Hatching books and buttons

Sorry I haven’t been writing much lately. I’ve either been busy with various projects or resting my eyes. Right now I’m getting ready to be part of the first Spring Book Hatching at the Vancouver Public Library (June 9, 1-3pm, Alice McKay Room). Over thirty B.C. authors and illustrators will be there presenting their newest books for kids. There will also be activities, prizes and treats (Purdy’s Chocolates is one of our sponsors!). I’ll be there with my two latest novels, Dog House Blues and The Truth About Rats (and Dogs). (By the way, I’m on the organizing committee for the Book Hatching and did the “chick hatching out of the egg” part of the design below (Kari Winters created the original background image and Kirsti Wakelin did the overall design, making everything work):

I borrowed a one-inch button-maker from Blim Gallery this week and have been making buttons to sell at the Hatching or to give away to anyone who buys one of my books. I’ll be donating the money from button sales to the SPCA. Below are a few of the animal-themed buttons I made for the Hatching. I’ll post some of my other buttons later (I love the button-making machine!)

Angels watching over us

I came across these angel graffiti images at two different locations in downtown Vancouver. I like the whimsical, yet faceless nature of the angels. Like they are waiting there for anyone who needs them, their blank, non-judging faces ready to be whatever someone needs them to be.

Hello and ….

(art message on the wall of Blim Gallery on Main St. I stopped by there yesterday during open studio hours to try out their button-maker).

Detail:

Granville Island colours

Today, errands took me to Vancouver’s Granville Island. The sun was out and so were the tourists (checking out the food market, artisan shops, etc. and avoiding the cement trucks and other “working” elements of the island, which is not really an island). Here are some images from my visit:

 

And two images as I left the “island” and headed for the pedestrain tunnel under Granville Street:

Graffiti of the day (and the Stanley Cup play-offs)

I’ve decided to post a “graffiti of the day” whenever I come across a graffiti image or message that catches my attention. This one was added to a Samsung wall ad in the Burrard Street Skytrain station (for anyone unfamiliar with hockey arenas, the machine is an ice-repairing zamboni):

From writing to art (maybe)

Editing a novel is a back and forth process. I send the manuscript to my editor, then wait for her to get back to me with comments and suggestions. I make revisions, then send it back to her and wait for the next stage of comments and suggestions. I actually like the editing process, because I can feel it making my story better.

I’m waiting to hear back from my editor right now, and while I wait I should ideally be working toward crossing things off my long “to do” list or resting up my eyes for the next round of revisions. Unfortunately, I keep finding myself getting stuck on the internet (they don’t call it the web for nothing). Today I spent several hours looking up the websites and blogs of various artists, whose links led me to other artists, whose links led me……and so on. I also spent way too much time researching button-making machines (saw some cool art buttons in a little shop on Main Street yesterday, then saw something on TV about a one inch button art show… got thinking about how it would be fun to make some buttons of my own, as well as work on some other art, and ….. next thing I know I’ve been staring at the computer screen for two hours, and I haven’t actually made or accomplished anything).

Anyway, here’s a photo of two artists in Tokyo’s Harajuku district who were selling buttons and other things they’d made. Sadly, I just lost the button I bought from them last spring. It had a D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) and anti-war message. My goal for the next week is to take up the D.I.Y call to action and actually make some art of my own instead of just drooling over other people’s…..

P.S. I just checked one more site (how many times have I said that) and discovered Blim gallery rents out their button-making machine.