Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Adrift among the books...


...Marie reaches faraway lands, woodland creatures, and future friends whom she will call upon from time to time. Such is the precious value of books.

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual posts. I have six new illustration concepts waiting for me on my table, and I must tend to them as they are still in sketchy form. I hope to add them to my future website for just illustration, and then I must build the site (which is daunting, but I look forward to the challenge).

I already know I will miss all of the fun with the Illustration Friday posts but I will be by to visit!
Wishing all of you a wonderfully creative time while I'm away, and thank you for your kind visits..I say it always, because I mean it..I really appreciate every one of them! – Shirley


65 comments:

  1. beautiful and charming!! Love your concept!! ^_____^ Being a fat book worm ... I can so relate to that ...

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  2. Oh, Shirley.. Marie is absolutely gorgeous! It won't be the same without your illos on IF, because they always put a smile on my face. Good luck with everything that you're cooking up! Hugs oxx

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  3. I cannot wait to see your new site but I will definitely miss your updates!
    Take care and keep us informed!
    hugs,
    XXX

    PS: the adrift ILLO is gorgeous! I love both concept and colours!

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  4. Well then Shirley... best of luck with all of your endeavors! I look forward to seeing your new work.

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  5. Oh Shirley, this is gorgeous! So floaty! I just love everything about it, especially the book drifting out of the painting.

    Well, my dear, I will miss your posts, but you will be creating wonderful things! Thanks for the heads up, we would have worried!

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  6. Very unique! Best of luck with the new pieces and your website! Look forward to see them finished.

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  7. awwww.. she is sooo..oooo cute!
    This is delightful! I am always amazed at the detail you capture while retaining such a fluid look .. beautiful!

    Oh alright ....I guess I can't bug you for any more illos!!! you do have masses going on!!

    wishing you gobs of speed and magical help so you can get back in the saddle with us again!!
    ( PS.. my little 'scarlet'guy is doing a lot better , thanks!)

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  8. Good luck with building your new website, Shirley. I will be sad not to read some new posts from you for awhile, especially since I just found you!
    This painting is so beautiful and very meaningful to me...as I love reading so much. It's so wonderful that you can travel to so many different exotic places simply by reading a book! Your words are so true.
    Sincerely, Theresa

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  9. Thanks for posting this.
    Very charming, Shirley. Wonderful expressions!

    I will come back to see the rest of your site.

    Happy Drawing,
    Anne

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  10. Another beautiful piece Shirley, books are indeed magical and you've captured that so well! It is so much fun to visit here and I always look forward to what you come up with each week - so I will miss you much while you're away! I wish you the best of luck with all your projects and echo everyone else when I say I look forward to seeing your future accomplishments, and you're back with us again!

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  11. This is lovely Shirley. I will miss you while you are away. You are so very kind and supportive. I wish you many hours of productive bliss to create your illustrations and build your site.

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  12. Good luck to you with your building your new site. I will miss seeing your amazingly beautiful illustrations for IF. I look forward to seeing your future thrive.
    As always your illustration for this week is truely amazing.The book pages turned out great!
    Best wishes...
    Ann

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  13. Oh, I really love this illustration! The subject, the colors...everything!

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  14. Love this illustration! Good luck with all your projects.

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  15. marvelous image! I love your wonderful watercolor!

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  16. Great concept and..,. as usual... great illustration Shirley! Kepp us updated on the progress of the site. We will truly miss your wonderful talent and encouraging words. Thank you Shirley for ..... YOU! God bless you.

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  17. Wow.... this is gorgeous Shirley!

    Good luck with the site! I'm sure it will be amazing!!

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  18. Beautiful...I love traveling with her into foreign lands full of adventure! ♥

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  19. Lovely pages, those! Good luck with the illos!

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  20. Just dreamy. I want to be that little girl riding the books off into the horizon. What a BEAUTIFUL concept! Just lovely. :)

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  21. Oh, Shirley, this is magic, pure MAGIC! She looks so dreamy on her magic storybook ride. Please, take me with you! I love, love, love this. Good luck with your new pieces and the site. How exciting! We'll be waiting patiently for your return.

    xoxo!

