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“Tendrils” 16 x 20 inches. Yarn, acrylic, and acrylic beads. $250. This yarn art piece as well as many others can be found at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose, California, on 4th street between City Hall and the MLK Library. Map
Did you ever look up at a tall tree and wonder how the water and nutrients climbed all the way to the top? Plants allow water to escape through their leaves, which assists the movement of water up from the roots and stem/trunk by creating a slight pressure gradient. Pretty neat huh? (graphic by “fyeahtrees” on tumblr)
Plants also breathe, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the air. I think about nature often, and how such magic goes on all around us, every day.
“Iceland 1” and “Iceland 2” 8 x 24 inches each. Yarn, acrylic, and broken glass. Can be hung either way vertically. $135 each + tax. These two paintings as well as many others can be found at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose, California, on 4th street between City Hall and the MLK Library. Map
I’ve been inspired by images of Iceland for years, and I plan to visit someday. Last year I applied for a summer artist residency in Iceland, and was rejected. Never mind, I will keep applying….there are many residencies in Iceland and there is nothing like that landscape to see!
You see what I mean. Pure blue waters, deep green pools, swirling waterfall mists….as well as rocky, icy slopes and the stark gray of bare stone.
In “Iceland I” I hoped to capture the feel of some of these things, as well as layers of lichen and moss in “Iceland II”.
Until I succeed in making the trip — I’ll keep dreaming of Iceland! Have any of you been there?
Short and squat, friendly and fuzzy! These little guys just want to sit on your desk, shelf, or potted plant and keep you company. Hand-sculpted polymer critters with acrylic staining, gold leafed details and sealed with glossy varnish. Rooted woolen hair – Each one a unique color blend.
These creatures can only be found at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose, California, on 4th street between City Hall and the MLK Library. Map
From the FARCLOUD series. The Story of Farcloud When I passed through, I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared for what was on the other side.
The sky was so beautiful, at first I just sat down and forgot everything for a while. There were stars as large and bright as planets, magnified by the atmosphere, which was colored in layers. Swirling clouds brought gentle rain, which gave way to skies full of light and color. Green and golden hills beckoned, framing faraway mountain ridges. Everything, everywhere, sparkled.
After some time I found that I was not alone. Repetitive sounds emerged from the mossy hills, and when I searched among the tiny ferns and mushrooms, I noticed some of the colored bits of fuzz were moving. I picked on up and heard a tiny, surprised “moop!” I listened carefully and realized that these friendly, plantlike animals were everywhere, softly calling and sliding slowly along the ground like starfish on the ocean floor.
Every day is a new set of discoveries as I continue to explore this world through my art.
“Amethyst” 8 x 10 inches. A small yarn painting using cotton yarn, acrylic, polymer clay and silver leaf. $85. This painting as well as many others can be found at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose, California, on 4th street between City Hall and the MLK Library. Map
I baked polymer clay for the various star sizes and silver leafed them. Then, I glued them on the acrylic-painted background. The cotton yarn is gradient dyed in various colors from plum through mineral gray, so when I glue it a strand at a time around the raised clay pieces it creates this radiating ripple effect. The yarn swirls overlap around the sides of the raised canvas.
From the FARCLOUD series. The Story of Farcloud When I passed through, I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared for what was on the other side.
The sky was so beautiful, at first I just sat down and forgot everything for a while. There were stars as large and bright as planets, magnified by the atmosphere, which was colored in layers. Swirling clouds brought gentle rain, which gave way to skies full of light and color. Green and golden hills beckoned, framing faraway mountain ridges. Everything, everywhere, sparkled.
After some time I found that I was not alone. Repetitive sounds emerged from the mossy hills, and when I searched among the tiny ferns and mushrooms, I noticed some of the colored bits of fuzz were moving. I picked on up and heard a tiny, surprised “moop!” I listened carefully and realized that these friendly, plantlike animals were everywhere, softly calling and sliding slowly along the ground like starfish on the ocean floor.
Every day is a new set of discoveries as I continue to explore this new world through my art.
“Amethyst” 8 x 10 inches. A small yarn painting using cotton yarn, acrylic, polymer clay and silver leaf. $85.
I baked polymer clay for the various star sizes and silver leafed them. Then, I glued them on the acrylic-painted background. The cotton yarn is gradient dyed in various colors from plum through mineral gray, so when I glue it a strand at a time around the raised clay pieces it creates this ripple effect. The yarn swirls wrap around the sides of the raised canvas.
