Blog Cabin

The Proposal

2011-12-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

Last week I responded to an online ad posted by someone looking for an artist who could draw in a Disney storyboard style. After reviewing my artwork on this blog, the client--I'll call him CT for the sake of anonymity--explained the scope of the project. CT had decided to propose to his girlfriend of three years on Christmas morning. He had the great idea of presenting her with a book of drawings highlighting several key moments in their relationship. The first half of the book covers important events leading up to the proposal. For the second half, I drew the proposal (how CT envisioned it happening) and then a few extra scenes that CT hopes to see in their future together.
CT had a distinct vision of how the illustrations should look stylistically. The first reference image he sent was of a piece of conceptual art from the Pixar movie Toy Story II. It's a beautiful drawing. The artist was able to evoke a lot of emotion with minimal line work and color. With this image I had all of the artistic guidance I needed to get started.

(c) Pixar. All rights reserved.
CT then sent me a list of nineteen scenes to illustrate, with detailed descriptions of the surroundings, clothing, emotions, etc. He also sent me a few dozen photos for reference. I was impressed by the thought and care he'd put into the preparation. There was no doubt he wanted this book to be something special. When all of the drawings were finished and painted, I bound them into a scrapbook cover that CT picked out and Fed-Exed the completed book. He received it on the 22nd and loved it.
CT was nice enough to allow me to post the finished artwork here. We had a tight deadline, which had to include a day for shipping, so I poured my heart into the work because I just really loved this project.
In my last two blog posts I mentioned that I was thinking of starting a new business venture. CT's book is exactly the sort of project I'd love to work on for future clients. The book concept would be great for anniversaries, weddings, births...essentially capturing life's memorable moments.
Below are photos I took with my phone of the finished pages. As CT pointed out when he received the book, the actual colors in the illustrations are more vibrant in person.
CT proposed yesterday. Did his girlfriend say yes? You'll have to scroll to the bottom to find out.

She said "Yes!" Congrats to the newly engaged couple.

Contest Winner and New Years Resolutions Checklist

2011-12-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

I finally decided on a winner to the contest (see my last blog entry for details). Congrats to Amy Esposito! And thanks to everyone who participated. I really struggled over this decision since several people put a lot of time and creativity into their entries.

She submitted a very sweet, thoughtful story idea, and although she gussied it up to read like fantasy, it's actually the story of three people in her life who are very dear to her. Their true story is pretty amazing as well.

Here's Amy's winning entry.

There once was a village, deep in the heart of the lush, rolling hills of legend, where people worked long into the night preparing for their prophecy to come true. It was a tale, older than any villagers could remember, told by paddocks and firesides alike, about the dark young princess who would one day come to the village and show them the way to the rainbows. No one was sure exactly what the rainbows were, but they knew they wanted to get there. She would be a gift for two princes of great service and worth. There was much speculation about who the princes would be. Young boys would fall asleep imagining the heroic deeds they’d do to grow up and be worthy of the beautiful princess and her magical gift of rainbows. When she arrived, a celebration would begin that put to use all their preparations, the finest cloth, woven from the softest lamb’s wool, the stores of food they lovingly grew and tended all year long, the candles they made with the help of the bees they cared for, the expertly carved furniture sculpted from the finest wood from the straightest trees. . . It was all waiting for her. Unbeknownst to them, at the heart of their community were two of the kindest, most loving, and worthy souls ever to live in the village. One was a baker, and a teacher, who worked with all the village children, teaching them by day and preparing delicious breads by night to deliver to the most in need. The other was an artist who drew pictures and wrote stories about the village and its people, to capture their work and make stories to entertain and expand their world of imagination. They loved each other very much, and it was this love that made them most exceptional. On a day, like any other, an unknown woman walked up the road and straight to the home of the two men. Her knock was greeted by the smell of baking bread, and the warm smile of a welcoming host. She wasn’t there long before a group of curious villagers gathered around outside, curious about this stranger. They tried to see in the windows. Strained to hear what was being said inside. Soon, the door opened, and the woman came out, closely followed by the two men. She walked through the village and up onto the highest knoll. Turning to the west, she held up her hands, raised her head to the sky, and silently nodded, slowly, one time. The hills began to tremble. The worried tones of the gathered villagers were slowly drowned out by a low rumbling in the earth beneath their feet. And then someone gasped, a small frozen sound, like the quick intake of breath before an unexpected dunking. The faint call was surrounded by stillness radiating out among the fretful assembly. On the horizon, just over the ridge, came a thunderous clap of color. Crimson and violet, emerald and azure, and then yellow, bright as a wish, all led by the most beautiful young girl any of them had ever seen. Having never seen colors, it was almost too much for any of the villagers to take in. Except for two, who stood on the hill, surrounded by great swaths of flawless vibrancy, which they loved, but not nearly as much as they loved the girl who painted their world.

I'm excitedly thinking of ways to depict as much of the story as possible in one painting.

Well, it's that time again...the end of one year and the start of another. I posted a list of New Year's resolutions and, wow, did I fall short. But it's better to aim high and miss the mark than to aim low and get the bullseye (I know, sounds like justifying, huh?). What DID I actually achieve in 2011? Let's see...

My 2011 resolutions.
1-3). The first three resolutions were about travel. Did I make it to the places on my list? Nope. Did I travel at all? A little bit, yes. And I did have opportunities to travel more, but in the end, I decided I needed to focus all of my time and effort into achieving resolution #4. I did have a great ten day vacation in New York City and Boston. Got to see a lot of friends, explore both cities and I finally met my brother-in-law.
4). Get Lucy Clayfoot published. Hmm...that didn't happen either. BUT, good things did happen career-wise in 2011. In February I signed with a great agent, Lauren MacLeod of the Strothman Agency. I'm currently one of seven clients that Lauren represents (and the only male!). Lauren works very hard for her people. This year she got my second book, JOASVSK, in front of a lot of wonderful publishers, and the feedback was mostly positive, but unfortunately we didn't realize that several publishers had already acquired books similar in topic to mine, so it looks like JOASVSK is in limbo for now. I'm okay with that. Lauren also decided that, while there's a lot of great stuff in Lucy Clayfoot, I need to restructure the story a bit and change a few elements to make it stronger before she sends it to publishers to look at. Before I do that, I need to finish writing the manuscript for my third book, which is tentatively titled Frenzy. It's a suspense/thriller for middle grade readers and I'm having a lot of fun writing it. When it's complete I can return to Lucy Clayfoot and get her ready for submission as well. Frenzy will be finished in January.
5). This one was about getting into really great physical shape. At the beginning of the year a friend of mine lent me the P90X workout DVDs, which, as the name implies, is an intense 90-day workout programs designed to get people into the best shape of their lives. It does work. The first go-round I stuck with the program for maybe 36 days or so and the changes were noticable everywhere. I think I lost too much weight though, and that was because I wasn't really following the diet as closely as I should of. The workout burns a lot of calories, so you can't really skimp on calories and protein intake.
In the fall I got distracted by life issues and I didn't work out much at all. But about 45 days ago I started P90X again and I've been fairly faithful to the workout. The routines are a lot easier now and during Plyometrics yesterday (the jump training DVD) I felt like I could launch through the ceiling. I have a lot more strength in my legs now, and everywhere really. The workout trains every single muscle, including the ones people tend to neglect when they go to a gym. After the 90 day cycle I'm sure I'll do it all over again. It's a great workout that doesn't require a lot of space, money, equipment or time (an hour a day). So the bottom line is I didn't achieve the results I was hoping to this year, but I think I'm probably stronger and more fit overall than I've been in years. This is a resolution that will continue on into 2012, for sure.
6). Make a living through creative endeavors. Hmmm... I definitely did some freelance art work, but not enough to make a living. I had to keep the day job. But there are things happening right now that will make #6 one of the first "roll-over" resolutions that I achieve in 2012. I'll mention that last week I did earn an excellent art gig that I'm having a lot of fun with.
7). Read more. I DID read more this year. And I just finished book one of The Hunger Games. I'm a few chapters into book two already. Good stuff.
8). Hold a Giant Chinese Salamander. They are surprisingly hard to find. I checked everywhere, except China.
9). Blog more. Not really, but I did post more this month than I have all year.

To sum up...there are two ways to look at this list and both would be right. First, it was an epic FAIL. Second, it was an admirable list of goals that was supplanted by other admirable goals. For example, even though I didn't go to Italy, I did make it to NYC where I had lunch with my new agent and came to the conclusion that I'd made the right choice. Another example: Lucy Clayfoot isn't published yet, but this has been a very exciting year careerwise--I signed with a great agency, I had a book on submission this summer, I am close to completing my third book, and I made some good friends in the industry. Most importantly I am more inspired than ever to become a career writer. I love the work, and I have no doubt that 2012 will be an amazing year as I'll have two more books on submission (Frenzy first and then finally Lucy). I'm happy with all I achieved in 2011, and I think the value of having resolutions is really just to remind us to work all year round for the things that are important to us. So, what are my 2012 resolutions?

1). Sign with a great publisher.
2). Continue honing my skills as a writer/arist.
3). Continue on with P90X. Health and fitness is a huge deal to me. I know how miserable I feel when I let it slide. Sometimes it take a few trips to Hardees to remind me of that. I'm glad to be with the program again.
4). Travel! I won't list destinations like I did last year. But I'd still love to go to all of the places I mentioned. And more.
5). Start the side business I mentioned in my last blog entry.
6). Move to a new city.
7). Focus more on my social life. 2011 was The Year of the Hermit.

That's about it. It's a streamlined version of last year's list. More realistic, but the basics are still there. I'd be interested in hearing what goals you have for 2012.
I hope you all have a productive, happy, healthy year and I wish you and your families the best.

The Offer

2011-11-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of starting an online business, offering a very specific art service. I've mentioned several times in this blog that I'm a huge fan of Disney movies like Mulan, Beauty and Beast, Treasure Planet--the hand drawn stuff. I love looking at production stills, such as these:

I know there are some die-hard Disney fans who feel the same way I do, and the business would target these fans specifically. I'd like to create custom, one-of-a-kind "production stills" featuring the customers, their children, pets, etc as the characters, drawn in the Disney style and painted with rich, vibrant colors. Just like in a Disney movie, the characters would be painted in flat colors, while the backgrounds would be more painterly and detailed. The problem is, I have no idea if this is a viable business. Would there be much of a demand for it, especially in this economy? No clue. I know that I would have to put weeks into each piece to produce something of Disney quality by myself (typically it takes a team of artists to produce each frame of a movie: a rough penciler, a clean-up artist, a painter, a special effects artist, etc) so the final painting wouldn't be cheap.

In fact, I started drawing one a long time ago and then got sidetracked by Lucy Clayfoot before I cleaned up the linework and started painting it.

So here's my offer. I plan on doing at least one of these gallery quality paintings for the company website (and for eBay) as a product sample. Now I could do one from my imagination, and I may, but I would also like to have one that was "commissioned" by a customer so I can show the whole process on the site. I'm going to do one painting for free. The best part is I'm opening this offer up to anyone who'd like to put their name in the hat to receive this free painting. At first I thought I would do a random drawing, and I realize that would be the fairest way to go, but I think I'd like to choose the winner myself. I'll make that choice based on a few factors, but primarily my decision will be based on who I feel would enjoy the finished piece the most AND how marketable the finished piece would be based on the "client's" vision. So if you want to be considered for this, I'll need you to come up with a basic concept for the painting. For example, if you want your kids featured, that's fine, but you also need to provide me with a scene idea. I'd prefer the scene be somewhat original (In other words you can't just say, "Draw my family in Neptune's Palace from The Little Mermaid). If you have any questions about this criteria, please contact me, but this probably won't be a problem for those of you who've had to come up with a spontaneous bedtime story on occassion.
You can see the amount of effort that goes into the penciling alone, and then when you add the painting process...well...it's a lot of work.

Obviously there are varied levels of detail, for example, this one I drew below is lousy with it.

But then there are more simple drawings, like this production piece from Beauty and the Beast (which I didn't draw) that convey so much emotion without going overboard with line work.

Here's something similarly minimal that I drew for my comic book Soulmates.

These two paintings are fairly old--I've posted them to my blog before--but they're a good example of what I mean when I say the characters will be painted flat and the backgrounds will be more painterly.

The finished piece doesn't necessarily have to look exactly like a production still, horizontal and free of copy. If you'd prefer, I can also do a vertical piece with text, just like a movie poster.

If you want to be considered for this offer, you need to agree to the following:

1). You provide the content for the painting: Who'll be in it, what the scene is, etc. Once you give me the basics, I'll work with you to flesh it out before starting the painting.

2). You provide me with suitable photo reference. If you want this painting to represent your recent wedding, I'll need several clear photos of the bride/groom in wedding attire.

3). You'll receive a digital copy only of the finished piece. That means you can either use it as a screensaver or spend the money to have it printed and framed (Although I'd really love for whoever I choose to have the piece framed and then send me a pic of it hanging on the wall. It would be a good pic for the website.)

4). I get to keep the rights to it so that I can use it as I see fit to advertise my business.

5). I can't be placed under a time frame for the piece. I have so much going on, so this has to be something I work on whenever I feel like painting. Working on my third book is my priority, but sometimes I just feel like working in a visual medium. You can't pressure me for the finished product, but since I am doing this for a specific reason, to test a new business idea, I will finish it eventually.

Don't think that just because we may not talk often that you have no chance of winning the painting. That's not the case at all. I will consider each entry based on what's best for my business, not my personal life.

If all of that sounds good to you, then please contact me through Facebook or email me at roblettrick@hotmail.com with your entry and details. When I pick my "client" I'll post my decision on my blog, along with their basic concept (and probably their email entry).

I look forward to hearing your ideas!

More Deadbeat

2011-11-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Deadbeat

2011-11-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

In 1996 I was hired by Harris Publications to conceptualize and illustrate a three issue mini-series about a musican who is murdered by his bandmates and then comes back to life for revenge. I wasn't thrilled by the story--it's not really my cup of tea. But I took the assignment and cranked out the work. I didn't put my best effort into it. Now I try to give every project 100%. It's all about being professional. I'll post more pages soon.

The Lost Tarzan Pages

2011-11-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, before I read Harry Potter and decided I wanted to write childrens books, I was drawing comic books and thinking of going back to school to become an animator. Hand-drawn Disney movies like Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, and especially Tarzan, were a major influence on my art and I thought it would be fun to eventually draw for the mouse. At one point I decided to write and pencil a ten page Disney-styled Tarzan comic book sample as part of a submission package to Dark Horse comics (they had the license to create Disney comics at the time). I put several days into the work below, but unfortunately the pages were accidentally destroyed before I could finish them. Here they are, unfinished, with a description of what's taking place on each page. First, the premise of the story:

(Backstory -Tarzan and Jane have married and are the proud parents of a baby boy.) Tarzan has been kidnapped, taken to London and imprisoned in a secret room in the attic of the British Museum of Natural History. Jane does not realize that her husband is no longer in Africa and she hunts for Tarzan in the jungle, her newborn son in tow. She ventures into a cursed place, a place where evil gorillas are sent when banished, a mammoth cave system that cuts directly through the Verunga mountain range.
Inside the cave Jane finds a troupe of banished gorillas, now being led by Tarzan’s father, who was not killed as Nala, Tarzan’s gorilla mother, first thought. When Tarzan’s father regained consciousness after the leopard attack and found his wife dead and his son missing, he went mad and pursued the leopard into the jungle. He came upon the cave and entered. The last twenty years of his life remain a mystery, even to him. Now he has taken on the role of leader to the banished gorillas and upon meeting his grandson for the first time, through his madness, he mistakes the boy for the infant he lost all of those years ago. He sees Jane as the leopard taken human form, and orders his gorilla subjects to kill her and bring the baby to him.

Page 1). The museum currator meets a reknowned anthropologist and they enter the museum which has been closed for maintenance. Since the real museum is filled with taxidermied animals, I decided to fill this one with stuffed Disney animals in hopes of amusing the submission editor. In this page you can see Tantor the elephant. The museum workers to the bottom left are carrying a glass case which I was going to fill with Disney rodents: Mickey, Minnie, the Rescuers, Basil, etc. The area at the upper right is blank because that's where I was going to draw a "flying" Dumbo hanging from a wire.

Page 2). In the first panel of page two, the two men ascend to the upper floors of the museum. Below them we see taxidermied Jungle Book characters Bagheera (Panther) and Baloo (Bear) staged in mortal combat. In the next panel the men walk down a long hallway, past a display where Rifiki is holding baby Simba in the air on Pride Rock. In the third panel they pass a grown Bambi and his mate Faline. I didn't finish the bottom half of the page. In it the museum currator opens a secret door and ushers the other man inside.

Page 3). In this pages two panels, the anthropologist is shocked to find Tarzan being held captive inside of a thick, glass cage. Tarzan is obviously terrified by his situation. The information plaque below the cage claims that he is a missing link between man and ape.

