July 19

July 18

July 17

I take my own tea bags and an insulated bottle of cold soymilk with me on my press checks. Cups of tea help.

July 16

Rooftops, Findlay Market, Cincinnati. I decided to walk the 1.1 mile from my hotel to the historic market, not realizing the street would take me through a poor urban neighbourhood where I did not feel entirely safe. However, I survived with only minor harassment ("Hey snowflake! I'm talkin' to you, snowflake!") and made a new friend at the market, a big, black, toothy Deaf man who sold me a cold drink. We conversed happily in sign language for a while and I promised to come see him on my next visit to Cincy.

July 15

We're not on press yet, so I had the day to myself. My friends Sara and Brad are here visiting Sara's family, so I drove out to Shandon, about half an hour away out in the country, to spend the day with them all. What lovely, lovely people. On the way home I stopped to sketch in a little graveyard.

July 14

I'm back in Cincinnati again. This'll be the last trip here for a while. At least this time I remembered to bring a camera AND a cord, so I can photograph my sketches and post them.

July 13

This is my dear friend Lizzie, who has been selected to participate in the 2006 Amazon Heart Thunder motorcycle ride from Sydney-Brisbane in October. This adventure raises funds for local breast cancer organizations and raises awareness of breast cancer issues. Lizzie is a survivor, and is VERY excited about her selection. If you, or anyone you know, would like to sponsor Lizzie on her ride, you can do so here.

July 12

July 11

July 10

July 9

July 8

July 7

July 6

Blind Contour First Friday has the theme "SKY". Here is the luggage loading onto the plane I caught to Cincinnati. Luckily they managed to put the tail and engines back in their correct places before we took off.

July 4

July 3

July 2

Another entry in the Sparky-generated Self Portrait Challenge. See his blog for links to many more and finer entries.

July 1

Gentle readers who are confused by this post, visit Sparky's blog and you might understand better. And even if you don't, you may enjoy the visit anyway.

June 30

June 29

This is a work in progress; I'm too tired to finish it tonight. That's my Josh in those very cool cowboy boots.

June 28

June 27

June 26

June 25

I'm off to Florence, Kentucky, in the morning for a four day press check. I'm going to miss my sweet husband. I may not get to post art while I'm gone, but will be sketching on the road, for sure.

June 24

Here in image-obsessed L.A., Lauren feeds on a diet of tween-targeted Disney, and rhapsodises over the looks of young celebrity women. She -- along with all of us -- needs to be reminded that it's what's on the inside that really matters.

June 23

June 22

June 21

June 20

Sara and I have been talking about having an art date for, oh, about a year. Finally this afternoon she brought over some of her jewelry-making supplies, and we spent a happy five hours making a necklace each and talking about the weird men we've dated (and the nice husbands we now have).

June 19

June 18

Impatiens, sketched while waiting at the doctor's while Josh had his mysterious dizziness/faintness investigated. The diagnosis was vertigo, which Josh rejects. Anyway, he seems completely recovered tonight, which is a relief. I don't like it when he suddenly collapses in the hallway with a loud crash.

June 17

June 16

June 15

I feel much better today.

June 14

This is how I feel right now. Not enough play, too much work, and a whole heap more of it coming up, causing the wild, wonky eyes and a mouth that's trying to keep smiling.

June 13

Today is my mother's 74th birthday. Happy birthday, Mum!

I've been making a lot of props for the TV pilot that Josh is working on this week. Most of them I can't show you, because they involve blatant copyright infringement. But I'll post of picture of the gigantic handbag I made today as soon as Josh photographs it for me -- I delivered it in such a rush I didn't get a chance to take a snapshot. Stay tuned.

June 12

The corn and zucchini seeds I planted two weeks ago are coming up nicely :-)

June 11

Today Lauren and I attended a children's event at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon. What a treasure it is. After nine years of driving past, I have at last stopped in to briefly enjoy this wonderful site. I will definitely return to partake of the gardens and theatre. I didn't have a lot of time for sketching, so I selected this bronze of the late Mr. Geer as a subject.

June 10

Another self-portrait. I painted this in Photoshop from a photo taken a year or more ago (I can't hold a smile in the mirror long enough to paint it). My face is a lot thinner now that I've lost a stack of weight. And I have new dimples!

June 9

Sparky Donatello has issued a self-portrait marathon challenge. I'll bite. Nice and simple, first one. Boy, I need a haircut.

June 8

While waiting for the start of the talent show at Lauren's school, I escaped the noisy auditorium and spent a few minutes sketching the little garden outside the library.

I was exhausted today, the result of rocking on waaaay too late at The Cat Empire's concert last night.

June 7

June 6

June 5

On the table in the dermatologist's reception area. She removed five moles, which have apparently changed colour since my visit last year (as they are on my back, I'm taking her word for it). I've decided to get Josh to photograph my back a couple of times a year so I can keep an eye on it myself. My father had a melanoma removed a few years ago, so I'd rather be safe than sorry.

June 4

June 3

Last page in this journal, and last day in my present art studio. We are in the throes of rearranging the house. I'm getting the large family room off the kitchen for art space -- yay! Lots of space and light!

June 2

Tonight Michael and I walked the three miles from his place in Los Feliz to the Hollywood Bowl to see A Prairie Home Companion. What a perfect night for it! It was Michael's first experience of the Bowl, and, as he is leaving LA next week, I'm glad it was such a nice one. We walked back to his place (and my car) after the show; it was a late night for me!

This sketch was done in the almost-dark as the show was beginning.

June 1

Andrew is the first realistic doll I ever made, and he is still my favourite. When making him I learned that if a doll has correct human proportions (which he actually has, despite his short-legged appearance here), it will stand unaided. Andrew's pretty cool (and handsome!) His head swivels, and he's even wearing underwear. What's not to love? For a while I tried making a girlfriend for him, but in the end had to admit that I didn't want him to have a girlfriend. I wanted him to be all mine.

For other blind contours on the theme of "My Favourite", see the links at Inkfinger.