This note arrived in the post as we were leaving for the cabins, Frida will be published in Somerset Studio's Jan/Feb issue!  So with that good news I adjusted my grinchy attitude to more holiday cheer and headed out the door.  I do love the holidays, they just start way to early for me. (and this year I'm in adjoining the chorus room at work so I've heard carols since Oct!)
Now before you think I mean cabin as in roughing it, these are Disney cabins, with heat (it was in the 30's here in Fl) and a kitchen!  I love nature but not so much the roughing it part.  We had a great time together just hanging out and enjoying each other, hot coco, parades, we even spied 5 deer and wood peckers at the campgrounds.

Came home to a whirlwind of cleaning, baking wrapping and decorating to get reading for friends and family who started to arrive Christmas Eve.  I for one was grateful Starbucks was open Christmas Day as I was getting very sleepy on the road driving my Mom back home.  Of course I had to stay awake for the Doctor Who Christmas special (which was the cherry on top of the day!)

Still need to put the house back in order and I'm feeling the pull to get back into the studio so all will be back to normal soon I'm afraid!

Wishing you all bright winter blessings!

Finished "Sleepwalking" around 3:30 last night which I suppose is appropriate for a moongirl painting.  I have a really hard time staying on  a reasonable schedule on holiday. Heck I'm pretty much a night owl when I have to wake up early too! Anyway I hope you enjoy my weary Moongirl!

   I love to see works in progress and thought  you might too. I'm starting a series of moongirls, I'm not sure where they are leading me but that's part of the adventure.  I'm realizing more and more that every image is a bit of a self portrait (make of that what you will)
This Lunar girl is a challenge as she needs to look other worldly but somehow familiar.. I adore drawing hair and I don't have that luxury here.
I've been back to walking after dark every night again, the best time for me to think and "day" dream. I just don't enjoy walking in daylight very much, a friend came walking with me one night last year and was baffled at my late night walking, I guess I know the area or have a little radar because we don't have many street lights.
I do admit, I don't walk through the old cemetery after dark, even though its a very pretty one right down the street. I save it for the day time walks!

 blog post for Halloween .. Monsters and miracles (but of course)
darklingwoods.blogspot.com

my little pondering on feeling like an odd duck and letting the facade slip (of course the facade is paper thin these days, I think its there only for
people who need to see it)

Raises glass to monsters and tales and the people who love them!

"St. Frida the Divine with Poppies" Frida is such a powerful figure to me on so many levels, I've longed to paint her but hesitated. I've decided there is no doing her justice I'll just try to pay tribute.

The original is mixed media, the poppies I made by hand and collaged on. I was inspired by the Veteran's Day blooms that my Grandmother wore when I was a little girl. Poppies always represented loss and strength of a feminine nature to me.

and if you love Frida and picture books this one is a treasure
and suitable for even very small children, (the accident is handled delicately) The story is poignant and poetic and not only introduces them to Frida but more importantly how art saved her when her life was filled with pain. A story of hope and beauty, no wonder we love Frida so!

darklingwoods.blogspot.com  just a note that I updated my art blog with more photos of the crown and a tutorial with a pattern. its really an easy crown to do and can be altered for any queen or princess you might be cooking up this Halloween season.  I'm toying with the idea of making a series of them now ... but I think part of that is fun of hunting down the tiny trims for each princess. Its a sickness I tell you!

So how may days till Dragon con? and I've only got one and half more costumes to finish ;) I have one  more week before work starts again and I really did want to paint my bedroom. It would be easier to ignore this if I hadn't painted a huge sample colors on the walls months ago ;P
But I've had a terrible cough for several weeks and been busy to boot yada yada you know the drill. and of course I have a new art room at school to prepare. And two high schoolers to get ready for school... yeesh did I say one week?

*flails*

www.comicsalliance.com/2010/07/22/super-heroes-vs-the-westboro-baptist-church/

Geeks united!

The horrid hater church turned out to hate on the comic con geeks.. but have no fear they opened up a can of cosplay and wit on the dark foes!

*wipes eyes* sometimes I'm so proud to be a geek

(well actually I always am, but yeah ;)

In case I forgot to mention it we are doing a family Alice in Wonderland theme for Dragon con this year and I get to be the Queen of Hearts! This week i pulled out all my Queenly treasures bits and bobs ... determined to make my crown
I'd looked a bit online and not found anything really special. No I hadn't made one before but humpf... I've got a glue gun and trims! Make Way!

2 days later...
Taaadaaaa!  I'm so tickled with it! Now If I can figure out how to make it stay on my little pointed head!

in other news... We get to see Sunny tomorrow at SCAD art camp. I'm dying to see what she has created this week! We've missed her so much around here! Summer is going by in a blur as always. I'm trying to relax a bit while whittling away at my mile long summer to do list.  Comic con art is packed and shipped, Dragon con costumes are almost ready, Next will be all those Dr. Dental, school shopping trips and one last family trip (whew!) 

Please join the ghost of tea parties past over at my blog for a little tale, tea and special giveaway!

I hope you are having a wonderful summer and aren't melting in this heat wave!

XxoO

Cat