Page 4). We cut to the African jungle at night. The first panel is an establishing shot. The jungle is alive with nocturnal animals, including a monkey who is courting another with the gift of a giant nut. In the next panel, partially lit by the moon, we find Jane in a tree. Her son is riding inside of a pack strapped to her back. In the years since the Disney movie, Jane has adapted quickly to jungle life. She is a strong, agile, confident woman now (and admittedly has more cleavage than I probably should have bestowed upon her). In the third panel, Jane (silhouetted on the right) has finally found the gorilla-faced cave where rumor has it that an evil spirit dwells. Jane believes this evil spirit has taken her husband and she is determined to save him.

Pages 5-6). Jane enters the cave, which turns out to be a massive geode. There she finds a troop of banished, menacing gorillas. She is confronted by a silverback named Mogon. Jane does not back down and Mogon is amused. Jane demands to be taken to the "evil spirit". Mogon finds this humorous.

Page 7). Mogon leads Jane to a throne room. The throne has been carved out of the geode. Sitting upon it is Lord John Greystoke, Tarzan's father. When he reveals his identity to Jane, she refuses to believe him until...

Page 8). He opens a rusty pocket watch to reveal a tattered photo of himself, his wife Alice and their son, baby Tarzan. Baby Tarzan looks exactly like her son. John Greystoke has gone mad. He believes she is the leopard that killed his wife and that the infant on her back is actually his "stolen" son, baby Tarzan. In the next several panels (and pages), Greystoke, in a flashback, explains what happened on that fateful day when the leopard attacked his family's treehouse. After regaining consciousness and lifting a piece of the roof off of himself, he found Alice killed by the leopard. He then checks the bassonet to find it empty.

Page 9). Flashback continues (We seen present Greystoke's pained facial expressions in circle overlays as he tells the story). Determined to find his missing son, Greystoke leaves the treehouse and heads into the jungle, following the leopards tracks. In the bottom three panels it is pouring out. The jungle is pitch black except for the occasional bolt of lightning. Greystoke follows the leopard's tracks to a crack in the mountain (another entrace to the gorilla-faced cave.) He enters. There are two panels on this page that I was never able to start.

Page 10). He has no recollection of what took place inside the cave, but when he emerged months later he finds the leopard attacking a mother gorilla and her infant. He shoots and kills the leopard. This is how Lord Greystoke wins the loyalty of the banished gorilla troop.

Obviously I still had a couple days worth of work to do before completing the pages. Maybe someday I'll print my digital copies, trace them onto comic book boards and finish what I started. But most likely, these pages are the last of my comic book efforts. Currently I'm working hard on my third book, tentatively titled Frenzy (which I'll talk about in future blogs). I'll always be a fan of the classic Disney style of animation and I'm grateful for the influence it's had on my storytelling craft, both as an artist and a writer.

Peaceful Places

2011-04-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

The piece of art below was done for a client/sister who asked me to conceptualize a futuristic, public center for learning/communicating/global networking. I asked myself how libraries might evolve in the next 100 years to meet the fast-paced development of new technologies and to address the ways people might eventually prefer to receive, process and use information. I know personally libraires make me uncomfortable. The quiet is deafening, the chairs are too hard, the lights are too bright... I thought about places where I love to spend time and immediately the Rainforest Cafe came to mind, as well as some outdoor cafes, some incredible hotel lobbies, and Epcot's Innoventions pavillion. I think the optimal learning environment is one where nature, technology, inspiration and imagination merge in a seamless fashion. I support libraries, but I don't think they've changed much in the last fifty years, and that's a problem. Oh, and Sis mentioned Tony Stark's lab. So I tried to combine all of that to come up with my final design. I would love to do an expanded version when I'm not running so hard against other deadlines. I apologize to the friends I've neglected lately, but I really am under a tremendous amount of pressure to finish multiple projects. I'm hoping May will be a little less hectic. Regardless of what's happening in my life, I've been making a real effort to find my peaceful place. I've become a little uncentered lately, but trying to find the line again. Speaking of peaceful places... I want one of these. ;)

Thanks to those who continue to follow my blog.

My First Book

2011-03-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

My mom did a fair job of keeping a record of my childhood, considering there were no digital cameras or personal computers when I was little. Recently we dug through a box of old papers: birth certificates, grade-school report cards, homework, etc. We found the very first book I'd ever written (and illustrated). I was five years old at the time (my mom wrote my age on the last page). The book is called The Fat Pollywogs. One day little pollywogs were caught by a little boy. His name was Robbie. [In the illustrations the pollywogs are in a jar, which is where I'd keep the ones I used to catch.] And my dad told me that pollywogs ate seaweed. And they ate and ate. And pretty soon the little pollywogs got fat. The End. I remember spending portions of my summers at Aqua Vista Campground in upstate NY. One of my favorite pasttimes was catching pollywogs in the many overflow basins connected to the camp's slow winding river (I'd find the occasional crayfish there too.) Apparently I was too young to make the connection that tadpoles eventually become frogs, because in my book they just got big and fat and that's where their progress came to an end. Maybe someday I'll discover that frogs become cats or something larger and more complex too. :) When we grow up we change beyond recognition, and yet interestingly we retain more than just our fingerprints and DNA. Thirty-three years after I created The Fat Pollywogs I'm still learning every day, still surprised by nature, still amazed by the diversity of life, and still writing about it in books. We become frogs, but we keep so much of our pollywog selves, don't we?

2011-03-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Happy spring, everyone! It definitely feels like spring has sprung. Warm weather and sunshine, finally. What a brutal winter that was, right? Did anyone actually leave their house? I'm looking forward to all of the ultrasound pics that my friends will be posting on Facebook this fall.
Quick update on the whole New Years resolution thing...
Resolutions 1-3 involved traveling. I haven't been to the specific destinations I listed on Jan 1st yet, but I did a two week visit to the north east--just got back from Boston/NYC. It was an amazing trip. I accomplished a lot, met some wonderful people, had lunch with Lauren, my agent (just a great person. I have such confidence in her), visited Ground Zero (happy to report that progress is being made and buildings are going up!), learned a lot about historic Boston on one of those bus tours (30 minutes to visit every major landmark in the city--I felt a bit like Keanu Reeves in Speed), spent time with my sister Suzanne, finally met her husband (after like 5 or 6 years!), spent an hour at the Natural History Museum in Harvard (I want to be the night watchman when I grow up), went to a comedy club (Judah Friedlander from 30 Rock is quite possibly the funniest guy on the planet; who else uses Google Earth as a dating site?!)
So to sum up, although I have yet to make it to Orlando, Italy or South East Asia, I definitely feel like the travel bug is out of my system for a few weeks.
Resolution 4 had to do with my writing. That is the resolution that has become my primary focus and it's definitely moving forward. I finished the edits that Lauren requested, and they met with her approval. I'm currently working on a series of five sketches for the package that she'll take to NYC with her when she makes a pitch trip in April. This is for my second book, but I'm also trying to finish edits on Lucy Clayfoot so that, should the opportunity arise, she can soft pitch that book as well.
Resolution 5 (get into the best shape of my life) derailed a bit because I was away for two weeks and was unable to continue with P90X. But I'm back home and I'm playing those damn DVDs every day, trying to keep up with Tony Horton and his crew of masochists. I've definitely lost a step, but it shouldn't be long until I can stick with them for the full hour.
Resolutions 6-9... Hmmm... yeah... hmmm...what?

So, new addition to the site. You'll notice I have a Twitter page now, and the feed is being posted to my blog. It's one-stop shopping for everyone trying to keep up with my progress. If you have a Twitter account, please follow me, because with only 20 followers I feel like a loser (compared to Winner Charlie Sheen and his million+ strong). I'll make you a deal, you follow me and I won't talk about having tiger blood (although I do).

I'm thinking about moving soon. Just not sure where. I'm considering NY, NY, Savannah, GA, Greenville, SC, San Francisco, CA and a few more. It's time to leave Myrtle Beach. I've enjoyed my stay and I wrote two books here, but I need more culture in my life. I need a city.

I'm going to try to blog more. I know I say that all the time, but now that I'm in between book projects I need an outlet for my writing. In the future I'll make an effort to talk less about me (me, me, me) and more about non-me related stuff (if such things actually exist). Seriously though, I'll blog more. I mean it. Why are you laughing?

My New Agent

2011-02-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

Early December I sent out query letters seeking representation for my second book, JOASVSK. This week I received offers from multiple agents, including Lauren MacLeod with the Strothman Agency. Lauren was the first to extend an offer, and even though I had great conversations with the others, and feel that any one of them would do an amazing job championing my book, Lauren stood out for a few reasons. From the initial phone call she made it clear that she loved the story and the characters. That’s critical to a writer--finding an agent that not only sees your book as marketable but who also enjoys it as a reader. I was pleased to hear that Lauren was not just interested in JOASVSK, but in my long-term career goals as well. She wanted to know what other projects were percolating in my mind. I'm excited to eventually introduce Lauren to Lucy Clayfoot, Soulmates, Puddle Jumpers and Whale Fall and hopefully those projects will have their moment in the sun too.
Lauren’s company, the Strothman Agency, represents a select group of authors, including Pulitzer Prize Winners, NY Times best selling writers and a Poet Laureate…basically brainiacs. I suddenly feel like I’m in the movie Gorillas in the Mist, except I’m the gorilla and I’m surrounded by a troop of Dian Fosseys. But hey, maybe I can earn my place by being an exceptional gorilla…the kind that learns sign language, finger paints and befriends orphaned kittens.
Thanks to all of you who continue to believe in me. I feel especially fortunate that I can add Ms. MacLeod to that group. And I’ll go on record to say that I believe in her.

Resolution Check

2011-01-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

I started P90X today in order to keep my New Year's commitment of getting into the best shape of my life. It's brutal. This was my cool-down routine:

I love P90X, but even so, I have the urge to smack all of those people in the informercial for being too damn chipper about it (I wouldn't smack them all at once, I think that'd be a mistake). I'm committed to this thing for the full 90 days or until I tear my groin, which should be around the third day, so for the time being, I'll refer to this program as P3X.
That updates you on item #5 on my New Years resolutions list. How am I doing on the other eight items, you ask? God, you're nosey.
well, resolutions 1-3 involve traveling, and those trips are scheduled for later in the year, so I an update is not applicable. I do plan on visiting Boston at the end of February to see my sister and college friends.
Resolution 4, get Lucy Clayfoot published is in motion. I wrote an all new opening chapter that I like and I'm revising the rest of the book over the next few weeks. During the process I've been doing some online research and I came across this amazing video of an owl that can out-transform Optimus Prime. Watch the whole thing from beginning to end.

Resolution #6, make a living from my design company,is something that I'm always vigilant about, but realistically won't take off the way I'd like until the spring when businesses in Myrtle Beach reopen and find themselves in need of promotional material and websites. I've started posting on Craigslist again and I had business cards made up so I'm ready to roll. In the meantime I supplement with other work.
Resolution 7, read more. I've had my nose buried in Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide, which is a fantastic book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Steinbeck's Cannery Row or possibly Sachar's Holes.
http://www.jimlynchbooks.com/
Resolution 8, hold a Giant Chinese Salamander. Well, I found a toad burrow in my backyard. Baby steps.
Resolution 9, blog more. Um...this is my first blog since I listed it as a resolution, so you can say this one was an epic fail. I'm writing, just not blogging like I should. I'll try to do better, because I'm the one who benefits from the effort.

So how are YOU doing with your resolutions? Hmmm?

Resolutions

2011-01-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
I'll try not to blog too loudly-I know some of you are dealing with world-record hangovers this morning...or you will be when you finally wake up some time around five p.m.. I've heard that drinking pickle juice will help you poor souls.

A lot happened in 2010. Some of it good, some of it not so good. I finished writing Lucy clayfoot in March and I wrote Journal of a Sidekick Supervillain between August and September-both at the top of the Good list. I was disappointed by a few people that I put my faith in this year, so that goes at the top of the Not So Good list. I learned so many lessons about character, working hard, dreaming big, trusting people, standing alone and in the end I think I have a clearer vision on what I need to do to move forward into the next phase of my life. I would say that overall 2010 was a sour year, but I squeezed enough juice out of it to make lemonade in 2011. I believe in 2011. I don't say that often about a year, but I really do. Something about it just feels right.

Some of you have asked me what's going on with my books. Right now my second book, Journal of a Supervillain Sidekick is in the hands of two respectable agents, both of whom represent some of my favorite authors. They are reading the manuscript and when they're finished they'll let me know if they'd like to represent it. Lucy Clayfoot is undergoing yet another draft. I rewrote chapter one (again!) and I'm adding a hundred or so footnotes to the book which I call Factoids. Factoids are extra bits of information about real-life animal discoveries taking place around the world on a daily basis. I thought it would enhance the reading experience to cite factual examples and tie them into the story. I believe wholeheartedly that 2011 will be Lucy's year.

I've drafted my resolutions for the year, and I plan on working my tail off to accomplish as many of them as I can. I'll check them off here on my blog as I accomplish each one. Wish me luck!

I plan on traveling this year. I have three destinations that are at the top of my list.

1). Portofino, Italy. Something about this place seems magical to me. I'd like to visit other places in Italy too, but this is my #1 European target this year.

2). A cruise of SouthEast Asia. Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and India are all cruise ports on the package I'm considering. I'd really love to scuba dive in Thailand.

3). Orlando, FL. I'm dying to visit Disney World again and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Plus, it just so happens that my wife Sade will be on tour in Orlando during my birthday month of July. Trifecta!

In additon to travel I've set other goals for myself.
4). Get Lucy Clayfoot published.

5). I'd like to get more aggressive and dedicated with my diet/workout this year. This is Brad Pitt in Troy when he was forty years old. I'm two years younger. It can be done.

6). Make a living soley through creative endeavors, such as webdesign, murals, theatre design and writing. I'm learning Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Fireworks and more to accomplish this goal. I like the flexibility of running my own company and taking on the jobs that satisfy me (and working in my boxer shorts is nice too).

7). Read more. I got away from reading for a bit this year, because writing was taking a toll on me.

8). Hold a Giant Chinese Salamander. Don't ask. I just think it would be cool.

9). Blog more.

I have other goals that are too personal to talk about here, but the main point of New Years for me has always been about reinventing myself and pushing myself to accomplish more and more. Time is either the great appreciator or the great depreciator. We can sit and rust or we can grow and seed. I hope each of you finds the determination to improve your lives and the lives of those around you in 2011. I appreciate all of you!

Love

2010-12-25T22:27:00.000-08:00

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
-- Corinthians 13:7-8

Night of a Thousand Candles

2010-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I attended Night of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens with my brother Ron and some friends.
http://www.brookgreen.org/index.cfm
The garden attendants spend weeks stringing hundreds of strands of Christmas lights and placing candles to achieve an almost surreal level of beauty for the visitors. Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden with some truly beautiful pieces like the one below. check out their website for more examples and to read about the history of the garden, which was created by a philanthropist as a love letter to his wife.

We walked around for about six hours, taking in the sights and lights, drinking hot cocoa and cinnamon tea and listening to the music of a bell choir ensemble, a Gullah singer and even a bagpiper (although the ear splitting cry of the bagpipe was almost out of place in the serenity of the garden).
I was hoping to get some good photos, but unfortunately my camera had a hard time once it grew dark. My friend Ceci recently asked me if, as an artist, I see things differently. I really didn't know how to answer that. But here's an example of the process I went through that night once I realized I was limited by my camera.

1). Pic of a fountain pool with the flash on. You can't see the sculpture at the center of the pool, and although you can see the floating candles, it's not a very impressive photo.

2). So then I tried to take a photo with the flash off. Now you can see the scultpure and the candle light, but in low light situations my camera takes blurry pics. I knew then that I wasn't going to get the kind of quality images I had hoped to.

3). I took one more pic of the fountain, but my hand wasn't steady because I was frustrated. I liked the result.

4). Now the experimenting begins! Same fountain, more abstract imagery.

Curtains of string lights hanging from giant oaks and candle posts in the foreground.

Experimenting.

Another before and after shot from a different angle.

Inside the Children's Garden

Is it art? That's open to interpretation. I'd call it a happy accident. Is it visually interesting? To me it is. I am labeling this entire series Santa on a Bender. :)

Ta Da!

2010-12-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

In my last blog I posted photos of several large toy props and a Santa's workshop sign I created for the Charleston Music Hall's Christmas show. Today I drove the pieces to Charleston, along with master rigger Josh, and with the help of the stage manager, Erica, we hung the pieces in place. I had a great time working with my two new homies. They're good people. And Josh didn't even complain when my heater wouldn't start as we were leaving the city and had to ride two hours home in an icebox on wheels.
I also had a chance to meet the producer/director and his wife. Two incredibly nice people.
Here are the photos of the completed stage. It looks like it's going to be an amazing show. Hope my Charleston friends will go out and see it. Visit their website for showtimes (see previous post).

Josh and Erica at work. Normal lighting.

Finished set, show lighting.

Shot from the balcony.

