I am casting around for my next focus in the daily doodles. I have no idea why it is so hard to get back into the habit of doing this every morning. I guess I am just trying to do too much. But what else is new.

I want to have all the items on my list done before I head out on the beginning of my book tour on Friday. Sadly, for me, the list keeps getting stuff added to it as the week progresses. Still, I have cleared the desk of paperwork, and I am almost done with another 4 masks.

The White Rabbit $125

Queen Of Hearts $40

Pin Oak Lord $75

Harlequin w/antique gold finish $50

These are the new masks I just finished last week. I have 2 more done that need to be photographed and a list of 5 more I want to create before week’s end. The finished ones are The Cheshire Cat (full face) and Red Maple King (half face). The list of to be made ones includes; a bear, an owl, a fox, a jester, and a dogwood lady. The animals will be 3/4 or full face and the others will be half masks.

I also have an idea for a leather witch’s hat. But that may or may not happen as I am running short on time before I head out to CMA Beltane in Texas in a week.

I’d love to hear what you think. And any suggestions or requests for other mask images are very welcome.

Wow. Stop doing something for a few months and it becomes hard to get into the habit again. I meant to pick up the daily doodle again after finishing the art for Smoky, but you know what they say about good intentions.

I guess I should not be so tough on myself. It’s not as if I haven’t been trying to put out all the fires that started while I was working so single-minded on the book art. My to-do-right-now list was several pages deep. I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s the train of my book signing tour coming to whisk me away from the studio for much of the rest of the spring.

I start out with a trip down to Texas, a new state as an author/illustrator. I’ve been there twice before. I have a cousin and her family living in a suburb of Houston. I thought about giving her a call and trying to meet up with her, but the logistics are just too hairy. I will be about an hour north of the city and without my own vehicle.

If you are in Texas, I’ll be at the CMA Beltane celebration from April 13-18. I will be out of the studio longer than that as it’s a couple days drive down and back. My poor husband quipped that I am abandoning him. I’m sure he’ll be fine.

In other news, a writer friend of mine put out a call to other middle grade authors. I was one of the 2 dozen writers that answered her call. We are banding together to form a web site focused on the middle grade audience. For those who are unfamiliar with that designation, it refers to books for the 9-13 old age group. Charolette’s Web is a famous book in this bracket. I had the total audacity to volunteer to be the webmeister. So in the time between now and my travels, I will be throwing together a multi-layered web site to promote the wonderful books aimed at younger readers. More info as it becomes available.

Next post will have some photos of the masks I have been feverishly working on to take with me to Texas. See you then!

I have been putting out fires since finishing the illustrations for Smoky and the Feast of Mabon. I uploaded all the files to the publisher and they only had a few minor changes. I received color proofs last Monday and they looked great! The books are in production now according to the publisher and I expect to see my F&Gs in early April. (An F&G is the picture book equivalent of an ARC for a novel.) Somehow, when I get the F&G the book finally feels “real” to me. I can’t wait.

One of the things I finally got around to was the last touches on the kitchen/dining room renovations. See the photos here. Chuck still has to help me get the last piece of furniture up from the basement, but I decided to take the pictures this afternoon after hanging the curtain rods and curtains in the dining room.

I am so pleased with the huge change. The rooms do not look as if they are even the same house as before. And it’s all so clean! It feels so much bigger, too.

Next home renovation project — the bathroom. SO not looking forward to that. There needs to be major plumbing replacement, so most of the budget will be spent on stuff that no one sees.

Guest Interview: Wendy Martin on Critique Groups « Becky Levine.

It seems an artist’s work is never done. I finished the art for Smoky and the Feast of Mabon on Monday. It is now in the hands of the publisher.

I had a pile of correspondence to catch up on and one of those things was this interview about critique groups by Becky Levine. She was especially interested since I both write and illustrate.

When you head over to her blog be sure to leave her a comment! We bloggers live for comments!