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Strolls through time and space - Michael Johansson 2009
Really cool found object installations by Swedish artist Michael Johansson.
Michael has this to say about his work, “I am fascinated walking around flea markets finding doubles of seemingly unique, though often useless objects I have already purchased at another flea market. Despite the fact that I did not have any use for them even the first time, the desire to own two of these objects becomes too strong to resist. The unique and unknown origin of the object increases my desire to want the double – the unlikelihood of this sensation repeating itself produces an attraction that is too strong to resist.”
Tonight is my monthly cartoon screening at the CineFamily / Silent Movie Theatre so I’ll be spending my birthday doing exactly what I love to do: screening 35mm Technicolor film prints on the big screen to an appreciative audience. The theme of the evening is Valentine’s Day and we’re calling it Toonstruck: Cartoons In Love. To reserve tickets or more information, check the website or our new Cartoon Tuesday’s Facebook page.
0 Comments on TONIGHT: Cartoons, Cake and Jerry’s Birthday as of 2/9/2010 2:18:00 AM
This is seven minutes long, but I promise you it’s well-worth watching. It’s an animated film from Armenia, in Russian with sub-titles, written, produced, animated and directed by Robert Saakyants. It’s based on an Armenian folk tale, and at about 1:30 a wizard appears — the animation of this shape-shifter makes this a classic. Check it out:
An Itch to Scratchis back! The big, daft gorilla went out of print for a short while there, but he's back - hurrah! He's only available in paperback these days, but is a snip at £5.99, I'm sure you'll agree...
As always, if you would like a signed copy with a little, hand-drawn pic of our uncomfortable, hairy friend, just drop me an email. I found good homes for both those Danish copies of Stinky! by the way, so that's great.
In the meantime, if you haven't already heard the story, click here to read about the gorilla-nipple-debacle..!
1 Comments on Itching Again!, last added: 2/9/2010
You beat me to it there Lynne. I was just going to post a comment on your blog to tell you that The Itch was back... I received an email from someone that ordered a copy last last year to say they had finally received it. Hurrah!
Hey, where do the days go??? Among other things, I've been busily prepping for a school visit tomorrow. Why is it middle-schoolers make me so nervous? I could talk to 4th graders day after day and never get anxious about it, and the younger grades are just so adorable and happy -- I want to write some books for the little ones, because school visits to them are so much fun! But start getting up to 5th... well, they're still pretty easy, but I don't know, 6th, 7th, and -- ulp -- 8th? They're too cool for me. They're actually way cooler than me. That must be the problem. So hopefully they will be interested tomorrow. It's almost midnight, and I'm as ready as I'm going to be! (I have a high school visit coming up, and that's even scarier!)
And hey, Clementine turns 6 months tomorrow! Where do the months go??? It's been a half a YEAR already?!?! Madness.
That's all. See ya later.
1 Comments on Where do the days go? And the months???, last added: 2/9/2010
I know! Eightgraders terrify me! The one semester I didn't get a student loan (I had studied for too long, there was an eight year limit, haha), I had to temp at a middle school to scrape by, and man. I've never felt more like a plastic bag of old corduroy. But just try to imagine how you would have felt if a cool writer with pink hair came to your school. Excited, no? In fact, pretending to speak to an eleven year old self seems to help. She liked the stuff I do.
And hug for Clementine! Happy half a year, little sprout!
The title of her blog says it all: LIVING THE DREAM. A dream born many years ago, when she was just a child. A dream nourished by a supportive mother. A dream guided through instruction at Syracuse University. Polished at the School of Visual Arts. But Shadra Strickland’s dream didn’t end there.
Soon after graduation, she was offered an opportunity to illustrate her first book, an emergent reader called BIG OR LITTLE, written by Fonda Bell Miller. It was published by Lee & Low Books in 2002.
Her second book, BIRD, written by Zetta Elliott, published with Lee & Low Books in 2008. Following the success of BIRD, the dream began to collect awards.
Shadra was a contributor to the book Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change, published by BloomsbuyUSA in 2009, which has also received major accolades, including an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children. With Our Children Can Soar, she paid tribute to Ruby Bridges, who became the first African American child to attend an all-white school in the South. Her illustrations are full of emotion and successfully capture the quiet strength of Ruby Bridges, using soft colors and delicate line work.