Why Being One of Santa's Elves Must Suck

2010-12-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

For my latest project I've been creating massive props for the Charleston Music Hall's Christmas show.
http://www.charlestonmusichall.com/
Specifically I was asked to make several giant toys and a Santa's Workshop sign that will be rigged to hang above the stage. Short of time and with a moderate budget, Jim (a theatre design expert) and I decided to create the pieces by projecting each toy onto one full sheet of plywood, tracing the image onto the wood and then cutting them out with a jigsaw. Then I handpainted each piece using traditional paint brushes and a lot of acrylic paint. The goal was to paint each toy on the flat wood, but still try to make them look as three dimenstional as possible during the painting process. For the limited time I had, I think I achieved the effect the theatre was hoping for. Jim seemed thrilled, so that was a relief.
But after several days of painting the giant pieces, most of them roughly 4'x8', I'm exhausted.
Unfortunately, Jim got some very bad news today and had to travel north unexpectedly, so he asked me to drive the props down to Charleston tomorrow and help his son rig and hang them in the theatre. Should be an interesting day. Here's some photos of the work.

The Santa's Workshop sign isn't quite finished. We have 5 wood snowflakes that still need to be painted and nailed onto the sign, plus we still need to bolt the sign together on metal bars so that it becomes one piece instead of the separate top and bottom sections we have now. And we'll add a velvet Christmas bow as well.

Several of the toys huddled together in Jim's workshop.

Model airplane.

Wagon.

Blocks

Firetruck

Doll House.

Rocking Horse.

Rocking horse from the side.

This is the stage layout I designed on my computer.

I have a lot more to talk about, but this work has kept me busy, so I'll post another blog as soon as I can. Hope everyone is doing well as the Christmas season approaches.

My Cowardly Lion

2010-11-18T12:06:00.001-08:00

Casey was snipped, clipped and flea-dipped and even though all I did was drop him off and pick him up, apparently he's holding me personally responsible. I had the groomer shave off his long hair (his pride and joy) because it was knotting up some. So now he looks like a lion--lots of mane and not much hair on the rest of his body. Here he is hiding behind a chair, because maybe my camera is some new grooming tool that will sheer him perfectly naked. He looks so cute when he's protecting his image.

MT. VERNON PICS

2010-11-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

I received the best piece of mail today. A card from the fifth-grade students of Mt. Vernon Elementary, the school I recently painted murals for. Over a hundred signatures in one card! And photos of all of the kids in front of the murals too! Thanks to Mt. Vernon Elementary and especially Funmi Oke, an amazing teacher who is always trying to find new ways to spark creativity in her kids. We'd be leading the world in education if there were more Miss Okes in our schools.

People I Want to Hug

2010-10-22T05:20:00.000-07:00

British Author Doris Lessing

Willie Nelson

Andrea Bocelli and Elmo

Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole

Dalai Lama

Creativity

2010-10-15T18:05:00.001-07:00

This week I traveled to Georgia, near Atlanta, and painted a mural for the fifth grade students at Mount Vernon Elementary. I completed the work in three days, which was a miracle considering how much paint the cinder block walls sucked up. It was a tough surface to work on, but I think it came out okay. The teachers and students liked it, so that's what matters. Thanks to Miss Oke and Principal Daniels for inviting me. It was so nice to be inside a school again. I loved walking down the empty halls (the kids were off for vacation) and looking at all of the drawings covering the walls. Creativity is alive and well in Mount Vernon Academy, thanks to teachers like Miss Oke.
I know some of my friends have been trying to get ahold of me lately and I've been unavailable, but it's been a hectic few weeks. I have so much on my plate right now, so hopefully you'll bear with me.
Besides the mural, I've been working on a third draft of Diary of a Supervillain Sidekick, looking into yet another draft of Lucy Clayfoot, working on a website for my dad's roofing company and trying to help him rebuild his business. I have no interest in a long term investment in the roofing industry, but I need to make sure his company is running properly so that my parents can breath easier as time goes on. So I'm dividing my time between my passion (art projects and writing childrens books) and my responsibility to my family. It doesn't leave a lot of room for much else, including, unfortunately, socializing (or sleeping).

So...there's a change in the weather. Metaphorically, definitely. And literally, I love the cooler weather that's finally arrived. It was a hot summer. I always thought of myself as a spring person, but as I get older I think I'm becoming more appreciative of the fall. For one thing, I love hoodies, so I get to wear them again, usually in the mornings when I walk Casey, my sheltie, and at night when I write outside on the back patio table. They're comfortable, and I'm all about comfort.

During a paint run to Lowes this weekend I saw a car in the parking lot that had one of those art wraps covering it. It was an image of a little girl in bed reading a book and above her, on the ceiling, was a starry sky. It was such a beautiful piece of art, I had to find out what their business was all about. They had the company website URL on the back window, so I checked it out online today. Apparently they specialize in painting stars on ceilings! That's it! But how cool it must be to get up every day to go to work and create something so fun and beautiful. Just for that, they get a free plug.

http://underthestarsinc.com/index.html

Instead of telling you what I'm grateful for this week, I want to share something with you. I know a lot of people are worried about the economy and the future of this country. It can be depressing at times. I don't mean to trivialize the situation, but I will say that one of the reasons this is still such a great country is because we invest so much in creativity. We take science, math, engineering, music and art and combine them in ways that stimulate the mind and the senses. I'm currently involved (ground floor level) on one such project here in Myrtle Beach that, if realized, will draw crowds from all over the country and will take their collective breath away. I'm excited about it and will share more as I'm allowed. In the meantime, in the same vein, here is my #1 reason why America is still the greatest place on Earth ~ Christmas at the Disney themeparks.

God bless America and Disney!

Contest Winner

2010-09-29T05:22:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a quick one. I wanted to announce the winner of a contest I was holding. I didn't announce it beforehand and I'm the only judge. The contest was for the funniest man alive. The winner should come as no surprise- the completely under-appreciated Bill Murray. Bill is brilliant. From Meatballs to the Life Aquatic to What About Bob to Saturday Night Live to caddyshack to Lost in Translation. Everything he does is perfection.

Things I'm grateful for this week:

Honest people (because the world is so jam packed with liars)

The return of the king

Mandarin fish

Facing my fears head on

Diary of a Super Villain Sidekick

2010-09-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Last night around 3:00 a.m. I had a horrible nightmare, first one in years, so I found myself wide awake and unable (and unwilling) to fall back to sleep. I decided to continue working on my book and as of a couple hours ago I finished the first draft. The story is roughly 44,000 words, almost half the size of Lucy Clayfoot, but a great word count for a middle-grade novel. I started the book on August 22nd and finished it today, September 17th. I guess I was a bit obsessive, but that's partly because of how driven I am to do this for a living and be successful at it. This is what I want to do with the rest of my life, so I'd better get serious about it, right? This and travel.
I'm giving myself a day to relax and then I'm starting the second draft. I don't expect it to take more than a week, but I've been wrong about deadlines before.
Oh, and I grew a beard while finishing this book, and I'm looking forward to shaving it off. I'm sure most authors have some little ritual they do when completing a manuscript, I guess this one's mine. Anyone else want to tell me what they do to celebrate? Mara? David? Jennifer?

Shortly after I finished the last word of the manuscript I received a phonecall from a gentleman who found my design site online, raldesignstudio.com, and asked me if I'd be willing to talk to him about doing conceptual work for a major project he's spearheading. We had a nice conversation and set up a lunch meeting for Tuesday. All I can say about the project is that it's enormous in scale and extremely ambitious to say the least. It sounds amazing, and something that's right up my alley.

It's been a great week and here are a few things I'm thankful for that made it even better.

1). CLUELESS PEOPLE WHO BRING HUMOR TO OUR LIVES.

2). BRILLIANT PARENTS EVERYWHERE

3). THE ROASTBEEF I COOKED THAT CAME OUT PERFECT (NO THIS ISN'T IT).

4). THINKING INSIDE THE BOX.

5). A GOOD SUCKERPUNCH.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Back in the Saddle

2010-09-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to get back into the habit of blogging again, simply because it really is a great way to warm up the brain before actually doing some heavy lifting (book writin'). A few weeks ago I was contemplating my next project as I continue to wait for Lucy Clayfoot to find a good home. I was talking to my friend Diane and she suggested that instead of tackling the sequel or something equally ponderous I might want to crank out something simple and fun as an interim project. It was a great idea, because honestly, as much as I love Lucy, I knew I needed a break from her. In fact, after completing the third draft, my days started looking like this...

The day of that fateful phonecall I came up with a story idea that I thought would be interesting to explore. I stayed up all night outlining the entire thing and started chapter one the next day. To my surprise, the words are just hemorrhaging out of me. It took me a full year to complete Lucy Clayfoot, but my new book (which I'll be referring to as DOASVSK until it's finished and submitted) will take no more than one month to complete the first draft. In fact, I'm digging deep to wrap it up by next Wednesday. All I'll say about DOASVSK is that it's a lot of fun to write and I'm very happy with it so far. It's almost as if Lucy was my crash course on writing and DOASVSK is actually my first real book, if that makes any sense. I'm applying all of the writing tools I picked up last year with some degree of confidence. And unlike Lucy, I've kept this story close to the vest. I haven't turned a single page over to my wonderful readers (Funmi, Ceci, Mara, Catrina, Grant and Audrilyn). I'm looking forward to getting their feedback when it's completed, especially Grant's, because this is such a boy book, whereas Lucy was a tomboy book. I'll be talking more about DOASVSK as time goes on.

Congrats to my sister Suzanne who not only started her classes at Harvard this month, but who also made the cut for the Harvard tennis team. I'm exploring a theory that my sis is actually an alien or a robot or possibly a Teenwolf. I'll post my findings here.

Also, congratulations to my friend Mara Purnhagen, whose second book, Past Midnight, was released recently. It's book one in a three part series and a really fun read. You can buy it online at amazon.com or bn.com and it's also available on Kindle and Nook. Expect a lot of great things to come from the Past Midnight world and characters. I'll pass along news as I receive it.

And finally...

Inspired by Ashton Kutcher's SNL monologue about things that are awesome, I want to start sharing some of the random things that bring me moments of joy during the course of the week.

September 4- September 10

1). Long live the queen.

2). Cupcakes

3). The birth of a rare pygmy hippo

4). Looking at old ideas in new ways.

5). This kid.

6). Making my own happiness.

More to come...

Obama and the Mosque

2010-08-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

I’m about to be a proverbial bad dinner guest. Two things you should never discuss in mixed company: politics and religion. And I’m going to talk about both of them in this blog. All I can promise is that I won’t also get drunk and spill Scotch on you or plug up your toilet or steal your umbrella on my way out the door. All I ask is that if you are going to read any portion of this blog, please read the entire entry. Deal? I will preface by saying this is not a carefully constructed essay. This is my rambling reaction to comments that I've heard that concern me about our country and about those who practice the Christian faith.

I want to address the negative feedback that President Obama has received for his remarks about the mosque and Islamic cultural center which will be built two blocks from hallowed Ground Zero. Before continuing further, please view those remarks here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZOIBEEvbO0

I’m going to address three specific groups in this blog: Non-Muslim Americans, Muslim Americans and last, but not least, those who follow the faith of Christianity, regardless of where they live on this planet.

OPEN LETTER TO MY NON-MUSLIM AMERICAN FRIENDS

We, as a nation, are great partly because we believe in freedom of religion. ALL religions. The US Constitution reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

To put it plainly, it is our government’s duty to uphold the right of all religions to establish their places of worship as long as they follow the laws of property ownership and zoning as outlined by the state. The mosque in question will be built on privately owned property, which means that regardless of its proximity to Ground Zero, the property owners are within their legal right to go forward with their plan to build it. That point is not up for debate. They are backed by the law.

The President of the United States therefore has an obligation to support the right of the property owners to build a mosque and an Islamic cultural center upon the property that they own, the same as he would support the right of a Christian group to build there if they owned the property. This American right, freedom of religion, can not be limited to one group. Christians do not have exclusivity, nor do Muslims, Jews, Hindus, etc. We are ALL blessed with this freedom. Any attempt by one religious organization to limit the rights of another is decidedly UN-American.

If you’ve watched the video footage, not once did President Obama suggest that he supports the IDEA of the mosque being built two blocks from Ground Zero. He said quite clearly that he supports the RIGHT, and I am appreciative that we have a president who recognizes that our government should not interfere with any group’s constitutional right to worship as they see fit.
Asked yesterday about the issue, Obama said: "I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding."
Obama later said that "my intention was simply to let people know what I thought. Which was that in this country we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion."
This is exactly what the President of the United States is obligated, in accordance with the law AND the Constitution, to say. How, as an American, can I not agree with this line of reasoning?

I won’t single out Fox News commentators for their predictable responses to Obama’s comments. Instead I’ll quote Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene of Florida (yes, a democrat) who also incorrectly interpreted Obama's stance on the issue to mean the president supports the decision to build the mosque. He said:
"President Obama has this all wrong and I strongly oppose his support for building a mosque near Ground Zero especially since Islamic terrorists have bragged and celebrated destroying the Twin Towers and killing nearly 3,000 Americans," Greene said. "Freedom of religion might provide the right to build the mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero, but common sense and respect for those who lost their lives and loved ones gives sensible reason to build the mosque someplace else."
Apparently Jeff Greene believes it is the President’s obligation to dispense with the constitution in this specific case. I say that regardless of how deeply the 9/11 attacks wounded the heart of this country, no president, of his own accord, has the right or authority to selectively choose when and where the constitution is applicable. For my friends who believe that President Obama has acted in an inappropriate manner, I ask that you reread the First Amendment and explain why your interpretation differs from the President’s. You may not LIKE the idea of a mosque and a cultural center near Ground Zero, but if you support the Constitution then you must recognize the importance of upholding the First Amendment.

OPEN LETTER TO MY MUSLIM AMERICAN FRIENDS

First let me start with a quotation from Daisy Khan, executive director of the Muslim society as she describes her vision of a center led by Muslims, but serving the community as a whole.
"It will have a real community feel, to celebrate the pluralism in the United States, as well as in the Islamic religion," Khan said. "It will also serve as a major platform for amplifying the silent voice of the majority of Muslims who have nothing to do with extremist ideologies. It will counter the extremist momentum."

There is merit to what she says. I think, since Muslim Americans now make up roughly 0.8% of the country’s religious demographic, there is logic behind building a center to foster an exchange of ideas and culture, as understanding breeds empathy and empathy breeds harmony. We shouldn’t forget that an estimated 28 Muslim Americans died in the 9/11 attacks, yes, a relatively small percentage overall, but does that mean that their lives should be discounted? Of course not. There is a place for a Muslim cultural center in New York, definitely.

That being said, I do not think the decision to build the center and the mosque so close to Ground Zero is appropriate for this reason alone: I can’t support any decision made by a religious organization that will likely bring strife, pain and suffering to others.
Although it is not right for anyone, including the victims of 9/11, to hold ALL Muslims accountable for the act of hate perpetrated by the extremists that orchestrated the attacks, there will be those who harbor deep pain towards Muslims in general, regardless of the fact that it is plainly unfair. As humans, it is innate within us to dislike and fear that which we associate with our personal pain. There are deep wounds that will take many years to heal, if they ever do. I think Muslim American’s should recognize that they may bring pain to the victims of 9/11 and others if they proceed with their plan, and therefore should abandon the proposed location in favor of one less sensitive. Personally, I think the tenant of all religions should be to ease the suffering of those around them, not add to it. I’m a fan of the Buddhist practice of Sila.
Sila: Virtue, good conduct, morality. This is based on two fundamental principles:
The principle of equality: that all living entities are equal.
The principle of reciprocity: This is the "Golden Rule" inChristianity -- to do onto others as you would wish them to do onto you. It is found in all major religions.

Will the proposed location ease suffering of those in pain, or add to it? If the answer is “it will add pain” then it should be reconsidered. Where is the sense of compassion and support for the 9/11 victims? I refer back to Sila, or the Golden Rule, or to put it another way…
None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. ~ Number 13 of Imam "Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths.
Mohammad said that.
Clearly there is a legal right to build the mosque and the cultural center near Ground Zero, but is this the compassionate thing to do? That is the question that needs to be considered.

OPEN LETTER TO MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS

I am not writing this letter AS a Christian, although that is my background. I am writing this as someone who is concerned with the way many people who consider themselves to be Christians have become isolationists, often because of politics, which should have nothing to do with faith.
I find that many of my Christian friends think that being a Christian and being American are one in the same, especially since 9/11. Saying that to be an American you must be Christian is on par with saying that being a Christian means that you’re also an American. Citizenship in this country does not hinge on being Christian. The concepts are not mandatorily symbiotic.
So I want to talk to my Christian friends now, not about your citizenship, but of your obligation as outlined by the Bible, the book that, to you, should have higher authority than any manmade laws.
Genesis 1:37 reads, so God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
I challenge anyone to find where in the Bible it says that God created only Christians in his image. Or only Americans. It specifically says he created ALL HUMANS in his image. That means he created Muslims in his image too. So think about this: anyone who looks negatively on any other person looks down on God’s creation. I suggest you do so at your own peril.
You may not agree with another person’s views, be they religious or otherwise, but if you believe the Bible, you know that only God has the right to judge what’s in a person’s heart, and He warns against you attempting to act as his proxy in these matters. Judge not lest ye be judged.

