Barcelona based illustrator Iván Bravo like his viewers to stop, look at and think about his illustrations. His art draws people in - keep his viewers engaged. Playful and full of movement, Iván's lines and colors flow together as they dance across the paper, canvas or wall.
The artists writes about his work, "I like to walk the line between concept and humor."
After you've stopped by his Facebook page to follow his illustration adventures, jump over to
to see more of fabulous artwork.
The Bronze and the Brimstone is Book Two in the Verona Trilogy and is a YA Science Fiction Fantasy.
The tale continues where Shamira, Hansum and Lincoln left off in the first book,
The Lens and the Looker (read my review
here.) still stuck in 14th century Verona without a clue as to how to return home.
Along the way they, with the help of their genie Pan, meet many interesting characters who help guide them to their destiny. During their journey they bring many technological aspects to light, including the telescope and the three have to deal with the political outcome that ensues.
The people of Verona have come to view Hansum in a different light and they focus their attentions on him and Hansum must learn who his true friends are. He does deeds that are underhanded and sneaky and his actions almost cost him and his friends their lives. Shamira falls in love with diastrous results and Lincoln begins to become a part of the life of Verona and finds he there are some things he is adept at doing.
During their quest, each of them must struggle with themselves and those around them, will they survive the trials set before them or will their desires provide their doom?
I thought this was a fitting sequel, again, author
Lory S. Kaufman is able to adeptly blend history with fiction fantasy. I loved reading the historical aspects dispersed throughout the pages and thought everything blended well.
I thought the turmoils and tragedies the children found themselves in to be gripping and entertaining. I wish the story didn't seem to center so much around Hansum and would've liked to have seen more of Shamira and Lincoln. I thought Hansum's actions when the townsfolk took interest to be fitting for his character.
I enjoyed the town intrigue and how each of them interacted with the children and was surprised by a few of the outcomes. The plot twists and turns are enough to keep the average reader guessing and the story ending had a great finish.
I would give
The Bronze and the Brimstone a three and a half out of five stars. I had some issues with the "adult" content found within, it often flowed along juvenile lines and the romantic aspect of the story was disappointing. I also had some problems with dream sequence, it wasn't expressed in a proper manner and I was left wondering what I had just read. However, the history blending with technology is a great read and the series would be suitable for anyone who enjoys the mix.
SYNOPSIS:"What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about – EVERYTHING!Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention of the rich and powerful.But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with
Let's keep the Halloween spirit going with these festive, handmade Sugar Skulls and gift tags from Black Ribbon Society.
The skulls were printed by hand using an original linocut, then each is hand-painted to add even more character. The tags were hand-cut, hole-punched, painted and heat-embossed, so each tag is unique.
There are more treats to discover at the Black Ribbon Society Etsy Shoppe. Perhaps you should lead the way…
Beautifully Broken is a YA Paranormal/Horror Romance.
Shiloh Ravenhurst is sixteen and is the town's "freak", especially with the weird "birthmark" on her wrist which she takes great consideration to keep covered and hidden. Her families past has haunted her most of her life with the townsfolk snickering and bullying. She has few friends and her parents seemingly uncaring and aloofness make them unapproachable.
Shiloh gets thru each day the best she can and from the moment she accepts the job at Ravenhurst Manor by her eccentric Uncle, her life begins to change. There she runs into many strange and unusual characters, some are helpful and some are quite vengeful, wishing to destroy Shiloh to keep the secrets hidden.
After meeting Trent, her heart begins racing every time she is near him, and the two begin a somewhat bumpy romance together. When the town's teens begin to go missing, Shiloh believes she can help, and in order to save her new found love, she begins to uncover the secrets of Ravenhurst, her family and all the townsfolk who have their own skeletons in the closet.
This was a really good YA paranormal read, witches are always great to read about. Magic can be used in some very interesting applications and
Sherry Soule didn't fail to impress me. It had enough mystery and innuendos to keep reading and turning the pages, the secrets that everyone seems to be a part of was interesting and the overall outcome was exactly as it should have turned out.
I did find Trent and Shiloh's back and forth attitude with one another a bit annoying, but it was well played out even if you were screaming in frustration at their lack understanding about how the other truly felt. I was also annoyed that everyone in town seemed to know what was going on but Shiloh remained clueless until she decided to investigate. These two aspects are minor in the overall of the book though and you will find enjoyment within these pages.
