great for kids, girls and the occasional guy who's comfortable with his masculinity
You know that book, 'If you give a Pig a Pancake'? --far superior to 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' -- To your right you'll see photograpic evidence of 'If You in a Moment of Weakness Share Your Watercolors with a Five Year Old.'
These are a few random bits from a storyboard I did for Job-Job a couple of weeks ago. I particularly loved the babies and the turtles and thought I might as well save the birds too. I think when I do the turtles I'll make them look a bit like fairy mushrooms.
Tonight I stopped by Staples on my way home and indulged in a delicious composition book and a few pencil toppers. Something about September makes school supplies a necessity. I know it's silly, but part of me always longs for new text books and the excitement of a new school year.
The US Open is in full swing!
This is my only real annual sports time. I may not follow the traditional American fare. I couldn't tell you who's on the Lakers this year and I have no idea where the last College Football score ended up. Tennis is a whole other story. We lucked out and ended up catching Wozniacki and Kuznetsova for a thrilling match. 
Every few volleys one of them would take the advantage. You'd be sure it was over - last set, advantage determined, and then the lead would get stolen out from under them until the score board reversed. 
We routed for Wozniacki the whole way and in the end she kicked it to the curb and we got bragging rights (funny how that works out). 
We ended up competing most of the night between watching the match and trying to ignore the N.J. DBs behind us. They were one member short of a boy band.
They spent the evening making up false statistics and then swearing to God that they were true. At one point I started up a tally to make them tolerable. That's a She Sure is Sketchy tip for you. If you cannot stand the girl popping gum in your ear on the train, the kid hitting his brother on the head or the jerks kicking your seat - just start a tally. It makes it easier to handle. You end up kind of feeling like you're winning every time you put a mark on the sheet. 
The last count was 28 "I swear to Gods." This is impressive if you take into the account the things they were willing to take to the pearly gates for affirmation - stuff like the night's location of Will Ferrel, the speed on the last ball to graze the net, the age of the ball girls, etc.
Here's another tip: If you want She Sure is Sketchy blogtime you should probably be wearing something flouncy.
We could hardly hear anything once they announced that Djokovic was coming out. The crowd was screaming so loud that we couldn't even hear the NJDB behind us. I put my notebook away and leaned as far out of my seat as I could for the rest of the evening. 
It kind of got to be one of those "don't play with your food" situations. After the second set it was clear that Stepanek wasn't going to be moving on into the quarter finals. The rest of the match just left Djokovic putting him through his paces. Stepanek can be an amazing match to watch. Last night he was Dullsville. I think he must have gotten psyched out early on. He changed his shirt after the third set because he'd soaked through it. So it's safe to say he was a tad stressed. I doubt it gets much tougher than walking into an almost silent stadium and then standing there to hear the crowd erupt when your opponent comes out and takes his side of the court. That can't do much for your ego. The stadium was deafening too. At one point that the announcer has to ask everyone to settle down. I have never been at a match where people had to be asked to be quiet. It's just not done. Every time Djokovic raised his racket you could hear a pin drop. Then if Stepanek missed something the crowd would go wild. It is the closest I've ever come to feeling Grecian. 
He wasn't warmed up but still schooled Mr. 22, seated 4th in the world. Not many 27 year-olds can say that they saw John Mcenroe play at the US Open - Now I can. He actually only volleyed for about five or six minutes but the energy in the stadium was like elixir of bliss.
As always Surface design on She Sure is Sketchy is available for licensing for all your market needs.
Sometimes I put something away on a shelf for months and months and pull it out to get a new perspective. If I'm really, really excited about something I'll jump on it as soon as I get a spare second.
If I keep the drawings happening quickly I don't lose the energy. Because I redraw my sketches and then watercolor on top of the final drawings I don't ever have to worry about ruining a promising drawing when I move onto paint. I always have the unmarred original sketch in my back pocket. I think just the mere removal of this kind of pressure keeps the work fresh and spontaneous. When I first started painting my work I'd go back and redo a drawing over and over if I messed up when moved onto paint. Now I do that less than 5% of the time - if that. Plus, I've grown up a bit and I really like the little imperfections that the paint creates against the paper. I think it makes for richer illustrations.
After I scan my finished watercolors I cut them out with the pen tool in Photoshop. Yay for the pen tool! I LOVE the pen tool. For the most part my deliberate thinking process stops after the illustrations are cut out. I don't know what the surface design I pull together will look like but I know it will be fabulous.
I saw La Bohemme once years and years ago. I remembered loving the voices, adoring the costumes, admiring the sets and yet not liking the play. I decided to go last night because I reasoned I was probably young and uncultured at my last La Bohemme screening. Sadly, in my adolescence I was surely much more respectful and demure about my viewing experience than the girl sitting in my seat last night. I remember thinking in my young state that the plot really, super sucked. I forgot that the plot is to RENT what Emma is to Clueless. I have always, always, hated RENT. Paying it and watching it. Granted, the songs are inspired. However, at the end of a huge Broadway production I should CARE. At the end of RENT I do not. So my child-self was right and La Bohemme's plot is sorely lacking.
I thrilled at the many, many lines that begun 'Well I am a true poet."
Design Challenge 3 - Every team needs second look:
Some of my favorite quotes from this episode:
Photo: Mike Yarish/ Lifetime Networks 2009
I walked home tonight with my books held tightly to my chest and the wind whipping my hair around me like a scarf. I giggled a little as I fought the breeze. It seems I spent so much energy waiting for a Summer that never seemed to come. Then September 1 showed up and Miss Autumn knows exactly where she belongs. I didn't even realize it was time yet. All of the sudden I stopped feeling like I'd been cheated out of a Summer. Out of no where Fall is here and out of no where I am giddily excited about her arrival. 
Much like helping the environment by recycling your shampoo bottles and turning off the water while you're busy brushing your teeth, you can support the arts in small ways that really make a difference. Take some time to think about it.
