Wish I could show this to my students. A great movie short using logo designs that I discovered on David Airey's website

Two of My Truest Loves

My loves!

I didn't take this photo. The credit belongs to the contracted photographer at the hospital. It is a beautiful photo. Every time I look at it I remember the little boy who I used to cuddle and hug this way. If WeeGran is as delightful as her daddy was when he was a baby, well, we are truly going to be very blessed. I'm sure she'll will be, just look at her expression here! She is only a day old here.

I'm already blessed to be the mother of such wonderful sons. I am constantly amazed and sometimes startled by all their intelligence, their compassion, and their talents. Everything else can fall apart as long as I know they are healthy, happy, and thriving. Their happiness and joy is what has always driven me. Still drives me.

And now I have this wee little girl to watch grow-up. My happiness and joy are refilled every day, every minute, I see her, hold her, and think of her. I know all grandparents are well aware of that feeling as you wait for the news - "They're here!" Holding her brings back the flood of emotion I felt when I first held her daddy. Soft as velvet and exquisitely beautiful. Her features are so tiny, but-oh-so perfect.

Lucky little girl for having such wonderful parents. For I not only have a wonderful son, but he found a perfect wife to share his life and to bring more gratitude into my and hubby's life. We continue to be astounded at our blessings. Thank you both for creating such a beautiful little one to share with us.

Daddy, Mommy & Baby

WeeGran we are so happy to welcome you to the world. We will promise to love, protect and nurture you to the best of our abilities.

GranMumsy with her newest love

Me, Drew (the new daddy) and the twins (days before their birth)

Sketchbook: Victoria's Paintings

Sketch: Goldilocks & the Three Bears - Sandi VanWinkle

 Goldi confronts the Bears, explaining her views on the comfortable bed

Sketch: Three Little Pigs - Sandi VanWinkle

 The Pigs begin their gathering and building in an effort to fend off the Big Bad Wolf

Sketch: Red Riding Hood - Sandi VanWinkle

 Red timidly begins her trek through the dark woods in order to deliver tasty goods to Granny

Sketch: Goldilocks & Bears - Sandi VanWinkle

 Closer view of Goldi, Mama, and Baby (angry baby)

Three Billy Goats Gruff Sketch - Sandi VanWinkle

Ogre yelling at Billy on the bridge.  One of my favorites as a child

Yesterday I finally had the time to sit and sketch.  It feels so good to be back at the drawing board.  These are a few of the concepts for paintings for my granddaughter's room.  As I worked, I found that I wanted to paint them all.  There is not enough wall space to do this, so, I think I will do a book for her with all the characters from Grimm to Celtic Faeries.  

On my easel right now is my version of Puss in Boots, which I will share with you later.  I don't have a good photo yet and it's too big to scan.  Most of the tales above will be on 12"x12" canvases.  I worked on two pencil versions of Red last night.  I have now decided to paint her on an 18"x24" canvas with the forest looming and darkly creepy all around her.  Maybe the silhouette of a wolf hidden amongst the understory of the forest.  If I can channel the detail and atmospheric quality of a Daniel Ridgway Knight painting and the delicious darkness of Arthur Rackham's watercolors, I may be able to pull off what I'm attempting. 

Cutting Roses - Daniel Ridgway Knight

Red Riding Hood - Arthur Rackham

More later as I progress through these works.  I'm also working on a comic book with a teaching colleague for release late summer.  I'll share bits of that project later also. 

Tech: Kinect Hackers

Okay, so technology is really cool.  And we love our gaming systems.  However I don't believe I'll be hacking into my Xbox Kinect anytime soon.  Ah yeah, mainly because I don't have one yet. Hope you enjoy this.  Just be careful hacking your Kinect, okay?

The Year of the Bunny!

V is for Victoria  - Illustration by Sandra VanWinkle 2011

Hubby thinks my son & daughter-in-law will be trying to find my off switch later.  While I have very limited time at the moment - I've still taken some time to sketch a few quick bunnies for Victoria.  Why bunnies?  It's the year of the Rabbit, of course!  WeeGran is a bunny baby.  I love bunnies.

"What are your plans for those?" hubby asks.
"Paintings, dolls, screen-prints, maybe a coloring book.  I dunno, we'll think of something." I say.
"They're gonna look for an off-switch on you at some point." he smiles as he walks away.