However, the most enjoyment you will find will be reading about the Ravenhurst Manor itself. With all its haunted appeal, quirky ghosts and a great backstory that you cannot help hoping you will get to read more. I think the author could probably do a whole series about this Manor and make a lot of folks happy with the works. If some of you are easy to scare, you may find some creepiness within the pages, all done in a tasteful and readable manner, which will also bring you much delight.
SYNOPSIS:Thirteenth Daughter. Heritage Witch. Demon Slayer.
They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Whispering Pines. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.
Sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf is a heritage witch from the Broussard family, a family both destined and cursed. When she takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes spellbound by his charms.
Finally, Shiloh's met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list. And Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him. Complicated much?
It sucks to have a destiny, especially since Shiloh would rather spend her summer being a normal girl wh
Believing In Horses is a YA reader concerning horse rescue and the determined twelve year old who vows to save them.
Sadie Navarro couldn't be more unhappy, her family is moving from San Diego to Bowie, Maryland, leaving behind everything that Sadie knows and loves. Sadie's dad is in the Navy and he is being deported to Afghanistan and before he leaves, he agrees to Sadie's purchase of a horse.
Working with her grandmother, the two find the perfect horse for Sadie and Lucky is her newest companion and charge. One day, after showing Lucky on the Internet, how Sadie found her, the two are horrified to learn of ten horses being placed for auction. After reading about what may happen to them, like ending up in a slaughterhouse, Sadie is determined to save them from a horrible fate.
Putting a plan into action, Sadie sets off to prove to the adults around her that she has the "moxie" to make this wrong into a right. With her presentation, her "clients" plight and her determination, Sadie enlists the help of her class and teacher, the news channel and even a state senator, to help her raise awareness to this situation. With the donations pouring in and interest in placing the horses into good homes becomes a reality, disaster strikes and throws Sadie off her game! Will everything work out in order to save the horses or will all of Sadie's hard work be for naught?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and think it is a great message to write about. The plight of horses is a topic everyone should know more. Often horses, at the end of their "run" or "use", are thrown to the sidelines, left to the whims of unsavoury people out to make a quick dollar and more often than not, many of these horses end up in poor living conditions and slaughterhouses.
I think the strength and determination in Sadie is to be commended, I have met children who go above their means to make right situations that need recognition, I have been one of these children myself. However, in my day, the resources weren't as readily available as they are today, and I believe anyone who has a passion is able to manifest and make it happen. It was enjoyable reading about such a passionate young person, one with goals, instead of hanging out with the television, allowing it to think for them.
I believe every young person should read this book, whether they like horses or not. It is a great introduction to the 101 grassroots advocacy that I wish many more of our young people would adhere. I loved how her parents and brother supported her and encouraged her to reach for her stars and with family support such as that, you can understand why she continued with her plans, even when, at times, she felt like she was drowning in her emotions.
This is a great book for young folks to dig into, it will leave you laughing and crying as you think about the hardships some of the horses may be going through. Sales from the proceeds of
"Believing In Horses", is being donated to the rescue organizations mentioned in the book, now that is a totally groovy idea and I commend
Valerie Ormond on the writing of this book and bringing awareness to horse rescue everywhere!!
SYNOPSIS:First, the move to Maryland. Then Dad's deployment to Afghanistan. Sadie is in trouble. Then she gets Lucky, a new young horse who proves to be a handful. But that's just the beginning. Together they encounter horse thieves, Maryland storms,and unwanted horses destined for auction and unc
Richard Baird is a British freelance graphic design consultant who specializes in logo, brand, corporate identity and packaging design. He has written for
Design Week, has been featured in
Computer Arts Magazine and runs the design commentary
website BP&O Branding, Packaging & Opinion. He prides himself on delivering thoughtful design solutions with a high level of customer service to clients from around the world.
The Best For You is a story of adoption from a birth mother's point of view. It is both written and illustrated by Kelsey Stewart, a mother of five, who has been the birth mother of two adoptions. Kelsey speaks from the heart in this endearing tale about how a mother may feel as she's deciding the future of her unborn child. Filled with love, warmth and delightful child-like drawings, it is sure to ease the hearts of many adoptive children who may be wondering and have questions of their own. You can almost feel the conveyance of love flowing from these pages, you can can almost hear the pain of the birth mothers inner struggle and the joy that the correct decision has been made for all involved.
It is a book of courage that I am sure even expectant mothers who may be considering adoption, would find beneficial to their hearts. I suggest this book to parents of adopted children to share this with them to help ease any internal fears that they may have. I also see a use for this in doctor's offices, school libraries, public libraries, resource centers and any other place that children and families may congregate.