For a moment I’m going on a tangent about the immigration issue. It’ll come full circle at the end, so bear with me. I have so many Christian friends who obsess about tightening the borders and treating those who cross those borders illegally (and in some cases legally) harshly. If you believe that God created all men and women in his image, then at the end times you will therefore be judged on how you treat all other human beings, not just those that live in this country. The border between Mexico and the US is a MANMADE border, it was not sanctioned by God, nor will it be recognized by God when the final judgment comes. Nor will He recognize the border between the US and Canada, the border between North and South Dakota or the border between your house and your neighbor’s. Empires come and go - Rome, The Aztecs, the Soviet Union… and someday, with enough time, America. It is the nature of things. Borders are temporary. If you want proof, pull out a five hundred year old map and see what you recognize. Cartographers, politicians, and conquerors create borders, not God. He did not portion off the world, man did, and they often did so out of greed, fear and hatred. So why then should God honor these borders? What will last is God’s memory of the way we treat our fellow man, regardless of where they live.
Matthew 25: 35-40 "‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ "
If, as a Christian, you look down upon another human because of their geography, their religion, their sexual orientation, etc, then you have judged God’s creation as being flawed. If you look down on Muslims you have judged God’s creation as being flawed.
Back to the specific topic of the mosque and the cultural center. If you are a Christian then you have been set by God with a task: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ~ Matthew 28:19
How should Christians interpret that? Does it mean they should simply go to church, listen to the sermon, sing a few songs, and socialize with other Christians? I don’t think so. It means get out there in the world and talk to those who do NOT know the Christian God, and who do NOT go to your church and who do NOT read your Bible. If you are a true Christian, then you shouldn’t view the Muslims who attend the Ground Zero mosque as intruders, but as an opportunity to do as God has commissioned you, to show them by your kindness, your acceptance, by you example (not by petition for their expulsion) how God has changed your life for the better. How will God look upon you if you squander this opportunity to reveal God’s nature by being rude, violent, hateful, etc to those who visit the mosque? In that light, what presents a Christian with a better opportunity to do God’s work? A 9/11 memorial or a mosque?
If you ask a Christian what their goal is in life, so many of them will tell you that it’s to get into Heaven. I think the right answer should be to help as many people as possible enter Heaven.
If you are a Christian, and believe what the Bible says, then I can promise you this: whether or not you agree with “Obamacare” or immigrants crossing into the US, or a mosque being built at Ground Zero, God will never be disappointed by our acts of kindness towards other human beings. In the end, the Bible says, you will be judged by your deeds as well as your faith. You can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven by faith alone.
The question that you, my Christian friends, need to ask yourselves is where does your focus lie? Man’s kingdom or God’s?

Best to all of my friends,
Robert

New Website

2010-06-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

While waiting for Lucy to do her thing, I've been paying the bills through graphic design work. So far, it's been an enjoyable experience. I built a website to promote my business, and currently it's sitting at http://www.lucyclayfoot.com/, however it will probably be moved to ralgraphicdesign.com later this week. Long name, but it seems like the shorthand versions of the company's name are taken. Once I figure out what I want for a domain name, I'll publish the site properly.

You can view some of my artwork by clicking on the SERVICES option.

New stuff

2010-06-13T22:40:00.001-07:00

Haven't been posting lately. I have a lot on my plate and a lot on my mind.
Nothing new to report on Lucy. Waiting...
I miss Belvue... that kind of keeps me up at night. Thinking...
I've been keeping busy cranking out a lot of artwork. Painting...
Anyways, short and sweet. Here's some art.

Update: Doc's Book

2010-04-27T14:16:00.001-07:00

Henry

2010-04-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hugs

Moving Forward

2010-03-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm wrapping up the third and final draft of Lucy Clayfoot today. Then she's heading out into the big, wide world to try to find her place. It's been a very interesting journey. The book deals heavily with Lucy's relationship to her dad, and his fears of what might happen once his daughter steps out the proverbial door, into the unknown. I've come to view Lucy as my daughter (funny, my mom said she feels like Lucy is her granddaughter), and I'm nervous, but excited about what could happen next. Gotta let 'em go sometime, right?
I want to thank the Fabulous Funmi Oke and the Magnificent Mara Purnhagen, for all of their hard work helping me edit the book. Literally, there were over a thousand corrections that had to be made (they found the majority of mistakes for me), and I know there are still more needed, but hopefully those will be picked off by the publisher's editor. I'll keep everyone updated as to Lucy's progress now that she's out of my hands.

So, what's next? Well, besides the fact that I need to start focusing on freelance work to keep the coffers full, I am slowly easing into my next writing project. Projects, actually.
First, I'll be working on the outline for the sequel to Lucy Clayfoot: The Five Wish Givers, which will be called Lucy Clayfoot: The Search for the Green Mammal. In SFTGM, Lucy is heading out on an expedition with her family. It's all she's dreamed about for years, and now it's finally happening. Of course, things aren't going to go as smoothy as expected.
Second (and simultaneously), I'll be working on the novel Soulmates with my amazing writing partner, Cecilia Leger. She's been cranking out some stuff for it, and it's been so much fun to read her take on the characters. So far she's done a great job capturing their voices.
For those of you that remember Soulmates when it started out as a comic book idea...

...all I can say is that the story we're writing now will be very different from what Soulmates was then. First, the Dream World is GONE. Yep. we've completely erased the setting that the comic book was firmly grounded in. And we've added a ton of supporting characters.
Every change Ceci and I have made, has been in an effort to tell a better story.
We have a tentative outline for the book, and now we just need to move forward with the chapters, and work out the kinks as they come. The book will be aimed at the young adult market, same audience as Twilight. Don't worry, it's still first and foremost a love story.
But... even though this book is fueled by the characters and their interaction (as any good love story should be), I am chomping at the bit to write some of the action scenes, especially the climax, because it's going to be one of the best things I've ever written (got that feeling).

What else... well, it's been a trying few weeks for me. I feel older, tired, a little lost at times. Maybe it's postpartum depression... is finishing a book and feeling sad about it, listed in the DSM IV as a clinically authenticated mental problem? :) Anyone know?
I feel like my world is a little out of control right now. Some good things have happened, some bad. I know things will get better, but not quite sure how to get there.

To end on a positive note, I fell in love with a new movie, Ponyo. It combines so many of my passions: animation, the oceans, environmentalism and an extremely well-crafted story. It's out on DVD now, rent it (or better yet, buy it). You can watch the trailer for it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soHf8jnmQNs

The Good Doctor

2010-02-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

When the second draft of my book is finished I will be illustrating a childrens book for a local chiropractor. I stopped by today to discuss it with him, pick up a check and take some photos of his face so that in my free time (which I have so precious little of) I can figure out how to illustrate him as a character for the book.

When I finished working on Lucy Clayfoot for the evening I sat down with my digital tablet and rendered a 5 minute sketch of the Doc. It's not great, but it made me laugh so I'm posting it here. I spent about twenty seconds on the little kid and the spine, obviously. The doc is a big guy, so I'm streamlining him a bit, Disney-style.

When I jump into his project in a few weeks I'll post some conceptual stuff here.

I'm also working on four brand new Lucy Clayfoot paintings and those will be on my website, http://www.lucyclayfoot.com/, when they are finished.

Hope everyone is having a great week. The weekend is right around the corner (we all take a collective deep breath and exhale.)

Tagged

2010-02-02T05:59:00.000-08:00

My friend Mara Purnhagen received a box full of copies of her very first book, Tagged. It's published by Harlequin Teen and will be released to the public on March 1, 2010. I had the priviledge of reading through it in an earlier draft and it's really great. I think everyone should go order an advance copy right now.
http://www.amazon.com/Tagged-Harlequin-Teen-Mara-Purnhagen/dp/0373210078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265119370&sr=8-1
Need more incentive? I am a minor minor minor character (Officer Lettrick) in Tagged. It's my big debut as a fictional character! :)
Mara's next three books, coming out over the next two years, are supernatural in nature and the series is going to be a runaway smash. Get on the runaway train of Mara's career while it's pulling out of the station.

Mara receives her copies via mail. One of the milestone moments every author looks forward too! Congrats to Mara!

Family

2010-01-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

The other day my Mom found some pictures taken in 1956 when she was just twenty years old. I love them. She reminds me of 1950s movie star.

I started thinking about the importance of family members... the ones we are born into, the ones we choose for ourselves... even the ones who leave us.

I am currently building www.lucyclayfoot.com and one of the main themes of the book is family, or as the sioux call it, our Tiospaye (Lakota for extended family). I thought it would be fun to dedicate a page on the site to my Tiospaye. You can find it here:

http://www.lucyclayfoot.com/Tiospaye.htm

Click on circular photos on the page for more pics and info.

I mentioned in my last blog that I am starting up a graphics/web design company after I finish the second draft of my book, which should be in the next two weeks or so. One of the products I'm offering will be geneology posters made to the customer's specifications. If you send me photos of your family members and info on each person I can create beautiful collages that will be suitable for framing and hanging on the living room wall, incorporating art and information.

Ah... I hate to use the blog to shill, but I'm in money-making mode... the more freelance work I do the more I'll be able to write.

I've already received my next two assignments: one is a website and for the other I'll be illustrating a childrens book about bones. I'm meeting with the writer of the book on Friday (a chiropractor/rap artist). I'm looking forward to working with him, he's a great guy with a fun project.

Hope everyone is doing well! Thanks for checking in with me.

Now What Do I Do?

2010-01-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

I'm heading into the final stages of my book project, trying to finish the second draft edits and build http://www.lucyclayfoot.com/Menu.htm to promote the book. Click the link to get a sneak peak at the design I'm using for the site before it opens officially. I'm currently doing four paintings for the CREATURE section that are LOADED with cool animals.
Pretty soon I'll be finished. Then I'll be left with the question: What do I do while I'm waiting for Lucy Clayfoot to make me a multi-millionaire? ;)
I'm weighing my options now... some of which include moving from Myrtle Beach. I'm still trying to figure it all out. BUT one of my goals, which I plan to do no matter where I end up, involves setting up a graphic design company. I've already started soliciting for work, and I've got a few projects I know I'll be starting on as soon as the book is finished.
I'm finding that so many small businesses do not have a website, which in today's competetive economy is an essential tool to have. If you own a business and do not have a website, frankly, you need me.
Besides websites I am also available to create logos, graphics, murals, and much more. I am also capable of photo editing (removing scratches, water-stains and even unwanted people - ha -from images. Or if you want a picture of you with Halle Berry or Hugh Jackman, I'm your man). Fun images of the birthday boy or girl that can be printed on balloons and paper plates? Personalized stationery? Posters? A mural of Paris in your bedroom? Personalized books to give as an anniversary present? If you can think of something I can create it. No project is too big or too small.
I'm including samples of my work below, and ofcourse this blog is peppered with other examples. If anyone needs my services or wants to send referrals my way, I am available starting in February to take assignments.
I'll also be starting Lucy Clayfoot Book II: The Search for the Green Mammal, which I'm very excited about.
So check out my work below and as always I can be contacted at roblettrick@hotmail.com

WEBSITES

LOGOS AND PROMOTIONAL ILLUSTRATION

DESIGN

Baby Pics

2010-01-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

A month or so ago my friend Jennifer, who also completed a book, took a photo of her printed manuscript. I thought it was a pretty cool idea, so I'm copying Jen and posting the first printed copy of Lucy Clayfoot. It's thick and juicy.
I also printed out a copy of the artwork I did for the cover and placed it on top.
Today my job is going to be fun. I have to sit down and finally read the book cover to cover for the first time. I'm sure I'll cringe at some of the mistakes, but it will be nice to revisit Lucy's world with a fresh pair of eyes (some of the book I haven't read since June) and just enjoy the story. Tomorrow the real work begins. The second draft and the website.

Finished!

2010-01-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

I just wrapped up the first draft of Lucy Clayfoot. I guess that means I wrote a book!
Tomorrow I'm seeing Avatar (finally!) then starting work on the second draft. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of January in addition to getting a functional version of www.lucyclayfoot.com online. I have a lot of artwork to do for it still.
I'm digging in for the final push.
Hope everyone had a great holiday season.

Christmas at Momsy's

2009-12-24T18:03:00.001-08:00

Just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas Eve. I'm over at my Mom's house, enjoying some family time. I put up the tree this year for her and decorated the outside of her house a bit. She was a little down recently (she had a health scare but after some extensive tests it seems like everything is back on track). She didn't feel like decorating this Christmas, but after insisting that I'd do the bulk of the work she relented. Once we got the tree finished it seemed like her spirits picked up, and she's been in a great mood since (she's so cute wearing her Santa hat around the house).
Tomorrow I'm making eggnog pancakes for Mom and Dad and then we're opening gifts later during dinner when the rest of the family can make it.
I hope everyone has a great evening and a wonderful Christmas tomorrow! Cheers!

Lucy Gets a Website

2009-12-10T09:01:00.001-08:00

With the book nearing completion it was time for Lucy to get her own website. It will be open officially in a few weeks, and will have a ton of new artwork and fun activities and information.
www.roblettrick.com is no longer active, instead it redirects you to Lucy's site: www.lucyclayfoot.com. Check out the "coming soon" page that's up now for an idea of what you'll find inside when Lucy's new site goes live.

My Christmas Wish List

2009-12-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

I just finished writing chapter eighteen. Only two chapters left and I'm done. I'm tired, I'll probably go to bed early, leaving poor Lucy in mortal peril.

Here's my Christmas list, in case anyone wants to get me something for under thirty bucks. Shameless, aren't I?

Steven King's new book, Under the Dome: Althought the premise seems remarkably like that of the Simpson's movie, it's being called a return to classic King.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price on DVD: Actually, don't bother. I'm buying it tomorrow.

Sweatpants: I have never been a fan of them, but since I've been sitting at a table writing for the last six months I've realized that they are the greatest invention known to man. I need more.

Eggnog pancakes: Ever since I learned of their existence I've been craving them. My kingdom for eggnog pancakes.

Ink: In a few weeks I have to print two copies of my book, over 600 pages of material. I really need ink.

No, what I really want is for all of the people I love to have a wonderful Christmas and an amazing new year. And cash. I want cash.

Sweet Seventeen

2009-12-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

I finished chapter seventeen in two days. The end is nigh...

To Be Concluded...

2009-11-27T21:30:00.001-08:00

Me on Thanksgiving.

I finished chapter sixteen. In my last blog I mentioned that a writer needs to let the story decide where it wants to go. My story wants to go another three chapters and an epilogue. That's all I have left and I have next week and the month of December to finish it. January is reserved for revisions. With the conclusion of sixteen I am rocketing into the book's last big action scene and the answers to the story's mystery. Strap in kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride! :)

The Over-Logic

2009-11-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

I haven’t mentioned my writing life in awhile. Thought I might take a moment to talk about what’s been going on with that.
Heading into my project, The Field Notes of Lucy Clayfoot, there were two prevalent feelings: What if I can’t do this? And I can’t wait to find out!
I quickly discovered that I could do it. That was a huge relief. My initial fear was that I would be gripped with panic right out of the gate and would spend my days crushed under the weight of writer’s block, watching daytime television and ignoring soap and shaving cream. True, I was a bit shaky starting out, finding my footing, but between chapters one and ten I stayed on a roll, developed cadence, picked up steam and confidence with every page.
During the first ten chapters I also learned an important lesson: the story will go where it needs to… with or without the author’s approval. I think it’s wise to start with an outline, and then even wiser to ignore it when the story picks an unforeseen path during the course of its evolution. Around chapter five I had an idea that I never saw coming - a tiny, curious creature which went by the name of Ip.
The Ip changed the course of the book. At first I was wary of the newcomer, this unheralded troublemaker, but when I saw how he plugged into the existing framework and how the new mystery he brought with him (and the element of magic, which I was most suspicious of) filtered on through to the end of the book, I was pleasantly surprised. I tepidly went forward, terrified that I had miscalculated and would eventually need to scrap hundreds of pages (lesson learned, deadline screwed), but fortunately this new piece of the puzzle fit and fortified every subsequent page after. I am happy with my decision to take a chance and diverge from the original plan.
As I moved forward I also experienced something that probably only writers and forensic scientists experience, something called the over-logic.
In Stephen King’s book, On Writing, the author mentions how he came to see the over-logic while working on The Stand. He wrote:

“…the world of my story had become dangerously overcrowded – a veritable Calcutta. The solution to where I was stuck, I saw, could be pretty much the same as the situation that got me going – an explosion instead of a plague, but still on quick, hard slash of the Gordian Knot. I would send the survivors west from Boulder to Las Vegas on a redemptive quest – they would go at once, with no supplies and no plan, like Biblical characters seeking a vision or to know the will of God. In vegas they would meet Randall Flagg, and good guys and bad guys alike would be forced to make their stan.
“At one moment I had none of this; at the next I had all of it. If there is any one thing I love about writing more than the rest, it’s that sudden flash of insight when you see how everything connects. I have heard it called “thinking above the curve,” and it’s that; I’ve heard it called “the over-logic,” and it’s that too.”

