Wednesday, October 22, 2008

good news


WOW!

I've received a great offer from HarperCollins for the manuscripts of two picture books I've written and will illustrate.

I'm thrilled of course, but I really believe in the 2 stories, and they're going to be loads of fun to illustrate. I'm raging to get started!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

money advice


Quote of the day, featuring my one-and-only scratchboard drawing:

"It is easier to rob by setting up a bank than by holding up a bank clerk."
Bertolt Brecht

Friday, October 10, 2008

fixing a hole


Although there are over 200,000 of them, there are still some missing.

Words, I mean. I just can’t find proper ones for describing what I mean when I’m trying to describe that thing that happens when I’m doing that thingy kind of thing. Or getting that thing I’m striving for.

Art and the process of creating art lacks many necessary words. With 200,000 of them flying around anyway there should be no compunction in creating a few more. So here are a few suggestions.

For instance, When you’re in the groove so much you lose track of time while drawing or painting.
Let’s take the Latin word for time: vicis, and another that means quite a few things: postponed, spacious, loose, relaxed. That whopper is laxus.
Put them together and you get Vicilax. Sounds like a new drug. Let’s make it easier on our tongues and just say velax.
Let’s see how it works in a sentence.
“On that painting, I velaxed so deeply I forgot to eat lunch.”

And what about that groove? A more exact word is needed.
Some word for that zen-like state when you’re working and entirely focused but in a relaxed way.
Calm: sedo
Aware: conscius
Consedo. Brevity being the soul of clarity, let’s do Conse. Consed being past tense.
As in: “After an hour of drawing I was conseing big-time”

How about when you are drawing or painting and you are not just drawing or painting but putting a healthy helping of yourself into it. And the result is something you can FEEL. The work has vitality and substance.
The Latin Ars for art. Ego for self and Serere, meaning to link together.
Arserego. Lets go a bit shorter with Arsego. Shorter? Arse. OK, maybe we’ll stick with Arsego.
As in: “I need to stare at the canvas for an hour or two before I can start arseging.”

Daydreaming in a focused and deliberate manner to solve a creative problem or generate ideas: Somnium: Dream. Facundia: Productive.
Faculumnium. A mouthful. So we shorten to: Flum.
Therefore: “I’m not staring out the window; I’m flumming, so buzz off!”

A work of art that appears well done, but lacks soul or substance.
Patina for surface.
Non for not.
Profundus for deep.
Patinonfundus.
Patundeef. Patundid. Pundid. Pundy. Poondy. Poondie. That's the one!
“That’s a very poondie sculpture in the corner.”

There are more needs to be met out there, surely. Any suggestions?

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

optimism cream pie


A few encouraging words at this time of universal gloom:

It is not what we have, but what we enjoy that makes happiness.
Epicurus

The character best able to enjoy life is a warm, carefree and unafraid soul.
Lin Yutang

Possessions possess. Paul Eldridge

Chin’s Thirty Three Happy Moments

Friday, October 3, 2008

waiting stinks


Patience stinks too.

I'm waiting to hear about an offer from a publisher.

Time expands in direct proportion to the contraction of patience.