SYNOPSIS:Adoption is about the love of a child, not that the child was not wanted. This book is aimed to help children and parents understand what one birth mother was thinking when she decided to place her child up for adoption.
The years 1977-1983
In 1977 my wife and I moved to Paris, France, an exciting change in our lives. The illustration business was changing and the automotive assignments were becoming scarce. I decided that I would pursue a fine art career. We had no idea as to just what was ahead of us, and we didn’t know anyone in Paris. I thought that for a while I could do some commercial art to support us until I developed my fine art paintings. I got connected with a small advertising agency, Publiland, and did a lot of graphic design and some illustration work for them. I also was introduced to an art representative, Evelyn Manache. She decided to rep me. She was also repping Milton Glaser of New York. Evelyn got me quite a bit of work, but after a few months I decided to go on my own. I took my samples up to Lintas, one of the largest ad agencies in France. To my surprise, the Creative Director was Bob McClaren, someone that I had helped get a job at Campbell Ewald when I was working there twenty years ago. He was originally from England, then came to Detroit to work, and eventually went back to Europe. This was a real break for me as Bob gave me a lot of work. He even sent me to work in their Vienna offices and to Madrid, Jakarta and Singapore to teach their staffs how to render ads and storyboards. I did work for all of the major ad agencies in Paris but my main source of business was Impact FCB and Lintas.
I was taking French lessons while I was there, but language never was a problem at the ad agencies as they all wanted to practice their English. Jeanne spoke French. Her parents were French Canadian, but the French thought her accent was hilarious. She didn’t mind, as she still was able to communicate.
I did a series of newspaper ads for Intermarche through the ad agency Publiland.
One of my Detroit clients, Wayne Alexander Company, brought over an American Motors Renault catalog for me to design. This is the illustration that I painted for the rear cover.
On top of illustrating, designing and doing paintings, I also began to write a series of “How to...” books for Watson Guptill publications in New York.
All this week On
Illustration Pages we'll be presenting to you the fascinating time line of Harry Borgman, written by the artist himself. Throughout this incredible journey you'll have the opportunity to see the art of Harry Borgman, from present day - going as far back as his early childhood years. We hope you enjoy this rare retrospective of Harry Borgman's art and illustrations, as seen through the eyes of the artist.
I’d like to thank Harry for putting this all together for
Illustration Pages. Harry’s feature is a culmination of many hours of collaboration between he and I - the result is a written record of the career of an artist who was a giant in the field of advertising and one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. I’m proud that it’s been documented right here on
Illustration Pages.
Introduction by Lou SimeoneHarry Borgman is an artist whose professional career has embraced both the commercial and fine art worlds. He worked for many years as a graphic designer and illustrator before joining the advertising agency Campbell- Ewald in Detroit, where he was head art director on the Chevrolet account designing catalogs, sales promotion material, and later the magazine ads. He has won many awards for his graphic design work and illustrations. After several years working in- agency, Borgman decided he wanted the creative versatility to be found only in freelancing. He worked for major clients in Detroit, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
As a teacher he was Chairman of the Advertising Department at the Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for Creative Studies) in Detroit. His courses included advertising design, illustration and cartooning.
In 1977 he decided to move to Europe and settled in Paris, France where he soon established himself as an artist for the top advertising agencies there. He also worked in the fine arts and exhibited regularly in all of the major French painting salons He also worked in Vienna, Austria, creating automotive campaigns. He was hired by Lintas to teach layout rendering to their art staffs in Jakarta, Singapore as well as in Madrid.
After several years in Europe he moved to New York City where he spent ten years working in advertising doing illustrations and various graphic design projects. He also did much work in the fine arts doing paintings and sculpture whic
Wardell "WAR" Brown is breaking out today on
IP so you better be ready. Wardell's gloves are off and he's creating some killer vector art. Babes, brats, business men - what do you need? - cause WAR creates them all. And besides his cool computer illustrations, Wardell also gives us a peek into his sketchbooks and offers up some great paintings and other merchandise for sale on his
website.
Wardell Brown is a freelance cartoonist and comic book artist hailing from the great state of California. He has a contemporary take on classic cartoon styles which he classifies as neo-retro. His influence is 1960's advertising cartoon art but he's laying down his own cartoon art with rockin' colors and kicked up concepts.