This painting as well as many others can be found at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose, California, on 4th street between City Hall and the MLK Library. Map
“Twilight” 8 x 10 inches. A small yarn painting using hand-dyed cotton yarn, acrylic, polymer clay and silver leaf. $85. This painting as well as many others can be found at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose, California, on 4th street between City Hall and the MLK Library. Map
I baked polymer clay for the various star sizes and silver leafed them. Then, I glued them on the acrylic-painted background. The cotton yarn is gradient dyed in various colors from indigo through mineral gray, so when I glue it a strand at a time around the raised clay pieces it creates this radiating ripple effect. The yarn swirls overlap around the sides of the raised canvas.
From the FARCLOUD series. The Story of Farcloud When I passed through, I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared for what was on the other side.
The sky was so beautiful, at first I just sat down and forgot everything for a while. There were stars as large and bright as planets, magnified by the atmosphere, which was colored in layers. Swirling clouds brought gentle rain, which gave way to skies full of light and color. Green and golden hills beckoned, framing faraway mountain ridges. Everything, everywhere, sparkled.
After some time I found that I was not alone. Repetitive sounds emerged from the mossy hills, and when I searched among the tiny ferns and mushrooms, I noticed some of the colored bits of fuzz were moving. I picked on up and heard a tiny, surprised “moop!” I listened carefully and realized that these friendly, plantlike animals were everywhere, softly calling and sliding slowly along the ground like starfish on the ocean floor.
Every day is a new set of discoveries as I continue to explore this new world through my art.
I started this technique back in 2014 – gluing yarn onto canvas, one strand at a time, with white glue. “Mosswood” began as a sketch in November 2015. I was inspired by the Dartmoor area of Devon in Southeast UK, with its twisting old oaks and moss-covered boulders.
Here we are in February 2016, and I’m finally finished. I have some mixed feelings about this: big can be beautiful, stunning, and breathtaking (I’ve attended Art Silicon Valley/SF twice now, and love the super-sized art there) but small can be efficient and practical. How many hours are “too many” hours spent on one artwork? I’m not sure I know the exact answer – except that I might be getting close. My shoulders, back, and neck ache from stretching over this 3 x 3 foot canvas in various configurations….and yet, I’m happy to be finished, and proud of the result. The texture of the yarn adds a warmth and depth that I think you’ll like, and at this scale, it’s a real conversation piece! Photos aren’t 100% effective in conveying the feeling of it, but I added some detail shots below. I really want to show this to every one of you in person and I’m hoping I can do that very soon.
P.S. I’d love to know, my fellow creatives: How many hours/days/weeks/months have you spent on one project? How did you feel afterward?
It is said that any artist who tries to do too much ends up doing too little.
In other words, NO, you can’t be a glass artist and a dancer and a pastelist and a knitter at the same time, and have enough time and focus to earn the success you deserve. I’ve heard this kind of advice time and time again. I’ve read it in books, I’ve read it online, I’ve gotten personal advice.
Problem is, I’m what they call a “multipotentialite” (polymath, multipassionate, renaissance person, scanner, etc.) I’ve always been interested in lots of different creative things. It’s taken me years to narrow my focus enough to just get to the visual arts. Now – I have to stick to one medium, one style? Really?
I’ve finally realized that it isn’t possible, or even useful, to force myself to stick to one style and medium. If I can, I will work in a series. But, if by the second or third piece in the same series, my muse gets bored and goes on strike, the only way to keep working is to do something completely different. After several rounds of this, I’ve noticed that progress is made when I specifically plan to have multiple types of art going at the same time. That way I can harness the boredom and tension to actually get more done. Sick of watercolor details? Rebel with some yarn and glue. Big abstract designs lost their interest? Draw something tiny and realistic. Eventually, I’ll come back around to those projects and finish them, refreshed.
Let’s just put it this way: My totem animal is definitely the octopus. What better representation of doing multiple things at once? It’s time for me to embrace who I am.
Here’s a yarn painting I completed earlier this year. The white and gray are yarn surrounded by silver ink on a deep coral acrylic background. The concept and title were inspired by Welcome to Night Vale.
This piece will be at one show and one show only this holiday season – the Works Auction on December 12 in Downtown San Jose (on Market street next to the South wing of the Convention Center.) Bidding will start well under its actual retail price, so this is a great opportunity to stretch your art-buying dollar. All proceeds from the auction will go to benefit Works. There will be lots of interesting art there to choose from, so you can’t lose.
all hail the mighty glow cloud
ALL HAIL…
WORKS gallery
opening reception: 6pm to 10pm, first friday december 4
special exhibition hours: open every day, 2pm to 6pm, december 5 through 12
auction: saturday, december 12 with party starting at 6pm and auction at 7pm sharp!