Please note: I interviewed Shadra about a year ago, and I just realized that most of my questions here are repeat (same photo and everything). My apologies, but don’t go away. New things are a-poppin’ in the land of the dream. Check it out:
Please talk about your most recent book.
My next book is called A PLACE WHERE HURRICANES HAPPEN. It’s the story of Hurricane Katrina told through the voices of four neighborhood friends. “Hurricanes” was challenging for me for a couple of reasons. First, it featured four main characters, and second it was the story of Hurricane Katrina. I had never been to New Orleans before working on the book. I tried to be very careful not to make the images journalistic.
What is the primary medium used in your work?
Right now I primarily use watercolor and gouache. I studied illustration at Syracuse University where I experimented with a few different mediums, mainly oil and acrylic, but I didn’t learn how to “play” until years later in graduate school at SVA.
I am having LOTS of fun with my strip, Pokeweed! And I have been getting some really positive feedback, so I thought I would post another sample here. Also, there is a facebook fanpage over here! I hope ya join!
We had so much fun visiting Laura Risdall's kindergarten class at Burroughs Elementary, that we're going on tour! On Fridays, March 12th through June 4th, we'll be visiting preschools and kindergarten classes for a book reading, physical activity, and an art project. Spread the word and get signed up--spots will fill quickly! Check out this 2 and a half minute preview:
0 Comments on i get around SPRING TOUR! as of 2/8/2010 9:00:00 PM
So this is the new wallet that I mentioned in my last post. I made it from a thick piece of wool fabric and I think that was a nice way to make it sort of soft and cushy without using any interfacing or such. The tricky part was really just figuring out the steps to sew a wallet together.
If you want to make one in this style, just measure the size you would like the wallet to be, ie. the main panel, and decide how many compartments you need to fit the things you need. You'll need to have fairly good sewing skills to follow this, ideally you'll have made similar types of things. Then here are the general steps:
Get started Create your pattern pieces with paper or cardstock (so you can make another one later!) then cut out the fabric, I recommend linings for the pockets to add structure and give a nice finished look. Embellish the outer panel of the wallet as you wish. I added lace, you could add an inset quilted panel, applique, or anything you like.
Bottom cards section with large slip pocket 1. The card dividers should all be the same height to fit your cards, and the same width as the main panel of the wallet. Attach each to its lining at the top side, turn right side out and press. 2. Attach main slip pocket to its lining, turn right side out and press. 3. Attach card dividers onto main slip pocket. Attach the top divider first, stitching the sides and bottom so that the cards will stay in place with the top of the card showing. Then layer extra dividers on top, each one lower than the last. 4. Stitch a dividing column down the middle.
Top zipper pocket section 1. Create the main slip pocket, sew to its lining, turn right side out and press 2. Sew the zipper to the front of the zipper pocket pieces and its lining 2. Fold in the bottom of the zipper pocket (the outside and lining) and top stitch onto slip pocket.
Closure 1. Sew tab to its lining, at the sides and bottom, turn right side out and press, the tab can be square or rounded 2. Top stitch tab (if you wish) and add a snap 3. Attach the tab to the outer panel of the wallet 4. Add the other half of the snap to the outer panel of the wallet
Finish 1. Attach bottom pocket panel and to
0 Comments on Wool lace wallet tutorial as of 1/1/1900
Photo of David Scheve found on his public Facebook profile
I’ve never had to write something like this before because I’ve never had a consumer experience quite as awful as this. I hope to prevent others from suffering what I had to go through with animation art retailer The Deep Archives and its owner David Scheve.
The story begins last August when I stumbled upon this piece on their website:
It was listed in the NY animation category, but it is obviously a Tom Oreb model sheet for an Ipana Toothpaste commercial produced in Disney’s short-lived TV commercial unit. I’m familiar with the disreputable tactics of some animation art dealers who pass off copies as original art so I sent The Deep Archives an email asking point-blank:
It says original art so is it correct that it is not a photostat? Can you please let me know what media the piece was made with? Is the grey background the color of the paper or is it paint?
The response I got back was:
Amid
Thanks for the email.
The piece is original. The Grey is paint.
David
With that assurance, I Paypaled David Scheve the amount of $270, which was the price of the piece plus shipping. A couple of weeks later I received a package in the mail. With great anticipation and utmost carefulness, I opened the package. Now this should be the happy part of the story where I end up with an original piece of art by one of my favorite animation artists. Except for one small detail. The piece I received in the mail was a photostat.
