Experimenting with new (for me!) art techniques

I've been out of touch with the art scene for quite some time. This is something I've discovered recently. You can scan your drawings into Photoshop and keep on reproducing it. I know. Scary how I've never given this much thought before.
Painted this boat house yesterday. Today I will print out the same drawing onto watercolor paper and try a new colorway. I can fix my mistakes and have some fun.

Living and Writing the Artful Life

I'm spinning off in a new direction...
Non-Fiction!
Or maybe...
Picture Books!
I'm not sure exactly.
Why?
The illustrating bug hit me!

For the past six years, I've been teaching art to 300 creative kids a week. All that paint and pastel and pretty paper has rubbed off. I'm bringing my sable watercolor brushes out of storage, learning some nifty tricks on photoshop and dreaming of a book that will inspire kids as much as they inspire me.
What about my novels?
They're still there.
Resting.
Wondering.
But a shift in perspective is calling.
I have no idea where this will lead me. I have no idea what to do.
I'm fighting the voice inside my head that is telling me I have given up on my novel.
I hate that voice.
It's making me mad.
I'm choosing to listen to the other voice. The one that says to write and draw about what I really know.
I'll keep you posted...

Fashion Forward

Put my writing on hold this week to play a major role in my own personal "What Not to Wear". My sister, a fashion editor from Toronto, just launched her own full-time stylist business. Move over Stacy! My sis Tammy, edited my entire closet, explaining in a gentle way why some clothes should just never be there. She made a list, took note of my budget and we hit the stores.
Can I just tell you now how amazing it is to try on clothes you NEVER would have selected and actually say, "Well, whadiya know. This actually looks good."
Five stores and just as many bags later, I unpacked the new me, hung it next to the barely-made-it pieces and gazed longingly at my color sorted, properly fitted wardrobe.
Next step? Tammy will pull the pieces together, accessorize them from top to bottom and get this...will photograph each outfit for my own personalized Look Book. How cool is that?
If you live in the greater Toronto area, seriously consider hiring this time-saving fashion angel.

But not all my time is spent trying on clothes...we've been watching the Olympics with great intensity. Figure Skating is on all week and I'm seriously glued to the tube. LOVE the drama and the color-commentating. Scott and Sandra on NBC are spot on as always and I'm taking lots of notes.
Go Canada!

Girl power! Where does it come from?

Abby Sunderland. Sixteen-years old. Wants to sail the world in a 40-foot sailboat. Alone. Without stopping. In pirate-infested waters.
Sasha Cohen. Twenty-five, seeks her third trip to the Olympic Games. Without having competed in four years.
Rachael Flatt. Seventeen, always the bridesmaid never the bride. Wins first National Figure Skating Championships and is on her way to Vancouver.

These women are not normal. They belong to a superstar gene pool. Few people understand their motivation, their drive. Including me. I admit, after reading about Sunderland's quest in this morning LA Times, I had my reservations about how sane this kid was and worse yet, what her parents must be thinking. My son is a sailor and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a bit antsy when he sails in rough seas, even though there are fifty other boats beside him. It's just a natural reaction to being so small in something so big.

I'd love to sit down and ask this teenage sailing sensation what motivates her. What will she miss? Did she ever miss those things? How is her heart connected to the sea? How does that feel, exactly?
I'd ask the same thing of Rachael Flatt, who I personally cheered for last night. What propels her to lace up those skates everyday and go after another championships? Did she know that if she kept on digging, putting in the time, that eventually she'd come out on top? Or does she cross her fingers and hope that everyone else falls? I doubt that.

Maybe Cohen did. I don't think she stood much of a chance of making the Olympic team, but I was rooting for her. Mesmerized by her artistry--which is just another way of saying that this lady can move her body so that the music is her. But every elite athlete knows that performance can only come from practice. It's no fluke Flatt won. She's is a finely-tune skating machine.

That's all these ladies do. Practice. Life is all about the triple lutz, the perfect roll tack (for lack of a better sailing term!), the one performance.

But why? That's what I ask of my characters. What motivates them to get up at 5:30, train the entire morning then go to class, eat poached chicken for dinner, then train again?
Why do they do it, if on the one day, the perfect performance eludes them and they have to wait another year--or four--to prove they are the best? What if you're twenty-five and this is your last chance? What do you do the next day? What if you're a thirteen and have to wait until you're sixteen to being allowed to compete in the Olympics? How do you pace yourself? How do they measure success? With only championship medals or are there smaller rewards along the way?
Don't you want to know what these athletes are really thinking????

That's what writing is all about. Knowing the why's of your character's life. As writers we know this is important. Knowing our characters. I'm convinced that if you don't, your story will not resonate with anyone (editors or readers). But even though we know character motivation is the foundation of every story, it's dang hard to do. Perhaps peeking into the life of real people can bring us closer to our character's true self. What does she really want, even though she might not show it? Why does she work out until her body is broken and bruised? How, at such a young age, do they know this? You think it would be easier to know these questions since we're creating these characters, but it's not.
Want to read a story in which the author has done just that? Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco Stork. Simply perfect.

There's so much thinking involved in writing a novel, don't your think? I'm taking the morning to read the plethora of articles on Flatt and Cohen. I'll be clipping them, studying them and waiting to see if any of the words bring me closer to my character's inner workings.

How do you source your material for inner motivation?

Google Sync Saves the Day

Last October, a bit harried and frayed around the edges, I called my friend Rachael and begged her to help me streamline my life. A former organizer but now a super woman, Rachael looked at me with a not-so-subtle glint in her eye and asked me what type of calendar system my family used. I had to think about that one. Let's see....there's my work organizer, the family activities white board in the office, the pretty kitchen art calendar and finally, Outlook on my computer. Oh wait, there's another...my hand-drawn, doodle calendar in my art journal (my favorite).
Rachael choked on her cappuccino.
Simplify, she said...with a Blackberry.
No thanks. My un-smart phone is fine.
Okay but just look at what mine can do.
OMG.
I was well aware of email and browser benefits, but did you know that you can sync Google calendar with your Blackberry or Iphone? Of course you did. Everyone in the world knows this. Except me.
Every time you add an event to your computer's Google calendar, it syncs to your phone's calendar. And vice versa. Amazing, right? Now my calendar walks with me. It reminds me, no matter where I am, that I'm late for something. Isn't that fantastic?
I tossed the other time-suckers.

2010 feels very organized so far. Ahhhh....

New on the horizon? A new Art Studio! Okay, family home-office, but I like "workshop" better. New floor to ceiling shelves and cupboards, new built-in desks with task lighting. I love this Pottery Barn workstation for the middle...only on paper at this stage but it'll be fun to plan.

Been hammering away at a new first draft. Took Hip Writer Mama's advice on these super cute, easy-to-manage plot cards and am having a ball.

And yes, I've hand-selected a few...just a few agents and sent out queries. We'll see if my match-making attempts work out. Until then, I have two days off to write until my butt hurts.

New Year Greetings...

I have no idea what has compelled me to reactivate this blog. It's been five month since my last post and even then, I couldn't quite nail down a solid reason why I felt compelled to perpetuate these sporadic ramblings. But here I am.
I suppose I've missed you all!
I've been very busy. Overwhelmed actually. But I haven't quit writing. In fact, just the opposite. I've been pushing through a whole novel critique with my online critique group. We're almost done. Just the final two chapters. It feels as though I've reworked, tweaked, cut, and revised my novel to death. That sounds bad, except for the fact that it's better than ever. I love the way it has taken on new life, deeper emotions and intriguing sub-plots.
But it has to go.
Off to the scary world of agents and editors.
The last time I took the plunge, I got tremendous feedback. So good, in fact, that it inspired me to start fresh. Rewrite the whole dang thing! I hope I'm not that inspired again.
Can you tell I'm scared?
But it has to go.
For the first time ever, though, I can actually envision my book on a bookstore shelf.
It feels very good.

Wishing you all a year of fulfilled dreams and endless happy moments!

10th Annual Children's Book Conference in Portland

Wow. (deep breath)I've been home for a few days now and I'm still absorbing all of the fantastic writing nuggets from the Children's Book Conference last week in Portland.
I went not having any expectations. Unsure, actually, of what manuscripts to even take for the critiques. Did I really want to rework my first chapter of Greenwood Girls, again?
Of course, the answer is yes, but this time, I think I got it.

If there was a theme to the critiques, I'd have to say that all of the editors and authors zeroed in on the old stand-by, show, don't tell. Isn't this the first thing we learn as a writer? And isn't it the hardest thing to do as a writer? But they expanded on it by explaining that everything on the page must be from the viewpoint of the character, not the author. (There are exceptions, of course, but I'm not there yet.)
For my manuscript pages, I was CONVINCED that I was showing. It's the one thing I've been focusing a great deal of attention on lately. But still, little telling, author-intrusive sentences continued to sneak into my pages. Arghh!!!
But of course, I'm a positive person and consider the ability to spot these spoilers a HUGE advancement in my writing ability.
Author Linda Urban was a fantastic mentor as she led us through simple, yet effective ways to search for our characters authenticity by delving into the scary world of meaningful and powerful dialog. She also critiqued my first 15 pages and as a result, I've begun to see my manuscript in a whole new light. Meaning, I can see how much improvement is necessary. But I know I'm capable of it. See, that's the good thing!

Author Bonnie Becker delivered the most comprehensive, light-bulb moment talk on plotting. I told her that I'd been to a few plot workshops before, but hers was one that reduced the sometimes complicated components of plot into something, well, easy to understand. It felt like a victory just being able to nod in agreement instead of muddling my characters internal/external/inner desire/external desire/conflict/motivations in my head. I mean, seriously? Why does this stuff have to be hard? Bonnie made it easy. I feel empowered!


All of the attendees were impressed with the nurturing environment, the one-on-one time, and the relaxed nature of the sessions. It was a restful and insightful week. This is my wonderful critique group. We met three times under the superb tutelage of Bonnie (2009 Golden Kite Winner!) Becker

So now, I have my homework outlined. I'm looking for specific things now in my manuscript. I need to delve deeper into a couple of secondary character's plotlines and then do a final "scrub" as my critique group partner, Kimball says. The thing, however, that stuck with me through all the encouragement, praise, comments, nail-biting first page moments was this....

patience

You gotta have it. Revise your manuscript. Delve deeper. Read through the entire thing out loud. If something sounds wrong. Fix it. Don't think an editor will skip over it and give you the benefit of the doubt. They won't. Fix every word. And most of all, love your story. It's the only way to get through all of the above!

Now, I'm off to my beloved Prince Edward Island where I intend to mull over my manuscript, eat lobsters, listen to my hi-fi, float in the warm waters of the Northumberland Straight and beat the pants of my sisters at the Fourth Annual Rice Point Invitational Golf Tournament. (Just had to sneak that one in, ladies.)

Summer Break

First week of summer vacation. Not so busy anymore. Kids are sleeping. The humming Tivo and computer are the only sounds I hear. It's way too early to be up and I can't help but think that if I don't make a plan--a really good plan--I could end up coffee-breaking my way through summer vacation.

I shouldn't be worried. I'm a productive person. Give me a task and it's done (except paying bills). But there is something strangely unnerving about going cold turkey.

The frenetic pace I was on (I'll admit it) was invigorating. The art shows boosted my confidence as an art teacher. The schools were alive with color, imagination and cheer. I was proud.

I've managed to write while my kids chaotic schedule breached our home's normal tranquility. But seeing my kids grow into teens is a story I don't want to miss.

(My son is in a band for pity sake! That's him in the red.)

I've delved into my artistic side this year and explored blogs of unbelievable creativity, passion and dedication. It inspired me to unearth my own vision and join the party.

So how do I avoid feeling lost and unproductive?

• I'm taking my kids to San Francisco next week. Three days of playing tourist. No itinerary, just winging it. And I plan to take lots of pictures with my fabulous new Sony Cybershot which is the best little camera in the world.

• I'm attending The Pacific Northwest Children's Writers Conference in July and hope that I get Arthur Levine for my one-on-one critique. But wouldn't it be great to have Linda Urban critique your work?

• I'm adding to my list of agents and editors and plan to query Greenwood Girls again. After a year of revisions and touch ups (based on editorial feedback plus critiques from my amazing FarFlung writers group), I'm ready to see what happens.

• I plan to take a hiatus from blogging, writing and critiquing when I travel to Prince Edward Island this summer. We'll only spend three weeks there this year (Hey, anyone want to rent a sweet little cottage on the Northumberland Straight for a really good price???). Due to my kid's expanding social and athletic needs, we're required to stay put in Santa Barbara. But how bad could that be?

(This is our little beach. Warm waters, clam digging at low tide...ahhhh...)

There. That should do it.
The neighborhood is waking up. I heard the stop and start of the newspaper man's car. Are their any paperboys left in the world? Hmmm...
Enjoy your summer everyone!

Make Hay while the Sun Shines....

Lately, much of my energy has been devoted to my art blog Deep Space Sparkle. The response to my little art service blog has been gratifying, not to mention darn exciting. I've begun to generate a little income by offering PDF lesson plans to teachers around the world and I can't say enough how wonderful it is knowing how many teachers are out there introducing children to the joys of creating art.
I figure while the interest is high, I'll put in as much effort I can.

But I've been writing too. My fantastic critique group has kept me on my toes pointing out areas to strengthen and rework my story, drawing attention to character inconsistencies (man, you think you know your characters but yet, after five years, jarring inaccuracies continue to surface) and pointing out areas of low tension or not enough sensory details.

I wish I could say that I've been working on other stories as well, but the truth is, I barely squeeze in time to work on my current book. There have been days when I fall into bed utterly depressed that I haven't been able to write for three days. Art shows, school, softball, sailing regattas, golf, band practice....my kids are the busiest they've ever been. Which means I've been busy as well.

When I get overwhelmed, I read. I picked up Thalia Chaltas debut book, Because I am Furniture and was blown away. The story is compelling and exquisitely written. I read it in one sitting and if I have one complaint, it is that it was over before I wanted it to be.
I keep "Because I am Furniture" next to my computer and open it up, anywhere, to read a page or two. Thalia's use of words is inspiring. When I feel that my sentences are rambling, I look at hers and admire the careful selection of nouns and verbs. I decided this: All writers, in every genre, can benefit from learning a thing or two from poets. The next chance I get, I'm going to a class...I think Thalia is speaking at The Central Coast Writer's Conference in September. Must sign up!

Another highlight lately has been my daughter's sudden interest in books.
She's read Harry Potter along with her classmates who seem to have a contest going on who can read the series the fastest. Elly is struggling to keep up with her friends frenetic reading schedule so one understanding friend suggested another book for her to try. Since my daughter LOVES dogs and her mean parents refuse to get her one, her best friend suggested a hot, new book called Sheep by Val Hobbs. Elly asked me if I would buy her a copy the next time I'm out.
Of course, I happily agreed and added that I know the author and might be able to get it autographed. Elly looked at me in shock. "Seriously? You know her?"
Hee hee.
Moments like these brighten my day!

Oh, and I just signed up to go to the Pacific Northwest Children's Book Conference in July with my dear writing friend, Maggie. After such a busy spring, I feel I owe it to my characters to spend 5 uninterrupted days with them. Not to mention 5 days away from softball, sailing, art shows, golf....

Art and Books...a Creative Combo

Talk about a marathon mural making session! Last Friday, all 64 sixth grade students at Mountain View School in Goleta, built and painted their clay tiles for the annual mural project.
They had been working on their sketches for a couple of weeks and were well prepared for the clay part of this project.
The photos below are works-in-progress, all yet to be fired and glazed, but I couldn't help show off a few. Aren't they fabulous? All are relief tiles and some like the "Rainbow Fish" below really pop out.
I can't wait until the mural is complete. I'll be sure to post the final image.


"Eragon" "Star Girl" "Charlotte's Web"


"Captain Underpants" "Rainbow Fish"