Letters Home

For this weeks  IF topic "Mail" here is what came out.  I just watched White Christmas so WWII was on the brain, my guess is the idea came from that some how.

Have you ever thought about how different movies are now compared to then? I love White Christmas but at the same time can't help but get a little annoyed at how much dancing they do. During those scenes I always think "Pretty cool dancing, but what does it have to do with anything?" I have the same problem with Singin' In the Rain when Gene Kelly is dancing in that one scene that really has nothing to do with the plot of the Movie. You know the one. I can't describe it really because let's be honest, the last couple of times I watched the movie I fast forwarded it. It seems like he knocks on some doors or something.
I love Singin' In the Rain and White Christmas but, yeah, movies are different now.
Manelle

P.S. If you haven't checked out my Blog A Story book called Accidentally The Greatest Wizard in the World you can catch the first page here. Merry Christmas!

Arsenic and Old Lace

Here is my latest poster for the Empress Theatre. I thought some of you might like to see it.

It's a Hate, Hate, Love Relationship

Yesterday I came upstairs after a couple of hours in my downstairs studio/bedroom and found a fabulous package on the kitchen table for me. Was it the travel set of watercolors I recently ordered from ASW and am anxiously waiting for? No,it was copies of a book illustrated back in March. A little book of short stories that I did a cover and interiors for. Here are a couple of my favorites.




Mostly it was pretty darn exciting to get the books and see my stuff but at the same time there's that part of me that hates the whole thing. I mean, there are my illustrations in a book. I did my best on them at the time but now I can see so much that I could have improved. Ulgh! (isn't just how it goes) In fact I feel like I'm being a little risky sharing these pictures because of that part of me that hates them. (I mean, really I hate them.) But there is also a side of me that really likes them the compositions are fun and, heck, they are in a book, a real book. So...I guess that side of me wins.

Who doesn't love graphite!

I have been having a little fun this week with those good ol' pencils.
Here is what I came up with.



Also, have I mentioned before that Wordgirl is my favorite show? Well, it is. I think it classifies in the "hilarious" category, and on a funny scale from one to ten it fall somewhere above Veggie Tales and below Brian Regan.
Here she is on youtube.
Just though I'd mention it.

A Crazy Vacation! (this post complete with sketches for your viewing pleasure)

Picture this: One motor home containing two parents and seven of their children ranging from 26 (that's me) to seven years old, (don't forget the teenagers) driving from Salt Lake City, Utah to upstate New York in 12 days. Does that sound like fun to you? Well I didn't to me either, but I went anyway and it had it's pretty great moments...and I am so glad to be home.

Sorry I haven't posted for almost a month but here are some of the sketches I did on thsis crazy vacation. I had a great time with my little micron pen.









So now you've seen the sketches I think I better just tell you what they are pictures of.

Here is the story: we went to pick up my younger brother. He has been on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This means that basically he has been hanging out in upstate New York telling people about the true gospel of Jesus Christ for two years. Pretty cool!

So any way, we went to get him and on the way home we stopped at many of the major sites in our churches history, and that is what a lot of the sketches are, excepting the Niagara Falls pictures.

Hopefully I'll have some new art to post for you soon. Have a great day!