This is my most “dense” yarn painting to date. I constructed it carefully over the span of about 9 months, gluing one row of yarn at a time with a thin line of white glue. The colored yarns wrap around the edges. This is the first yarn painting that has wood trim on the reverse to hold down the yarn neatly.
Sol 30″ x 40″ Yarn, acrylic, wood, gold leaf on canvas.
I began developing a new technique, “Yarn Painting”, two years ago, by gluing yarn to canvas to replace drawn or painted elements of line and color. Yarn Painting is practiced historically by the Huichol people of central eastern Mexico. I have adapted this technique to my own methods and concepts.
Simplicity of form, dictated by the imposed limits of yarn as medium, combined with a new design aesthetic, promises a warmer audience connection and response to the work. Deliberately handmade from humble and inexpensive materials (yarn and white glue), my works evoke memories of the 1970’s when folk crafts and fiber arts frequently added warmth to our homes.
In the Beginning 36″ x 36″ Yarn, acrylic, wood, gold leaf on canvas.
FUNDED! Thank you for supporting my Indiegogo campaign to create this book.
an artbook project to document the beauty and fascinating variety of amphibians,
and bring attention to the Amphibian Extincion Crisis.
the Amphibian Love book – available for sale in September 2015
A portion of book sales will be donated to Save the Frogs, the world’s most the world’s leading amphibian conservation organization…dedicated to protecting the frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts that share our world.
Crowdfunding. My response? “Well, THAT was interesting.”
You know, the best thing about walking in, rolling up your sleeves, and trying a bunch of stuff you’ve never done before is a very efficient way to improve.
That being said, it’s not as if it feels easy while you’re doing it.
Crowdfunding is… stressful. It’s basically been my full-time (overtime) incredibly stressful job since April. And it’s not ending yet! I still have books to get printed, and after that, I still have orders to fill.
However, thanks to my friends, family, and loyal supporters, I’m a little more more confident about “solo” product-based crowdfunding. My aim is to give something back. I want to help any of my friends out there who might have some project to raise money for, and encourage you to go ahead and try it.
So here are a few things I learned that might be useful for you.
1. Make a budget. Estimate how much money you will spend on actually making the product itself, then go over. Ask for quotes from various vendors before choosing, and assume that costs will go up over time as your project changes or some other factor changes.
2. Be ready and willing to risk your own money. You will spend money, so have some you’re willing to gamble on this venture. This is not for the risk-averse, even if you don’t choose the “fixed funding” option. You will still feel very sad and very stressed if you end up spending more money on this than you end up making. (I really recommend the “fixed funding” option for this reason……if you don’t have deep pockets to pay for this on your own, it won’t matter if you have a little help or not. You need to determine how much money you need, build in a buffer of 10 – 20% just to cover things, and then gamble. If you’re broke, you have to be willing to take all the risk.)
3. Have something to offer that is: worthy, cool, interesting, or useful. Since I’m not good at being cool, and art isn’t particularly useful, I was left with “interesting and worthy” for example. There has to be some reason for your project to catch people’s attention.
4. Ask for press coverage. Months in advance, research the influencers in your realm – whoever these people are. Do they run blogs? Do they write in newspapers or magazines? Are they celebrities (in any kind of circles)? This answer will be different for every single person’s project. But the bottom line is: Find out who it is that everyone else listens to for news about your type of thing. The influencers. Then, ask them to talk about your project! (Because it’s Worthy or Cool or Interesting or Useful) HINT: I asked 25 different people to talk about Amphibian Love, and ONE person did…..but it was crucial to my project. This was the Scientific American blog called Symbiartic. I made 33% of my funding AFTER this press mention. Everybody go there right now and subscribe and shower love upon Kalliopi, because she deserves it.
2. Prepare lots of visuals early, at least a month before your campaign. Visuals that are funny/cute, colorful, and charming work best….and they don’t have to look exactly like your project either……just line up lots of eye-catching visual stuff in advance so you can focus on responding to questions and comments, and managing a constant stream of content during your campaign. (Remember: Everything you say will have a picture with it, and most of the time people won’t read what you say …… they will just look at the picture.) I made things easier on myself by doing all my social media visuals 650 x 650 pixels, and using Instagram, with IFTTT to send these to both Facebook and Twitter. (yes you will have to edit your Facebook posts – it was still a timesaver for me to do something other than hand-post to each social media channel individually.)