There's no doubt you'll want to spend some time with Wardell Brown's art. His illustrations look awesome on t-shirts, posters and skat
I've been a very, very bad blogger lately, but really . . . it's not my fault! There's been so much going on this fall:
1) This is it . . . the last week of camping. It's also the week I get the office/store winterized and ready to close. There's inventory to document, preparations to move my whole camp office back into the house and packing up anything that'll freeze. Every year my goal is to be able to move at 2pm on Columbus Day. There's still a bunch of fall projects before the camp is entirely closed, but it'll be nice to be based out of one office again instead of two.
2) I finished my sci-fi revisions and the manuscript is with one of my readers - I can't wait to see what she thinks of the changes . . . and (based on her thoughts) I can't wait to put the finishing touches on it and get it out into the publishing world.
3) Right after sending the sci-fi out for review, my laptop refused to boot up. Luckily, I do backups very, very regularly and hubby had done a full back-up to our central computer (it links all our computers, personal and camp) . So I'm not overly stressed. For my personal/writing stuff though, the laptop was my lifeline. Now, its guts are piled in a shoebox while my husband waits for the new motherboard to arrive. I can use the camp computer in the meantime, but my bookmarks aren't on this one. And my friend's e-mail addresses aren't here either.
Even worse . . . since the camp office closes at 6pm, I have no computer to use after supper and I mainly do my writing stuff at night. The up-side to that though, is I've been reading and even pulled out an old cross stitch project. I forgot how much I loved to veg out in front of the TV with my cross stitch . . .
Sooooo, if it takes me longer than usual to respond to facebook or LJ comments . . . or you send an e-mail and I'm not right on top of it, You'll know why.
4) B is now playing right wing defense on the middle school soccer team and it's so much fun to watch! Games are during the week, and I've managed to attend all but two by putting a sign on the office door that says
"Pick any site and register at 7pm ~ I've gone to my son's soccer game!"
When I apologized to a customer for not being here when he pulled in, he said, "I'm just traveling through, your son is much more important than I."
5) I'm so proud of my daughter for her recent theater accomplishments! She had only two months to direct No Exit ; but she and her cast did an outstanding job on this thought provoking play!
At the same time, a play that she'd written, Mirrors, was also performed. It was cute, funny, and heartbreaking. As a Mom, it was soooo cool to sit in the theater and listen as the people around me contemplated both plays; laughing in all the right places, gasping at others, talking about their meaning.
Afterward I stood against the lobby wall, teary and full of pride, as my daughter was congratulated and complemented by the cast's family and friends. One young lady grabbed Alex, exclaiming, "My family wants to meet you!"
I think my daughter ha
As I caught up on my blog reading this evening using my Google Reader, a wonderful tool which tracks all your favourite blogs for you and lists all the posts you haven't read, I thought it might be good to share some of these great posts from time to time. So, in the first of what may (or may not) become a regular feature, here's some of what I've been reading tonight.
On Writing Skills
Nicola
Artist Katy Betz is sending out invitations to play, dream and imagine and we’re happily accepting. Katy’s paintings are stunningly beautiful and brimming over with imagination. The journey through her world is filled with vibrant colors and whimsical settings.
Uninhibited by the confines of practical thought and reasonable explanation Katy’s paintings enable us to soar freely beyond what we know to be real into a fantasy filled with creativity and invention. Katy’s art possesses an atmosphere of youthful innocence that is both refreshing and invitingly warm. She challenges us - almost dares us to dream and become inspired.
Katy received her BFA in Illustration from Laguna College of Art & Design in 2006, and will be receiving her MFA in Spring 2011 from California State University, Fullerton. Katy is a gallery artist, children’s book writer & illustrator, muralist, and part-time college professor. She also teaches workshops and accepts private commissions.
The Bubble (The Brian D. Mcclure ChildrenÂ’s Book Collection) (The Brian D. Mcclure Children’s Book Collection)
I was really excited when this book came in the mail. It sounded like it would be a good story and have a good message, and I was curious to see how they would make a 64 page childrens' picture book work. The problem is, it really didn't.
The book says it is "A book for children of all ages from 1 to 100." So as soon as I got it, I sat down with my 4 year old and started reading. The book is about a little boy that doesn't like to share, but learns the value of sharing while he is dreaming. My daughter and I both really liked the first couple of pages and my daughter completely understood what was going on. When I read to her, "As he grew older, he didn't want anyone to come into his room, not even his mother," she was shocked and appalled to learn that a boy could be so mean. How could anyone not want their mother? But as we got farther into the book, she started to lose interest as the author started to use bigger words like "amassed" and "mantra". I'm not sure when the word mantra is typically introduced into a child's vocabulary, but I think that the book in general, is a little too advanced for younger audiences.
