Tales of a Female Knight

I grew up in England around castles reading the Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce. The story is about Alanna of Trebond who disguises herself as a boy so she can train to be a knight. Because of those books I've pretended to be a knight with red hair and violet eyes.

I recently found out that the author Tamora Pierce has written many more books about the realm of Tortal. Over the past year I read the winning Caldecott books, so my treat to myself for 2011 is to read all of Pierce's books.

Song of the Lioness Quartet are on my book list for 2010. I ran through them in less than two weeks. I've reread them so many times- I adore them!

Interactive booklist

One of the comments I received from the survey of this blog, was to have more book lists. I couldn't agree more!! Since 2009 this site has a record of books I've read, but it was limited in its interaction. (Click for the 2010 book list.)

Thanks to reading Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for the classroom, I was introduced to an online library called Shelfari, where you can add the books you've read, currently devouring and your wish list and network with other book fanatics.

I'm still adding the books to my Shelfari shelf, since this year I've consumed about a 100 thanks to the Caldecott childrens' books.

Please sign up on Shelfari so we can talk about books!

flying frogs

Every year one American illustrator of Childrens books is awarded the golden Caldecott medal. There are also several silver awards. I'm half way through the gold winners, which dates back to 1938.




So far my favorite books are by author/illustrator David Wiesman. His stories are quirky and beautifully illustrated. He is also one of the few artists who have been awarded multiple Caldecott awards.

I've discovered from reading so many kid's books, that I prefer to be awed by the art and story line, but to have little or no text. My mind likes to fill in the blanks.




I really love reading Tuesday, because it has so few words. Plus the frogs on lilly pads crack me up as they fly around getting into mischief.




To read about David Weisner's creative process in making Tuesday, check out his website here.

To read the Caldecott winners yourself, go to this link for a list of the books.

What's your favorite Caldecott book?

Books I want to read

I have a back log of books I want to read. So it goes, one book leads to another book, so to remind myself of these other books I want to get to, here they are:



"Excuse me your Life is Waiting" by Lynn Grabhorn"
other books by J.K. Rowling
Art and Fear by Ted Orland
Agatha Cristie books
Eat right for your type by Peter D'Adamo
Why prolife by Alcorn
Women who runs with the wolves by Pinkola



A little too thin by Strober
Anne of Green Gables series (again!)
The life of a photograph : archival processing, matting, framing, storage by Laurence E. Keefe, and Dennis Inch
Grand Theft Childhood by Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson




Louisa May Alcott books
All of the Caldecott and Newbery award winners (this year I finished reading all of the gold Caldecott winners.I'm making progress.)
Read some biographies, particularly about artists


Recommended books from the Professional Picture Framers Association:
1. The Complete Guide to Shadowboxes and
Framing Objects
James Miller, MCPF
2. Art & Picture Framing Glossary of Standard Terms
PPFA
3. Caring for Your Art
Jill Snyder
4. Picture Framing, Volume 1
Vivian Kistler, MCPF, GCF
5. Mat Cutting and Decoration, Volume 2
Vivian Kistler, MCPF, GCF
6. Needlework Framing, Volume 3
Vivian Kistler, MCPF, GCF
7. Framing Photography, Volume 6
Allan Lamb, CPF
8. PPFA Guidelines for Framing Works of Art on Paper
PPFA
9. PPFA Guidelines for Framing Works of Art on Canvas
PPFA
10. The Mounting and Laminating Handbook
Chris Paschke, CPF, GCF
11. CCI Notes: Paintings
Canadian Conservation Institute
12. Preserving Textiles
Harold F. Mailand and Dorothy Stites Alig

I also have more books I want to read. They are on my shelfari account.

pastel book added to book list

32. On Location by Richard McDaniel (click for his website)

(Stayed up late reading and then got up early the next morning to finish this excellent book!)

In college my classes focused on film and sculpture, so I didn't get to have formalized training in many other mediums. If it wasn't for the cost, I would of gladly kept going to school. There are so many art forms and techniques that I want to explore. With the Internet and the library I can learn other mediums that I have been very eager to learn, like pastels.

With an upcoming lesson that I am teaching on pastels, reading On Location has given me confidence, knowledge and added even more to my excitement of this medium. Through Richard McDaniel's book, he reinforced the techniques that I learned in college drawing and color theory classes and private instruction on oil and charcoal drawing. This book is stunning in the simplicity and clarity of what to ask yourself while you are creating and demystifying various pastel techniques.

