The Full Story
Behind the Scenes
Hi! Welcome to my studio. C’mon in, pour a cuppa and get comfy. The website back end is considerably more relaxed compared to what goes on up front, because this is where my muse kicks in and boots my editor out. Where jotted notes morph into run-on sentences that transform into thought maps that sprout into stories. Where sketches in an actual sketch pad, blend with watercolor paints to become some lovable character before being finalized into a digital illustration. Basically, this is where all the fun begins and where all the rules are broken. It’s my creative space where words and pictures and characters and settings collide, because everything inside my imagination is always a jumbled mess, until I get things flying in formation, on one track, all heading in the same direction. No escapees...
In the actual space I look out on my gardens, see the birds, and a bit further away watch my horses grazing in the pastures or napping under the big elm trees. Back there too, is the outdoor kitchen where the feral cats that used to roam this area now occupy. In fact, they lounge around like they’re sunbathing next to a private backyard swimming pool. All of it, every animal, plant and nuance on our farm is food for my imagination. So sit back, relax and I'll introduce you to the behind the scenes stories.
Curious Claire
Meet the inspiration behind Curious Claire. Our ‘Claire’ announced her arrival early one morning by screeching her lungs out under the storage shed next to the equipment barn. Puny, still blue-eyed and infested with fleas, she was not at all afraid of our yellow cur dog who wanted her gone.
Hubby set the trap, while I corralled the dog and put food in a bowl. It didn’t take 10 minutes, and we had ourselves the most curious cat ever. Look up curious in the dictionary and you’ll find Claire’s photo.
Claire and the sock drawer.
The clothes dryer is Claire’s playground.
Claire’s natural tendency is to share her love passionately, committing herself to lap snuggles and lyrical discussions filled with yowls, snerps, and occasional chirps. On cold winter days Claire is always close by, wrapped in a tight circle, her tail over her nose and those gleaming yellow eyes following our every move. But the best thing about Claire is her ability to make us laugh every day. Sure makes it easy to write stories about her.
Big Inspiration
Children's book characters must have big personalities to inspire big imaginations. We have an abundance of whopping big P's on our horse farm. Most likely the reason for that is we encourage our animals to show and tell their thoughts and ideas about the work they do. In doing this, we found that our horses come up with far better arrangements for driving carriages, working cattle, and herding cats, although I admit, sticking with them during their more athletic ideas can be challenging! However, there's never a dull moment and always a lot of laughs as horses peel back the layers of silliness, kindness, and joy.
Baby Zebra and her Mom are a combo of several horses we share our lives with.