3. Be authentic. Do the things you do well. If you are only one human, you can’t push yourself beyond your own natural capacity…..it just doesn’t work. ( So, for example, if you are not naturally funny – don’t try to be funny! ) This applies to what social media channels work for you, too…… I learned I was good at networking on Twitter and posting doodles on Instagram, for example…so I did those things.
4. There is lots of crowdfunding advice on the Internet, and only a small segment of that advice will apply to you. Don’t read crowdfunding articles and follow them to the letter. Don’t copy someone else’s marketing calendar. Don’t assume that you should set your funding limits based on other successful campaigns. This is so important, I’ll say it twice: DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOUR FUNDING LIMITS SHOULD BE BASED ON OTHER SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS. There are far too many variables that contribute to the success or failure of a campaign. It’s not only the product, it’s the branding of that product, your target market, your personal network, your press contacts and their reach, your Facebook advertising reach, the economy, and about a million other variables you probably can’t control.
5. Don’t get desperate. Please ignore all the Kickstarter/Indiegogo spammers that will settle on you like hungry mosquitoes as soon as your campaign goes live. You will get many tantalizing offers to “help boost your campaign!” They will make it seem like they can help you in a million different ways. They all just want to suck a little blood from you……
6. Make a good pitch video – this is the one thing you must do that everyone else says you must do. It’s true. Film yourself. If you’re a dork, don’t be ashamed of looking like a dork. Just be a dork. Own it. (I totally owned being a dork, as any of you who viewed my pitch video can attest) Use a smart phone as long as it takes good video, use a tripod for stability, and get a friend’s help anyway, even though you think you can go it alone. If you have access to better equipment, editing help, or any other bells and whistles…..use them. If you don’t, use what you have – but put a lot of love and effort, one way or another, into your pitch video.
If you’ve ever considered crowdfunding, I hope I haven’t driven you away! I hope instead that I helped you think about doing this. I really am encouraging you to. Even though it sounds like a lot of work, I do feel the experience was worth it. Probably the best thing about crowdfunding is getting the word out about your project. Think about it this way – if you didn’t crowdfund, who would know that you ever created that book/space/art piece/toy/gadget? Crowdfunding really represents that one big marketing push, with all your resources concentrated into making that 30 days work for you and your big idea.
So, yeah – funding an Indiegogo campaign? Sure, no sweat! On to the next challenge… self-publishing. More on this later…
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do” – Steve Jobs
Every once in awhile, you meet a person that inspires you with their dedication to a cause. Dr. Kerry Kriger is one of those inspiring people I’ve been lucky enough to meet.
Back in February, Kerry agreed to visit my place to talk about the book I wanted to create, “Amphibian Love”. You see, he and I had partnered to promote both Save the Frogs and my Amphibian Love artbook. So I had him over on March 21 to talk about frogs, art, and the book. We spent a pleasant afternoon chatting while sipping lemonade and eating cinnamon muffins I’d baked. Kerry – a tall, friendly guy with a permanent grin – joined me to sit on the couch at first, but the excellent spring weather soon beckoned us to my back patio instead.
Kerry had some experience publishing a book of frog art and poetry, so he was sympathetic to my efforts. We looked at the Amphibian Love prints, postcards and “prototype” book. He likes visual educational materials and enjoyed reading the little poems I’d incorporated into the illustrations. One of his goals for Save the Frogs is to publish a quarterly magazine about frogs and frog conservation. It will be used to educate, inspire and inform.
Another current Save the Frogs effort is the Re-Frogging America project, which creates new amphibian habitats by digging shallow ponds. I asked how increased donations would help with this effort. Kerry said funds could be used to buy much-needed supplies for the next site (like laser levels and plastic liners) and pay for the excavation work.
Kerry also frequently conducts educational tours: driving to schools to teach kids frog conservation. Donations would really help him with transportation costs and printing educational materials and information cards for the kids.
We took several photos together, with my helpful teenage daughter Kira ably handling the camera. After hugs and mutual thank-yous, he was off to his next appointment. I hope to see Kerry again soon, to give him a check after the book has been funded!
Hop on over to the Amphibian Love campaign page for more about the book and how you can get a copy for yourself or a nature-loving friend…. and help me help Dr. Kriger do more great work helping amphibians!