For me a book's layout is just as important as the content. I have many art books that I adore the images and glean inspiration from, but the text is flawed in some manner. Sometimes just being too wordy deters me from reading what the artist has to say. On Location has a clean layout, informative captions and equally helpful text. Reading the book gave me lots of ahh! moments that gave me insight on how a pastelist works and lots of other reminders of what I had learned in previous art classes that also apply to drawing with pastels.










McDaniel paints plein air, which is painting on location.








The layering of colors adds lots of texture and interest. The color also evokes the emotion that I experienced when I visited Stonehenge.

To read about the other 32 books that I've read this year, click here.

Favorite Children's Book Author

Enid Blyton is the fifth most translated author worldwide, who wrote over 800 books in 40 years. She was a British author from the 1900s and I grew up loving her books (and still do!)

Malory Towers

My favorite series by Enid Blyton is about a girls boarding school, which I have reread many times. My favorite character is Darrel since she plays pranks and lacrosse both really well. I learned from doing research for this post that these books were written a lot longer ago then I thought, which explains why they are so wholesome and charming.

The six 'official' books of the series are:

1. First Term at Malory Towers (1946)
2. Second Form at Malory Towers (1947)
3. Third Year at Malory Towers (1948)
4. Upper Fourth at Malory Towers (1949)
5. In the Fifth at Malory Towers (1950)
6. Last Term at Malory Towers (1951)

Pamela Cox wrote six sequels in 2009 which focus on the adventures of Felicity Rivers and June Johns: ( I havent read these books yet, I only just learned about them. I cant wait to read them!)

1. New Term at Malory Towers (2009)
2. Summer Term at Malory Towers (2009)
3. Winter Term at Malory Towers (2009)
4. Fun and Games at Malory Towers
5. Secrets at Malory Towers
6. Goodbye Malory Towers

The Magic Faraway Tree

Before I knew how to read cursive I had no idea on how to read my favorite author's name. Look for yourself on the cover of the Magic Faraway Tree! It looks like Gnid Blyton. I didnt want to say my heroes name incorrectly, so I didnt say it, but instead referred to the book titles. I dont remember when I learned her real first name, but I am sure it was a relief to realize that her name wasnt Gnid, but instead a much nicer name.

Some where in the garage is this series, The Magic Faraway Tree, which is about three kids who discover a magical land full of pixies and other enchanted creatures, but the kids cant stay there long, or else they get trapped there. I have to reread these charming books!!


































The Famous Five

From what I recall this is the only other series by Blyton that I read and it ranks as my third favorite. This series caught my interest because it's about four kids and a dog named Timmy that solve mysteries often all by themselves.

I have two books of the Fives adventures. They are choose your own adventure books! The above photo with the rucksack (aka backpack) are the plastic props that come with the book, along with a full color map!!! I played with this book when I discovered it in the garage and it was just as much fun as I remember it.

In Closing
If you are in need of more information on Blyton, here's her official site, with descriptions and links to buy the books. I already checked and the Sacramento library only cares 1 auto tape and 1 book by her. :-(

Just thinking about these books makes me all giddy. You really must look up a copy of some of her books. There are so refreshing, magical, and a delight to read. Enjoy!

Childhood hero - Louisa May Alcott

Sorting the garage reacquainted me with old friends, which are the following 4 books written by one of my favorite authors, Louisa May Alcott. I've caught the reading fever and all I want to do is spend time with the March family.





















Over the past month I've watched the newest movie of Little Women and then rewatched it with the commentary and then this morning I finished reading the book!

Even though I was named after Beth, I relate to the spirited, restless nature of the tom boy Jo March. It's encouraging to read about Jo eventually finding peace and meaning for her life. I am so over this post grad stress.

As a kid I was so disappointed with Louisa and Jo for marrying the "wrong" guy. Now that I'm older I think she made a wonderful decision. I am still surprised that Jo's parents were fine with the huge age difference. Even today that would be a shock.




















I forgot about this book. It must not been of much interest when I was little. Currently I am relishing my favorite book, Little Men and will get back to this one. I am curious to hear what the rest of the family has been up to since Little Men focuses on Plumfield.




















Did I mention this book is my favorite?!? The boys are so lovable and their pranks so entertaining. If I could travel back into time I was live and work at Plumfield. I adore Fritz and Jo's style of bringing children and would love to teach and play with the kids. I could see us fencing, making tipis and practicing yoga.

I intend to find the modern day version of Plumfield. Any one have any leads? Some ideas are working for Gesundheit! or the Red Cross. I'm always researching ideas and planning things out. We'll see what comes of it.





















