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It's another concrete poem, but this time I think layout won't be an issue....


A DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP
by
Gregory K.

won + won = too much fun.


I'm posting an original poem each day in April in celebration of National Poetry Month. Links to this and other poems here on GottaBook (and I post all year round, because poetry is NOT just for April!) are collected over on the right of the blog under the headline "The Poems".

If you want to get all my new poems (and only the poems) emailed to you for freeee as they hit the blog, enter your email address in the box below then click subscribe!

TENNIS DOUBLES TROUBLE
by
Gregory K.


My doubles partner’s really bad.
We never win. It makes me mad.
I’d trade him but he’d get so sad.
I really I wish I never had
Teamed for doubles with my dad.


I'm posting an original poem each day in April in celebration of National Poetry Month. Links to this and other poems here on GottaBook (and I post all year round, because poetry is NOT just for April!) are collected over on the right of the blog under the headline "The Poems".

If you want to get all my new poems (and only the poems) emailed to you for freeee as they hit the blog, enter your email address in the box below then click subscribe!

At bedtime this evening we read Preston McDaniel's A Perfect Snowmen. It's not often that you can describe a snowman book as "Dickensian", but you can in this case. In fact, you could even describe it as "Andersenian" (as in Hans Christian, complete with little match girl.) As far as winter books goes, this one transcends the genre. Winter games and canceled schools are only part of the story. Rosy cheeks and jack-frost nipped noses are only enjoyable when they are relieved by a return to a warm house. For those left in the cold, the snow can be dangerous. And as the picture perfect hero of the story learns, it is better to be compassionate and a friend than perfect. And who knew that there was reward in Heaven even for snowmen?

Much as I was impressed with "Perfect", my all time favorite snowman book is Martin MacGregor's Snowman (Cook, Lisa Broadie and Adam McCauley, illus)in which a young boy is impatiently awaiting the first snowfall. When Mother Nature refuses to cooperate, Martin MacGregor comes up with some creative solutions of his own. And for total snowman fun, you might also like to check out:

A Stranger in the Woods: a Photographic Fantasy (Sams, Carl R. and Jean Stoick)
Snowman at Night (Buehner, Caralyn and Mark Buehner, illus.)
The Snowman (Briggs, Raymond)

Happy New Year!

We just got back from a wonderful time with my family in Scotland. The time there always goes way too fast. There were a lot of visits and catching up with friends but we also found some time to stay around the house and be mellow. I also had to work a bit when we were there but it was sweetened by having my neices popping in every now and then to peek over my shoulder to see what I was up to :)

Now we are back in Montreal, unpacked and ready to face 2008. In our Illustration for Kids forum, we have been talking about our goals for the year. Last year, my goal was to get regular illustration work and it worked out very well. This year I am lucky enough to have a lot of work to keep me busy from now until the end of June, so I think the few goals that I have left are:

* Find some time to create just for the fun of it
* Get back into sewing - I miss making little creatures
* I would love to illustrate another picture book
* Learn Corel Painter - I bought it last year, then got too busy to try out the tutorials!

Just before we left for Scotland, I managed to squeeze in a Christmas crafts afternoon with my son. We were inspired by a great tutorial by Sarah over at: The Small Object
Here's my little guy:

And my son Ewan's:


I wish you all a very happy and creative year!

Here's the new December Drawing! For a chance to find this booger in your mailbox just click here!

It seems that my farmers market adventures might finally be paying off. I'm starting to take on a bit more fine art projects which have come from meeting the people who shop the market. This is all so very exciting!

I'm due to work some pretty big christmas shows (three day long events that occur in November) in which I hope to do a little advertising for my illustration business, sell some art and prints and meet some new people. I've been working on painting up bits of wood with snowmen to sell at the shows. Here's what I created this weekend:

"Danny" A snowmen on a stick (pole says "Let it Snow") pole measures 22.5x1.75x0.75". Snowman painting measures 5x8x0.75"



"Together" Another snowman on a stick (same measurements as above)Pole says "Merry Christmas"


Saucy Smoker 7x7x0.75"



Andy Snowman 15.5x5x1"