Otherwise known as (scientific name) Odorrana ishikawae, this bright green spotted frog is found only on Amamioshima and Okinawajima islands, as part of the Ryukyu Island group south of Japan’s mainland. It has been called Japan’s “Most Beautiful Frog”. Unfortunately, it’s endangered and population numbers are declining. Most of this is due to deforestation and development around island streams. Until recently, these pretty animals also were sold as pets. Today they are protected and considered a national treasure, but it might still be too late to save them without some serious measures. Captive breeding and re-introduction have been used successfully with other amphibian species, so there’s always hope…
“My tongue shoots out to grab my prey, so fast there’s no chance to get away”
(from a great photograph by the amazing Robin Moore. Used with permission – thanks Robin!) Bolitoglossa dolfeini is a salamander that isn’t really that giant at all. (On average, about 4 inches from nose to tail.) Plus, it’s not too colorful or marked, it just has mottled rusty tones that help it blend in with dirt. So what’s the “wow” factor for this amphibian? Hey, it’s all about the tongue!!!
Here’s this salamander’s tongue in action. Yeah, it’s pretty fast..which is why I didn’t try to paint it. (It’s too fast to really see clearly anyway!) I feel kinda sorry for the poor bug that accidentally wanders by…
This guy lives on the ground and likes abandoned cardamom plantations. It’s found in a few countries in Central America, but by the time you’re reading this, B. dolfeini has probably moved from “near threatened” to “vulnerable” endangered species status, due to a host of issues that commonly threaten amphibians: shrinking habitat, fungal infection, and collection for the pet trade.
“Starpath Ridge” 24 x 36 inches. yarn, wood, silver leaf, india ink.
When I was about eleven years old, I finally got glasses to correct my nearsightedness. That night, in our mountain house, I stepped out onto the deck and looked up. It was the first time I saw stars (real ones, not spiky storybook stars or dots in an astronomy textbook.) They stood out like pinpricks in the velvety blackness. And there were different shades of black, that I had never known were there: Dark black with an occasional bright speck, and a softer black – blossoming with stars, arcing in a band over the horizon…
The piece took about a month to create, most of that time spent laying yarn down row by row. I like the way the mountains create their own contours by the way the light hits the yarn placed in different directions, and I will definitely be using this effect again, as it’s something that seems to be unique to yarn.
Also worth noting is the difficulty in capturing yarn works on camera: There are three colors of yarn in the night sky, charcoal, navy, and black (Only the charcoal gray and navy blue are visible.) The black yarn surrounds each star, each of which is a raised wooden disc, covered in silver leaf. (In the photo, all stars appear to be white.) The reflectivity and light absorption of the various surfaces changes as you look at it from different angles.
All of my works, including this one, is for sale. If you have any questions about my art or purchasing from me, please! Don’t hesitate to ask. To see my art in person, get on my mailing list – that way I can let you know about upcoming shows.
“Starpath Ridge” 24 x 36 inches. Yarn, wood, silver leaf, india ink. $950
Me, wearing lots of denim, tangled in yarn and looking like a dork. Sitting next to the art, for scale.
Hello all! I made a new artist friend online, Tangerine Meg…and I’d like to share her bright, colorful, fun artwork and attitude with you. So, here it is without further adieu– 5 questions, asked by me, answered by Tangerine Meg (with illustrations of course!):
1. What prior art education have you had? How do you feel about art classes/degrees in general?
My parents sent me to children’s art lessons when we first moved to Adelaide – I was 7 years old and I drank it up! I continued at Ruth Tuck’s nurturing, modern influenced drawing and painting classes through all my schooling and as an adult. At some point Ruth asked me to help teach the little kids. I began by emptying the young ones’ paint water, over the years gaining the skill to plan and run classes. Besides that long-term foundational art education, I studied Graphic Design (twice)!
There are many stories of ‘art education’ crushing people’s spirits. I think classes and lessons are good if they are good! For children’s lessons they must be with an experienced children’s teacher, child centred subject matter, and with great quality students materials. I also think that one can also become a good artist in the absence of formal influence if one is obsessed and teaches oneself.
2. Which do you enjoy more: The making of the art (process) or the completion – showing, selling, and sharing your work (end result)? Why?
Great question! Hard to answer, too… I adore making art, and up to a few years ago I would’ve said without hesitation that the making was my favourite aspect. I’m coming to understand that friendships with like-minded souls are a mutual joy, and that the end result (showing, sharing and selling) lifts both my artist’s soul and my confidence.
3. What has been the best experience you’ve ever had involving your artwork? I made a 1 minute animation of a cut out dragon for a special project in my final year of school, and unexpectedly won a certificate of merit at the screening! What a boost! And it’s always an honour when someone I like and admire hangs my artwork in their space.