It makes me feel old for calculating that it's been over a decade since I've read Jo's Boys. No wonder I dont recall what happens in the book. When I do get to this book I'll share what went on.

I might just end up reading everything by Louisa. Her family and their transcendentalist beliefs are so interesting I want to keep researching about their pioneer way of thinking and living.

pirates added to the 2009 booklist

Even though this is a kid's book it's going on the 2009 booklist, since it is so pretty! While babysitting last night I read some books when the kiddos were asleep. I found this gem called Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies by Carolyn Crimi.





















I had to look through the book a second time, just to analyze, dissect, drool and be in awe of the illustrations. They are created with gauche and colored pencil. The artist's name is John Manders.

Now it's time to go to the library and check out more of his books. Looking at his art reminded me of how much fun gauche can be and made me want to paint.

finished another book

I technically didnt read Making Money, but instead I was read to by the narrator of many accomplished accents, Stephen Briggs. True to Pratchett's usage of unusual wordings he makes common sentences very funny. The topic of the book questioned the value of money, which I found very appropriate considering my new found interest in the market. Not sure which Pratchett book will be next for on the 2009 booklist (there are so many for me to catch up), but for sure, there will be another one very soon!!

Another book for the book list 2009

Book number 17 for this year's list.
The Psychology of Trading: Tools and Techniques for Minding the Markets

This book skillfully pairs stories of actual therapy sessions of non-traders and applies their life lessons to bring awareness of possible pit falls to market traders. The book has me completely engrossed since I am a nut about psychology conditions and of course the trading.

Where I belong

creating 3-D animation
Newest addition to the 2009 Booklist

Most of this book was eagerly read under a huge pine tree, while my butt was going numb from the hard ground and the spiky pine needles. I didn’t want to move, because that meant taking a break. The book explains the departments at Aardman Animations (creators of Wallace and Gromit) and how the amateur film maker can use Aardman’s techniques to make their own animations. I found what I was looking for: a creative career that includes film and sculpting that is slow and yet deadline based, focused on details, repetition and getting it right the first time!

This epiphany happened when I saw the photo of a female model maker pressing purple polymer clay into a rubber pressmold in an organized and clean workspace. That could be me having an absolute blast! I’d fit in there: neat, wear an apron to work and a love and pride of creating precise molds.

It all makes sense now that I took a year of film classes while in Art School before switching over to sculpture. Originally I was studying visual effects, but I soon learned that working with materials and tools that I can touch and get dirty are what I find rewarding. I enjoy hands on creating where the creative problem solving is key to figuring out what kind of material and process would be best given the individual character, prop or set.

There are only a few stop motion companies in the world. This makes those artists elite, which is what I am constantly aiming for. On top of that, the companies have a strong reputation for executing everything with excellence and high creativity. That’s exactly what I want to be associated with. By working for a company there could be a variety of projects coming through the studio, like TV series, features, commercials, and experimental films, which would keep me motivated by the constant challenges. Plus, after these past five months of working for myself, I enjoy the idea of having a regular pay check and someone else taking care of the marketing. Since clay and puppets are so versatile, the genre is not limited but can encompass my favorites of dark and twisted humor with a juxtaposition of cute characters.

Now I have a director’s vision for my first stop motion short film. I’m going to storyboard and then sculpt the set, characters and props from a poem by my favorite poet, Shel Silverstein. I picked one of his shortest poems to start off with, since this will take longer then I expect. Besides shooting tests, I need better editing software that won’t bog down my computer, which has the capability of more than two tracks of audio.

Thanks to this book, I got the skinny on the history of animation. Most animators, directors and movie titles were new to me, but Terry Pratchett’s name stuck out. Earlier this year I read his book Sourcery, which I laughed all the way through. The stop motion TV series, Truckers, is based on Pratchett’s book of the same title. Thanks to youtube I’m going to watch it this weekend.

Besides learning best practices for animating, I read this book to interview Aardman to see if they’d be a good fit. I decided we would complement each other nicely: I absolutely love working hard, especially when storytelling and sculpting are involved. I am ready to move, anywhere in the world, to work with a stop motion company.


Related Links:

• Aardman
• Creating 3-D Animation: The Aardman Book of Filmmaking
• My Demo Reel
• Truckers

Buffett joins my 2009 Booklist

The Essential Buffett: Timeless Principles for the New Economy
This book is #14 for the year, for my 2009 book list.

