What Washed Up This Evening

If you were walking along an empty beach and spotted a small lavender bag, would you not want to know what was inside?

I picked it up. Tom said, "Linda! Throw that down! Who knows what that is!" But I couldn't resist. (Again, I ask: Could you?)

I need to carry a knife because it took me a while to tear it open––but look! Nine pennies, a shark's tooth, and a handful of shells.

Another World

After 8 hours at the computer ...

it's amazing to behold another world.     (7:20 p.m. Coastal Trail)

um...uh...Toastmasters?

This evening I attended my first Toastmasters meeting. It was held at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park––that building behind the trees. The setting is almost beautiful enough not to make you scared silly, isn't it?

The prez said that before I choose a group to join I might want to try out several different locations, because each club has its own personality. Then someone mentioned the fact that one of their members makes chocolate truffles for a living and often brings them to meetings. Wow. I was sure that this group is the one I would want to join, though they seemed surprised that I thought wine would be served. Toastmasters + no wine = false advertising, don't you think?

Cloud Report

6:24 p.m.  El Camino Del Mar

Kuler Color Palettes

Namowal, I tried your suggestion and made the color palette above from the colors in the photo below.

Your comment was such a coincidence. In desperation I had tried Kuler earlier in the day to create a color palette––and I ended up feeling like that one palette helped my work immeasurably. (I hope I'll feel the same tomorrow!)

If you're using Illustrator you can use Kuler straight from within the program––otherwise, you can easily import the palettes you create from Kuler into other programs.

Along the Coastal Trail

Looking up

Looking down

Summer

And here I sit wearing a sweatshirt with a turtleneck underneath. The electric heater going under my desk. I'm not complaining!

Silly Sea Rock

What I felt like after Day 4 of the Children's Book Conference

Children's Book Conference Day 3

I learned so much from this woman, Gennifer Choldenko, author of Al Capone Does My Shirts, Al Capone Shines My Shoes, No Passengers Beyond This Point, and many other books.

Children's Book Conference Day 2

There were too many inspiring sessions to mention. This is Lissa Rovetch, illustrator of There Was a Man Who Loved a Rat and Other Vile Little Poems. She led a fun and madly productive writing exercise.

An excerpt from my madly productive writing exercise:

"HOLY COW! What's that?!" There was a furry mass behind the milk carton. Was it something Fawn had left behind? Was it an old ham?

Melvin snatched a spatula out of the drawer and tried to dislodge it. It would not budge. In fact, it seemed to glower at him. Was it a giant scallop with hair? 

There was a knock at the door. Melvin stuck the spatula in his back pocket and straightened his glasses....

Children's Book Conference Day 1

Book Passage in Corte Madera: What an incredible bookstore and what a great conference.

Beautiful Oops is a book I've admired for a long time, and I got to sit by Barney at dinner. I asked him if he had any advice for me. I'd like to loosen up and to be successful in doing final art in the same style as my sketches, instead of trying to "perfect" everything to death. He had two interesting suggestions:

1. To try drawing with my left hand instead of my right

2. To drink a glass of wine before I start drawing

Today's Prompt: A pattern

Msmasmush gave me a ticket to see The Cult of Beauty at the Legion of Honor. By mistake I went to the de Young, to The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, thinking that it was The Cult of Beauty. They are two different shows, as everyone else in town knows! But what a fortuitous mistake, and how lucky I was to be admitted into the Gaultier show on my Cult of Beauty ticket.

The Gaultier show knocked me out. It was hilarious. I can't begin to describe it. I can only say see it! It will be here through August 19th.

Afterwards, I zoomed to the Legion of Honor and saw the show I was meant to see. The Cult of Beauty is an exhibit of Victorian Avant-Garde art, quite different from the Gaultier show. Also on display at the Legion is a sweet show called Making the Modern Picture Book: Children's Books from the Victorian Era. I was introduced to William Nicholson's work, whose writing I thought was as surprising as his pictures.

It's funny. I just read in wikipedia that from about 1900 Nicholson concentrated on painting, encouraged by Whistler. My favorite painting in the Cult of Beauty show was Nocturne by Whistler.

Most fun of all was running into msmasmush in the gift shop. She had broken both of the cash registers and had been sent into the hall to straighten merchandise. Not only is msmasmush the one who gave me my ticket to The Cult of Beauty, but she's also the one who got me started in this writing class for which we are given daily prompts.

Our prompt today is A pattern, so here goes:

A poem is a type of pattern

Neptune, Venus, Mars and Saturn.

Pixels, shells and cobblestone,

Numbers on your telephone.

Marimekko tablecloths,

Ladybugs and spotted moths.

Bubbles in your bubble bath,

Molecules and higher math. 

UPC codes, bumps in braille

The major diatonic scale.

Patterns can be lots of fun

As long as they're not overdone

But stripes are best if you ask me

And I'm sure Gaultier would agree.

Happy Birthday, Peter!

Alice Roche Summer Steals

I tend to buy a pair of earrings and then wear that one pair day in and day out for five years. My current pair is made by Alice Roche, and she's having a summer sale through Wednesday. Lots of her necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings are 50%-70% off, and the inventory is going fast.

P.S. In case you're wondering, Alice's dad is the architect Kevin Roche.

Four Essential Elements

6:31 a.m. Home

6:22 p.m. Water

6:27 p.m. Earth

6:41 p.m. Air

I Love Jack Black

Along the Coastal Trail

6:01 p.m.

6:34 p.m.

Which Way Venus?

Which way is Venus?

We were walking along the Coastal Trail when Rosalie texted us to turn around.

By the parking lot above the Sutro Baths, people were looking at Venus!

This guy let us look through his telescope (equipped with a hydrogen filter).

What Washed Up

Book Festival Illustration

My art director was Sally Devine Morgan, but I call her Sally Divine.