Rediscovering My Roots and Rekindling the Fire (or a post in which I draw again, and get cheesy about it)

Holy interplanetary yardsticks, Batman, has it really been about a month since I blogged last?

Yep, it has.

But crazier, I have spent this last month DRAWING.

Okay, that shouldn't seem so crazy. After all, drawing is what I DO. Or at least, what I did.... and I came to the realization that the last time I picked up a colored pencil and sketched was NINE MONTHS ago. And before that, I went six months without drawing.

Let me just say, Marisa without a drawing pencil is a sad Marisa indeed. And I didn't even realize it. For a handful of years, my life was draw, erase, sell my art, draw, erase, sell my art. Since '10, however, my life has been strictly write, delete, rewrite, write, delete, rewrite, and so on - still creative, but a whole 'nother kind of creativity. And it has been solitary work, when before, I spent my days drawing at the kitchen table with my growing-up-way-too-soon kiddos.

The above samples are from the children's book project I was working on for a friend during Feb/March - a therapy book for preschoolers, as part of her dissertation. It was kind of immense. And exhausting. And the hand cramps, oh man.

But when I started drawing again, it just felt good for the soul, in a total Campbell's soup commercial kind of way.

My kids have been in heaven - drawing again has meant more time sharing table space with them kiddos -- who love tracing my pictures and coloring them in, and adding millions of details of their own.

(Annelie's picture)

And after seeing how excited the girls were with my sketches, I started digging though Ye Olde File Cabinet of Curiosities, where a stack of unfinished Elegant Snobbery sketches - a stack at least an inch thick - has been lurking since '07.

My good pal Alyssa has been pushing me to do digital stamps for ages now, and I've been smiling and nodding and completely ignoring her.

But I think it's time to start listening to the wise gal that she is, because I ADORE the idea of turning my old designs into digital stamps. And it just might prompt me to color a couple of them in, which I can pretty much guarantee I'll love doing, too.

And I know my kids'll love it - maybe even more than me.

How about you guys? Any old loves you've rekindled lately? Any loves that need rekindling?

Hope the last month has treated you kindly, folks! Happy Thursday!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: The Portrait Artist Edition

ANNELIE: I drew you a picture, Mom. It's you and Dad.

ME: I love it. Looks just like us.

ANNELIE [inspecting her picture]: Yeah, it DOES look just like you! I'm going to put it on the fridge to show Gracie when she gets home.

[sticks it on fridge, admires work]

Wow. I'm pretty sure Gracie won't even know I drew it.

[looks at me VERY seriously]

It's so good Gracie will think YOU drew it, Mom.

------------------

Hee hee, my kiddo cracks me up whilst flattering the both of us, and I'm not going to say I don't love that ('Cuz I do)

Annelie is a pretty fantastic artist, if I do say so myself. I'm quite a fan of her emo graphic novel-style art.

I get hundreds of little emo-kid ink drawings a day.

Hundreds. Literally. This kiddo draws morning, noon, and night.

Move over, Edward Gorey - Annelie Hopkins is on her way!

xoxo,