Back to the Start

          Dear friends, it has been so long since I've been in touch, and life has brought many new things since that time, as well as renewed some very old things. My husband badly injured his back, which has required me to rejoin the traditional workforce. As my traditional work history is rather laughable, finding employment was certainly an amusing adventure! But I am pleased to say that after casting my net with several temp agencies, I was fortunate enough to land a job I love amongst a great group of people I have quickly grown to adore. So now I earn my keep as a data entry clerk by day, and am very pleased to report that all the piano lessons have finally paid off. I haven't entirely given up on the art scene, but I have switched gears a bit - I opened a second Etsy shop (www.thefaerytrove.etsy.com) selling handmade jewelry and home decor, a love of mine from well over a decade ago! - and have been very blessed with a couple private custom jewelry commissions from very dear friends. And... with the formation of a fabulous small press publishing company in Vermont (www.branchhillpublications.com) by two amazing, amazing people, I have been given the opportunity to return to my roots by painting book covers. I say back to my roots because book covers were exactly what started me seriously on my artistic journey. I was a writer first, and took up art as a means to illustrate my stories. In middle school, shortly after I started laying out my fantasy novel, I happened upon Dave Duncan's "Handful of Men" series, which sported the most gorgeous, intricately designed covers I have ever seen, and since that time I've been hooked. My first attempts were more cut and paste layout sketches for stories I was working on at the time, but I always hoped one day I would be able to paint my own covers. Well... now I am very excited at the prospect of being able to do so for other actual accomplished writers!
          For the first book, I was commissioned to design some promotional concept art for a beautiful collection of poetry by the very talented wordsmith Phibby Venable titled "The Wind is My Wine" (please do kindly check it out here: The Wind is My Wine), with really gorgeous interior illustrations by artist Mel Stevens. Needless to say, I am excited for my official signed copy to arrive! Anyways, here is my feeble attempt to capture some of the freedom and expression only Phibby's elegant words could truly convey, and I certainly hope I gain more competence as time goes by.
          In other news, my dear Tadpole is (much too quickly) approaching the two year mark and growing so very quickly! Her vocabulary is rapidly expanding and now includes several animal sounds as well as the essential "mommy", "daddy", "hi", and "more", although I must confess she has commanded a mastery of "No!" much sooner than I had anticipated (and rather hoped). Nonetheless, she remains my little microcosm of everything good in the universe, and we are so very, very blessed to have her here. And I think that covers everything.