Drawings and Renderings

       What I see in my mind, I confess, I really lack the skill to recreate on paper.  Even after trying to learn illustration and watercolor technique by fabulous artists via YouTube videos, I just come away with an absolute sense of awe at the artists' talent and abilities who try to teach skills to others.  Then, at the end of a video, they say that "anything goes in Art."  I hear it all the time.  "Art is what you make it."  Well, here are some of the first renderings of my illustrations for my new book.  

       It is the story of my two oldest girls who, whether they liked it or not, grew up needing to be each other's best friend. But they had such different personalities. They could sit down with toys and never figure out how to play together  They had such different styles of play.  One was a natural caregiver.  No matter the toy, she was a mother to it, only wanting to dress it and make a home for it.  

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    The other used her imagination to create stories for the toys and act out the parts of each character. She especially loved playing with her little ponies and felt that she just had to give them very long elaborate names. 
       
     For those of you parents in this time of "shelter in place" frustration, I can relate a tiny bit. My girls were not against playing together --- because that was their only choice most of the time --- but it was generally up to me to help them figure out things they could do together that they could enjoy for more than just a few minutes at a time.

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        This is a story about how Mom comes to the rescue to help them find a way to happily spend time together.  I salute all of the parents out there during this time of pandemic crisis who have children who just can't figure out what to do with themselves while they are stuck at home.