Superstition

It's a quicky since there was lots going on this week.

I have this superstition that I better post something for last week's Illustration Friday (the theme was Superstition)--or--ELSE!! So, of course, I'm all about posting something, even if I'm terribly late. It's kind of like one of those horrible chain emails that claim you have to send it on to 10 friends in the next 2 minutes or you will have bad luck for the next 12 years. Who wants to risk that?! (So please, I beg you....do not include me on your list for these forwards!)

I'm also all about posting a superstition that may bring about GOOD LUCK...which we all can use, right?! "Fingers crossed" has thought to bring good luck since...well, at least since my days in the school playground. Maybe centuries. Anyway, a long time. Occasionally, I use this highly deft method as an adult too...and it always seems to make whatever I don't have any control over, a little more hopeful...like, "Hey! I'm doing what I can here" even if it's just crossing a couple of fingers.
Wacky? Yes! Hopeful? You betcha. Helpful? Who knows.

Scale

See, I'm a Libra, so when I saw this week's Illustration Friday theme was the word, "scale" I immediately thought I'd like to draw some sort of variation on my Zodiac symbol. And since I love cupcakes, it all seemed to make logical sense to me. I considered many other ideas though...and it was hard for me to figure out which direction I wanted to take with this...did I want to draw something relating to weight, to size or judgement? All things that might have made this a much stronger illustration. And then, after I decided to just get started on this... I thought...what should be on these plates??? Should she be weighing her options...cupcakes versus fruit? Or are her "balanced" and equal plated cupcakes okay? And now, it occurs to me (finally!) that this is fine the way it is. Just let it go! See, as a Libra, I might be "balanced" and fair-minded but, dagnabbit, it's hell to make a simple decision sometimes! So, fine...here, have a cupcake Libra girl!!

Hats!

The theme for Illustration Friday this week is "Hats". Hats are awesome. I love hats. Unfortunately, I look horrid in most of them. Soooooo, all the more reason to enjoy putting them on my characters, yes?! Um, TOTALLY! True, not a whole lotta concept involved here but I had a whole lotta of fun doing it.

Hats' off to everyone who's stopped by! (I know, I know...MOAN! Couldn't help myself)

Re-vamped!

Here's the cover I drew for the 3rd book in the "My Sister the Vampire" series, due in stores November 20th. The first two books are already available in the Young Reader (early chapter books) sections of your local, big-chained bookstores! YAY! Fourth one is due in December or January or February...I'll have to check on that. (* this is sort of a poor quality jpeg lifted from Amazon and I will try and get a crisper version from HarperCollins. I didn't think it would be appropriate for me to post the image without the title, which is all I have here)

Meanwhile, the name of this particular cover seems in line with some of what I've been trying to do this past weekend. RE-VAMP! Slowly but surely, I'm getting rid of unneccessary emails, tidying up my messy desktop, shredding old credit card offers and donating that beautiful old sweater from 1998 (among many other things). Oh yes, and breathing new life into this blog!!!! I've a looooong way to go, but it feels good to have started.