I have seen the over-logic in The Fieldnotes of Lucy Clayfoot and Stephen King was right - there is hardly anything more rewarding about writing (except maybe going to work in your boxer shorts) than suddenly seeing how all of pieces fit together and discovering that your intuitive nature was leading you safely through the woods, all the while your rigid outline was soothingly, reassuringly, convincingly leading you over the edge of the cliff.

I love the over-logic. It’s like being tipsy at Disney World - just an absolutely wonderful experience.

Then along came a spider and sat down beside ‘er. Or in my case, along came chapters eleven… then twelve… then thirteen… then fourteen… then finally the beast itself, fifteen.

Until chapter eleven I was writing one chapter a week and even finding time to get a painting in. Chapter eleven was different. I struggled with it, just a bit. Two weeks, no painting. Chapters twelve, thirteen and fourteen were more of the same. They were hard chapters to write and I couldn’t say why. I was happy with them when they were finished, but they weren’t easy roots to pull out of the ground, certainly not.

Chapter fifteen took five weeks. Five… whole… weeks. Captain Ahab had Moby Dick. I had chapter fifteen. Every day I would follow the same routine: walk the dog, work out, hit the treadmill, prepare for work, open the laptop… but now it was different. I was staring at the screen, seven days a week, miserable, knowing that the chapter wasn’t something I could just muddle through. I was waiting for a bolt of inspiration, because that’s what the chapter called for. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what to write. I didn’t know how to write it.

Finally I realized that in order to solve the problem I had to do something most writers will warn against; I changed the narrator. Until fifteen, the story had been told in first-person narration through the main character, Lucy Clayfoot. Chapter fifteen, hoever, is a letter, written by her sidekick, Sandeet Injet, to his father back in Manhattan. I realized that the things I was writing about in chapter fifteen had to be observed and interpreted by someone who had never experienced them before. I was hoping to capture the wonder that an outsider might feel when brought into a secret world, populated by amazing creatures and mythology. Lucy was old hat in this world. Sandeet, like me, was a neophyte in the moment - and what a moment it was!

But having to experience that anguish for five weeks… like waiting for a train that you fear may have passed through town before you arrived at the station… it’s torture, I can tell you. I never understood why writers are so frequently depressed. Now I know. While waiting for that train to arrive (or at least for the whistle to blow somewhere in the distance) I became the closest to clinically depressed that I have been in years. It’s hard to wake up every morning not knowing if you are going to fail miserably at the thing you love most in the world.

But I survived chapter fifteen. I finished it two days ago, and I’ve been working on corrections. It’s an interesting chapter, and the last few pages paint a visual that I am in love with… a place, a moment I wish I could experience first hand, but am content to observe through the eyes of a kid named Sandeet, who, by the way, arrived on my doorstep in a very similar fashion as the Ip and is now welcome to stay as long as he’d like.
So now it's on to chapter sixteen. I have five more chapters to go before I am finished.
In honor of chapter fifteen I’m going to post a snippet of its contents here.
As for my writer’s block, thankfully it’s gone for the time being. I am taking comfort in the fact that it lasted only five weeks. It could have been worse. Henry Roth, whose first novel, Call It Sleep, was published in 1934; his second, Mercy of a Rude Stream, did not appear until 1994. Now that’s writer’s block!

Excerpt from chapter fifteen of Lucy Clayfoot:

I peered inside the large, rusted wash bucket. It was filled with white, rubbery balls, each about the size of a grapefruit.
“You’re job is simple,” Lucy instructed. “Every time I come back to the platform, you hand me one of those. And pay attention. The game is fast. The handoff needs to be fast too.”
“No problem,” I said. “Anything else?”
“Yes, keep an eye on Sport. I don’t trust him.”
“Planned on it. So now what happens?”
All of the players were on their platforms. The water surrounding us was still and dark.
“Here we go,” she said. Lucy took a deep breath, slid her goggles over her eyes and snapped her snorkel onto her head. On the shore Old Joe blew his whistle and it echoed across the lake, ricocheting off the towering butte on the far side of the water. I could see Mr. Clayfoot’s tiny figure pacing back and forth behind the rest of Lucy’s family who were sitting in their beach chairs and cheering but were too far away to hear. Lucy was watching him too.
“I’m going to prove to him I can do anything Sport can,” she said with determination. “I’m going to make him see.”
A large, dark shape glided ghost-like beneath our platform causing it to bob up and down in the water. I kneeled down and gripped the wash bucket for balance.
“What was that?” I asked, wishing I was back on the shore, or better yet hiding in my closet back in Manhattan.
The enormous silhouette turned with precision and stopped just at the edge of our platform. It began to rise from the water - fins like slick, blue swords sliced upwards into the air, followed by a head so large that I instantly knew why Joe had warned me not to fall in to the lake. This creature could suck me into its cavernous mouth as easily as a bit of bread crumb. Without a thought for her safety, Lucy jumped from the platform and onto its back, grabbing the two largest fins and folding them to the side like the handlebars of a motorcycle. Placing her stick across her lap, she nodded towards the wash bucket and I tossed her a ball.
“Try not to get bit,” she said, as the fish she was riding descended down into the water. I looked around and watched the other riders and their aquatic steeds slipping beneath the surface of the lake as well.
“Try not to get bit. What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, but she was already gone; the tip of her snorkel vanished with a pop as air flooded the plastic mouth tube. I looked down into the bucket cautiously. Inside there was movement everywhere. My first impression had been wrong. They weren’t balls. As the orbs opened up, flailing stubby, sucker-covered legs, they looked an awful lot like octopi. Octopi with full sets of razor sharp teeth. And my job was to hand them from the tiny platform, one at a time, to Lucy as she swam by on the back of a great fish.
Papa, you probably noticed that earlier I had lied to Lucy. I had told her I wasn’t a good swimmer. When you have a crush on a girl, it’s near impossible to admit to her that you can’t swim at all.

League of Extraordinary Evil

2009-11-04T11:34:00.001-08:00

Yahoo news reported this morning on the election wins of Republicans Bob Mcdonnell (virginia) and Chris Christie (New jersey), and posted pictures of these gentleman for the article. I am making no inference about the character of these men, but their images once again brought to mind a purely aesthetical question that has been plaguing me for years. Why are Republican politicians so damn evil looking? Seriously, almost any one of these guys could be cast as a James Bond villain and visually no one would question it. In fact, I have decided to add their James Bond names to their pictures. If anyone has a solid working theory, please email me and let me know or post here. Thank you in advance.
roblettrick@hotmail.com

Boulder Head and Dr. Euthanasia

Blanco Diablo

Smuglo Monkeyface

The Grizzler

Happy Birthday Sis!

2009-10-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I have been enjoying the crisp, fall weather, especially knowing that this weekend it's going to creep back up into the 80s here in Myrtle Beach.
Quick update on my work. I finished chapter 14 and started on the next. Chapter 15 contains one of the four major action scenes in the book. It's probably the scene I would most enjoy seeing in a Lucy Clayfoot movie.
I have passed the 50,000 word mark, and I believe my book will top out somewhere near 65,000 or so, which is actually longer than most publishers prefer for mid-grade chapter books. I don't feel like there's a lot of empty filler, and each chapter leads logically into the next, so if I do need to pare the book down a few thousand words I'm not sure where those words will be cut from. I'm happy with the story. That's all I can really say on the matter. I love Lucy and I hope the readers will too.
I took a few days to build a website for my friend Mara Purnhagen, who is a fantastic author, and a good friend. Her first book, Tagged, will be available in book stores, Amazon.com, Borders.com and other locations on March 2010. After that she has a three book series that will be published over the course of one year; fall 2010 to fall 2011. I've read the first book in the series and loved it. There are still a few things I need to add to her site, such as the cover art for Tagged, but I should get it from the publisher in the next couple of days and I'll finish my work for her. In the meantime you can go to her site by clicking here.
www.marapurnhagen.com

Today is my sister Suzanne's birthday. If I'm the J.K. Rowling of the family, she's the Indiana Jones. I've mentioned her here on my blog before, but since it's her birthday I see no harm in promoting her work again.
www.gleansworld.org
She has been a great motivational force as I've worked on my book - Suzanne gets very excited when people talk about fulfilling their dreams. No one can say she hasn't done a great job fulfilling her own, and so far she's lead a spectacular life, often visiting the far reaches of the globe. Happy Birthday Suzanne! I'm very proud of you!

Below are some pics from her recent (July) trip to Mongolia where she lived with reindeer herders for a month.

Leaving On a Jet Plane, Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again!

2009-09-25T04:41:00.001-07:00

Heading to Boston in a few hours. I thought that was an appropriate title for my blog... good song... it was either that or Magic Carpet Ride.
Lucy posted the answers to the Real or Fake game and she did a piece on fainting goats. Check it out.
www.cryptogirl.blogspot.com
Catch you all in 4 days or so.

Game On

2009-09-24T07:51:00.001-07:00

www.cryptogirl.blogspot.com

Robert Say...

2009-09-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

... we are the sum of the people we love, and nothing else.

Mohawk, a week later...

2009-09-22T19:55:00.001-07:00

Grows fast, right?

Today's schedule

2009-09-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here's my schedule today. It's a typical day for me, and I do this seven days a week.

6:30 am - Wake up. Take the dog to the park. Do chin up and calve raises on playground equipment.
7:00 am - Breakfast (Egg white and turkey sausage breakfast sandwich)
7:15 am - Check email.
7:30 am - Work out with weights.
8:15 am - An hour on the treadmill (4 miles).
9:15 am - Shower.
9:30 am - Walk dog again. Gather my stuff together for work.
9:45 am - Head into the office to work. Every day is a little different, even though it's all about getting the book finished. Today I made hand written revisions to chapter twelve, then copied them into the Word version. Yep! Chapter twelve is finished.
12:00 pm - Subway for lunch. The guy behind the counter handed me a page of typed notes for a story he wants to write. He wanted to get my opinion. He's such a nice guy. That's what happens when you go to the same place to eat every day for months. You make friends with the people that work there.
12:30 pm - Relax for a minute or two or thirty.
1:00 pm - Blog.
1:15 pm - Gather reference for a new painting. Work on drawing for it.
5:00 pm - Another hour on the treadmill (another 4 miles).
6:00 pm - shower.
6:20 pm - Back to work. Continuation of drawing. Or revisions on a friend's website that I'm designing.
9:00 pm - Free time.
11:00 pm - In bed.

So that's my life right now. I know, dullsville, right? But this is my opportunity to do what I've always wanted to do, write and illustrate a childrens adventure book, so I don't take a minute for granted.
However, this Friday I'm taking a bit of a break, heading to Boston for a few days. Looking forward to spending time with friends. I'll try to take some pics for you guys.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Mohawk

2009-09-17T17:11:00.001-07:00

By request, here I am with my waaaay too short haircut. Took this about 6 days ago, it's grown back a bit since then, my hair grows fast. The war paint, which I added in ten second with Photoshop, is simply to cover my super-tired eyes. I've been working some late hours, wrapped up writing at eleven p.m. last night.

Subway, Eat Fresh

2009-09-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Can I just tell you how much I love Subway? I eat there just about every day. Just call me Jared.
They've got these new Chipolte Sun Chips that I can't find any place else. And I can eat a whole sub and not feel weighed down.
So, I had to take a couple weeks to restructure the outline for the second half of the book, but now I'm moving forward again, still on schedule. Chapter eleven (the actualy chapter, not bankruptcy) is finished and leads into twelve, which has a very intense action scene. Fun on a bun. I've been working on chapter twelve for the last couple of days, should be finished by the weekend.
Lucy's blog has been a lot of fun to work on. She posted the Real or Fake Animal Game today, so go check it out.
http://www.cryptogirl.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

New Stylist Wanted

2009-09-11T22:52:00.001-07:00

Quick post.
Got my haircut. It's so short that if I gel it towards the center of my head it looks like I have a Mohawk. I may grow it out then have it cut into a real Mohawk. I think it would look good on me.
And Lucy posted again. Good stuff, check it out.
www.cryptogirl.blogspot.com

Random Stuffins

2009-09-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Two blogs in one day? It's true!
First of all, my good friend Lucy Clayfoot has posted the Real or Fake Animal Game on her blog. Check it out, play it, and send her the answers! Don't disappoint her, she worked hard on it.
http://www.cryptogirl.blogspot.com/
Oh, and she also wrote a blog called "Sea Slugs, the Crayons of the Oceans".

Now, I'm rarely the type to get political in a public forum, but being a current resident of South Carolina I have to say how disappointed I am in the actions of both Governor Mark Sanford and Congressman Joe Wilson. Sanford should resign, it's as simple as that. He has done so much to damage the credibility of himself and this state that it baffles me why this man does not step down. I won't rehash his moral violations here, he's been all over the news for months.
Joe Wilson, the man who called President Obama a liar during his speech on health care reform last night, was so out of line that rebuke came from both sides of the political aisle. I don't care what your feelings are about the man holding the presidential office, there is a level of respect that is due the position. I remember when I was young, Arsenio Hall went on a tirade against George Bush Sr. during his monologue that was so venomous that I stopped watching his show alltogether, and I've never been a republican.
I'm not saying that a person shouldn't stand up for what they think is right, ofcourse people should, but what Joe Wilson did last night was to further blacken the eye of the Palmetto State.
George Bush Jr. was in office for eight years, and the country is worse off because of that, but I can't remember one time when a congressman or senator insulted him publicly during one of his speeches. Not even in year eight when every aspect of the country was reaching all-time lows.
Love him or hate him, Obama is trying to take care of people. Human beings. He is trying to do the moral thing. The Republicans consider themselves to be the Christian party... the moral party, but so many of them are fighting options that may take money from their pockets to help people who can't afford the high cost of health care. Sure, some of their money may go to people that don't deserve it. But are we going to be judged in the end by where the money went or for the fact that we gave with the intention to help our fellow man?
I support a government-based health care option. I do. So if that bothers some of you, I'm sorry. But I believe that everyone should have health coverage, and if you ever find yourself jobless, unable to pay the high rates of the current carriers, and your child becomes very ill... then remember where your thoughts were on this issue when the chance came to change the way things work now.

Lucy Gets a Blog

2009-09-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday! I am trying to post the Real or Fake Animal game, but for some reason it's making my computer freeze up. I'll get it fixed for tomorrow. BUT, I'm not going to be hosting the game here anymore. Instead you will find it at its new home:

http://cryptogirl.blogspot.com/

Lucy Clayfoot is getting her own blog! Bookmark it! I'm letting her focus on all of the cryptozoology related stuff that she loves so much, and this blog will be reserved for Robert news. So that means Lucy gets to host the game from now on.

I've been trying to run on the beach as my schedule allows. I took this pic this morning.

I'm grateful for the cooling weather. Hoping to take advantage of it and do some writing outdoors occasionally. The book is coming along. I spent this week working out some ideas for the second half of the story and I wrote five pages the day before yesterday.

Check back tomorrow for the game, and I appreciate those enthusiasts who have emailed me already asking why it's not up. It's nice to know that people still look forward to playing it.

Have a blessed day!

Crabby

2009-09-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to write a quick blog tonight. I totally forgot it was Thursday, so no Real or Fake animal game today. Sorry. Next week, for sure.
In the meantime, here's one of the creatures I designed for my Lucy Clayfoot book. I have no name for him yet, so I'll just call him crabby.

Heading to Atlanta tomorrow for the long weekend. Then on the 24th of September I'll be in Boston for a few days. If anyone needs to get ahold of me, you've got my number. Call or text.
And I'll have my laptop too, so I'll get emails.
I'm exhausted. I've been so focused on my book, sometimes working from early morning until 10 at night or later (2:00 am this past Saturday), that I ran myself down to the point were I felt like I was getting sick. But this is my dream, I have a limited time to make it happen, and I'm going to do it if it kills me.
I think I may be at the halfway mark or close. In three months I'll be finished.
Anyone who wants tickets to the movie premiere of Lucy Clayfoot needs to let me know now so I can put you on the list. I assume I'll only get a limited number of tickets for the LA showing. I'm not even kidding.

And on another note, I just want to thank God for an answered prayer regarding my friend Ken's little boy.

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

A Quickie

2009-08-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday. Just a few more days until the holiday weekend hits.
The answers for yesterdays game... C,G and K were the fakes. Nobody won. :(
C actually started as a cinnamon ring cake before I hit it with Photoshop. It looks way more edible now, doesn't it?

E was a photo of a hyena. It's from an amazing series of photos called The Hyena Men, by Pieter Hugo. Check out the rest of the series here.
http://www.michaelstevenson.com/contemporary/exhibitions/hugo/nigeria.htm
Gotta get back to work, hope everyone has a great weekend and that you all get some unexpected blessings. And if you don't, then be that unexpected blessing to someone else.

Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-08-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Today is a new Thursday and a new game.
It's been a busy week for me, trying to wrap up chapter eleven of Lucy Clayfoot (not quite finished), and I'm also painting a very elaborate image for chapter ten.
I watched the movie Adventureland today while on the treadmill and I loved it. It's probably not for everyone, but if you were a teenager in the 80s and had a crappy summer job like I did, you might like it.
Also, I took my Dad to see Inglorious Basterds this week, he's been dying to see it. He loves war movies, but I tried to warn him that Quentin Tarantino isn't your average director and the movie wouldn't be what he expected, but he still wanted to go. Here's the deal: Brad Pitt, who is featured prominantly in the trailers, is in maybe a tenth of the movie. Most of the movie features bland people sitting at tables talking. Despite the positive reviews by critics, gotta say, it was one of the worst movies I've seen in years. And in case you were wondering, my Dad hated it.
Remember, email your answers to roblettrick@hotmail.com.
Hope you're all finding happiness in the little joys that life brings our way. I am.

A).

B).

C).

D).

E).

F).

G).

H).

I).

J).

K).

Weekend Update

2009-08-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. I wrote quite a bit, managed to get chapter ten done. I ran "word count" on my book and so far I'm at 33,467 words since I started a couple of months ago. I think the story will top out at a little over 100,000.

I also gave myself half a day off, as I have been exhausted lately. For the first time in ages I crawled up on the couch and watched a movie. Then I fell asleep and slept for a few hours. Sounds boring, I'm sure, but when you don't allow yourself to do things like that for almost three months, it's sort of awesome.

Today I started chapter eleven, which inches me closer to the chapter thirteen where Lucy leaves Manhattan for her Dad's reservation in South Dakota. That will be a complete shift in tone and setting, so hopefully it "freshens my drink" so to speak.

What else? I've been eating at Subway again, and I have to say, the Subway diet works when combined with cardio and weight training. I have a 12" roastbeef sub (no cheese), a bag of baked chips and a diet soda. It's a LOT of food. I don't eat dinner. I've started running, like I mentioned in an earlier post, and that's been good for my metabolism. So yes, Jared from the Subway commercials was on to something, listen to the guy. It's good stuff, and I don't feel like I'm always hungry or depriving myself of tastey food.

Okay, I don't have any new art to show today so I'll just post a scan of a previous painting to show you the drawing underneath in progress.

It's Monday, true, but it's another day of life, hope everyone makes the most of it!

2009-08-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Just a quick blog today to give you the answers for yesterday's game.
The fake animals were A, K and L (well, the dogs in L are real, but it was sort of a joke item, so I would have accepted real as an answer there as well).
B & J were particularly cool finds for me. B is a fish thingie, and easily one of the most beautiful animals I've ever seen. I'd love one as a pet! It looks like an alien, doesn't it? Here's another shot of it below.

And J is a Satanic leaf-Tail Gecko. I think it gets the "Satanic" moniker from its evil looking eyes.
I was really proud of this weeks game, right up until Cecilia beat it. That girl is too clever for my own good. That makes 3 wins for her (she claims it's 3.5 for some reason, but I can't remember why).

To my Facebook friends, I figured out what happened. Apparently my computer got the Koobface Virus (Facebook backwards, sorta) from someone on my friend list (which is the only way you can get it) and it hijacked my account too and sent infectious emails out to others. I've only had one friend of mine tell me that she got the virus from my account so far. Koobface can be quarantined by Norton 360, but it is still on my computer fighting to break free and wreak havok. Until I figure out how to get it off my harddrive for good, I'm closing my Facebook account indefinitely. Sucks, but there it is. Anyone who needs to get ahold of me, just email me at roblettrick@hotmail.com

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-08-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week with my computer. Anyone that may have caught a virus through a message that was sent through my Facebook account by hackers, please let me know via email. My computer is now secure, no problems at all, so I'm not sure how severe the virus was as Norton 360 repaired mine with relative ease. I just feel really bad that some of you may have opened up an email, thinking it was something funny from a friend, and got hit with a virus.
For now my Facebook account is shut down, maybe it's for the best, as I need to get some more writing done.

On to the good news. I finished chapter nine. Looking over the entire outline for the book, I think that puts me 1/3 of the way through it. And I did it in a little over two months, so I am on track to finish on time. I am appreciative of those of you that are reading the chapters and sharing your insight with me. So far the reviews have been beyond anything I could have hoped for. Thank you for that, you guys motivate me to work even harder. I started work on chapter ten tonight, hoping to complete it by Friday or Saturday. It's all action, so it should go quickly. I am also laying out a new painting for the book. I feel blessed to be doing this work every day.

In news that can be labeled bad AND good, my Dad has been having a rough few months. He's been struggling with a lot of personal issues, but then on top of it he cut his leg badly and an infection has set in. The doctor scared him to death when he suggested that it was possible that gangrene might set, in which case my Dad would have to lose the leg. So he's been taking serious antibiotics that have left him feeling horrible day and night. The good news is that the doc told him today that it looks like the antibiotics are working, still he's not out of the woods yet. The really good news is that this whole scare seems to pushing my Dad in a more health conscious direction. His sugar levels are high, which makes his leg situation more serious, and there are other health issues as well, so this has been a real eye opener for him. It looks like he is going to start living a much healthier lifestyle starting immediately.
Say a prayer for him if you would, he really needs it.

On to this weeks game. As always, let me know which ones you think are real and which are fake. Email me at roblettrick@hotmail.com. I'll post the answers Friday. You DO realize that there is a prize for anyone that beats this thing, right? No one won last week. Maybe someone will get lucky this week.
Thanks for your continued interest in my life and my work.

A).

B).

C).

D).

E).

F).

G).

H).

I).

J).

K).

L).

Lemonade from Lemons

2009-08-16T08:45:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to walk the dog. When I came back my desktop computer was rebooting itself, not good. When it came back on I received an error message that informed me I had gotten a virus that my security software couldn't handle. Not good. My computer restarts after only 30 seconds now. The good news is that everything is backed up on external harddrives. The bad news is that for awhile, until I can talk to the people that sold it to me and go over my options, I can't workout on my treadmill. Okay, technically I can. But I used to watch DVDs or Hulu.com on my computer while I'd walk my 4 miles, and that would be pretty boring without my computer to entertain me.
So I drove down to the beach and walked there instead. And jogged. So the lemon would be the computer crash. The lemonade that came from that bitter event is my newfound resolve to start running the beach every morning. I've never really been a runner, but it hurt so good today. Obviously the treadmill hasn't been pushing me like I thought or my legs wouldn't be burning like they are right now. It's time to change it up a bit. And the ocean was so beautiful this morning, so there's the cherry on the sundae. Something about the beach really puts things into perspective.
Meh, this blog was boring. :)

The Hummingbird Moth

2009-08-14T03:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

First, the answers to the Real or Fake Animal game from yesterday. They are all real except for F. Nobody beat Cecilia's game, not even me. :( But like I told Ceci, I really didn't mind losing, because I was introduced to a very cool animal I'd never seen before: animal G - The hummingbird moth. I was so certain that G was fake I never bothered to click on the pic. It looked like someone had combined a bird and a fish in photoshop! And even after I learned that G was real, I still wasn't sure if it was a bird or a moth, because it was active during the daytime, diurnal, like a hummingbird - not nocturnal, like a moth. And it moves like a hummingbird. But it clearly had antenae and more than two legs! Take a look at a Hummingbird Moth in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i21A5gNl3N4

So, much thanks to Ceci for creating the game for everyone to enjoy AND for finding such an awesome creature.

I get excited about finding weird, interesting animals on the internet, which is why writing Lucy Clayfoot has been so enjoyable. Someday it might be fun to take a year off and actually go on a Clayfoot-style expedition to some remote place to search for them myself. When I make my millions (notice I didn't say "if") I will have to do that. Southeast Asia, the Amazon and the Congo still have a lot of zoological secrets to give up.

Speaking of Lucy Clayfoot, I finished chapter eight yesterday. It was a lot of fun to write and the "set up" part of the story is pretty much complete now. The characters have been established, as has the primary setting. And the book's mystery has been set into motion. Now I'm on the downslope of the rollercoaster, and it's going to be a blast to write. A lot of author's talk about losing steam at the middle of a book, but I'm actually excited about it.

It was also suggested to me that it would be in my best interest to develop rudimentary plotlines for four more Lucy Clayfoot books so that everyone involved could be thinking "series" before the first book was even completed. Part of that process is developing covers for all five books now, so that they have a cohesive feel to them. I finished the cover to chapter two last night and I'm posting it here. All I can say is that the second book takes place on an island. I like the way it came out and I think it succesfully continues the look of book one, which I posted here the other day.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-08-13T05:54:00.001-07:00

Once again my friend Cecilia has saved my butt by doing this week's Real or Fake game for me. I'm trying to wrap up chapter eight of Lucy Clayfoot, so I've been super busy. Can't wait to dig into nine and ten, mystery and action. I have a feeling they won't take long to write. My goal is to have fourteen chapters finished by the end of September, which will put me on a great pace to complete the book by the end of the year.
So visit Ceci's blog, enjoy the game, email me your answers: roblettrick@hotmail.com

http://ellioani.blogspot.com/

Revised Ip AND My Visit To Wal-Mart

2009-08-11T05:11:00.001-07:00

I wasn't completely thrilled with the version of the Lucy Clayfoot cover I posted two days ago, so I tried to make some revisions, to make the creature (an Ip) more realistic, and I think it's better, but still needs work. In hindsight, I should have made him light blue or purple, and I probably will repaint him at some point, but at least I know now that this concept can work. I may do the cover to book two next. The journal will look the same, but will be a different color and it will have a different creature on it.

Here's a random factoid: If, as an author, you are about to write a scene where your character needs to express rage or bitterness, I recommend you first visit your local Wal-Mart, because you will come away from your experience with a deep-rooted anger that will last a minimum of ten hours.
I had to return an ethernet cable yesterday and spent an hour at the idiot convention. Okay, I know, I'm supposed to love my fellow man and be tolerant, etc, etc... but c'mon!!!! Let's get past the fact that I stood in line at customer service for twenty minutes behind a woman who decided to return SCHOOL SUPPLIES (packs of pencils, reems of paper, staples, post-it notes, all of which had to be run through the computer one item at a time, and hey, her kid doesn't need them, he's going to grow up to be a Wal-Mart shopper!).
Instead let's start with the two people who ran into me yesterday because - no lie - they were walking backwards. TWO PEOPLE!!! And they weren't just backing their carts up to menuever around something, nope, two different people in Wal-Mart had decided to walk backwards through the store and I don't think they were related as one of them apologized to me in Spanish and the other one just looked at me as if it the collision was my fault, then said something to his wife in a deep southern drawl.

Here's the problem. Wal-Mart is a constantly shifting obstacle course, the goal of every other person in the store being to find a way to block an aisle. There are several methods by which they achieve this:

1). The sideways park - it's as simple as it sounds. On every trip I've ever made to Wallyworld, someone inevitably parks their cart sideways in the aisle, blocking both lanes (yes people, there are TWO lanes!) effectively neutralizing the flow of traffic.
2). The double cart park - this menuever takes two idiots working in tandem, and usually they've never met, instead it's a spontaneous smartnership. Each of the idiots will find something of interest opposite of each other, parking their carts side by side, again bottlenecking the system.
3). The "Breeder" - This is one of my least favorites. It's where a mother with no less than five kids will cluster her brood in the center of an aisle. At this point she will take a cell phone call, creating a wall of gossip and stupidity that is virtually inpenetrable.
4). The "Cyborg" - Park your cart on the right side of the aisle then look for an item on the immediate left side of the aisle, thus cart and cartee work together as a fat-assed, flesh-and-metal abomination.
5). The "Oh my God, you work here and should know better, you stupid stock boy!" - Yes, Wal-Mart employees are frequently the biggest offenders of traffic interuptus. They haul their boxes of Top Ramen into the soup aisle on a massive flatbed cart then proceed to shelve their wares at a pace that makes my grandmother seem like the Flash on Cocaine. And she's dead.
6). The "Wow, fancy meeting y'all here!" - If I were ever to be spotted by someone I know in Wal-Mart I would hang my head in shame and keep walking. But apparently I'm an abberation, because I am constantly amazed at how frequently an aisle can suddenly become the backdrop to a mini-church or highschool reunion (never a college reunion). And on occasion I have been detoured by the mother of all frustrations, the Breeder Reunion. Yep, TWO mother/brood combos bumping into each other and spreading out like a Madonna/Angelina Jolie playdate. The "Wow, fancy meeting ya'll here" is by far the greatest argument for the five day waiting period on a handgun purchase.
Okay, look, I've commited my fair share of shopping offenses, just last week I cut my mom off as she was heading to checkout (snooze and lose, oldtimer!). But I think I am going to suggest a new bill here in South Carolina that requires I.Q. tests to be administered at all Walmarts by our lovely senior greeters on customers as they walk through the door. And how about a jumbo sign that reads "You must be at least this smart to enter Wal-Mart" with a picture of South Carolina's wonderful governor Mark Sanford plastered across it.
Okay, this really wasn't a blog about Wal-Mart, it was a well-disguised attack on a politician who really needs to go.
As for Wal-Mart, it's my own fault. I know I should shop there at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning and yet I still went there on a Monday at noon. Who's the stupid one, really?

Tiospaye

2009-08-10T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was productive. I finished chapter seven of Lucy Clayfoot and started chapter eight, which I hope to have finished today. I also worked on artwork for the "Coming Soon" page of the Lucy Clayfoot website (See below)

I'm enjoying the writing process very much. The more I do the easier it gets and the more I feel like I understand the world that my characters live in. They are finding their voices and I am finding my "ear" to hear them with. Also, plot problems that have given me nightmares for months are solving themselves in fun, interesting ways. It's all coming together. I have a much better understanding of the "writing life" and I can't imagine doing anything else as a career from this point on. And frankly, I don't believe I will have to.

From the beginning, Lucy Clayfoot was, at the core, a book about family. And not the perfect family, but a very damaged family that still had a lot of love within it (like the kind that I came from).
At the start of book one, Lucy's parents are separated. Although she doesn't talk about it much, it influences her on subtle yet profound levels. She understands that her Tiospaye (Sioux word for family) is the most important thing in her life, even more critical to her well-being than her dream of becoming a cryptozoologist.
There is a scene in book one where Lucy has the power to bring her parents together again, instantly, through unconventional means, but ultimately she realizes that if her family is going to heal itself it will take time and effort, because anything worth having is worth fighting for.
Lucy believes that the love her parents have for each other will eventually heal the damage, and even though I'm still in the early stages of her story, I think she's probably right. She's a smart girl, that Lucy Clayfoot.
Hope everyone has a nice, productive week and don't forget to send a little love to your Tiospayes.

Real of Fake Animal Thursday

2009-08-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hope you all have been having a nice week so far.
I wrapped up chapter six of Lucy Clayfoot and I'm deep into chapter seven now. Six and Seven are very different from the chapters before and after, as they introduce a bit of magic into what is basically a very science-based book. They've been a lot of fun to write.
I'm also working on paintings for chapters five and six right now.
I think I've been keeping a fairly decent pace since I started working on the book full-time two months ago, and most importantly I'm happy with the work.
I've asked a few select people to read my chapters and offer feedback, and I recently added two children to that list. I'm thrilled because I got the exact reaction I was hoping for from them.
Also, Lucyclayfoot.com will be coming to the net soon. I'll keep you posted.
Good luck with today's game. Email me your answers at roblettrick@hotmail.com. Good luck!

A).

B).

C).

D).

E).

F).

G).

H).

To Whom It May Concern

2009-08-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

Take the demoralizing opinions, consider them and then move forward. I know you will. You are a singular writer because you are a singular mind and a singular spirit, one that always surprises me, makes me laugh and makes me think. Yours is my favorite voice.
Not everyone needs 10,000 hours to achieve greatness. You're an example of that.
Happy Birthday!

Mongolian SuzieQ

2009-08-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

My sister, Suzanne, got back from her month in Mongolia living with nomadic reindeer herders. She had quite an experience there, and I'm bummed I couldn't go with her. Next time for sure! With her permission, I'm posting some of her photos here. For anyone interested in sending your teenagers on one of her life-changing trips (or going along as a contributor), check out her website at Gleansworld.org. She posts info on past AND upcoming expeditions there. Her contact info can be found on her website or email me at roblettrick@hotmail.com and I will forward any messages to her.

The image above is my favorite. A reindeer playing with a puppy and a child. What a fascinating way to live. Such freedom and joy!

Happy Birthday, Lucy Clayfoot.

2009-07-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

It’s July 31st and Lucy Clayfoot turns twelve today. According to her family’s custom, twelve is the age at which a Clayfoot child can go on an expedition with the adults to track never before species of animals. As far as Lucy is concerned, today is the greatest day of her life, because she finally gets to pursue her dream. Incidentally, today is also my birthday. I turn 37 today.

July 31st is known as The Day Of The Human Portrait. According to The Secret Language of Birthdays by Gary Goldschneider "those born on this day take a special interest to what it means to be a human being. Philosophocal and moral questions considering the nature of humanity absorb them, especially when unusual or abnormal aspects of people are concerned. Consequently, no questions concerning mankind is off limits to them, and rarely will a subject be too upsetting to examine and discuss. Stories of persectution, imprisonment, tyranny and torture may hold a fascination for them, as do martyrs, saints and other highly spiritual figures, and their acts of kindness and courage. This is not to suggest that those born on this day resreve their interest in humankind to the exceptional alone; on the contrary, they are also absorbed with the everyday life, costums and habits of people."