I emailed him and told him I was shocked about how misleading he’d been. “There is not a single bit of paint in this entire piece,” I wrote. “It’s a copy of paint.” At first Scheve denied it outright and wrote back, “Amid, the piece is an original gouche (sic) painting. We don’t sell stats.” He finally relented and told me to send back the photostat for a full refund.
I sent it back to him via certified mail and he received it in mid-September 2009. It turns out that refunding my money—a not-insignificant sum of $270—wasn’t a priority for him. I let the oversight slide for a couple months, but in late-November I began calling and emailing him regularly to remind him that he owed me money. I even had to threaten a small claims suit if he didn’t return it by a certain date. The money finally arrived in January 2010.
Besides the obvious disappointment and anger about Scheve’s misrepresentation of the artwork, there are other things that bother me about the experience:
1.) As of this writing, over five months after he learned it was not an original piece of art, the piece is available for sale on The Deep Archives website in the “1950s/1960s NY” category. It is still labeled as “Original Animation Art” and the price remains unchanged. It saddens me to think that an inexperienced collector might fall prey to this listing and buy a fake piece of “original art.”
2.) Late last December, when I called David again asking him to refund my money, he screamed at me so violently and unexpectedly over the phone that it caused my ears to ring afterward. His unprofessionalism was such that after twenty seconds of conversation, all of it polite and courteous from my end, he yelled, “Amid, listen, I’m going to hang up on you in two seconds,” which he then proceeded to do.
3.) His lackadaisical attitude about refunding my money and how he stringed me along for months with his games. On September 25th he wrote, “Yo
0 Comments on Beware The Deep Archives and David Scheve as of 1/1/1900
In a few short days, Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. What better time than this to highlight a book on one of the city’s most well known landmarks — Stanley Park. Warabe Aska’s Who Hides in the Park is a multilingual book about Vancouver’s municipal gem — a four hundred hectare urban park located on an almost island-like peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean. The book explores the mysteries of the park in four different languages: English, French, Japanese and Chinese.
Aska, whose books I’ve posted on before, loves to play with hidden images. Each page presents a familiar picture of the park while at the same time, containing images of hidden animals, people and spirits. It’s always fun reading an Aska book with a child because of the pleasure one gets in finding the hidden creatures! For example, a leafy shrub scene portraying a peacock in the front reveals multiple ‘hidden’ peacocks in the the shrubs that have leaves for feathers. A forest path scene with frolicking children has embedded within it rabbits and squirrels and even two police officers on horses.
While the image is presented on the right hand page, the left hand page contains the text in the four different scripts of each language. The text is easy to read and follow, and makes for a good study of languages relevant to Canadians, especially those living on the West Coast. At the back of the book is a delightful map of the park and a list of facts about it. This is a good book to take along to the park or buy as a souvenir of a visit to one of Canada’s most delightful, natural urban treasures.
0 Comments on Books at Bedtime: Who Hides in the Park by Warabe Aska as of 1/1/1900
Well, they had a slow day recently, and, having pretty much exhausted the A-list, they dug down to the bottom of the potato barrel and found me! So if you don't have anything else to do or you need something to amuse yourself while you clean brushes or cut mats, check out this link to the official Sidebar Gurney interview!. Thanks, guys! You do a very thoughtful interview, and it's a real honor. Above, watercolor sketching in Yellowstone, photo by Mr. Fujimoto.
These two are a very special couple... they are known as "dream whisperers"... ancient magical creatures very rare, indeed... and with magical powers to make things appear or dissapear... Britta makes your wishes come true meanwhile Ambrosius will make all your sadness go away... you just have to whisper at night, before going to sleep all what you want them to do for you and... it will happen! it´s true!!!
They are already in the store waiting for that special someone... in need of their magic!
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Estos dos seres son una pareja muy especial... son conocidos por los ancestros como los "susurradores de sueños", muy legendarias creaturas mágicas raras de encontrar... y con poderes magicos para aparecer o desaparecer ciert
I had all this scrap wood left over from making frames and decided
to make a shelf for some of my paints.