At the Get Motivated seminar that my mom and I attended last week, one of Buffett's students, Phil Town, offered a great deal on his investing workshop here in Sacramento. Phil Town started off investing when he was a river raft guide who made $4,000 a year. I think I am out of excuses for planning for the future. Now's the time. I've already checked out the website, added my profile picture, and started taking the online tutorials!

Learning the history on topics of interest is my way of understanding new concepts. This is why I am reading a book about the way Buffett thinks, because I want to know too. I plan to wiki the stock market and explore Wealth Magazine's Investools website.

I'm all excited about the workshop that is happening all day Monday and Tuesday. There will be a post about the investing workshop some time next week!

Newbie to the 2009 Book List

After giggling all the way through Coraline at the IMAX, I just had to read the book.

So that brings me to book number 13 on the 2009 book list.


Just started it last night.

I hear the book is darker then the movie.

Bring on the creepiness!

Film Speed

I've taken a photography class and had private lessons, but still under pressure I confuse ISO, shutter and aperture. Hopefully reading this Idiot's book will help make these things sink in.












Today's lesson is about film speed. For my controlled studio lit shots of my non-moving sculptures, ISO 64 is ideal since it has the least amount of grain. The other thing I learned is that anything faster then 1/125 the camera needs to be on a tripod.






























Found a use for the champagne glasses. It's not celebration time yet, there's art to be made!

Book of Braille Sculptures

Using an online bookstore, I published a book of photos and activities about my Braille sculptures. The book is called Decoding Color. To preview the first 15 of the 40 pages, check it out at Blurb's bookstore.

Synopsis of Decoding Color-

Learning a seemingly random skill for a sighted artist- reading Braille, was an exciting adventure into another world full of raised picture books and mental decoding gymnastics.

Beautiful photos of the tactile artwork identifies color through texture. There are activities that explain the basics of decoding Braille, such as the alphabet, punctuation, and numbers. Along with a blank template to write your own messages in Braille.

$7 of each book sold goes to the artist to further her artistic endeavors. Thank you for your support.

The next book will be about the current artwork I am creating themed around tipis. To follow the progress of the art, keep checking in here on my blog.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I finished listening to Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!by Robert Kiyosaki.

About 4 years ago I listened to 2 of the 3 CDs but hit stop, because of my issues with money. Hearing that working hard isn't the way to make money made me so furious. I pride myself in working hard and not having the government take care of me. I was stuck in a conundrum, because at my jobs I was losing a huge chunk of my paycheck to taxes. It felt unfair and not motivating to work in that fashion. After 4 years of growth in marketing, sales, money matters, budgeting, grants and loans (aka life experiences), I was able to hear what Kiyosaki had to say.

Lots of things Kiyosaki talked about I realized I follow the same thought patterns without being aware of his. More about this later.

I made myself listen to, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" the first time and not take notes. Too easily I get sidetracked on research (aka bunny trails). I have tons to reflect on, in particular, what step to take next. For sure, I am going to listen to the book another time, before going to the library for another of his titles.

The single most thought stunning quote Kiyosaki said, was that he's "a best selling author, not the best writer." This is why it is key for me to learn marketing, sales and how to lead people. I don't need to be a perfect sculptor (as much as I want to be), but instead make well-crafted art that I am proud of while focusing on ways to improve my selling.

The runner up tidbit is to invest my time in monthly money creating assets, such as selling books online that I don't need to print myself or take care of shipping. I've wanted to write books, but I have been intimidated by how much time it takes. People seem so shocked and in awe when someone they know is published. I am disciplined and determined so why can't I do it? There is no reason why not. I started this week writing and designing two books that are under a 100 pages each. If I have a plethora of books that generate sales without my maintenance, then I can travel. It is a one time investment of time, doing something that I enjoy. I can add the selection of books by me for the fun, challenge and prospect of bringing in more income.

Letters to a Young Artist- Yvonne Rainer

It was my goal in September to figure out an art related business that I wanted to run, write a professional quality business plan, create inventory, set up a website, establish a clientele, and create enough income to support myself by February first of 2009. Now I see that this plan is not achievable to do in that period of time. Even if I didn't have other obligations, statistically it takes 3-5 years for a business to make money. I don't like to include myself in generalizations (because they sound like excuses to me), but turning a profit by February is probably not a realistic goal.

Taking on complicated tasks and breaking it into lots of achievable goals hasn't been a problem for me. Instead creating realistic goals is something I struggle with. And making too many goals is another problem. I was talking to a friend today and he said that having some unrealistic goals can be a good thing. To paraphrase using a forwarded email I recently received, "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." (I don't know who said this.)

