Illustration Friday: Prepare

31 Day Drawing Challenge

This is me preparing for a 31 Day Drawing Challenge I will be undertaking very soon.... Anyone care to join me?  I'd love some company, motivation, competition...???

Photo Friday

Cloudy

Illustration Friday: Highlight

This may be interpreted incorrectly by me, but I choose believe this is what was intended...

The Illustration Friday topic for last Friday was "Highlight" and thusly, I've chosen a few of my illustrations that were my highlights for 2011...

Gaia Me


Sea Turtles bookmark


Soaked in Her Love


Nyan Girl


Unicorn Side-view


Jenn & Sarah


Friends


I'm working on another kawaii girl right now that I had so hoped to finish by the end of December, but the coloring keeps crashing my program, so it's taking so much longer...

What were your creative highlights from 2011?

Photo Friday: Best of 2011

Last Friday, the Photo Friday prompt was 'Best of 2011' and with that in mind, I've gone through my photos and chosen one for each month.  They may not necessarily be the *best* photos to a professional photographer, but they are definitely the best to me...  (Click any to view bigger...)

January: Snowy Woods


February: Shoveling Snow


March: First Robin


April: Peep Army


May: Spring Garden


June: Shine Masquerade


July: 2 Baby Bluebirds


August: Grandma x2


September: Flying South


October: Halloween


November: November's Beaver Moon


December: Happy Holidays


What were some of your favorite photos this past year?  Comment with a link!

My Best Reads of 2011

Bunny Read Bookmark, available on Etsy

Someone on one of my Etsy groups asked about our favorite books from 2011 today, so I went to my Goodreads to check it out. I added 93 books to my 2011 Shelf - although I probably read more, just failed to record them - and there were 11 that to which I gave 5 stars. Those are:

• The Candymakers by Wendy Mass - Told from the point of view of 4 12-year old contestants in a national candy making competition, this story has mystery, friendship, and a very satifying ending.
• A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass - A coming-of-age story about a 13-year old girl with synesthesia and how she learns to cope with it and life.
• The End of the Line by Angela Cerrito - An intense tale about a 13-year old boy coming to terms with accidentally killing his friend.
• Keeper by Kathi Appelt - A tale of a 10-year old girl convinced her absent mother is really a mermaid, but is she? Finding out may be more tragic than never knowing.
• The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry - A successful woman, on the brink of marriage, returns to her childhood home to care for her aging father, and in the process redraws the map of her life.
• The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars by Steven Brust - Actually not the 1st time I had read this.  A story of an artist and his relationships with the artists he shares a studio with, which seems to mirror the fantasy of the Hungarian folk-tale he tells.
• Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers - Another tale of a troubled young man who discovered that he wants to *be* Debbie Harry, although he doesn't think he's gay.  What to tell his girlfriend?
• XVI (XVI, #1) by Julia Karr - Set in a dystopian future, this is the story of a 15-year old girl who doesn't want to turn 16, which means getting a tattoo to show the world they can have sex with her. Then she learns a shocking secret that turns her life upside down.
• Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - What seems like just a light-hearted, mystery/ghost story, turns out to be a touching tale of family and friendship.
• Phenomena by Esme Parks - I know I am biased, but really it was great IMHO! Told from several points of view, this tale made me laugh out loud so many times!
• Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster (Dragonbreath, #4) by Ursula Vernon - Comic illustrations combined with hilarious text and an exciting adventure make this entire series 5-star!

Another book that I've started that will be sure to get 5 stars, although I've not finished it yet, is Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. While I am not what one would call a comic geek, I do have an interest, especially from the art-side of things, and this book is such a great resource!

What were your favorite reads this past year?