IF - Pale

They met under the pale moon kite.

8.5 x 11

pastel on paper

This is a project I'm participating in with Westside Illustrators (SCBWI) in Santa Monica. The challenge was to create an illustration from three words randomly selected.

These are the words I was assigned:
SPACESHIP - SEA LIFE - URBAN

"Can Fish Fly?"
8.5 x 11
pastel on paper

This was my first version using Sea Life, Spaceship, and Urban. But half way thru adding the color, I thought, "Why didn't I make the characters cats instead of children?". So I had to try ... while I was at it I simplified the image and made it more whimsical.

IF - Contained

Max's excitement could not be contained - wind or no wind.

It was just a little homemade kite made from a couple of plastic grocery bags and two wooden skewers. Though it had been breezy that morning, fate would have it, there was not a wisp of wind that afternoon, but Max was in love. He ran around the huge field like a wild stallion set free, towing his kite behind him. Wish I'd had my camera, but this will have to do.

I highly recommend these kite plans from an Austrailian website, MyBestKite.com. I stumbled across them while looking for inspiration for an illustration I'm working o that included kites.

A Kite For Kids - The MBK Tiny Tots Diamond

Kassidy's Kite
decorated with permanent markers

The instructions looked so easy I had to try it. We let the grandkids decorate them with markers and helped them assemble the kites. It didn't take too long and they were amazingly easy to fly. We had no wind to speak of that afternoon, so the kids ran with them in tow & had a blast. Plus they were tuckered out that evening! Later we did have a chance to fly the kites with wind and they're very easy to fly... no skill required. Hope you can try them out!

CLICK HERE FOR KITE INSTRUCTIONS

PS: This is my first attempt at finishing a drawing in Photo Shop rather than pastels like I usually do... I enjoyed the process, but have quite a lot to learn to get the vibrant rich colors I like so much.

IF - Resolve

Let's resolve to take more time to
smell the flowers in 2009.

"Tickled"
pastel on paper
8 x 10

Some "smell the flowers" moments from 2008 for me are:

• Reading a story to a child.

• Sighting a pair of Blue Birds in our back yard for the first time in 25 years of living here.

• Soaking up the sights & sounds & smells of the California Coastal Redwoods, taking a million pictures as if I could capture some of it's grandeur in my little Canon.

• Receiving a long distance "Happy Birthday song" on my voice mail from a grandchild. That was August - I still can't delete it :)

• A summer evening walk by the beach with my one and only.

• Spending the afternoon at the Discovery Science Center with the grandchildren and watching them explore with wonder and excitement. Spending the evening collapsed on the couch!
  

• Waking up early one December morn to find a fresh cut Christmas tree adorned with lights that my husband had set up during the night to surprise me.

• Playing Secret Santa and "Kris Kringling" a friend with a six year old.
  

• Serving (at least) 20 cups of hot cocoa to my 2 year old granddaughter made in her Elmo kitchen. She drank every last make believe drop, then we made some more for Elmo.

• A big pot of soup on a cold rainy day.

I'd love to hear about your "smell the flowers"
moments in 2008.
Your comments are always welcome!