What an honor it is to see my original watercolor art on the cover of a book!
A sweet blogging friend, Carolyn Shelton, challenged me a while back to create a painting of the one of the characters she and and her writing “partner in crime” (and partner in humor and heart and spirit), Colin Chappell created in their ongoing collaborative fictional story that was being shared on Carolyn’s blog. When I painted Odessa the barn owl as a special gift to Carolyn, she loved it. So I decided to paint the other characters that lived on Moonbeam Farm as well.
As the story grew, Carolyn and Colin decided to publish their series into a book, and they asked if they could use my art for the cover and inside the book. I happily agreed, and now Carolyn’s dream has finally come to fruition!
Odessa is a barn owl with an attitude who befriended Jaxon, a magical jackalope. The two of them met Dewy, a cat who desired a life of luxury, and the three of them moved into an empty farm.
Joshua Jeremiah Jonathan Jacob Jackson Pebblestone bought his dream farm. His life was going to be spent immersed in the peace and quiet of rural life… until he discovered three lodgers had already moved in!
The Odessa Chronicles is a 290-page collection of adventure stories about the friendship and antics of Odessa, Jaxon, Dewey, and the Man Servant at Moonbean Farm that is fun for children of all ages.
Thank you Carolyn and Colin for allowing me to be a small part of this adventure!
Orange Flowers for Benjamin 11×14 Watercolor 140lb Cold Press
Orange Flowers for Benjamin.
Some of you may remember my little friend Benjamin. He is the sweet little guy, who reads my blog with his “Gem” most every day and was a huge inspiration to me in writing my book, Klaus the Mouse, and other Silly Animal Animal Tales (available on Amazon here).
Well, the other day when I posted my Blue Reflections painting, Benjamin told Gem, “It is a pretty blue picture, but can my Jodi do orange too?”
Apparently, orange is Benjamin’s favorite color. So, though I didn’t do the same painting in orange, I did paint some orange flowers I hope my Benjamin will enjoy when he visits here with Gem next week.
Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.
To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance.
Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design.
This past Thanksgiving weekend, I received the sweetest note, along with this adorable picture of 5 year old Eli, from my blogging friend Jenna at The Painted Apron.
Eli – besides the fact that you are handsome enough to be in movies,
you surely warmed my heart hearing these words and seeing your photo!
And I have to admit….
Rooty is one of my faves too!
Thanks for sharing with me, Jenna, and making my day!
I love hearing about my little book being shared and bringing smiles from Mars to Alabama.
And if you love reading about new recipes, fun decorating tips, and creative art, you will so enjoy Jenna’s blog. I hope you will check it out and follow along with me. Tell her “Jodi sent you.” 🙂 She also has a great Society 6 Shop where she sells her artwork in fun, creative ways.
If you would like your own copy of Klaus the Mouse or would like it for holiday gift giving, it is now available at Amazon with two-day shipping for Prime members! I tested it out and it works – came in two days!
With Jodi’s kind permission I’m sharing some of my favourite posts from her fantastic blog, of which you could say that I’m a devoted follower. If you enjoy beauty, art and inspiration (not to mention mouth-watering food recipes) then Jodi’s blog simply has it all! I feel honoured that Jodi so generously allows me to […]
I was so honored by this beautiful post created by Liz at Exploring Color, I had to share. Thank you my sweet friend Liz from the other side of the world in New Zealand!
I hope you enjoy this beautiful post she created about the Four Seasons from my blog. My heart is so touched. I hope you will check out her lovely blog.
Four Seasons with Jodi
Autumn
I’m starting with Autumn because this recent post of Jodi’s prompted me to do ‘Four Seasons with Jodi’. It touched my heart…
Let the Rain Fall
Goldfinch in the Rain – Autumn, Mars, PA
I watched you as you sat proud and beautiful
while the rain fell on and around you.
You didn’t need
the sun to make you shine.
