Snow Day!!! We had a blast getting snowed in by Winter Storm Jonas on Saturday. In this image, my daughter and the twins next door are trekking through the empty streets of Elkins Park to go sledding on the grounds of their old nursery school. I love my neighborhood!

"Snow Day!!!" is a 5 x 7 in. watercolor painting.   

Children's book illustration has long been on my mind and I am so excited to be actively working on a project.  This work is so brilliantly challenging! I think I generated a cup full of crumbs from my eraser today.

 I am working on a book dummy and here is a drawing from it. The expression on this character cracks me up.  I identify with it on two levels. One, I have a 6 year old in my life who inspired this drawing's posture and glare. Two, I am sure I was rocking this look circa 1981.

Stay tuned. I hope that one day you will be in a bookstore saying that you saw the early sketches of a book that you are holding in your hand. 

Hypericum and Chrysanthemum are a mouthful, but to me they also capture the season.

The White Chrysanthemum symbolizes truth and purity. The Hypericum, also commonly known as St. John's Wort, produces this poisonous berry which is (ironically) called "toute saine" or totally healthy.

Something struck me about the way they look together.

"January" is painted in watercolor, 7 x 5 inches. 

The hive, honey, and bee dancing guide my experimentation in this inaugural week of 2016. It feels good to play!

I pulled out my Winsor & Newton professional grade watercolor paints, found a great new palette and cleaned out my studio enough to make space to allow for this mixed media piece. In the new year I am rededicating my work space with my next set of goals in mind. I elected a Board of Advisors: Mary Cassatt, Charles Santore, Rachel Carson, John Singer Sargent, David Wiesner, and Toni Morrison. I made a collage of their portraits to consult as needed. Who would you put on your Board?

"Honey Dance" is a 6 x 6 inch watercolor painting layered with translucent paper and sewn.