Sounds like the perfect personality for a writer, and it describes me exactly.

Our strengths are: observant, expressive, visual.

The book also suggests that those born on July 31st have flaws (shocking, I know!)

Weaknesses: Anxious, disturbed, isolated.

Sounds about right.

This week my mom found a photo of my sister and I when we were very young.

It's a sweet picture, but the expression on my face is very revealing, I look anxious, observant... probably studying the camera and the cameraman. Probably a little bit scared to death.

Since it's my birthday I'm going to share a secret that I've never told anyone before. The way I look in that picture is the way I feel most of the time, even now at the ripe old age of 37. Scared to death of so many things. Losing people I love. Failing as a writer. Being hurt by someone I give my heart to. If only the boy in the photo knew how hard 36 was going to be for him.
Next to the year my mother had cancer, 36 was by far the hardest of my life. It was certainly the year I lost the most.

But it was also the year that I found my determination to pursue my dreams and become the version of myself that I've always wanted to be. 37 will be a continuation of that.

So, what do I hope for 37? I'm putting a lot of pressure on that number. I plan to finish my book, Lucy Clayfoot. I plan to travel. To experience new things. Influence people in a positive way. Mend some wounds of the spirit. I plan to continue to love and hope. I plan to focus on the July 31st strengths and not the weaknesses. And I accept that the fear I have inside might be a good thing at times. It propels me forward, motivates me to try harder, work harder, love harder.

That's not to say that 37 won't have it's share of sadness. I've been worried about my Dad and his health, both physically and spiritually, which seems to be getting worse by the day.

But today is the first day of 37, and I'm happy and healthy and fulfilled in so many ways. :)

In other news...

I had the opportunity to work with my writing partner Ceci in person last week and we outlined a huge chunk of our book Soulmates. For fans of Twilight, I think Soulmates is going to make you happy. For fans of Soulmates, I think it will make you cry and wet your pants with glee!

In other OTHER news today is also J.K.Rowling's birthday AND Harry Potter's birthday. I share today with the woman who influenced me to write childrens books AND the character she created. That's a good sign, right?

This blog and this day and the year 37 are about pursuing dreams. Lucy's, mine and hopefully yours as well. Cheers.

Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-07-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ceci posted the game for me this week. It's a tough one! Enjoy and good luck! Email me your answers.
roblettrick@hotmail.com
Or post them here.

http://ellioani.blogspot.com/

Fresh From The Garden

2009-07-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice week. It's been full of highs and lows for me. Looking forward to the weekend.
Thanks for playing the Real or Fake game yesterday. I mentioned before, finding authentic looking fake animals has become tougher and tougher, and a few times I've had to saturate the game with real animals, in fact, last week Game One was all real. Soooo... to shake things up a bit I went to town with Photoshop and with the exception of H, yesterday's animals were all garden grown. :) See below for their original versions then compare them to yesterday's "animals". No one beat the game, so I guess I might be on to something here. AND I don't have to mail out any prizes this week. Whew!
Have a good weekend, thanks for your continued support and interest in my work.

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Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-07-23T06:51:00.001-07:00

Good luck with today's game! As always, email me your answers at roblettrick@hotmail.com or post them here.

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Completed Quarantine Painting

2009-07-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'll probably make some changes later, but this is the completed painting I have been working on for chapter four. Lots more detail, obviously. Tomorrow it's back to writing.

Quarantine

2009-07-21T13:23:00.001-07:00

Above is a new painting for chapter four of Lucy Clayfoot. There's more work to do on it, as it will be part of Lucy's "notebook" like the Ramble image, so I'll add text and neat little details about the animals shown here, not sure I'll post it when it's finished.
This scene takes place in the Quarantine Lab, where new animals are inspected and treated for diseases before entering the general populous of the zoo. The thing in the water tank is a baby Kraken. You probably saw the adult version in Pirates of the Caribbean.
I'm writing chapter six this week, I hope to have it finished by Thursday, then on to chapter seven.
Speaking of animals in labs, my sheltie Casey hurt his leg this week. Got X-rays done today and his bones aren't broken, so it may be a combination of arthritis and a bad sprain. Poor little guy is having a hard time. Reminds me too much of when Aslan got sick last year.
My sister is in Mongolia, she was living with nomadic reindeer herders all month, but now she's heading on to the capital of Ulan Bator. CNN reported extensive flooding there, but hopefully she'll be okay.
Too much to worry about. Missing too many people I love.

2009-07-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend. I wrote chapter five of Lucy Clayfoot today, the whole thing. I was a little surprised when I arrived at the end of it, but relieved too, because I was falling behind in my self-imposed deadline of one chapter a week. Now I can relax and go to the movies and dinner tonight, then tomorrow I can continue with the painting for chapter four.

The answers for yesterday's Real or Fake games are:
Game One: All real.
Game Two: A and F are the fakes.
It's been getting harder and harder to find realistic looking fakes, so I've decided to start manufacturing my own. For Game Two, animal A was derived from a type of plant (see below).

So... what else... I came across this very weird website which promotes... a movie, I guess. It's interesting, even though there's not much to it. Make sure you hold your breath before you click this link.

http://www.frenziedwaters.com/

Will check in soon.

p.s. Happy Birthday, Noah.

Real Or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-07-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

Long day. I decided I'd really like someone to win this week, so I'm posting TWO separate Real or Fake games. Beat either or both. My Mom lost by only one answer.
Have to say, I'm a little frustrated and depressed tonight. I don't care to elaborate.
In positive news, I finished writing chapter four and I completed the pencil drawing for a painting to go along with it. Not sure if I want to paint it tomorrow or start writing chapter five. Or maybe I'll go drink pina coladas all day and stare out at the ocean.

GAME ONE

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GAME TWO

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Weekend Update

2009-07-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

I know I said I wasn't going to post any more paintings, but I felt this one is more representative of the final look of the book than previous pieces, so I thought I'd go back on my decision and post it so you can see what I'm shooting for here (and I probably shouldn't say I will NEVER post something, because my feelings on things change all the time).

I want the book to have a very "sketchbooky" or "journal" feel to it, like fieldnotes of a naturalist. The painting still needs touch-ups/corrections (not thrilled with a few parts), but I HAVE to get back to writing, so I'll deal with this one later.

Below: Main painting

Below: Close up on the "Polaroids".

Below: Detail of one of the cryptids. I wanted all of the animals in this painting to be slightly transparent. It will make more sense when you read chapter three when the book is published. I'm fairly happy with how I achieved the effect, and if you look at the creature below you can see the sign through his body. But again, there are a few things I need to do still, like add shadow to the inside of its mouth. Details, details, details.

I've been extremely busy with this project and every day I find more ways to streamline my time so that I can be even more diligent with my book's production schedule. I think I've done a good job staying focused and on track, finished chapter three last Monday and I've been working on chapter four and this painting all week.

I gave up television, which really hasn't been then hard since all of my shows are on hiatus until the fall. The only time I watch a show or a movie is while I'm on the treadmill, and that's only because I can't tread and write at the same time. It's amazing, my thoughts seem less jumbled and sluggish without the Cyclops Box infecting it. I just find something on Hulu.com or Netflix and watch it until my sentence is up (an hour, twice a day). If the show isn't over when I stop treading it gets turned off anyways.

I haven't even hooked up the VCR, so no Simpsons reruns for me! (And surprisingly no withdrawl symptoms, although I did shed a finger on each hand and my skin turned yellow).

My dreams have gotten a lot more vivid, which was an unexpected, but enjoyable byproduct. Speaking of dreams...

I saw this mini-documentary online... it's actually a commercial for Honda, but it's about dreams, both the noctural kind and the word's alternate definition, ambitions.

http://dreams.honda.com/#/video_ni

Weird, there is a snippet of jellyfish footage in it, which made me do a spittake, because I thought I was the only one that associated dreams with jellyfish. I've mentioned it here before, when something extremely heavy is happening in my life I dream of jellyfish, and I don't know why. It's happened about four times, but only at pivitol events.

The video also hit home because one of the interviewees is Clive Barker, who is currently writing and illustrating one of my favorite childrens book series, ABARAT.

http://www.thebooksofabarat.com/content4/xbarat99.html

Abarat isn't neccessarily the best book in the world, but it is one of the most imaginative. The story affects me. And seeing Clive Barker painting and talking about the death of his father, his work and how dreams are instrumental in the worlds he creates... it really spoke to me.

I've come up with a few stories that have germinated from dreams. Actually, here's a weird fact about me... all of my stories come to me while I'm dreaming (Barefoot Bill and Soulmates) or in the shower (Lucy Clayfoot and Eden Keys). The former I think because it's when my mind is most lucid, open to ideas that wouldn't occur to me while I'm awake. The latter because in the shower there is almost no outside stimulus; no telephones ringing or music playing, no dog pacing across the tile floor. I need to get myself a deprivation chamber and I'd probably be the next Steinbeck. Probably not. :)

In other news, I am also working on the designs for the covers of a three book series for a friend of mine. It's a very exciting project and the series will be put out by a major publisher, but since it's not my deal to talk about, all I can say is that when book one hits the stores I'll let you know and then you can run out and buy it. It's amazing.

To all of my friends in Gaffney and Spartanburg, I'm so relieved the police got the serial killer. I know that was weighing heavily on everyone and I was very worried for you all as well.

Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-07-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to find an email from my friend Ceci. She let me know that she once again saved my butt by posting the Real or Fake Animal game over on her blog.
http://ellioani.blogspot.com/
No one beat her game last week, and looking at this week's I'm not sure anyone will beat it either. In fact when she emailed me to tell me that she posted the game, she said that "in the interest of saving time" she wanted to inform me in advance that I had lost. :)
We'll see about that!
Hope everyone is well. I'll be posting a pretty long blog in the next couple of days.
Oh, and you can email me your answers to Ceci's game or post them here. PLEASE someone beat her game. She's way too confident about it. :)
roblettrick@hotmail.com

Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-07-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting the game lately, I've just been too busy writing and painting, but today you actually get to play again! Because the incredible Ceci Leger, my dynamic writing partner, has stepped in to take over for me this week. She's created todays game and posted it on her blog, so you can check it out there, then post your answers here, or email them to me.
roblettrick@hotmail.com
If anyone wins the game Ceci will be in big trouble! ;) So far she's the only one that's ever beat it. I've already seen it and she did a good job with it! So have fun!

http://ellioani.blogspot.com/

I Love Lucy

2009-07-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

I know yesterday I said I wasn't going to post any more Lucy Clayfoot art, but I was referring to the big paintings only, not the little spot illustrations. I will post a few of those from time to time. I finished one today and thought I'd share it as it features the star of my book, Lucy Clayfoot herself.

Even though I love creating the creatures that will be crawling, flying, leaping, swimming and sliming their way through The Fieldnotes of Lucy Clayfoot, the best part of this process so far has been painting her.

New Lucy Clayfoot Painting

2009-06-30T15:13:00.001-07:00

I wrapped up another Lucy painting today. Did I mention that I love my job? Well, I do.

I won't be posting any more Lucy paintings after this, as I need to keep them under wraps until the book comes out. I wish I could share everything with you guys, but I can't. I will also be doing some little illustrations which I may share from time to time. And ofcourse, I will be emailing a small handful of you, my most trusted supporters, the larger paintings as I finish them. I just can't post anything else to the internet, for obvious reasons. Rest assured, I am doing one full painting a week, along with one written chapter of the book as well.

Progress Report

2009-06-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. To take advantage of this amazing opportunity of working on Lucy Clayfoot full time I have been putting in long hours at the laptop, seven days a week. They say that when you love your job it's no longer a job, but a labor of love, and now I know what that means.
I tried doing drawing caricatures down at Broadway At The Beach for a few hours a week, but I just felt guilty because I wasn't using the time to work on my book, and Lucy is my highest priority right now. So unfortunately I let the caricature gig go. Now Even though I'm no longer part of the daily rat race, I'm still waking up at 5:00 a.m. to get the day started and I've been wrapping up my writing/drawing at 7:00 p.m. or later.
This is the end of my second week back in Myrtle Beach and I'm happy with my progress. The first week I made an outline for the revised book, based on new notes, and this week I wrote the first chapter. I finished by Thursday and started on the illustrations to go with it.
The illustration below is not for the book, but for the Lucy Clayfoot website which I'm working on simultaneously. The illustations in the book will be more realistic, like a field journal, and I laid out eight drawings for chapter one over the last two days.
Monday I start chapter two.
In the illustration below, the Mega-Walking Stick is the star of chapter one, and you'll get a full view of him when the book comes out. :)

My New Office

2009-06-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I worked for a few hours drawing caricatures at Broadway At The Beach. I'm doing it for a few nights a week just to be outside, meet people and make a little spending change (very little, my take for 4 hours was only $59.00, and that included a $4.00 tip. The season is a bit slow taking off). If I feel that it interferes with my writing I'll have to rethink it.
My first drawing was of three little girls together, all wearing a gazillion braids in their hair, talk about tedious line work! That was a bad hand I was dealt, since for some reason little girls are the hardest for me to draw. I always make them look older than they are. The good news is that they loved the drawing. After that I drew a little boy from a photograph his grandma provided, a middle-age couple and two teenage girls about to start college as roommates (I asked the girls what they would be studying and one of them said, "criminal law, because I have a thing for murder". I signed a fake name to the drawing when it was done.)
All of the drawings were adequate, but it will take a few nights before I'm GOOD again. No one complained or rejected the caricatures, which was a big relief.And right before quitting time, Broadway set off their fireworks display over the man-made lake. So, the video below is the view from my new "office". Again, my life continues to be heaped with blessings.

I picked up a new HP laptop computer today so that I can work on my book from anywhere I want. I set it up and was pleased that it interfaced with my router with no problems. I can finally be counted among the gazillion people who have experienced wireless internet first hand.

My nightstand

And I also called around to local scuba shops to get prices on refresher courses. Apparently, since I already have my PADI dive license, I only need a few hours in a pool with a dive instructor, then an offshore trip with a dive master and I'm good to go from then on. I'm scheduling as soon as I'm 100% settled into my new home and my new routine. I need to get an underwater camera so I can take you all with me! This is who I'll be diving with...
http://www.coastalscuba.com/index.htm
Myrtle Beach is listed as one of the top ten sharkiest places in the country. But no fatal bites since the 1800's. Whew, that's a relief. Oh wait, you say that a guy named Walter Maxwell landed a 1,780-pound tiger shark from the end of Cherry Grove Fishing Pier in North Myrtle Beach on June 14, 1964? And you say that the catch shattered the world record by more than 350 pounds?
But I'll still be diving, because as the saying goes, "no guts, no glory"! What's that you say? Sharks like the taste of guts?

Day One

2009-06-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's day one of my life as a writer. No, I don't plan on updating this blog every day on my progress, but today feels significant in the scheme of things so I thought I would say something.
I wrote two pages this morning, early, then took my dog for a walk. Two blocks away I found a great playground that's entirely fenced in, so I was able to unleash my little monster and together we ran around and enjoyed our different perceptions of freedom.
Everything is so much cleaner and greener here. The air smells good, a little tinge of salt from the ocean, a little tang of smoking charcoal from somewhere in the neighborhood. In spartanburg I rarely saw lawns, strange thing to realize now, but here in Myrtle Beach everything seems to be carpeted in well-manicured grass. And yes, the grass is greener.
I returned the rental truck to Budget, signed paperwork for my storage unit, then went to the cable company to pay for a visit they will make Wednesday to set up a router in my bedroom.
I have more writing to do after lunch.
So far, this looks to be a great life ahead of me. I am happy here. This is a beautiful place to live and it feels like home. I feel lucky to have made so many great memories in Spartanburg, but this is the place where I get to fulfill my dreams, see beauty every day, eat amazing food, swim in the surf, scuba under the waves and launch myself into incredible new adventures.
Day One. So far, so good!

I'm A Writer!

2009-06-06T03:01:00.000-07:00

Moving on out today. Spartanburg has been a very unique experience, filled with highs and lows, but I will always appreciate all of the friends (and lessons) I made here during the last four years. But as of today, whenever I fill out an application for something, I can check "Writer" in the "Vocation" box.
I am so ready for this.
Lucy Clayfoot, Aslan, Jamie and Gus Blondie are about to have adventures and so am I!

Real or Fake Animal Thursday!

2009-06-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I'd be able to make time for the game this week, but here it is.
But before I let you get on with losing, I have to say, this will be my last post from my current home base, Spartanburg, SC. As of Saturday, the 5th, I will once again be a full-time resident of Myrtle Beach, SC. Back to the ocean that I've missed so much the last four years. It's bitter sweet, my friends here are letting me know how much they will miss me, and I feel the same about them. And someone has been leaving flowers in my mailbox the past few days. I have no clue who that could be, but they flowers are appreciated.
I'm going back to the beach to be a writer/artist. That's my dream and now I'm living it.
A new laptop computer so I can write no matter where I am. A possible trip to Paris/Italy this summer, for inspiration. A cross-country train ride with my sister in August. I've always wanted to write a book on a train! Scuba diving with whalesharks with a wonderful new friend.
I am excited about all of the possibilities life seems to be presenting as a result of my leap of faith.
Never fear, the blogs will continue, the Real of Fake animal games will still be a Thursday tradition, but they'll only get harder as time goes on! Harder for me, as it's difficult finding these strange looking creatures week after week!
I have 6 months to finish my book, Lucy Clayfoot. And it will be finished. Just cross your fingers that it will also be good. :)
Good luck playing the game!