Today I read another nugget of wisdom from "Letters to a young artist." This artist's advise shakes me to pay attention at the speed and direction I am running. Perhaps now isn't the time to establish an art business, with full gusto.

"I only wish to emphasize, with the utmost fervor, how important it is for a young artist to delay "professionalism" as long as possible. Find some way to give yourself a chance - and time - to experiment, take risks, play, fool around, even fail, before trying to launch a career."

Best of luck,
Yvonne Rainer
New York

Maybe now is the time for play, experiment, fail, and play some more. The question now is how to support myself while focusing most of my efforts on playing with different forms of art.

Another thing Rainer said that struck me was, "Challenge yourself with what "doesn't work." I often get stuck in the planning stage, like trying to come up with the most creative or original idea. All this thinking takes away from being in the studio. Instead of thinking of the problem areas as failures, I could use them as starting points to brainstorm, play and improve.

Letters to a Young Artist- Yvonne Rainer

Another nugget of wisdom that shakes my mindset of establishing in extreme urgency an art business.

"I only wish to emphasize, with the utmost fervor, how important it is for a young artist to delay "professionalism" as long as possible. Find some way to give yourself a chance - and time - to experiment, take risks, play, fool around, even fail, before trying to launch a career."

Best of luck,

Yvonne Rainer
New York

So now is the time for play, experiment, fail, and play some more. The question now is how to support myself while focusing most of my efforts on playing with different forms of art?

Another thing Rainer said that struck me was, "Challenge yourself with what "doesn't work." I often get stuck in the planning stage looking for ways to figure out the problem areas, like trying to come up with the most creative or original idea. All this thinking takes away from being in the studio. Instead of thinking of the problem areas as failures, use them as starting points to brainstorm, play and improve.

Letters to a Young Artist- Xu Bing

With graduation two months away and the state of the economy, I am doubting if it's possible to live as a freelance artist. I don't want to settle by working full-time for someone, but this week I am particularly worn out. In the mail today a friend sent me a book of letters, called "Letters to a Young Artist". The letters are by famous visual artists who talk about the struggles of starting out as an artist. The timing couldn't of been better.

Today on BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit, I read the first letter. It is by Chinese artist Xu Bing. The sentence that touched me was this:

"Consequently, a good artist is a thinking person, and is a person adept at translating thoughts into the language of art."

I worry that I think too much and that I spend too much time recording events in my journal, web site or blog and then analyze them for deeper meaning, then derive sculptures from them. My inner critic is very harsh and tells me to get into the studio and create something that can be sold and to do it NOW! Xu organized my muddled thoughts, that's ok to be a thinker, but also to be a creator. For me, I only want to create thoughtful art. That way, myself and others would have a reason to come back and repeatedly look at the artwork. I want to spend my time doing something worth while so it is imperative to create thoughtful art.

Before reading Xu's letter, I'd never heard of him. I figured that in order to be taken seriously as a visual artist, I need to be knowledgeable on the big name artists. So I looked up Xu Bing's website. On it, I discovered that we have more in common than I thought.

First of all, he created art using Braille. The book is called Brailliterate, which is a blend of the words "braille" and "illiterate". It is a book in Braille expect for the cover. The catch is that the print and Braille title of the book don't read the same thing. Only a sighted person who could read Braille would catch the inaccuracy. Brailliterate talks about cultural bias, misinterpretation and concealment.

The second thing that caught my interest is that Xu Bing was a recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award in 1999. It was given to him for "originality, creativity, self-direction, and capacity to contribute importantly to society, particularly in printmaking and calligraphy."

On the Mac Arthur site, I found a list of visual artists who have won the award. I recognize only a few, so I plan to look into them and their art.

I plan to use this book of letters for encouragement and remind myself that they did, so why can't I?

Using Your Creative Powers

"Artists are first and foremost creative people, and creativity applied in any arena transcends whatever apparent limitations there are. Creativity, by definition, changes everything."

-Cay Lang, author of Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist


Whenever I start to worry, (which is often,) I remind myself that I am a creative. There is a solution. Even though I prefer to use my creative powers to make art, they can be used in other places. How about figuring out how to make a living as a sculptor? Or writing my artist's resume? Or organizing my studio?

It's good to get into the habit of asking yourself, "How can I do this?" instead of "Can I do this?"

When constructing a ten-foot tipi I hadn't considered failure. How could I mess it up? It's just canvas, rope and wood. I had read a kids' book on the construction and watched utube videos on how to stand up the poles. A friend and I pitched the tipi several times before making it stable. We figured out how to do it.