Feet Up

Another in my Love of Reading series! This drawing was inspired by:

1. That crossing over that young readers eventually make from picture books into chapter books, a.k.a novels -- books that are words, words, words, and more words, mostly or entirely without pictures. Most of the books pictured in this Love of Reading series have little mini illustrations-within-the-illustration and this one does not. Even though it is my dream to illustrate picture books, that crossing over into chapter books is a really great moment, because a chapter book reader is free to render all the illustrations in his or her own wonderful mind. The first non-picture books I ever loved were by Judy Blume and Cynthia Voigt. I had very clear mental pictures of Fudge, Peter, Margaret, Dicey, and the other characters and settings that populated their stories.

2. My nephew D's mop of curly hair, which was a little blonder when he was around the same age as the kid in this picture...

3. The many, many times I told my daughter, as a very little girl, to "sit with your butt." Now that she's not so little any more and her childhood is fleeting I actually find these un-self-conscious poses more endearing ... although, if you're going to stick your feet up in the air, it's really best to ensure that they don't smell bad, first. :)

4. Home decor / design blogs. I read them often, especially Design Sponge, and it's funny to me how white is such an "in" color right now. As I drew these billowing white curtains and the punchy lime green armchair I thought -- wow! How great would these things look in my home! For five minutes! I share my home with a giant dog and he is a love but he is also a dirty, muddy, hairy, beastly mess. On the whole, though, I find that there is no more perfect love than a dog's love, and it far outweighs anything that a pretty room could give you.