"Eat Pretty for the Holidays" Contest

This was my entry for the contest on Sali & Nates amazing site "They Draw & Cook"
I actually did 2 ,but the 2nd one wouldnt let me save it in a jpeg format & so it missed the deadline-bummer!
Relaxing Mom was my entry and I combined the baubles & sparkly's of Christmas with the donuts & latkes of Hannukah with all the lush smells & colours & lights of it all!Concentrating on the inner beauty & to help mom relax in all the craziness of it all!
There were 140 beautiul entries!!!The day they were supposed to announce the  top ones I kept checking ,but it was only a day later that they finally announced the 30 top illustrations .I was sooo nervous & excited & scrolled down slowly holding my breath, becoming more & more sure I would'nt be on it !& then I found mine! number 24 !yay!!! I was shaking with excitement!

Any way to cut a long story short mine was chosen as one of the 5 runner ups and I won a beautiful calender!
thank you Nate & Sali!

Tomie dePaola Award

Hi All!

Wow !I havent written for ages!Life has been rather frantic! and in the craziness I have forgotten to post my entry for the 2012 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award . The challenge was to illustrate the following text:

"So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey

Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky ,Henny Penny and Chicken Licken," said Turkey Lurkey, "where are you going?"

"Oh Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the king!"

"How do you know the sky is falling?" asked Turkey Lurkey.

"Ducky Daddles told me," said Goosey Loosey.

"Cocky Locky told me," said Ducky Daddles

"Henny Penny told me," said Cocky Locky

"Chicken Licken told me," said Henny Penny

"I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece fell on my tail!" said Chicken Licken.

"Then I will go with you," said Turkey Lurkey, and will tell the King!"

I had great fun going with the kids to draw the chickens,ducks & turkeys on our "mini zoo"

I will post some of their gorgeous drawings too!

I loved doing this piece & I added some of the map from Bulgaria (special meaning for me -where we just had a beautiful family reunion)



My entry for the Tomie dePaolo Award











"They Draw & Cook"-cooking for kids contest-update

Well waited in anticipation for the 15th & kept checking my e-mail & my New York clock...nothing!!!
Was really excited...and nervous!then I went into the site & saw that they had announced the winner(hadn't expected to be the winner!but I must admit would have loved to be a runner up 'case you could win the book thats just come out ,but thought MAYBE I'd be one of the 25!)
searched the gallery & they'd decided to give 40 (3rd prize) entries a place on the TDAC canvas shop, the gallery instead of only 25 and can you believe it I was'nt even on that!
Was really dissapionted,but what can you do!
Then I was telling Zohar & Daniele (my 2 eldest) about the results & the amazing site & how gorgeous the winners recipe was etc & Zohar wanted to see...so we came up to my studio & I showed him. . .  Next thing he says ,"but Mom you're jumping 10 pics each time! " and sure enogh instead of pressing next pic I was pressing (or the mouse was anyway) next 10 pics ! So we opened the page to show 48 at a time & can you belive it one of mine was there!!! Jumping for joy!!!! we were both soooo proud ! Thank God for Zohar!!!Bless ! I would never have known !
So there you go! my recipe with my gorgeous strawberry gobbler princess is on display in the TDAC shop ,so people can order it as a picture,canvas,pannel of 3 etc reallly quite cool!
Thanks Salli & Nate!!!

P.S. Here's the link:
http://www.greatbigcanvas.com/painting-picture-photo/emma-lees-strawbangoberry-shake-76147

Here you can see what it looks like if you order it in 3 pannels,pretty cool I think

"They Draw & Cook"-cooking for kids contest

"They Draw & Cook" is a glorious site !!they were running a contest that finished midnight (EST )

I just had to take part and sat up till after 2 am (a first time for me!I'm not a night person...)and finished my 2 recipes !

Was really chuffed!

My little princess Emma-Lee , whom loves strawberries tooo much!



My little man, helping me !!we had such a giggle 'cause he'd eat one ...cut one..

