ManicDDaily

Here’s a pic from a new children’s book I am working on. Still very much in progress. (I am not a very experienced illustrator, and I am always amazed when any idea of an image works out at all! Each time, there’s a little leap into the unknown. In this case, I have been a little concerned about drawing a bug–one that is identifiable as an insect, but also kind of cute. My cars are not very realistic but at least I’ve gotten a certain idea of a car down.)

For children’s books of mine that are already “out there,” please check out those here, and here. My favorite kid’s book at the moment is probably Snail Taxi. My favorite adult book, No River.)

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This horse will have to walk very gently, so as not to disturb crown or nest. I feel there’s a story that will go with this one, but I’m not yet sure of it.

I have been writing a fair amount, by the way, but I realized, after restarting this blog, that I feel tremendously reluctant to post writing that I am still working on. For me, writing requires a great deal of revision, and I find that the process of making a draft manuscript public, even for a supportive audience, can really inhibit revision. (I feel too embarrassed by the things I want to change, after a little time passes, to even be able to look at a pre-publicized draft.)

So, I’m stuck with little pictures at the moment! But I do hope to publish a book of short stories soon; it will be heavily revised!

Have a good week!

(All rights reserved on little pics, btw, which I hope to use as a basis for more children’s writing at some point! My current children’s, and other, books can be found here, and here. My favorite kid’s book at the moment is probably Snail Taxi. My favorite adult book, No River.)

I hope you are enjoying it.

A race? A subterfuge? Sometimes it’s hard to know.

Happy Friday!

(As always, all rights reserved.)

Staying with a child and already thinking of Halloween. I love the idea of bird costumes though not sure children (or parents) think along the same lines!

Hello all!

Oddly, enough, while drawing this picture yesterday, I thought a lot about Texas, the new law there that will make abortion nearly impossible. This will be accomplished, in part, by a bounty system targeting women in need.

The people who pushed this law claim to care about children. Yet, oddly, these same people don’t seem to push the covid vaccine even though the high vaccination of adults and teens is the best protection currently available to children. 

These people also typically oppose gun safety laws, as well as any restriction intended to promote clean water, clean air, or the future habitability of the planet.  All things that affect children a very great deal. 

Yet, in spite of all those contradictions, I do believe that many pushing the Texas law care about children. They are just not clear-sighted. And they also seem to have a strong idea that doing God’s work involves controlling and punishing people, particularly women. 

I care about children too. I want them to be loved, and taken care of, and to have enough to eat and to have opportunities to learn and to have a chance at living in this beautiful planet that we were lucky enough to evolve in.  (I say that as someone who also seems to believe in God, at least I pray an awfully lot!)

But I’m not sure that the Texas people would believe that I care about children or the idea of a God, because I also strongly support a woman’s right to have an abortion. 

Which brings me to the drawing above.  Made because I often do pictures for children. Because even though I believe that a woman has a right to control her own body, I also care about children.  And there is not the least contradiction there.  

I started to write that I was flying today, but I realize that could mean that my spirits were lifting me to the skies, when in fact all that I am doing is boarding a plane. 

My first time on public transportation since the beginning of March 2020.  

I had intended to sit out the Delta variant, but things come up, and sometimes one also needs to. (Honestly, I feel blessed to be able to get to the place I want to go.)  But, of course, there is trepidation–will I be able to manage double-masking?  Do I need to?  Are the masks that I bought that are labeled some kind of N95 truly some kind of N95? What if we are delayed endlessly? What if we go down?  (I’m not actually so worried about that one. But we have been breathing an awfully lot of doom lately!)

Then there are the looking-out-the-window fears, the in-cabin concerns. Will the landscape look scorched? Will some passenger go beserk?

The pic above was done earlier this summer after hearing of the death of a dear friend, who dearly dearly loved to travel.  

The pic below is just one of my children’s variety, included with the hope of raising my spirits (and maybe yours a little) to the skies.  Yes, they look like they are about to crash, but isn’t the pull-out from the nose dive the exciting part? 

Stay well.    

As always, all rights reserved.

The progress of the year used to feel predictable, times like Labor Day weekend marking seemingly sure transitions. Of course, predictability seems lost these days, and, to be honest, may always have been rather imaginary. Here’s a little drawing of some kind of being concerned about what comes next. Luckily, the heavens seem to be smiling, though perhaps at an inside joke! All best!

This is a little pastel/charcoal drawing; sorry for the poor cropping–life very busy of late. As always, all rights reserved.