4. How much does your environment play a role in inspiring the forms and colors of your art? Utterly. It’s a 2-way thing, though … I choose the colourful, patterned elements I like to look at for my environment. Just add cats or fresh farmers market produce for extra inspiration!
5. How has being an artist changed your life? It helps keep me both happy and purposeful, and creativity is a great way to process the various juggles of being human. When I got the news that my thyroid was malfunctioning… the only way I could think to process that was to make art: self portrait photos with temporary tattoos of a butterfly on my neck (where the thyroid gland is), then a lino print – and even a short video of the making of that lino print! I also turn to art when I am bubbling with joyful garden imagery or bursting to try out a new colour combination.
Tangerine Meg bio
Hi, I’m Tangerine Meg! Delighted to meet you! My thing is Bold Art for Bold Souls I’d love you to join me… come visit my website and take home free art stuff! There are bright bookmarks and a Reading Girl Bookplate PDF available for download this very moment!
I’m working on a lot of things right now — if you follow me on Instagram, you know. You guys are pretty much in on everything I do as it happens. (by the way, I love Instagram! It’s far simpler for me to keep everyone up to date through quick snapshots, than with words…)
However, every once in awhile, I sit down and do something just out of left field that has nothing to do with any current projects or series. This octopus is one of those “just for fun” doodles. I’m particularly fond of octopi, and now, I can feel secure knowing that I can draw a simplified octopus with zero reference material. I love realistic illustrations, but at times it’s good to step away from photographs and create without that left-brain tether.
Here you go! Can you tell that I had fun while making it? (Print available of course.)
Blue animals have always fascinated me. I mean, blue is fairly uncommon in nature. Butterflies, sure. A few tropical birds and frogs, okay. But check out these ordinary brown European frogs, Rana Arvalis. (One common name is the Moor Frog.) Each spring they come out of hibernation and males turn a stunning blueberry-blue, to attract mates.
I was inspired by this video to create the cover for my book Amphibian Love. I knew the book had to more than just one animal, so this was the perfect opportunity to show an army of these azure loverboys. I created a long image to wraparound the book with allowance for spine width in the center and hand-painted the title on the front cover area.
I’ve very excited to announce that I will be taking this book (in full mockup, or”dummy” format) to the Society for Children’s Writers and Book Illustrators in September. I’ll also be taking it to Alternative Press Expo in October. It’s my goal to continue my research into publishing options, and get some input and opinions on how to make the book a reality. Let’s hope I get some definitive answers from the bookmaking biz…
Blue animals have always fascinated me. I mean, blue is fairly uncommon in nature. Butterflies, sure. A few tropical birds and frogs, okay. But check out these ordinary brown European frogs, Rana Arvalis. (One common name is the Moor Frog.) Each spring they come out of hibernation and males turn a stunning blueberry-blue, to attract mates.
I was inspired by this video to create the cover for my book Amphibian Love. I knew the book had to more than just one animal, so this was the perfect opportunity to show an army of these azure loverboys. I created a long image to wraparound the book with allowance for spine width in the center and hand-painted the title on the front cover area.
I’ve very excited to announce that I will be taking this book (in full mockup, or”dummy” format) to the Society for Children’s Writers and Book Illustrators in September. I’ll also be taking it to Alternative Press Expo in October. It’s my goal to continue my research into publishing options, and get some input and opinions on how to make the book a reality. Let’s hope I get some definitive answers from the bookmaking biz…
This frog spends most of its time underwater, but has no gills. Instead, it uses the surface of its skin to breathe. This is possible because it has evolved plenty of folds and wrinkles to increase skin surface area. Lake Titicaca is a high altitude lake in Peru, with thin, oxygen-poor air and burning ultraviolet rays — best to stay submerged in the soothing reeds and plant-covered lake bottom! (Makes sense to me….)
(special thanks to Brad Wilson, DVM for taking this great photograph!)
These gentle giants are baggy, saggy, blotchy, dinner-plate-sized hunters that can catch small fish. They are a critically endangered species, prized by the locals as a food and as an aphrodesiac. Read this short article, In the Land of the Giant Frogs, for more interesting information about this animal.
“Tendrils” 16 x 20 inches. Yarn, acrylic, and acrylic beads. $250.
Starpath Ridge
The Sun Gave Us the Stars
First Rain
Crowdfunding. My response? “Well, THAT was interesting.”
On to the next challenge… self-publishing. More on this later…
I’d love you to join me… come visit 
