New Year's Eve

 Today I finished painting "Tree of Lasting Sorrow."

No connection to New Year's Eve, unless it's to comment on much sadness of 2012.  I'm truly happy to be saying goodbye to this year, but I carry from it many bright memories and a whole year of knowledge and experience.  It wasn't an easy year, but here we are.

Wishing you a safe night of celebrating, whether it be in bright chaos or quiet contemplation.  Thank you for being with me during 2012.

Today

Today was cold

and windy. 

 

There was work and play.

 

Sometimes it was hard to tell which was which.

Night Birds updateand then some

   I had a lovely conversation with composer Christophe Heral, who was extremely cool and very gracious.( I was a sweaty-palms-nervous Fan Girl! ) He loved the video, gave me his blessings and a "bravo"  and is now awaiting his very first bit of poppet art.

This is really, really good news for the project. 

 


Now to get through the holiday brutality of  a small gifty sort of shop.  My daughter Alison has come on board part time.  David will continue to help out long distance and today, Pete is helping make all the fun little cards that travel with poppets.  Thank you!!

  Every now and then I get a real of being overwhelmed. Orion's winter school musical is tonight and I have pants to hem.  He leaves for Science camp in a few days and I have separation anxiety to overcome (mine.)  I've cover art to finish for David Wilson's upcoming new book Nevermore, The DeChance Chronicles.  Art for the Boskone convention and a lecture to write.
And cats at my feet.
 Ever cats at my feet.


 I take a deep breath and embrace it.  It can be scary, this juggling act.  But this is not juggling snakes and knives.   This is juggling pretty scarves.

Even for lack of sleep or down time,muscle aches and the occasional cry, I embrace all of it.  These are good days and I know today that I'm one lucky human.

Finally - there are 8 days left in the Small Business Big Wishes .  If you haven't, please vote for Poppet Planet!  Here is a non-facebook link:  https://www.loveourlocalbusiness.com/base/mobile?region_id=us-en&content_id=3641&tab_id=8

Thank you!

Off for coffee, and to make the poppets.

A vote for The Magician

   Please vote to help me get the Tarot project up and running.  It's just a one-click vote.  Only a second.  The Magician wants YOU!



                                                VOTE for POPPET PLANET

Thank you!  

There's a high resolution version of "Night Birds" on Poppet Planet's page at Facebook.

Sneak Preview, Night Birds, as promised.

 It's so quiet here, I'm not sure if I'm alone. It seems that blogging is becoming obscured by the bright lights of other media.

But I'm still here.  This is where I started.  I'm sure a lot of people stopped visiting because I wrote less and they had less reason to check in. For now, it's just me in the studio, so there hasn't been much time for writing here.

Every bit of time that's not used up sculpting and keeping Poppet Planet running has been dedicated to Poppet Stories.  I'm so happy to finally have some bits to show you.




The first Poppet Stories book is:
 Night Birds,
 which is about the things that worry us, keep us awake and invade our dreams. It's a strange sort of book, and might want to be called something other than "book."



The second is:
 The Poppet Tarot, A Fool's Journey,
 which is a Poppet's interpretation of the Tarot, and a Poppet Tarot deck.



These two projects support each other. If all goes well, I'll be moving forward full-force in February. If not, I'll be moving forward in whatever fashion I can.

  I promised you the first look at the preview for Night Birds.  I thank you with all my poppety heart for hanging in here with me.

If you haven't already, please vote for my Poppet Tarot Project (see previous post) on the We Love Small Business contest.  

  Mostly I'm making Poppets and being Mom.  In between, I'm creating work for Boskone and trying to chip away at projects. 

 

   And being a Small Business Owner.  Here, Intuit is holding a contest for grants to people like me.  I'd sure appreciate your vote.  This one is for helping me complete the Poppet Tarot.   You can help with your vote - and you can do that right here.

 

 VOTE for Lisa's Small Business Wish

 



                                                                    Thank you!

What I've been up to..

  I'm working every possible moment.  It's the proverbial sprint uphill to try to reach a shiny new plateau.  OK, really it's more like trudging up a muddy slope in the rain, while squirrels pelt you with nuts. Oh, and you're carrying a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread.
  And you desperately need to pee.
You get the idea.

  A video for the kickstarter project is DONE. I'm working on getting licensing for music.  I'll show it here first, I promise.

  I'm making poppets and managing the shop (now that David has moved far away to take care of his mom.)    I'm squeezing bits of time in for my family and continuing to shamefully neglect my friends.  I'm writing as much as I can, late at night or early in the mornings.  I'm staying calm and focused for the most part and managing to enjoy many moments, though I'm painfully aware that my body is getting older.
  
   This running uphill, this race toward escape velocity, is a choice an artist has to make more than once in his career.  There comes a point when you have to work really, really hard to make changes.  When the time comes, there's not a lot of choice about it for me.  I always hope my best work is ahead of me.  I'm never working in a vaccuum so I accept that the climb will be hard work.  We all welcome creative growth and change, but it's rarely smooth.

Forget the escalator.  Transitions are more like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Hope your Monday is good.

New stuff: