Tossing in the Wee Hours
wow. How's this for astonishing?! I posted my last entry not 16 hours ago and here I am again! Will wonders never cease?! I thought I'd take a few minutes while my coffee is brewing and I'm struggling to wake up and get with the program to you know, babble at you. See, thing is I like to keep you on your toes. I know you think you've got my recent posting pattern all sussed out, the recent posting pattern mainly being that I don't, at least not more than once a week. Or month. But Ha! It's October and I'm feeling sneaky so I thought I'd mix it up and maybe post like EVERY DAY! or you know, not. We'll see how it goes.
Crap poodles, kids. I'm tired. I have not been sleeping well (if at all) for the past couple of days. I don't know why. Normally, I'm so very good at sleeping. I'm a champion sleeper, an Olympic caliber sleeper. I could sleep for England and six other countries on the side. Yes, yes... it's true. I am a seven country citizen, have I not told you this before?! I am Wee, Citizen of the World (and Currently Crappy Sleeper). I have an exceptionally complicated passport and air travel is a nightmare, but it's all good. But lately... oh, I drop off immediately, but forty five minutes later I'm wide awake and blinking into the bright moonlit night for hours and hours. On end. Four o'clock rolls around and I finally nod into a thin sleep, only to be woken again by numerous weird dreams. Last night (or rather, earlier this morning), I kept dreaming that CSI investigators were prowling around the bed collecting evidence and snapping photos. Likely this is due to the fact that the last thing I watched before I fell asleep was CSI:Miami. Now, I'm not one of those rabid CSI fans, but occassionally, if it is on and I'm too lazy to search the blankets and Johnny Snoozebutton for the remote control, I will watch it. So last night, while waiting for Jon Stewart to come on already, I watched it. Fell asleep about five minutes from the end of the program, and woke promptly the minute Jon Stewart was over (DRAT!).
You will be relieved to know that despite the CSI dream, no crime was committed in my bedroom last night other than the fact I had a maximum of two continuous hours of sleep (and I missed Jon Stewart).
On a completely different note, one of the projects I've been working on lately involves six little princesses. It's great fun, drawing princesses. The princesses are for a new Lilyfield and Company partner who sells tutus and ballet stuff and all manner of pink things. I'll post a link when the site is up and running, but for now I thought I'd post a sneak peek at one of the Princesses.
Normally, I don't post my commissioned work until it's all done and client approved, but then I thought, well, why not? I own the copyright and it's just one little princess (This is Princess Miranda) and you know, all the other kids do it, so why shouldn't I? So here she is. She was the first one I drew and I like her nose-in-the air, prima ballerina attitude.
This was a really fun project for me... and really quick too. It's such a relief to be able to finish a round of illustrations in an hour or two instead of the usual, hugely labourious style I've been doing for the children's books I illustrate. 'Course, these were just little head and shoulders portraits, and essentially just line drawings (plumped up slightly with color), but it's got me thinking. It was really fun to do and I think quite successful and I really think I should consider tackling the tween market. I've been searching for ways to adapt my so-called "Scraps" style (as discussed here and here and seen here too), to develop it, wondering what it would be appropriate for, and it hit me as I was doing these little characters that it could be easily adapted to that market. Light, and pretty.
The more I think about it, the more I think Scraps is the way I want to move. I think it's flexible enough to allow for editorial illustration, children's illustration and Tweenager illos too. And it feels good, right to me. It flows out of my natural drawing style and incorporates the collage style that I love so much and is so hot right now, but in a softer, more organic way. Of course, Scraps is still pretty much half-baked... a style in the making. But I just need time to work on it more, develop it. Soon, soon, soon I will have the time... I will CREATE the time**, to really work it. (yes, yes... I am a Seven Country Citizen AND the Creator of Time. Sheesh! Where ya been? Keep up, wouldja?)
Sigh, okay... coffee is ready to be consumed. I've gotta lotta coffee drinking to do this morning to fill my daily quota. I have decided that given my horrific sleeping problems lately, I will not consume anything caffeinated after noon for the the next week and see how that goes. (Note to self: Better get myself some decafe for those 5 pm coffee cravings that have been hitting so urgently.)
Salut! (or whatever the coffee drinkers' version of "Cheers!" is)
last | next
