.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-childhood-dreams-shouldnt-come-true http://www.studiomme.com/2012/why-childhood-dreams-shouldnt-come-true.html#comments Sat, 05 May 2012 15:47:49 +0000 studiomme http://www.studiomme.com/?p=3210

When I was little, I dreamed of being a veterinarian.  (Obviously in this old photo I’m showing off my successful surgery on my stuffed cat).  The urge probably came from watching an episode of David the Gnome where the gnome doctor removed a piece of wire from a sheep’s [...]]]>

When I was little, I dreamed of being a veterinarian.  (Obviously in this old photo I’m showing off my successful surgery on my stuffed cat).  The urge probably came from watching an episode of David the Gnome where the gnome doctor removed a piece of wire from a sheep’s stomach.  (Whoever created that series was a very quirky storyteller, right?)  I desperately wanted to save animals.  I wanted to do surgeries, remove kitty cataracts, and set lizard limbs.  In high school I had the chance to shadow a veterinarian for a day.  It started out as the most exciting day of my life but ended up being dull beyond belief!  (No offense, veterinarians.)  The most exciting thing that happened was prescribing mite medicine to a dog.  Oh, and watching (from about 100 feet away and behind smudgy glass) a dog lose his manliness.  Other than that, it was just rabies and distemper shots.  Boring!

After that, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I was very good at academics but the only thing that got me super excited were the whimsical subjects of writing and art.  I had fantasies of being a writer like Neil Gaiman.  I wanted a bookshelf in my house that contained my books.  However, I knew that almost no one coming out of college with an English degree goes on to be published.

So when I moved to San Jose, I put my dreams on the back burner so I could get a part-time job that would pay our high rent.  I applied at a bookstore, thinking that would fuel my desire to write, and was hired right away.  Instead of fueling my desire though, the world of retail sucked away my energy, enthusiasm, and imagination.  (My dreams went from crazy, colorful, Alice in Wonderland like creations to me working at the bookstore.  Yes, I worked overnight in my dreams and could never find a single book for the angry customers who kept popping up.)  I became such a grumpy person!  My poor boyfriend had to put up with my foul mood, my constant swearing (poop!), and my outspoken desire to quit.

The universe must have heard me (honestly, I don’t know how the managers didn’t) because not 8 months into the job, the business declared bankruptcy.  This time, I was smart enough to embrace the wild swings of fortune.  I danced out of the store on the last day and set my mind to making a new profession for myself.

I was going to be a writer AND an illustrator!

(Take that retail stores!)

So I set to work polishing the stories I’d written in college.  My old over-active imagination came back within a matter of weeks and together we pumped out a few new tales as well.  One year later, I’m proud to say my book is finished!  It won’t be officially in print until July 1st but until then I’m loudly proclaiming that my career as a writer, has started!

I never would have guessed that the girl who wanted to be like David the Gnome (except for the height thing…and the beard, obviously) would grow up to be like the quirky storyteller that created that gnome.

What did you want to be when you were little?  And how far off are you now?  (I mean that in a good way because goodness knows I would be one bored veterinarian now if I’d stuck with my childhood dream.)

Years ago parents everywhere decided to cut these stories out of their bedtime readings. Their kids never knew there were chapters being skipped, pictures not being [...]]]> I am so excited to announce that the pre-order for my book, How to Outsmart Tea Pirates (and other useful sailing tips), has officially begun!

Years ago parents everywhere decided to cut these stories out of their bedtime readings. Their kids never knew there were chapters being skipped, pictures not being shown, and silly voices not being spoken. The parents did it out of love. They knew that if they read those omitted tales, their kids would never go to sleep. They were too silly and too scary for bedtime.

So now that you’re slightly older, you can finally read the bits your parents left out each night when you were tucked in for bed. Just be warned: they may still be too silly and you’ll laugh yourself to sleep tonight.

