Rewarding My Inner Child

Last week during my Artist Date I took my inner child on a rewarding trip to the art store and bookshop. These are the two places that I can lose all sense of time passing.

In the art store my creativity comes to life as I browse the shelves choosing pencils, paint and paper.

While in the bookshop my imagination is fostered by the brilliant stories and engaging illustrations. On this Artist Date I was looking for illustrations that made my heart sing.

My inner child soared with delight at the colours, textures, characters and words. Now that my inner child is nourished she can activate my creativity.

I sure need my inner child to let help me let loose my creativity now that am participating in the Nina Rycroft Picture Book Illustration e-Course. The course is stretching me in ways that I didn't consider. It is giving me new insights to the process an illustrator goes through to create illustrations that will complement and add to a manuscript.

However the hardest part is the critic that is in your head yelling louder and louder that you cannot possibly create characters for a manuscript. My morning writing pages are working overtime to stop these Monsters that exist in my head. Monsters from my past that crushed my inner child, the child that liked to dream.

So HOORAY to places like the art store and the bookshop that help set my inner child free from the monsters.

Book Launch: Marvellous Miss May

A fabulous book launch at Harry Hartog (Woden) with Stephanie Owen Reeder for her new book, Marvellous Miss May, published by The National Library of Australia. 

Stephanie read the book to an enthusiastic crowd. Clowns and a ringmaster were there plus preforming jugglers.

Like any great book launch there were colouring in sheets,lollies and cake. You always need cake for a book birthday!



For a book review by Shaye Wardope from Kids' Book Review see here. 

Love Balloon

Sending my love out into the universe.

Freda Coyo Flamingo's Birthday

Say hello to Fredo Coyo.
She loves bright colours, celebrations and dancing the Paso Doble.

Freda is special because she has found a home with my friend, author and illustrator Tania McCartney for her 21 again birthday.

Freda is quite different to my usual paintings, she has embraced the bright colours and acrylic paints because she has such a lively personality.

Freda is my week 6 CDWC - long necked theme illustration.