He also whispered that Victoria was going to think I'm the coolest gran ever.  Secret wish #1 - OH, I hope so.  At least for a few precious years anyway.

P.S. I was honored to be asked to help with the nursery.  When L. brought the image references over for my thoughts, I nearly fell over.  They were Arthur Rackham illustrations.  My very favorite children's book illustrator from the early twentieth century.  He was part of the Golden Age of Book Illustrators.  The VICTORIA-N Age. 

Be Creative!!

Knitting, New Year's Eve, & Doctor Who

I've been relaxing over our holiday break by knitting.  I can't really be still for very long unless I have something to do. The maroon hat at the top of the photo is from a pattern on Lion Brand Yarns site.  It's called Herdwick Dell.  It has a matching scarf pattern that I will make later.

The dark charcoal gray cowl is an Irish Fisherman pattern, also from Lion Brand.  I love cowls.  They don't slip off like a scarf can and they are really gaining popularity again.  I started this one for one of my sons.  He knits too, but does not (yet) attempt cables or intricate stitches. I will  take more photos to show the lovely stitches in this pattern when it's completed.  After about the 30th row you start to really get the rhythm of a pattern.  I'm obsessive once I get going on a pattern like this.  If not, I'll totally forget where I left off - even if I mark the pattern.  It takes me some time to get back into it once I've let it lay too long.

The light gray piece is a hat for Hubby.  I just did a K2P2 ribbing for about 4 inches, increased a couple of st on each end and began working a moss stitch for the crown.  I'll use one of the other hat patterns for the shaping - keeping in my pattern.  I hope to finish it and the cowl before we return to school next week.

As I knit I like to watch (actually listen is more accurate) movies or favorite TV shows.  For these projects I've been watching Doctor Who.  New ones and old ones.  Love me some Netflix!  Since watching so much of the Doctor whilst knitting maybe I should be knitting a fez!

Usually drawing and illustrating are my favorite downtime pleasures.  Just doodling around in my sketchbooks - creating wild creatures and people is great to keep me fresh and to relax. But after teaching illustration and design every day, I need a break now and then.  However,  Hubby bought me two new books to feed my painting/illustration needs:  James Gurney's "Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter" and "Imaginative Realism".  Both of these books are great resources for any artist.  I highly recommend them for artists of all media.  Follow James' blog for daily inspiration.

Have a great New Year!  Be Safe.  Be Happy.  Be Creative!

Jamie Oliver's Wish

I adore Jamie Oliver.  Whenever I get the opportunity I watch Jamie Oliver At Home.  I love his approach to cooking and food. You can feel his passion as you watch him prepare deliciously fresh dishes.

In this TEDtalk he discusses his wish for arming families with the tools they need to fight obesity.  I teach high school and I'm appalled by the lack of quality, freshness, and diversity in our school lunches.  I applaud Jamie's mission and hope that America (and the rest of the world) wakes up and starts cooking at home again.  What's most frightening is the youngster's lack of real food knowledge.

I grew up with grandparents (and parents) who farmed.  We kids would help grow and harvest what we ate.  We helped with the livestock.  When we had chicken for dinner one Sunday a month, we were the ones who killed and prepped the chicken(s) for the table. We knew where our food came from.  We knew a beet from a turnip. We knew the difference between butternut squash and crookneck squash. We planted popcorn and Silver Queen corn.  We knew that we would itch "somethin' fierce" if we didn't wear gloves to harvest the okra.  We ate beans of all kinds, cabbages, turnip greens/collards/kale, and all other manner of vegetables grown by our grandparents or us.  Nothing is more satisfying than picking really ripe tomatoes and eating them right there in the garden.

I am now determined to garden more this next summer. I've let it slip into a few potted plants like tomatoes, bell peppers, and my sad herb garden.   I want to grow as much as possible.  I have let teaching take over my life the last three years; giving up a lot of the things I used to do as I develop lesson plans and take graduate classes so I can be a better teacher.  But I miss gardening and canning.  I really love to cook from fresh ingredients and I too have fallen into the quick meal, fast food trap way too many times this past couple of years.  I'm hoping that I can separate my work life and home life more this year.  Teachers are never really "clocked-out".  But maybe I can work out a healthier schedule.  One that includes more freshness and a lot more Jamie Oliver!  Thanks Jamie - keep up the fight!  We're here helping where we can.