In fact,
you stood out even brighter in the cloudy drizzle.
And I was reminded
true beauty comes from within.
It can’t be soaked or drenched
or washed off.
It can’t be dampened or doused
by the storms of life.
Let the rain fall.
Let the storms crash.
And continue to shine
your authentic beautiful self.
Grandma Susan reading Klaus the Mouse and other Silly Animal Tales to her grandchildren
A Grandma’s Love.
Grandma Susan (as her grandchildren fondly refer to her) is the kind of Grandma I aspire to be.
In fact… she’s the kind of human being I aspire to be.
I met Susan through her oldest grandson, who was my youngest son’s “roomer” in college.
To know Susan is to love Susan. Her joy for life, her positive attitude, her love for her family, her smile, the undeniable glow that radiates from her and touches everyone she encounters…. There is something very special about Susan, and I am so fortunate to call her my friend.
Without my even knowing, Susan purchased a copy of the book I announced authoring and illustrating about a month ago, Klaus the Mouse and other Silly Animal Tales. When she received it, she gathered her grandchildren – now aged 13-27 (and even the spouses of those that are married now!), for a fun reading. They happened to be gathering together for a bridal shower for one of her granddaughters, but they all took some time to sit down with Grandma Susan to listen to a few “silly stories.”
Can you believe how sweet this is?
You see, Susan is a retired school librarian and long-time lover of books and reading to children (and especially her grandchildren!).
Susan’s granddaughter, Charrie, told me Adele the Gazelle was her favorite character.
Thank you, Susan, for sharing your love, and for all your beautiful grands who gave permission for us to share.
I’m a new grandma, whose first granddaughter is not even a year old, but I hope I will be as loved and adored as Grandma Susan when my grand(s) are teenagers and married!
People author and illustrate and publish books for many reasons I’m sure.
Dreams of fame and fortune…
Checking off a bucket list item…
Creating a legacy…
Fulfilling a life-long dream…
Sharing an important story…
For many – it’s a passion.
Writing is like breathing.
It is something they just have to do.
I love to read.
I admire writers.
I admire artists and illustrators.
I never, however, really aspired to be an author…
Well – maybe it fleetingly crossed my mind from time to time…
Maybe a cookbook…
or an autobiography of sorts.
I definitely never considered I’d be an illustrator.
Heck – until about two years ago, I would have never
even dreamed I would share a stick figure I drew.
One very special friend here at TheCreativeLifeInBetween.com
began sharing my little animal characters and their stories with her grandson.
Three and a half year old Benjamin
became one of my greatest supporters and fans.
Benjamin would ask daily to hear stories from his grandma “Gem’s” computer,
along with those of his favorite books.
He even started asking for special characters,
which is how “Earl the Squirrel” came to be.
So with full permission from “Gem” and his Mom,
I am sharing this joyful photo of Benjamin with his copy of my first-ever
authored and illustrated book, “Klaus the Mouse – and other Silly Animal Tales.”
Per Gem, when Benjamin received his book,
he squealed with delight and laughter,
“My friends! It’s all my friends!”
Could there be any greater joy…
any greater reason or purpose…
to author and illustrate a book?
The joy in those words…
The twinkle in those eyes…
The delight in that smile…
Those beautiful little hands holding the book.
Thank you Benjamin!
Thank you Ellen (aka “Gem'”)
for fulfilling a dream
I didn’t even know I had.
Because of you…
I visited the dentist yesterday,
and the receptionist said,
“I just saw your book!”
Because of you…
a friend told me he purchased my book for his 4-year old niece’s birthday.
Because of you…
my book is being shipped all the way to Ireland.
Because of you…
so many sweet friends have bought “Klaus the Mouse”
for their children and grandchildren.
What a joy it is to share a little piece of me...
A little bit of my art…
A little bit of my writing.
Thank you Benjamin!
I can only imagine the impact you will have on the world in 20 or 30 years!
the creative life in between 