Do you like my sander/saw? It totally cracks me up because my grandfather made this from a bunch of leftover parts he had from his machine shop (it's all scraps). My Dad gave it to me about two years ago and I just love it, mostly because my grandfather has passed away and when I use it I think of him. I bet when he was making it he never thought his granddaughter would be using it on a weekly basis.
I decided to give it a white wash so the plain wood would have some kind of color.
Ta-da! My new paint storage shelf. Now I can use my old one for the larger jars.
0 Comments on Scrap Wood Paint Storage as of 1/1/1900
This year is the 26th year for the Highlights Annual Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, NY. During that time they have given out 275 scholarships to help individuals with a serious interest in writing for children and who have an established financial need.
Scholarships vary in the stipend awarded depending on an applicant’s requirements and the funds available. Funds for scholarships come from two sources: a Foundation Endowment Fund or scholarships that are funded annually by donors.
The deadline is quickly approaching. Applications must be postmarked no later than February 12, 2010. Please visit www.HighlightsFoundation.org or contact:
The Writers Workshop at Chautauqua is July 17-24, 2010
If you decide to attend this summer, you will spend a week learning from and getting to know children’s book and magazine editors, award-winning authors, and prize-winning illustrators. Plus, you will get to work one-on-one with a publishing professional to polish and shape your manuscript. Maybe wander shady streets between historic gingerbread houses with people who are eager to talk about writing for children. Sit on a porch and critique manuscripts, grab a coffee or dip into a bowl of ice cream, experience creative renewal in a unique setting.
I attended this writing workshop when I first was getting into children’s books. Highlights is a very good host and provides a lot of help and an exciting time. worth applying for a scholarship.
Today is the day I am featured on The Brown Bookshelf. Check out 28 Days Later for a lengthy interview avec moi and a sneak peak at my new book. Thanks Don for a great interview, and special thanks for that magic wand trick…hilarious.
Letters to the Dragon King... 63rd Day. from Songs for the Dragon King By Vivian Hadding
I miss you. You creep into my thoughts, my dreams, my memories like the warm salty sea expanding and reaching into the very depths of me. It feels as if I've lost my best friend and with him, my heart and parts of my soul. Its stupid I know, but it happens daily all the same.
I listen to the wind for word of you, watch the sky for a sign...the ocean for a bottle. I don't want to give up but you leave me bitter choice. I am a fool, a dreamer, a believer, a child at heart that has little place in this world of harsh sceptics.
I came across a new village today. I spied on some warriors from afar. Some seemed nice and I thought perhaps I might talk to a few of them, get to know them better... maybe become friends. Its a scary thought, letting others in too close , but you never know what you might learn from each other if you don't try. I just want a few good friends...some brothers I can talk to without falling in love. Some brothers to help push you out of my heart...out of my soul, out of my mind. I'm not sure if I will talk to them, we will see. Perhaps a martial school would be best. A place to sharpen and grow my skills as a spiritual warrior...perhaps we'll just have to wait and see.
I don’t know what’s going on here and I love it and I could watch it over and over for hours. The music is by U900, a Japanese Ukulele duo. Let me repeat that because OMG I’ll never get the chance to type those words together again: Japanese Ukulele duo.
If anyone knows who produced the animation and created the toys, please let us know!
Actually it's an old classic surf instro by The Ventures, who by the way are hugely popular in Japan :)
Great video, I loved it! Thanks for posting!
Tillan said, on 2/8/2010 5:32:00 PM
very Good …
facebook-901315173 said, on 2/8/2010 5:54:00 PM
JAPANESE UKULELE DUO DOPENESS
three critters said, on 2/8/2010 8:49:00 PM
this is so contagious, and that video, super simple yet so effective – and cute! I might walk up to random strangers and sing that chorus today (not really, but maybe)
Joe said, on 2/8/2010 9:36:00 PM
According you youtube: “My name is Yosuke Kihara. Illustrator, movie creator ,amigurumi creator in Japan.”
Beccabot said, on 2/8/2010 11:57:00 PM
the three most amazing words i've seen together today: “Japanese Ukulele Duo”
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This year is the 26th year for the Highlights Annual Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, NY. During that time they have given out 275 scholarships to help individuals with a serious interest in writing for children and who have an established financial need. 
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You beat me to it there Lynne. I was just going to post a comment on your blog to tell you that The Itch was back... I received an email from someone that ordered a copy last last year to say they had finally received it. Hurrah!