The Great Big Storm

The Great Big Storm, indeed. When I wrote this book and made the dummy last year, the effects from Hurricane Irene were still very fresh in my mind. A lot of my friends, family, and collegues were hit hard. I was inspired by the way communities came together to rebuild, and it was refreshing to see that among devastation, there was also hope.

Sandy brought on even more devastation this year (I guess she didn't want to be outdone by last October's snowstorm). My family and I were very lucky. We didn't have power for several days, but we had good running water and a gas stove...not to mention about twenty pumpkin scented candles.

Some people lost more, others lost a lot more, and then there were those who lost everything.

And yet we see communities coming together, we see politicians (at least in the tri-state area) truly not caring about politics even though it's so close to Election Day. Before we get back to normalcy, there is a part of me that cherishes the aftermath. Not the fallen-trees-and-live-wires-and-smashed-roofs part, but the part where time stands still enough for people to remember what is truly important.

I'll leave you with a few parting words from my Great Big Storm:

*Disclaimer: I occasionally rhyme. I can't help myself.

“Our homes might stand—well, no—they fell,”

Said all of them together,

“But we won’t let our heads hang low

Just for some crumby weather.”

“Some lost a little, some a lot,

And though that’s far from great,

With teamwork we can fix it all,

We can! It’s not too late!”

“Storms will come and storms will go,

And some serve to remind

It’s not about what’s washed away

Or the mess that’s left behind—“

“It’s about helping our neighbors,

And not losing hope—not an ounce!

We’re all still here, we’re all alright,

And that’s what really counts.”

Diego y la Reserva de la Biosfera

I recently finished up a long-term project that I am very excited to (finally!) make this next blog post about. I had been working through Summer '12 with some very nice Americans who were in the Peace Corps, stationed in Xichu, Mexico, in the Sierra Gorda. The town of Xichu is located in a Reserve under CONANP, or Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas. You can learn more about my client's mission through watching this short video:

My job was to help design and illustrate a children's book for the schools to circulate among the students about their role in protecting the environment that surrounds them. The story they wrote (in Spanish) "Diego y la Reserva de la Biosfera," was about a boy named Diego, who, with his classmates and community, cleans up the litter around the river that runs through their town. I really love this story the kids wrote because it serves as a reminder that change starts with us. I feel fortunate that I was chosen to be a part of this project-- and proud that a little piece of me is floating around somewhere deep in the Sierra Gorda!

And without further ado, here is the finished product:

Obviously, it's in Spanish. You guys get the gist though, right? Happy Tuesday!

Sorry I dropped off of the face of the Earth, everyone. I've had little projects here and there that I didn't want shown on this blog until they were finished or used by the client. Here is one of them. It was for a political campaign over in California. I usually don't like to get involved with political matters, but I didn't think this had too much mud slinging going on, and I got to work with a really wonderful TV Producer. Since the turnover time was pretty fast for 5 illustrations, from sketch to finish, I did the paintings digitally. Someone else animated the illustrations and edited everything together, and this ad aired in San Diego over Memorial Day weekend. It was a really great experience.

You can go here to see it!

Here are the stills from it (one sketch and all finishes).

A Book for Earth Day

Earth Day is today, everyone! I don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods, but here in New Jersey, we have received some much-needed precipitation after virtually a month of relentlessly sunny weather (no complaints here on either of those counts).

Many of us are familiar with the more well-known books celebrating Earth Day, such as Chris Van Allsburg's "Just A Dream" (Houghton Mifflin Company), or, perhaps most famous of all, Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" (Random House, Inc.), but here's one of MY favorites (from Worthwhile Publishers). It's a lot of fun, and very, very clever.

Happy Earth Day Weekend (And Arbor Day Week)!

We've come to that time of year. Both Earth Day and Arbor Day are upon us. I was always a little baffled at the difference between the two holidays, so close to each other and seemingly so similar--why wouldn't they just be the same day? Naturally, I did what any scholar would do to research the matter: I Googled it.

And I found that Arbor Day came first (but is always the last Friday in April), a day established to appreciate the natural environment and, traditionally, show that appreciation by planting a tree.

Earth Day came a little after, with more of an emphasis on the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" motto. It was meant to make us mindful of our overconsumption of resources and creation of pollution. In a way, Earth Day has actually expanded to the other 364 days of the year, as we are so conscious of how very "Green" we are being.

Both days are respectable and come from the purest of intentions, but I actually find the idea of Arbor Day to be more generally positive (and totally romantic!). Though I won't be planting a tree this weekend, I plan on giving a hearty squeeze to the Magnolia in front of my house. Oh, and there's this:

Drawing from the Model

One of the things I miss most about art school is the regular opportunity to draw from a live model. Often, the models we got to draw were yoga fiends, so they were able to hold some really great poses for up to ten minutes. I would try to get everything down way before the ten minutes were up, though, because I liked changing the model's age and body type to create more than one character. Personality was something I liked to play with, as well...

Back from Chicago!

As some of you may know from past blog posts (or from knowing me personally), my boyfriend is now officially a Sailor in the US Navy. To state the obvious, I am very proud of him. Not only has he completed the first phase and earned his title, but he was chosen by his peers as Honor Recruit of his Division. When I heard this I was pleased, but in no way surprised. Over this past weekend, his family and I got to spend a day with him after the graduation ceremony. Although I do wish we had more time, I'm grateful nonetheless for the time we did get, and I consider the 12 hour drive to and from Great Lakes, Illinois, so, so worth it. Besides, now I can actually call him again, which is a refreshing change from the past 2 months. I'll try to keep my military alphabet going, though!

With Russell after receiving his Honor Recruit certificate