This summer:
JB & I did three rounds of Artist Trading Cards with eight other women. Each of us had a theme--I did this one for "Animals" (obvious liberty taken on my part, since birds are not animals.) I so rarely use my colored pencils or water colors and I am always happy when I do.
My Micron pens--I use all the time. If you don't own a Micron, spend $ 3 and buy one. They don't smudge. And their lines are everything you'd want lines (and circles and shapes) to be. :^)
Our peach tree delivered. I was impressed.
This is our friend, Barb. She was always fascinating, but has somehow morphed into this fascinating stunning woman. A joy to behold, wouldn't you say?
I drew this for the ATC's--the theme for this one was People. I would say these are the kick-ass Sisterfriends. I can't draw from imagination. I tend to try to copy something, even though I might then make it my own. These three were on a black and white calendar.
My writing friend and I hope forever friend Lora sent me this chart when I publicized my struggle to keep my characters and events and their ages organized. This is the 'organizational chart' for a Harry Potter novel. Aha! I wrote out a chart for myself, vertically from 1947 through 2012. Next to that I put in a title of a scene or a chapter--some event in the book. Horizontally, I put the names of each character (7 of them, including the singer-songwriter John Denver) and added their ages over the years, and what was happening with them.
Something is now clearer in my head. I am starting to thread people and time and place together. I have written 35,000 words and I have to say I am laughing my ass off in parts. I read a chapter to my ferried Liz and she laughed her ass off. Good sign and fun times, writing this book (disclaimer: so far).
I created this graph a while back after I read about the five balls. Four of the balls are made of glass, sufficiently fragile that if you should drop one it can break. But the fifth ball--work: work is a rubber ball. It can bounce. I offer this as a quick lesson in What Matters Most…..
I have some blog visits to catch up on. I will. I am still cursing Facebook for changing too much about my blog. And just about everyone else's too. Still, I cannot even tell you how many actual true blue friends I have made and I will always love from blogging. From all over the world. Fantastic.
love
kj
I see you have been busy Lady! Thanks so much for stopping by. Seems not to many of us get a chance to visit or blog that much anymore. Glad to see you posting beautiful things! Hugs to you!
ReplyDeletehugs to you too, vee. i don't think I've been as busy as you, but I'm happy and healthy and that's plenty!
Deletelove
kj
Birds are not animals ?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI love your illustrations, very early Van Gogh : )
I didn't know you could successfully grow peach trees in the north. Are they difficult? ie. need spraying, pruning, more than one tree, special care?
I am so happy to read that the writing is going well. My art work doesn't go beyond stick figures. I am pretty sure my writing would be worse. But I am always so impressed by folks who can do it.
Finally, I am stealing your 5 ball lesson to share with some people who obviously need it.
September blessings to you.
ha 8! i had to look up birds. sometimes they are considered animals and sometimes not. I always think of them as their own category. :^)
Deletedefinitely you can have a peach tree. we bought ours at a local garden center and it has been prolific. no real care needed so far. no diseases so far and we're into our 3rd year. it is very fun to have a peach tree!
the lesson of the five balls. it comes from a cheesy novel and i never forgot it. work is a rubber ball…..
love
kj
Loving your crafts. All great artists did their work by looking at something, rather than simply imagination, really. Your friend Barb is stuffing... I want her hair! Mine is in about 2 inches now since the chemo ended.
ReplyDeleteHey, if you have time, check out my blog to read the first chapter of the novel I wrote. I would love a little feedback from you, kj. :) Lovexxx.
thanks, barbara. haha about spellcheck. probably we'd all rather be stunning than stuffing :^)
Deletei am happy to read your chapter. if you don't hear from me within a week or two, please give me a literary elbow
i hope you are doing okay. i just added you to my blog list. for some reason i thought you were there already but not so.
love
kj
I appreciate that, kj. xx
DeleteI meant to write, stunning! not stuffing!!
ReplyDeleteLove your cards - they seem to be screaming celebration! I have a nerdy love of pens (as well as office supplies in general) and seem to recall Micron.. is it an art pen? Yes - Barb is stunning - what an amazing head of hair!
ReplyDeleteOh that chart - brings back memories of writing my YA novel - it's eye opening to see others struggle with keeping track of all these various aspects as much as I do. I heard actually that some writers put this all on an Excel spreadsheet (not planning to do that myself, but just sayin')
That graph of 5 balls is a powerful metaphor for life and reminder to protect those fragile spheres.
35,000 is a lot of words - fantastic progress you have made KJ - congrats.
(Fantastic peach haul - lucky you :)) Btw - because I don't have Facebook I didn't get how it has changed your blog? Sounds like a pain in the a*&)
amanda, i write with my micron as well as sketch. try a no. 5 or a no 3. i think you will love them.
Deletethere is an app called scribner that helps writers keep track; i imagine like excel. i'm avoiding the learning curve. i have a simple timeline graph now, and i have the ages of my characters matched up with years and events so i'm making progress. thanks for your encouragement, amanda. it means a lot to me xoxo ps the thing about fb is it's too easy to post a photo daily or even more than daily that i would otherwise wait to compile on my blog. :^(
love
kj
Now see - you may do the turtle thing with gardening but not writing/art!
ReplyDeleteHow are the peaches?
hi cs. sometimes i turtle write and turtle draw as well. but like you, sometimes i pull marathon days and nights and i love that too.
ReplyDeletethe peaches came out darn good! we probably had fifty or so in all.
love
kj
Kj, Love you drawings...Glad to see you are having fun. xoxo
ReplyDeletehi annie, yes, having fun. you too, right?!
Deletelove
kj