my oldest best friend

My oldest best friend in the world bought a copy of my book. I shipped it out all official like with a printed invoice and printed mailing label. We've been friends since the 4th grade. She has a blog and had this to say. She is really ,y best friend ever in the world.

Outside the Lines

A few years back someone handed me this poem and said- this made me think of you. The poem was about being different. Not fitting in. How lonely and yet liberating it can be at the same time. She was right. I've always been different. I've looked at the world from a different view than most of the people around me. Not so easy when you are a kid but it fits now that I'm an adult. This poem called "Coloring" inspired me to write and illustrate a book about growing up and not quite fitting in. The title of my book is "Outside the Lines". Writing a book is alot like being pregnant for the first time, and going through editing and rewrites is alot like childbirth. The hardest part of wirting the book for me was letting my publisher (Smiling Stone Soup) take the "protoype" copy and show it to bookstore owners. What if they didn't like it? What if...What if...What if...I cried. I felt like I did when my oldest daughter left home for college. I was glad to see her spread her wings and fly. I knew she could do it because of the foundation we laid for her but still... letting go isn't easy. So now my book is 'out there' and people like it. Borders ordered copies of it to sell this fall.

I talk with my hands...

I teach art classes to young people here at the studio. This fall I have had a girl who is deaf taking classes. Auna reads lips very well so her mother thought it shouldn't be a problem. Mom hung around during class just in case Auna needed an interpreter. So, I have had to learn a different way to teach- I don't know sign language. We were getting along very well- I spoke distinctly so Auna could read my lips- but then as she got more into the project and I got more into the flow of teaching I started "talking" with my hands. What can I say? (interject a shrug of the shoulders and hand out palms up) I'm Italian! Poor Auna. She didn't know if she should read my lips or watch my hands. Finally Mom came in and helped us get back on track. Auna is teaching me a few words and phrases in sign. So far my favorite is "way cool".

The Leather Skirt

So I am one of those thrift store junkies. I get excited when I find a garment that still has the tags on it from the original store. That is like the ultimate find! So I came across this leather skirt- black leather, fully lined with a kick pleat in the back. Skinny is back so this skirt is still in style. Now, I just can't buy something like that without DOING something to it. I decided it needed to be painted so I am cutting a stencil of Chinese characters that spell out "Hot Babe" to run down the left side of the skirt in gold. Not sure what I want to put on the other side down by the hem to balance it out but what ever I come up with will be in red!

Water Goddess

The cool thing about making my own dolls is that I am not tied to any ethnicity or culture. They can wear anything from anywhere and be whatever they are.
How's that for abstract art terms?