Perhaps this will be the book that you read to your children before they go to sleep or the book you read to yourself after the late night shows.  Or maybe it will be the book that gets read over and over again until you know every line but it still makes you laugh.  Its spine will be warped and wrinkled and every page will be dog-eared or contain several spots of lunch.  Because that’s the book that you love, the book you cherish.  Perhaps you even name it or put it in a special place on your bookshelf.  It’s the book you tell all your friends about and the one you love to loan but pray comes back soon so you can read it again.

That is the dream I have for my little sea book.  I have put all of my love and magic and humor into it so that you can have a special book that makes you smile no matter how bad the day.

Below, I’ve recorded a short excerpt from the book.

Jeremy Joldfish and his Goldfish

The pre-order begins May 1st and runs through June 20th.  I’m signing all of the pre-order books and including one more hand-written ‘useful sailing tip’.  So if you want a copy of How to Outsmart Tea Pirates (and other useful sailing tips) that’s even more special, you’ll want to grab your copy now!

The soft-cover How to Outsmart Tea Pirates (and other useful sailing tips) includes 74 pages of quirky stories, poems, and illustrations that will entertain you and rekindle your wonder.  There’s also a super cool pirate ship battle in flip-book form contained within the book!  Click HERE to pre-order the book.

I’m very pleased with [...]]]> This past weekend I took part in the local SJ MADE show downtown.  I was able to put the finishing touches on my ‘Hungry Wallpaper’ sketch in between chatting with excited people and eating the food the surrounding vendors gave me.  (I’ve been told many times that I’m very feedable.  Haha.)

I’m very pleased with how this piece turned out and it got many people laughing at the show.  Can you find the three things it’s devouring?

On Friday I’m launching my sea book’s mailing list!  (And its title will be revealed!!!) So if you want to get all the details on the book launch, be part of the group who gets to pre-order for a special price, AND get a special thank you gift, be sure to check back on Friday!!!  I’m so excited to bring you along for this magical trip to book launch!

I’m putting the final touches on my sea book!  It’s so exciting.  I can’t wait to ship it out across the world and see it in other people’s hands.  Perhaps it will be a book that you read to your children before they go to sleep or the book you read to yourself while you’re beating off the summer heat with a pitched of iced tea and a giant fan.  Or maybe it will be the book that gets read over and over again until you know every line but it still makes you laugh.  Its spine will be warped and wrinkled and every page will be dog-eared or contain several spots of lunch.  Because that’s the book that you love.  That’s the book that you cherish.  Perhaps you even name it or put it in a special place on your bookshelf.  It’s the book you tell all your friends about and the one you love to loan but pray that it comes back soon so you can read it again.

That is the dream I have for my little sea book.  I’m putting all of my love and magic and humor into it so that you can have a special book that makes you smile no matter how bad the day.

My latest dive into quirkiness came this weekend when I started the final illustration for my sea book.  I knew from the start I wanted to include a short story I’d [...]]]> I’m always amazed that my boyfriend and family don’t think I’m completely crazy.  Or, if they do, they’re nice enough not to say so.

My latest dive into quirkiness came this weekend when I started the final illustration for my sea book.  I knew from the start I wanted to include a short story I’d written in college about 3 orphan children and their battle with some very hungry wallpaper.  Yes, you read that right, hungry wallpaper.  Poor Conrad must defend his stuffed animals from the floral monstrosity.  How could I not illustrate that?

So here you get to see Conrad’s bedroom with the scary purple wallpaper!

All the paintings in the house are of shipwrecks and shark attacks, a premonition of the danger inside the house.  Also, Conrad named his stuffed animals quite unusually and each one has a military title, such as Admiral Alligator.

I am getting very, very excited to send all of these illustrations and stories off to my layout lady at the end of the month.  The book will be coming out in July and next week I’ll be creating a separate little mailing list for it!  So if you want to be kept up to date on the release of my book, as well as have the option to pre-order at a reduced price AND grab some cool goodies, you’ll want to check back next week!  I’ll be promoting the mailing list on all my social media platforms so no worries if you don’t see it here!