April in Paris

My parents will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in September with a huge party. I got a desperate email this morning from the sister who is in charge of the PHOTOCAKE.

Can I figure out how to open the image for her and send it back to be printed on the cake? I opened it; I was appalled at the quality of the image.

 Not being a big fan of photocakes to begin with I set off to work and finally have come up with this image. I have to admit, now that my big, fat artistic ego has become linked to the photocake I appreciate these kinds of cakes a little more. I hope that it plays a part in making the big day more special. 

• Frame 1: Geez, lets hope the kids don't notice those topless French bathers over there.
• Frame 2: Mince, j'éspère que les gosses ne voient pas les américaines qui mangent avec leurs doigts... en plus en dehors des horaires des repas! (translation: Shucks, I sure hope the kids don't notice those Americans eating with their fingers... on top of that it is in between meal hours!)

Véib' (those municipal rental bikes just newly installed all over Paris) was a perfect prop to use in an 'April in Paris' strip.  I think most people would agree that riding one of those bikes puts the rose in the puss-faced Parisian cheeks.

But there is a catch-- it is practically impossible to find an unused parking spot when it rains. You have to be quick.  On a sunny day (Paris sunny meaning 'barely any rain'-- it is all relative) we have the opposite problem, that is to say that  it's hard to find a free bike.  Woe to the user, like April, who is left in a musical chairs situation during the rain. 

Maybe it's not my funniest but I like the timeliness of it. (It counts, right?) As usual, I am gambling here that I am not the only one who can appreciate this.... Mom?

Today I will draw up my 'April in Paris' strip for the September issue.  

I have been thinking about the weather in Paris and I wonder when the secret is going to leak: Paris is ALWAYS grey and drizzly. Even so, people still flock here and always seem surprised at the bad weather as if they unwittingly picked the wrong week to come. 

Everyone knows that London is foggy but somehow Parisians have managed to make the tourists believe that the lack of sunny days is highly unusual and somehow due to the  tourist's own bad luck. In a grander scale the argument goes that global warming is to blame for the strange weather patterns and if the conversation is to take it's normal course, the fault will ultimately be traced to US government policy. (Most conversations wrap themselves up here with the US government to blame.)

So  I soak in the local chit chat and just when I start to feel awashed with shame and desperation (that they are so eager to bear witness to) a little voice tucked inside me tells me to "resist".  I will not let them under my skin.

So back to my strip: April will be standing there with a beautiful colored umbrella against a line of miserable Parisian characters with raised grey and black umbrellas.  The title? Resistance.

Just for the record. This is one of the first explorations that I did for the Nutcracker. I might have to go back and use the curtain motif for the new one.

Baby Face : Mad Sexy Cool is gaining ground on my play list. Moonglow is taking over Grace Kelly. I guess I am preparing for The Greatest's return.

This book just came out, I am the cover and interior illustrator. 

The book's contents is truly insightful. The subject matter is so close to home for me so the series was pretty easy to create!

 

Here is the link to purchase : http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-9012613-4660142?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=growing+toward+balance

  This needs line now. It needs some pumped up color, snowflakes and music notes... maybe cut out dancers? Off I go.

Roz Chaste interview on New Yorker mag is really entertaining.

It is Monday and I am thrilled. Not only is my drawing really turning around into something that pleases my eye but my apartment is also turning aroud too. Why do I have this compulsion to clean and decorate during my breaks?It hasturned into part of my creative process.

I think of my childhood environment as truely chaotic. I guess I've managed to pull myself out of that model with a lot of work and drive but I feel choked when I see myself slipping back into the comfort mode of pure slop! I can actually locate pens now and I have a designated place for rubberbands. I feel panicked when I let things go. I am proud of the progress that I have made but am not yet where I need to be.

My current background music Mika's: Grace Kelly (energy) or Sarah Vaughan: Moonglow (whimsy) or (a favorite) Radiohead: Creep (plus even Youtube: The Secret). There, a peak into my current playlist.  

My little family gets back tomorrow. I can't wait to see them although I have really enjoyed getting to know myself again and to produce illustration work plus they will benefit from the nice new set-up in the living room.

I am working on a circular composition now and have added some spruce and candy using the girl as the pivot in the center. The drawing below was a color study to see where I might be able to go with the palette.  It is kind of a mess but closer to what I want. It still doesn't look very Christmas-y but will by tonight. It is almost 9 and should be the beginning of a long night.

One year since my last post. So it looks like I am establishing a regular rhythm which is great. I really wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up this blog on a regular basis.  (We really won't know until next summer if this is going to be a regular thing.)

It is 1 am. I have finally accepted that I am most creative at night so I was able to do other things during the day without beating myself up for slacking off. In fact, I cleaned my kitchen to a pulp and even found some larvae which was extremely rewarding. (They-- the larvae looked like eraser shavings and they were found floating in-- and here is the totally disgusting part-- in my dishdrainer's tray. I guess they were baby silverfish but they could be something much more horrible. I am getting goosebumps again just thinking about it. My poor hands are dry and cracking from handling so many chemicals to surge the enemy. )

I am working on a nutcracker invitation for a very prestigious ballet company. It could actually be my big break if I don't sabotage myself. It will be seen by all the right people who may just have more work for me. Fingers crossed.

I am happy to report that my drawing has improved dramatically since last year. It is so liberating to have my technical ability not hindering my creative spirit. It only took me 40 years. I am, however, having a hard time keeping the sponaneity of my sketches in my finished drawings. I am really loving color --as usual -- and exploring how to keep a very fine line with watercolor without having the two fight too much.

I intend to post the next phase so stay tuned!Hopefully I will do that before 2008 but you never know, I might really have established my rhythm.