I was doing okay with the book until all of his possessions and his house and even the soil left him because he didn't want to share his things. I understand the point I suppose, but logistically it didn't make sense. What does not sharing have to do with the soil leaving and more importantly how did it leave? Also right after the soil left he was surrounded by a bubble and then pulled down into the void his missing possessions had left behind. If everything left him, where did the bubble come from?
The book pulled itself back together in the end when the boy woke up from his dream and all the sudden knew the importance of sharing. Dreams don't always make sense, and that's okay. But books, even books about dreams, should make sense. And I guess I just didn't get it.
I was sent a copy of this book free of charge for reviewing purposes.
The feel good
illustrations of Steph Baxter will certainly help you kick those Monday blues. Let's start the week off with some happiness and let's serve it up Steph Baxter style - with hand drawn lettering, silly characters and fabulous paper cut scenes.
A recent graduate of Leeds College of Art and Design,
Steph is an illustrator out on her own, working in a little town just outside of the city of Leeds in the UK.
There are so many of Steph's delightful illustrations to look at, you really have to see more for yourself.
What a fabulous weekend!! And I'm not just talking about the weather either. Here's five highlights:
1. Friday night, I finished Percy Jackson's fourth book: The Battle of the Labyrinth. All I can say is "whoa".
2. B took his orange Pinewood Derby car on Saturday
to the District Race. There were eighty cars entered!! Eighty!!
We told him, just have fun . . . you put a lot of work into this car . . . no matter what happens we're wicked proud of you already . . . 'cause if you don't put yourself out there, you'll never know how far you could have gone . . .
and he came in third!!! You should have seen his face! The trophy is proudly displayed in the livingroom . . .
3. I have no idea what got into me. Perhaps it was the excitement over B's win, or I was inspired by it to take my own advice, but I was up till 2am Sunday morning researching publishers and agents that might be a good fit for the two MG's and two PB's I've been holding onto. This summer, there'll be no 'oh-poor-me-running-a-campground-I-don't-have-time-to submit' excuses. If one is returned - I'll already have another place all lined up and I'll get it right back out there.
4. Sunday morning, I turned on my computer to find the wireless in my laptop was no longer working. I couldn't even find the properties to it. It was as if it had never been. After three hours of pulling my hair out, and bemoaning the fact that the warranty has run out - hubby camly suggests using the external wireless adapter we have laying around.
Yeeeeee-ah. And this might be why I keep him around.
5. When hubby took B to a boyscout meeting last night, I curled up on the couch with the loon MG. After struggling for days to pick up the pacing in a particular section (as suggested by one of my fabulous critiquers), my expectations weren't too high for getting anything accomplished in a measly hour and a half. But I ended up deleting one scene - rewriting it with a new setting/conflict - then using that as a springboard in the next scene so the character wants one thing, while he has to do something else. I think it moves the pacing along much better! Yes!
I hope all my LJ friends are having a fabulous day . . .
Look what I got from B today -
a robin! The first sign of spring . . .
Yesterday, B took some sketches in to show his art teacher. He's been working from a "How to draw" book, and having a lot of fun with it. Mr. G was very impressed, and told B he had good "control". Then he asked B what he was using. B shrugged and said, "A number 2."
Mr. G went on to talk about how well B used perspective and depth. But I was still thinking about that question:
"What are you using?"
Later on, I asked Mr. G, "What should he be using."
He seemed a little taken aback by the question, "Whatever he's comfortable with."
I pressed on, "Is there a special pencil?"
There is! I had no idea!! So, of course, I went out to get B some H's and B's for Valentine's Day. They came in a cute little case, and the whole thing was only $5. I also picked him up an eraser, sharpener and sandpaper thingy to put in the case. He seemed to like the whole bundle a lot, and assured me he'd already been using them in art class, so he knew which pencils were light and which were dark.
I was pretty pleased with myself.
Until later today, when I found him drawing with a number 2 pencil again.
"Don't you like the H's and B's?" I asked.
He shrugged and looked at me apologetically. "I like the number 2. But your pencils are cool too - I promise I'll use them." he assured me.
Well, when he produces stuff like this . . .
who am I to argue about the good 'ol number 2???
Alex's Shakespeare-in-the-park troop performed at the campground Sunday afternoon as part of our Medieval Weekend theme. Due to unsettled weather, they couldn't perform in the playing field, unfortunately. But they made due with our rec hall.
