The Countdown...

to PARIS next month begins! Any suggestions for children's book stores I shouldn't miss while I'm there? I'm on the hunt for french picture books. My friend Abby (over in Paris) just sent this photo in WHSmith:


Looks like Audrey beat me there! ♥

Anthology Magazine: Issue 3

What have I been working on? Secrets and things...like paintings of gentlemen in tweed and ladies in high-waisted skirts for the upcoming issue of Anthology Magazine!

Cover peek above and teaser for their latest issue below:

Already an admiring subscriber, I was thrilled to have a chance to work with Anthology's founders, Editor in Chief Anh-Minh Le, and Creative Director (and author-illustrator-designer) Meg Mateo Ilasco to create the cover and interior work for Issue 3, May 2011. Their stockists include Anthropologie stores or you can subscribe via old-fashioned snail mail (my favorite).

Ah, what a good stretttchhhh for the art muscles to work in the style realm. Oxfords and heels, oh my!

Art soon...

The Making of Just Being Audrey

Author Margaret Cardillo and I chatted about the making of Just Being Audrey with children's author Jama Rattigan at her cozy blog, The Alphabet Soup. Click here if you'd like to read the interview. Many thanks, hugs, and bowls of chocolate soup, Jama!

Sláinte!

Since it's Saint Patrick's Day this movie will indubitably be watched tonight (per Denos family tradition, we're a proud half Scotch-Irish lot). The Quiet Man has it all: antiquated silliness, witty script, dreamy landscape, perfectly ridiculous fight scene, most dramatic embrace EVER:


Sigh...one day I'll get to Ireland. True fact: back in the olden days I used to Irish step dance–yes indeed. May have a "reel" or two left in me yet! (Then it's on to find the zeppole per Mediterranean Denos family tradition, saints preserve us)... Sláinte!

J'aime la langue

Bonjour, mes amis! As I've mentioned, I'm currently learning french. Class is in a creaky old house shared by a bread bakery on my favorite corner in Harvard Square (Brattle). It's been lovely.


Learning, in general, has always acted as caffeine for my art inspiration. French class is serving this purpose like a large Burdick's dark hot chocolate would (Cambridge folks, you know the powers of this beverage!) When my mind is told to stretch, art making always follows. I've been dreaming in french too–waking up with little bits like "pas du tout" "deux par deux" floating around in my head. Though I'm not any good yet (see below), I want to soak in every bit! It is decoding code, listening for jewels in sentences and stringing them together, trying to make that french "R". It is like learning to dance; falling down over and over until you muddle through on tiptoes and find your balance just one sentence long...

Mes devoirs français (starring Claude + Gerard):

Lady!

Les couleurs d'une fête

This time of year can sometimes be bleakest part of winter...the bitter end, the last haul ...just too grey!

Since my birthday is next week (yay, Pisces!) and we've just left the cheeriness of Valentine's, this time span has always felt a little dreamy to me. A little oasis of color. Memories of paper valentines, snail mail, crayons, pale pastel conversation hearts mingling with birthday party anticipation always follow me this time of year. In class we've been using the french word for festival/party too and I love it: "fête". Doesn't the word sound exactly like a little party hat?

So...I woke up this morning with these things bright in my mind and made:

Crayon buntings

Mmmmm...

And party dresses

Wishing you some winter color to tide you over!
*Merci beaucoup to my french teacher, Nicole, and friend Abby for checking grammar.

Voilà!

...the studio!

(bird's-eye from the kitchen)

Baseboard molding and outlet plates are all that's left to do. Matt designed the walls and windows. I arranged things to keep my eyes awake and my heart warm. I can't wait to have visitors! So come in...

This sandy colored ikat print makes me feel like I'm on a safari:

A live jungle cat:

Found Brian Wildsmith's ABC's on the side of the road in Central Square:

Deadlines and starfish:

1950's French globe-turned-lamp from Bliss Farm Antiques, Rehoboth MA (thank you to lovely owner, Jackie) Also from Bliss, La Civilité (Puérile et Honnête) an antique picture book of manners for children, illustrated by M.B. De Monvel...she found these things on her yearly trips to the Paris flea markets! Lucky treasure and Christmas presents from Matt :

One of its interiors I would like to live in:

Out the window:

Things that are keeping my eyes awake:

Oops! There are some secret things hanging up...

Side ponytails, a mermaid:

Been surrounding myself in these colors the past few weeks...learning so much from their interaction, dreaming in them, playing with them: unlikely pinks, reds, crisp cherry, corals, golds, bright carrot. My mind's eye is working at full speed. Seeing new work ahead while I paint projects...Oh and this book about Maira is packed full of inspiration-cartwheels and wonder:



I'm so happy to have a place where my imagination can simmer and streeetttchhhhhhhhh out! Thanks for peeking!

Gwen

Another unfortunate but typical doodle situation: Gwen decided to show up centimeters away from the drawing pad rings. Her glasses are actually drawn in "Wild Watermelon" Crayola crayon, which the scanner gets fussy about and won't reproduce. So imagine hot pink rims. I wonder what she's up to...

And...Il neige! We are getting our third monstrous mid-week snow storm here in Boston...the amount of snow is unreal and silly (still love it though). Little funny things save my sanity when I'm stuck in too long, like one of my guilty pleasures : cheesy travel DVD's (Next stop: Basque Country!)

What do you like to do when you're stuck in?