“Dear JAPAN: Messages of hope from picture book artists worldwide”

How  exciting!Today I heard from Art Ehon again:

"Thanks to your warmest cooperation, we have received illustrations with messages from 135 illustrators of 24 nationalities. Such overwhelming response was just beyond our imagination.

The exhibition

My piece "Prayers for Japan"

We delighted to inform you that sixty-six “Dear JAPAN”illustrations with messages including yours have been displayed at “World Picture Books Exhibition: Bologna Children's Book Fair in Itabashi” held in Itabashi Ward in Tokyo, a sister city of Bologna from 20th to 28th August, 2011.
Following the success of the Itabashi exhibition, these works are now scheduled to be on display at Tamagawa Children’s Library in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture (situated in northwestern Japan) from mid-September to early October this year.
For your reference, I am herewith attaching some photos at Itabashi exhibition.

My artwork made into a postcard, number 2

Please be informed that at Itabashi exhibition, thirteen postcards including yours have been on sale.

On the back of the postcard, our project name, “Dear JAPAN: Messages of hope from picture book artists worldwide”, your name, your country name and your message are printed in Japanese.

In addition, your name is printed in English as well.

We ensure that the proceeds of JPY 38100 raised from this postcard sales are donated to Japanese Red Cross Society."

I'm  sooo honoured to be a part of this!

my mosaic wall-finally finished!

Well its finally happened!I have finished grouting the wall!I must confess although I completely love mosaicing I dread the grouting!I'm typing with cut fingers but its fially done(well except for one window...which I will have to master up the courage for)
For years I have collected beautiful pieces of china,ceramics,shells and beloved crockery that gets broken,now finally its all on the walls each piece telling a story & bringing back a memory...
here are the pics:



Etai,my youngest, showing me parts he created



The whole wall grouted atlast!



And here are the rest of the pictures,finished some time ago,but now all together 

The lounge window

One of Janie's beautiul hand painted plates



the upstairs window



  

Another one of Janie's hand-painted artworks,that she supplied me





My studio window



The viewe from my studio window



The viewe from up  top of the scaffolding

     

 If you want to see more of Janie's beautiful things heres a link to her:

 http://www.janiesiebert.com/

Update for "Hope in Japan"

I have recently been contacted by Art Ehon and the project is going well , it has been changed to "Dear Japan"and my picture is now going to be placed on exhibition at “BOLOGNA PICTURE BOOK EXHIBITION” which will be held in Itabashi , amongst another 135 illustrators of 24 nationalities..They are also going to print postcards with the profit going to Japanese Red Cross Society.
All very exciting!

Hope to Japan

I know this is old stuff, but I'm new to Blogging & really wanted to share this
I was fortunate enough to attend the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2011 (will have to write about that too)
When I returned one of the projects I received was to send a picture to Art Ehon to make a book and use as an app. for prayers to Japan
I did and I loved doing it!I loved the freedom & creative energy that I had doing something good for someone else!
First I researched all the animals that symbolised hope,strength,regrowth,recovery...all good possitive energies!My Mom is a  Reiki Master & she was involved with groups in sending Reiki to Japan,I thought this was a way I could do something(however small)
Then  I got the biggest piece of paper and started drawing ,just letting the creative juices take over.. I then started painting...

 



just pencil outlines and paint

 



Note the salt on the sky,it gives a great texture

   ...added pastles, pencils and outlined it all giving shape to my drawings, sprinkled salt onto the wet sky to give it an amazing texture






The dog symbolizes best friend,loyalty,protection, the frog : fertility,transformation,healing,cleansing

  



The rooster wards off evil ,gives courage ,the cat is for gaurdianship,protection,balance

  

 Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury.



Red cow symbolizes hope





Dandelions symbolize a wish coming true, hope





Cricket symbolizes good luck, fertility, the bear: nuturing,healer

   

  My friend Sharon  took some photographs & I then added the final details on photoshop





The artwork before wording