What a talented group of guys and girls! It was awesome to see them perform once again. It makes me miss Alex's high school performance days. They have tons of performances between now and the end of August. I hope you all break-a-leg! (ack! I hate saying that)
As I watched this play, I couldn't help but think how cool it would be to have crowds of people appreciating my words and analyzing my plots four hundred years from now.
Today, on another great Family Monday, we decided to hike to the top of Douglas Mountain in Sebago. The weather's been a little (insert sarcasm)
unsettled . . . so we picked a smaller hike, choosing to take a two mile route up and the 1/4 mile hike down.
It was so nice to walk through the woods - hearing the birds chirping and little else. Well, little else except the birds and the two goofballs we had with us!
Listening to B and his cousin J's conversations, I was itching at first to take out a notebook and pencil to get it all down! When their back and forth reached a high level, Dave announced a new game . . . the first one who talked had to carry the backpack next.
It worked! There were lots of giggles, hand gestures and funny looks thrown around, but no words until break times. It was kind of funny actually.
At the top of the mountain was a tower to climb, the lure of which kept us going straight up . The boys were wicked excited to finally see it! Forgetting David's game, they squealed, threw down their hiking sticks and climbed the stairs inside. I backed up for this shot
and shouted up at them, "What do you see?"
"It's so cool Mom!" B called down. "Sebago Lake! Mount Washington! And a wicked storm . . . "
Poor boys. Dave and I hustled them down from the tower, not even offering the picnic snack we'd packed. We hiked as fast as we safely could down that mountain. Using the short trail, of course. We made it back to the car in the nick of time, giggling and eating our snacks as the rain came down.
It was a fun day!
Yesterday, I came in from the camp office to find a two foot high pile of fourth grade notebooks, files, journals, papers, artwork and workbooks in the middle of my writing desk.
"BBBBBBBBBB!" I yelled.
He came running. "Yeeeee-ah" he drawled. "Um, we cleaned out our desks today."
"Why'd you plop it here?" I threw a hand out toward my precious work space.
"So you could, you know, go through it and keep stuff. You always keep stuff. For when I'm old."
I admit, I was feeling a little bit frustrated. My writing desk is right inside the door, and everyone tends to drop their stuff on it. When you've only got sixty minutes to write, you don't want to spend twenty of them cleaning!
I grabbed the pile. "You go through. Tell me what you want to keep."
B's face fell. "Don't you want to look at them?"
Of course I did. So, I set the pile back down, and hugged him tight. "Sure, buddy. Let me put a pot of coffee on, first."
Well, B was long gone when I sat down at that pile. Two cups of coffee later, I'd remembered why I started that memory box in the first place. There's just some papers/projects I can't bear to toss in a trash can, never to have them see the light of day again. Among the treasures was an amazing drawing of Seth Wescott, a famous snowboarder B did his biography on.
I found Math tests, and a homemade game about the Seminole tribe. There were papers on state government, and a whole unit on recycling he'd barely mentioned.
But his writing journal . . . wow! It was amazing! I could tell he'd written to a few writing prompts, but the last half of the journal was a chapter by chapter story. I called him over to and asked if his teacher had assigned it.
"Nope," he said sheepishly. "I ignored those prompts and wrote what I wanted. Did you like it?"
A little further in the pile I found a reading journal. There were notes in it about how to connect yourself to the story, and how to use what you KNOW to understand what you READ. There were lists he'd filled out about the books he planned to read (Magic Tree House, Sponge Bob joke Book, The World Almanac, Star Wars #3) and further on, the books he'd read (Owl Moon, Borreguita and Coyote, Lon Po Po, Star Wars #3, Encyclopedia Brown). There was a list of ingredients for a Mystery and steps for Non Fiction note taking . . . .
But here's the biggest treasure find in that whole two foot pile; my reward for going through it page by page . . .
Okay . . . I'm not going to panic.
I'm not going to fret.
I'm sure my writer's imagination is just working overtime right now.
What has me in such a tizzy?
I found THIS on B's desk today.
Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what he's up to?
By: Rebecca,
on 5/8/2007
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Half Moon Caye, Belize
Coordinates: 17 12 N 87 32 W
Area: 45 acres (18.2 ha.)
In the Northern Hemisphere, millions of beachgoers are lured to the seaside each summer by the promise of sand, sun, and revealing swimwear as far as the eye can see. (more…)
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0 Comments on Evolution of an Illustration Master, Harry Borgman: Part III as of 1/1/1900
Great illustration design. You've done really excellent work. I'll visit your blog again.