Kelly froze.  She'd been saving her chewed bubblegum for so long just for today and now it looks like there'll be red hairs all over her collection. Just great.

i heart birds!

Listening to birds singing outside is just awesome and a favorite part of my day!  i have this little wooden (as of yet unpainted) bird that i took out for a look around.

  she wanted to sit in the shrubs, listening quietly to the singing going on all around . . .

 another leafy bush to rest on and listen some more. . . 

and finally right by a few sweet little birdhouses that are a bit too small for her, but still fun to visit.

Throughout today, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, thoughts of the preciousness of people no matter what shade of skin they wear have been floating through my mind as I work.  


These little best friends popped into my brain and wanted to be here.  


That's how illustrations sometime work ~ most especially with character development. Sometimes there is a need for a specific character, and sometimes there isn't.  


Characters we create, whether written or illustrated can often rise up from experiences, or places we've been, or emotions we've noticed or felt, or from amazing people who care.  The kind of care that makes a difference.  

Onward into 2012!

Snowy Characters!

You just never know where characters, full of expression, will show up!  I came across this snowy family in a dept store, and before gift-wrapping it up, I just had to take this photo of this cuddly bunch.  (Well, they are sewn together, after all.)  Mom's lipstick I added after the fact.  Just being honest.

The three little ones in this snow family immediately caught my attention with their very individual personalities.
 
From the left, I can just hear their thoughts ~
"Wait. What's that over there?"
"My brother's not looking at the camera AGAIN, tsk tsk"
"I can't wait to throw this snowball up in the air, higher than ever!!"

Sketchy Thoughts