Hurricane Sandy, Giagantor tornados.....

Often when I'm working, I listen to This American Life. This week's show turned out to be a foreshadowing of today's huge tornado in Oklahoma. This is SO worth a listen, please listen. 

Morning Sketch

The hill I can see from my studio. It's actually a ridge above the highway. Sometime I see goats grazing up there. Many times in the afternoon there are turkey vultures catching wind currents and gliding around the hill. 

Stephanitely Clones

Just for the record all of you Stephanitly come latelys...The original Stephanitely (me) has has the name officially since 1998...

School Carnival Drawing

Our little charter school puts on a Carnival every year to raise money and to give the families, faculty and community a chance to come together and have some fun. Last year I made a little piece of art for the posters used to promote the carnival. The image was also put on t-shirts which sold out within hours! I was proud that they brought in a nice bit of money for the school. This year's image will be put onto t-shirts, root beer mugs and posters- fingers crossed for some more good fund raising!

Ta-Da!

A few days ago I got to wrap up another book project. This one a picture book. For the last number of month I have been juggling many projects at once. Now instead of 3 active projects, I am down to 2- and it feels so great to have this one finished. I can't remember when it comes out, but I'll let you know...

My Agent is Not Only a Fabulous Agent- she's Brilliant Writer an Innovator Also

My agent at Red Fox Literary, Abi Samoun , has written a couple of books that are being published the traditional way, but this one is something different- She and illustrator, Elizabeth Haidle , are creating this crowd source funded book about Nikola Tesla. 

I feel so very lucky to be represented by someone who is a creative force in her own right.

Why We Still Like Fairy Tales

On Being.

Beautiful

Premier Automne (2013) from Carlos De Carvalho on Vimeo.

The Los Angeles Time Book Festival

I will be signing Princess Posey books at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival on April 20th here.  I'll post more reminders as the date gets closer. 

It is Crunch Time- Hey, How Many Years is that Supposed to Last Anyways?

A sublime collision of deadlines. I was looking at the current projects on my drawing table and thinking how different they all are. One is a lot ore edgy than I have ever taken my work, one is younger than I have ever taken my work,  one is another Princess Posey book and another 2 are a new series featuring an entirely new style...4 distinct styles on 4 distinct projects. I used to worry about that- having too many styles, but it's a funny thing- when I get a project or write a book- it seems that each story/series/book wants a different style. Somewhere in them all is a common thread. 

Today Fred is out front working on the front yard- a space so neglected in the past that we received a note from the city saying that our treeless, shrubless yard was a fire hazard (some bored  person with no life complained about the length of our lawn)... Just what was going to catch on fire is still a mystery, but anyways, Fred has been doing some serious landscaping out there. 

We were talking this morning about that thing inside of people/animals that makes them unique an creative and gives them a vision/drive...We were talking about people we have known who have lit that on fire and created amazing things and those who let the fire go out and now blame everyone for it and can't seem get their footing despite a multitude of tried to help them do that...

Cassini Mission

CASSINI MISSION from Chris Abbas on Vimeo.

The Poetry of Reality

The Fault of Our Stars

My morning today: woke up, made coffee, fed fish, removed blanket from parakeets' cage, fed parakeets (Coco and Carl), watered garden, listened to npr morning edition while beginning this morning's paintings, took bath. My baths for the past week or so have been long. I put a few drops of lavender oil into the hot water, get a tall glass of water and a cup of coffee, turn on the audio book The Fault of Our Stars and soak. Today I finished the book and I have to say it was brilliant and felt so real an non-contrived. There was a scene in the book where the main characters go to Amsterdam. The description of the setting made me remember how much I love to travel- the other worldliness of it.

 The Fault of Our Stars in a YA novel. I haven't read one of those in ages. The last one I read was friend Jay Asher's 13 Reason's Why (also completely brilliant). Anyhow- I was balling in the tub and after the book was done, I thought-about that part of life- the teenage years- the part where you begin to figure out who you are, or rediscover who you are, or reinvent yourself- what a fragile and amazing time that is...

The Garden in March

Here is an sign of how busy things have been the last few months- when daylight's saving time came, I didn't have to change the time on my car's clock . That's sad, but true.

I'm in love with the work I am doing right now- and loving my drawing tablet. So much less stress when you can backtrack and not have to start over..or just keep what is working and edit from there without losing the life in the thing- and that's the big trick, isn't it? Lots of people can put marks on a page, but can you imbue those marks with life? That's the magic. 

Here is the garden right now. The kale is almost done, so I have to yank that and add more soil from the worm bin . Then I need to plant some more lettuces. You can never have too many greens. 

More From my Birthday

 So, as you get older- and this is no news flash for anyone, right? Birthdays shift a bit in their excitement level and their meaning. This year's was very mellow.  It was all about looking to the future and getting rid of the stuff that isn't working. It was a simple celebration. Fred mixed up some lovely martinis (mine was some sort of raspberry creation.) Fred and his mom bought me some lovely cashmere sweaters and a cashmere hat. The martini is pictured here in my office because I still had to get some painting done. The girl in the picture on the wall is for a super cute picture book coming out soon. Anyhow- this year is going to be one full of change and exciting things happening. Off with things dragging energy down and in with new experiences and adventures. 

I Just Turned 45

So- what did I do to celebrate? Bought a size 6 bikini- that's what.