cow jumps over the moon, personal art themes, illustration friday, and recent reads

The Illustration Friday prompt this week is: moon. My first thought was the cow jumps over the moon. I love drawing cows and I make children's books, so it's an obvious fit. However, I've drawn lots of cows jumping over the moon over the years.* So, this time I decided to give the cow a rocket ship to fly over the moon!

It originally was going to be an ink drawing with digital color. Then I decided to play with watercolor crayons, which was fun, but not quite right. That was when the acrylic paints came out to add a final layer over the watercolor crayon. It scanned so much darker than the original! This is my first cow painting of the year! (I've also done another non-cow painting this year.)

* Artists sometimes have themes or subjects that they keep coming back to. Cows are a particular favorite of mine (I still like drawing/painting them, even after I drew a cow a day for a year). There's also something I'm drawn to about the idea of a cow jumping over the moon, so I continue to revisit that subject (as well as pictures of cows at night with the moon in the background, even if they aren't jumping over it). Here are a few other images I've created in the past of cows jumping over the moon (only a few - there are more!):

2003 Nursery Rhyme Cow (from the year I drew a cow a day):

2005 - Super Cow (I was thinking about how it was possible for a cow to jump over the moon - clearly the cow needed to have super powers):

2009 - Moon Cows (This was a sketch I drew for a picture book with a cow, that ended up being a picture book about a chicken instead.):

2011 - Cow Jumps Over The Earth (I was thinking about the nursery rhyme again, and how it would be possible for a cow to jump over the moon. I decided to have the cow jumping ON the moon, and therefore, it would be jumping over the Earth.)

What subjects or themes do you return to in your writing or art?

Recent Reads: After my last post about my 2015 book stats, I wanted to talk more about the books I'm reading and loving, or ones I've read in the recent past that I love** (so many good books to talk about). Note: Recent = books read the day of, the week before, or within the last year or so, but usually that month.

Currently Reading -  DEAR GENIUS, The Letters Of Ursula Nordstrom, collected and edited by Leonard S. Marcus: a fascinating look at one of the great editors of children's books, who helped to shape the books kids read, and who edited many of the books and authors/illustrators that are still read today.

Recent Reads I loved -
Picture Book: THE PRINCESS AND THE PONY by Kate Beaton - A story about a princess who wants a horse to help her do battle in her kingdom of warriors. She gets a tiny round pony instead. It's not easy to get a gift you don't want, but then again, maybe the gift pony will surprise you.



Middle Grade: SHADOWS OF SHERWOOD by Kekla Magoon - A fun new take on the Robin Hood story, with a wonderful girl named Robyn who must learn quickly how to survive on her own, figure out who are friends vs. foes, help the people of Sherwood survive, and piece together clues left by her parents. This is the start of a new series and I can't wait for the next book! I've never been a Robin Hood fan, but that's because I hadn't met the right Robyn yet.




 SERPENTINE by Cindy Pon - This is another story set in Ciny Pon's world of Xia. (Note: you don't have to read her first two books to enjoy this one, but you might want to after reading Serpentine.) Skybright is a handmaid and companion to a girl in a wealthy family. They're both growing up and testing the bond they have together, at the same time that Skybright learns that she's not who she thinks she is. A story full of demons, secrets, and the possibility of love. It's also the start of a new series. Can't wait for the next book!
Young Adult:



** Unless stated otherwise, all books were purchased by me, given to me as gifts by family or friends (not the authors or illustrators), or checked out of the library.

Book Love: The Lighter Side of Life and Death / It’s Raining Cupcakes / Raised By Wolves / Paranormalcy

Today’s post is all about Book Love.* In my post for banned books week, I said, “Just Read. And when you’re done, tell someone about what you’ve read. Books are great things to share.” I’m taking my own advice and sharing four books that I read recently and loved. I hope you’ll love them too.

Why I loved The Lighter Side of Life and Death by C.K. Kelly Martin: Mason’s brief romantic encounter with his best friend Kat and his relationship with an older woman were both wonderfully written, especially with the respect that he shows for both of them. The emotions, confusion and inner dialog that Mason has throughout the book make the romances feel specific to the character and yet universal. It’s not a surprise that The Lighter Side of Life and Death made Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Romance Fiction for Youth list. The book isn’t all romance though. Mason’s relationships with his friends and new step family aren’t all smooth sailing. The secondary characters are well drawn and their interactions with Mason add depth to the story and make it all seem like they’re people you could meet in real life.

Why I loved It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder: I should have been prepared for the emotion and depth in this book after having read her YA novels, but I wasn’t. I was lured by the cover into thinking it was all about cupcakes. There are cupcakes, just like the cover promises, and they all sound delicious! However, the heart of the story is really about Isabel and her relationship with her mother. It’s about finding a way to succeed even if you aren’t number one and learning to reach for your dreams. It’s always nice to be surprised by a book. Like Lisa Schroeder’s YA novels, the emotion in It’s Raining Cupcakes is spot on and the story strikes just the right balance between serious subjects and an ode to cupcakes.

Why I loved Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: It feels like you are an insider in a world humans don’t usually get to see. You find out what it means to be a werewolf and to be Pack, yet the main character, Bryn, has the power to resist some of the dominance of the pack because she’s human. When she meets a newly turned werewolf and lets the pack into her head, the book gives the reader another level of understanding about what it means to be Pack. Another great thing about this novel is that the story doesn’t go exactly where you think it will; there are twists and turns that can’t quite be anticipated. I never thought another werewolf book could live up to Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. I can honestly say that Raised By Wolves lives up to it … I might even like it more. The next book in the series, Trial By Fire, comes out in Summer of 2011.

Why I loved Paranormalcy by Kiersten White: Evie is an orphaned teen living in a government facility filled with paranormals, a best friend that’s a mermaid, and an ex-boyfriend that’s a faerie. She’s the only one able to see through the glamours of paranormal creatures, so the government put her to work helping to capture and contain paranormals. It’s a light-hearted, girl power look at government control and the question of whether what they are doing is a good thing or not, with serious undertones and a possible romance with a hot guy. Evie longs to be a regular girl, but it’s clear that it will be a hard goal to achieve. Then again, if anyone can do it, it will probably be Evie. This is the first book in a trilogy. The second book, Supernaturally, is scheduled to be published in Fall 2011.

Read any good books lately? Spill – I love to hear about good reads!

*Book Love = books that I loved reading and why. It’s not a review. There are many blogs online that review books way better than I could. 

*Note to the FTC: I don’t get paid for Book Love or receive anything for doing this. I just like to share what I enjoy reading. If I am lucky enough to win a book or an ARC, I’ll mention it (but winning a book doesn’t mean I’ll like it or talk about it). Otherwise, I purchased the book because I wanted to read it.