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Spidey

2009-06-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

I'm posting a painting I did as a birthday gift for a four-year old. It's about 1.5' x 2' or so. It took 2 hours as I was extremely limited on time when I painted it. Not thrilled with the foot in the foreground, but otherwise it's okay for being a rush job. It's photographed, not scanned, so that's why it's a little dark in the corner (shadow).
I had a great weekend! Hope you all did too.

Real or Fake Creature Thursday!

2009-05-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

I realize I made last weeks game exceptionally hard to beat. There were only three fake animals, D,I & R. I made R out of nothingness on Photoshop, and yet a lot of people thought it was a real creature, so kudos to me! :)
Before I get to the game I want to show you all video of a very cool squid filmed on the seafloor in the Gulf of Mexico. The rarely seen Magnapinna squid has "elbows" and looks more like a space monster than an animal from our planet. Even the way they recorded the creature reminds me of how James Cameron filmed some of the creatures in his movie Aliens. Enjoy the clip, then good luck with the game.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081124-giant-squid-magnapinna.html

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Ask For a Sign and Get a Billboard

2009-05-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

I don't pray very often. I'm one of those people that believes that God helps those that help themselves. But every so often, maybe once every 5 years or so, I find myself so lost or paralyzed by circumstances that I have to ask God about it. Not to coax him to fix things for me, I would never ask that, but just to give me a sign. Something to show me that I haven't failed miserably. Sometimes when life delivers a crushing blow, I find myself wondering if I worked hard enough, or loved deeply enough or gave enough or cared enough... if there was something I could have done differently or something I could DO differently. I ask for a sign to let me know that, as dark as things seem, at least my heart is in the right place. That I've done the best I could possibly do.

I think God must like when I do check in with him every so often, because he always answers me, and in not so subtle ways. I ask for a sign and he provides it, loud and clear.

I sent out my little prayer around 9:00 a.m. yesterday morning. At ten a.m. I noticed there was a small wren in my kitchen. He flew in through the back door which I left open for fresh air. He (or she) perched at the top of the door then hopped the short distance to the top of a corner column that doesn't extend quite all the way to the ceiling. We stared at each other for a moment, then he (or she) left. Not exactly the clear sign I was hoping for, but it was better than a plague of locusts.

I came back into the kitchen an hour later and saw that another wren had joined the first. One on top of the door and one on the column. The one on the column had something in it's mouth. A little pinch of moss.

Through the course of the day I watched the two birds build a nest at the top of the column in my kitchen. They saw me and they saw my dog Casey, but I guess they decided that they could trust us. Apparently we didn't smell like Kentucky Fried Chicken.

By nightfall the nest was complete. My sign had been delivered. New life will be arriving in my house shortly.

Speaking of new life, I will be starting one soon, moving back to Myrtle Beach, to begin my career as a full-time artist/writer. I'm leaving behind some people that are very important to me. People that I love. I'll interpret the sign to mean that somehow everything is going to work itself out in the end.

While I'm still here I'll appreciate and protect my new roommates and tiptoe quietly around the kitchen when I'm making a snack or opening my mail.

And thank you God for reminding me that I'm still important to you, even though I don't call or write as much as I should. Thank you for reminding me that you still keep an eye on me and the people I love, even when I can't be there for them any more. Please continue to watch over them and the new little family in my home.

I tried to get a video clip of the wrens, but they get a little flighty when I film them, literally! They zip out the door and yell at me from the nearby fence picket. I don't want to stress them, so I'll reign back the Paparazzi act for now.

AND....

I got a call from my parents today. They were on I-26 heading to Asheville where my Dad is looking at the roof of a church to see if it needs to be replaced. I met them at the Burger King right off Exit 28 and had lunch with them (veggie buger!). It was good to see them and laugh with them. Can't wait to live at the beach so I can see them all the time.

Real or Fake Animal Thursday!

2009-05-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

I'm making the game a little harder today, more critters AND rather than posting individual photos of the animals I cut and paste them all onto a black background. That way, no one can use the animals' settings as a means to figure out the real from the fake. Next week I'm sure I'll have fewer animals, I know the game is hard enough with 5 or 6, I just got carried away this week. Good luck! I doubt I'll have to congratulate a winner!

Real or Fake Animal Thursday

2009-05-14T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having a nice week. Sorry I haven't been blogging with the exception of the Real/Fake animal game, but things have been pretty crazy for me this month. Hopefully I'll get back to a normal schedule soon.

Before I start the game, I'm posting a FAKE animal that I created for my book, The Fieldnotes of Lucy Clayfoot. I'll create at least a hundred animals for the series, and I plan on having a lot of fun with that.

In the book, Lucy's mother works with two sample-collecting robots, Nutz and Boltz, for those hard to reach places like the tree tops of rainforests. They are both "works-in-progress" and have a lot of gliches which gives each robot comedic "personality flaws". Nutz is a little aggressive, and will go after "samples" that are WAY too big for his sample canister. Boltz is the opposite, and is pretty much afraid of anything larger that a ladybug. Boltz can't get past the prime directive it has set for itself, RUN AWAY. Still, both robots will come in handy as the series progresses.

Okay, time to separate the real animals from the fake ones. So far no one has been 100% correct with their guesses. I think it may be tougher than usual today, but hopefully someone will break the streak. Oh, and the fake animals in the last game were 3,5 & 7. Everything else is real.

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New Species FRIDAY! Yes, you heard right.

2009-05-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

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Okay, Catrina, this is for your kids since they are having so much fun trying to figure out what's real and what's not. I need to rename this game, because not all of these species are new. How about, The Real or Fake Animal Game?

And Ceci, you can play along too, although, frankly, you're terrible at this. :) Kidding.

So, which animals are real and which are fake?

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. I plan on catching up on some much needed sleep, viewing the new Star Trek movie at the matinee, doing some writing and mowing my lawn.

Also, this morning I finally got the go-ahead to start the mural work that the Make-A-Wish Foundation has asked me to do. I will be painting for not one, but two sick children, twins, a boy and a girl. The boy's room has a camping theme and the girl's has a princess theme. They are both three years old, but have several health issues that have limited their growth/learning abilities. I can't wait to meet them and I'm looking forward to doing my best work for them.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

New Species Thursday

2009-05-07T13:31:00.001-07:00

I haven't been posting lately, but I didn't want to miss New Species Thursday. Who can separate the fake creatures from the real ones?
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Boys Day Out: Wilmington, NC

2009-04-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, right after i blogged, my brother called me and asked me to join him and his significant other, Emil, on a daytrip to Wilmington, NC. It is such a beautiful city! We had a great time ducking into curio shops, checking out the historical landmarked houses and eating George burgers on the river. It was a great day.

Cobblestone street.

Rose garden.

House with stilt-style bird feeders.

Garden shop

Ron and Emil in front of a very cool swamp we found on the return trip.

Bayou-style! With Cypress trees.

Mighty ducks.

Below is a video clip of this morning's walk on the beach. Check out Casey yawning at one point. They say that dogs yawn not because they are tired, but because they are conflicted about something. I think he was torn between waiting for me while I filmed this clip or trying to force us back into motion again. He loves when we run down the beach full-throttle.

Conclusions About Beginnings...

2009-04-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

I walked the beach this morning with my dog, Casey, and while I watched the sunrise, he searched for interesting things to pee on.
I always feel a little introspective when I'm in front of the ocean (moreso when I'm under it) and today was no exception.
Everyone is familiar with the idea that right before a person dies they see their life "flash before their eyes". I came to the conclusion today that this experience doesn't have to happen as a precursor to death and it doesn't have to happen in a flash either. I think it's possible that fate also allows us to revisit the key elements of our past before we move on to a new chapter, or phase of our lives.
This week I find myself standing not at a crossroad, but at the center of a multi-spoked wheel, with the radials extending out in all directions, so many possibilities, so many ways to go. But there's no doubt that I have reached a hub in my life and soon everything is going to change. Everything.
Some of these things are well within my control and others are not.
While I waited for the Milky Way's star to expose herself over the horizon (One of my favorite writers once refered to the sun affectionately as "That beautiful blonde bitch" and that line instantly genderized the sun in my mind), I thought about this past year and how almost every single important character in the screenplay of my life has returned for an encore of some sort. Most in person, one or two by proxy. I felt a little like Ebeneezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve.
One person, whose life I value above my own, returned to add council and joy, and the timing could not have been more perfect. But that person came and left, as all good guest stars do, but my life was enriched yet again by that connection.
Others came to add moments of clarity. Some came with closure. Others just came with a well-timed joke or two (because with comedy, timing is everything). But this year, for the first time ever, every single person that I've ever placed my heart's stock with was back. It was like standing in the eye of a storm made out of memories.
But now as the storm dissipates, I am left with confirmation of its purpose. To move me towards the next stage of my life.
I'm not sure I believe in fate as a constant, but I do think that on occasion fate does wake from its slumber to intervene in our lives, to change the course, to intercede and impose growth. And maybe when its at work, fate also provides a rear-view mirror of sorts so that we can see where we've been in comparison to where we are going. It's a valuable gift, if it's recognized as such.
I am looking forward to all of the possibilities in front of me now. Cautious, but optimistic. Nervous, but prepared. The one thing I do feel certain about is that everything is happening for a reason, and because I sense that thread of purpose running through my life I know that those things that I have no control over are for my greater good and for the good of those connected to these changes.
Everything is going to be okay.

A Great Start To My Vacation!

2009-04-27T05:16:00.001-07:00

I'm on vacation this week. There are some things going on with my book Lucy Clayfoot that I can't disclose right now, but Friday was pretty exciting. As soon as I can fill everyone in on what's going on, I will. But everything is moving forward quickly and in a very positive direction for my little Native American cryptid expert.
Friday night, Saturday and Sunday I was in upstate NY, visiting with old friends from highschool. We lived together at a boarding academy for years, and it felt more like a family reunion than a highschool one. I'm posting some video and photos for the people that should have been there that couldn't make it. And I have to give credit to Danielle Speanburg for a few of the pics, she's a great photographer and hers were just better than mine, so I swiped them! :)

The administration building. This is where we had the majority of our classes.

Video: The drive in to campus. I think it was safe to say, most of us had chills experiencing this again.

The bell and the church. Steve Retz trying to educate Misael, Lisa and I on the history of our only historical monument. ;) Thanks Steve!

Alexis, Lymary and Danielle looking pretty.

Danielle and Steve, yes, Danielle is standing on a bench. In a slightly awkward moment in the cafeteria a current student pointed at Steve and asked, "Wow, what's the measurement?"
We weren't quite sure where he was pointing on Steve, but diplomatically he answered, "6'5"".

Lymary and I posing for the camera.

The girls of '89

Through the course of the weekend everyone managed to get a little alone time with everyone else, to catch up, even if only for a few minutes. Left to Right: Marion and I discussed our goals and aspirations and the subject of writing. She's one smart girl. Danielle, who is my dearest friend (I've known her for 27 years) introduced me to her awesome hubby and the three of us had dinner together Friday night. And one too many drinks. Lisa is just an awesome person, and we exchanged a few bits of wisdom on relationships. Lymary was as bubbly as ever, just a pleasure to be around, even though she booked the wrong airport, the wrong hotel and got sick by the last day. But because she's Florida's Lawyer Of The Year, we had to cut her some slack. ;) She'd doing great work out there, putting some very bad people behind bars.

Video: The bells of the ball.

Video: Group photos for the class of 1989.

Danielle and her husband Ken, who was a trooper for putting up with the crazy Union Springs people. And he even forgave us for trying to convince him that SDA church services involved sacrificial goats, togas and combat to the death.

The birthday duo. Brian was kind enough to spend his birthday with us, and Alexis has a birthday today. Happy birthday to both of you! And they look like Hollywood, don't they? It was great to catch up with both of them.

Andy and Lisa are celebrating their... 18th anniversary this year? Is that right guys? It was so nice to see them, because their relationship started and blossomed at our highschool and all of these years later they are still in love and have a beautiful family.

Misael, Alexis and Barb. Misael is still just a great, down-to-earth guy. It was easy to remember why he was one of my favorite people in highschool. And Alexis and Barb are as classy as I remembered.

Some of the group went on a wine-tasting tour at a local vineyard. Not sanctioned by the school, but don't they look happy?

I'm heading to Myrtle Beach shortly to start the second leg of my vacation. I'll have internet access, so hopefully I'll blog some, but the priority is writing. And my brother's 50th birthday. Looking forward to sharing the occasion with him and the rest of my family!

New Species Thursday AND Early Hodgpodge Friday

2009-04-23T04:58:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I will be traveling to NY so I won't be able to post for Hodgepodge Friday. That means a double blog today. I will be on vacation for about 9 days or so, but I'll still try to update as time allows.

First up, New Species Thursday (but with a twist).

Just last week I decided to add a fake new species in with the real ones, and managed to gross most of you out with that photo of Mog (I assume it means half man, half dog). This week I've decided to post ALL fakes, except for two.

So which two are real?

1).

2).

3).

4).

5).

6).

7).

8).

9).

Now for Hodgepodge Friday (a day early)...

The villains of Soulmates.

The main villains of the book are called the Lawmen. The term is used in modern Australia to describe a collection of aboriginal tribesmen who have been selected to dole out community justice. They are the tribe's policemen, but Lawmen are allowed to be subjective in the way they investigate and punish people. It's oldschool "justice".

In Soulmates the Lawmen are a band of Aboriginal boys who venture out on their walkabouts (spiritual quests in which the participant walks out alone into the wilderness to commune with their totem spirits who lead them into manhood). But instead of respecting the ceremony these boys band together in the desert to mock their totems and thus they open themselves up to be inhabited by powerful evil spirits.

The first drawing below shows a traditional walkabout. Below that is a drawing of the possessed boys, or as they call themselves, The Lawmen.

50 First Dates

This is one of my favorite movies. It stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, and the premise is as follows:

The story, set in Hawaii, features Adam as Henry Roth, a marine biologist who, after suffering a broken heart in college, has become the local lethario, dating a different tourist every week, and breathing a sigh of relief as they fly home at the end of their vacations. Henry refuses to get too close to any woman, for fear that he'll have his heart broken again... until he meets Lucy (Drew). Lucy was in a car accident a year before she meets Henry and she has suffered damage to the part of her brain which handles short-term memory. Every night, when she goes to sleep, her short-term memory is wiped clean and she wakes up with no knowledge of anything that happened after her accident. For her, it's still October of the previous year.

When Henry and Lucy meet, there's an instant connection, and Henry is surprised as he realizes that for Lucy, he is finally willing to invest in a local. However, he is heartbroken when he sees Lucy the next day and she has no recollection of their meeting. Even after learning of her condition, he refuses to let her go because he has fallen in love with her. So Henry goes to great lengths to find a new way every day to make Lucy fall in love with him all over again.

I feel like Henry Roth.

Just a Great Tuesday Morning!

2009-04-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how an email or two can change one's outlook for an entire day (or year! HA).

First, I received an email regarding Lucy Clayfoot that I can't really talk about, but it's a possible life-changer. My hands are still shaking. Hopefully it's something I'll be able to discuss soon.

Second, my friend Ceci sent me an email linking me to some work she's done on our Soulmates collaboration and I was blown away. I know she'll grumble and mumble about this post, because she's very modest/private about her work, but I'll tell you, she is knocking this project clear out of the ballpark (and over the parking lot, into the Greek district where it ricochets off Mamoun's Falafel cart). She understands the characters so well that it's almost as if she's introducing them to me as live people.

"Hello Jamie and Aslan, I'm Robert. How do you do?"

For my friends who are fans of Twilight, be prepared to be addicted to Soulmates because Ceci is exploring the characters at an emotional depth that I couldn't touch with a bathysphere and a thousand pounds of ballast.

It's a great day to be creative.

Puddlejumpers

2009-04-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today I am so exhausted. I think I may have gotten about 5 hours sleep in the last 3 nights. I woudn't be surprised if I sleep most of the weekend away.
Below is a link to chapter seventeen of my book Puddlejumpers. I know that's a random chapter to post, but it's a fun chapter, so hopefully you can read it out of context and still enjoy it.

http://www.fileden.com/getfile.php?file_path=http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/17/2407370/Chapter%20Seventeen.doc

You'll need to download it, but it should open right up on word once you have it.

New Species Thursday

2009-04-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday again and that means New Species Day! I've decided, as a twist, to include one fake animal with every group of real recently-discovered animals. I'm thinking that most of the time the fake species will be easy to spot, but truthfully, some of the new ones are so strange looking, you may have a hard time spotting the imposter. I'll make it easy today though. :)

Ornate Sleeper Ray

Striped-faced fruit bat

Mog

Jumping spider

Trichopeltarion crab

Grumprechts green pitviper