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  22. Hi Shirley, I nominated you for a blog award, check it out!

    http://susanbethstudio.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-award.html

    I hope you get this before signing off for awhile! Cheers! Susan

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  23. Looking forward to your return! Your illustrations have kept brought so much joy to many art bloggers. Best wishes to you as you complete your projects!

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  24. Thanks for sharing Shirley. Susan sent me here. I'm glad she did.

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  25. Aaaw Shirley, you are so sweet. I like that you are sweet and a great artist at the same time. Good luck with your new project. I love this girl. Your illustrations are oozing with sweetness and gentleness. I love them and your girl. She warms my heart. Thank you.

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  26. Hi SHirley, I just got your reply to my reply re getting your washes darker. =) Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope the value scale helps. I always have mine somewhere on my desk. I really like your illustration for adrift partly because I love to read and get lost in a book and secondly because it's great idea and you did a very nice job of illustrating it! ;)

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  27. I can't wait to see your new website and work, Shirley!

    Being a librarian, this one speaks to me in so many different levels! :-)

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  28. Wow Shirley this one I think might be my favourite! Wonderful concept for this weeks theme, I shall miss your posts too but look forward to seeing your new website up and running take care :0)

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  29. Yes i just read it!
    (it was in my spam folder, i dunno why! but ive added you as my contact just now)
    omg omg omg thank you so so so so so very much!!!!

    i love you i love u i love u Shirley, you're the sweetest, see i told you!!!!!
    hugs kisses to you and the 2 faeries!

    ps: im gonna miss you so much, i replied the mail.

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  30. Oh wow! We'll all miss you Shirley! I hope you keep us updated on your new site and activities. As usual your illustrations for adrift is lovely. I love to be adrift in my books. Great take on the theme.

    Great job and I can't wait to see what you are working on next!

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  31. ps: and you know that you always a-l-w-a-y-s make a wonderful work, Shirley.

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  32. How exciting Shirley!! You are a step ahead of me, I'm still working stuff up and am not quite ready to attack my site, but hopefully soon.
    Good luck with it all, can't wait to see it.

    Lovely dreamy adrift illo, absolutely adore that wonderful sky and all the movement in it!

    ps. Thanks for popping by over the break, your comments make my day.

    x Alisa

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  33. I know I always say this, but as soon as your art appears when I visit your blog, a huge smile develops on my face. Just beautiful and delightful. Get your work done and see you soon.

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  34. I just ran across your blog and thought I would let you know that I LOVE your lovely, sweet, delicate work!

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  35. Hi Again Shirley! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving comments on three of my posts - I know you're busy but you always find time for everyone, you are a sweetie! I'll miss you bunches while you're hard at work, but glad you'll be popping in and out a little!

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  36. Good luck with your website project. I hope the work proceeds faster than you expected and soon you can be back creating your delightful illustrations for IF.

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  37. Shirley, the website is going to be beautiful! You know I adore the tea party on the opening page and the character of the site is taking shape already with the party theme! Charming! Even the typeface you chose is just right. You go, girl!

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  38. I can't wait to see your website!! I 'm waiting with baited breathe Shirley. I know it's going to be fantastic and whimsical. You work is always stellar and oh so very beautiful and timeless. You my dear shall be working for a very long time. You work always leaves me wanting to see more or better yet hold a book in my hot little hands. he he he he!! I can't wait till you tell me that you are going to be working on your own book. I know that this is coming soon. YES!! Sooner than you think. So many people are watching your blog and Yes I bet some editor is just waiting to or has already contracted you for work! I just know it. I got to chance to meet up with my brother Eric Barclay. He came up earlier this month and we had breakfast and talked. He is precious. He was able to get back home to the wife and girls before the snow really came down here in Jersey. We got a ton of the white stuff. It was good though. I love snowy days at home. I got a chance to do some of the things I wanted to do.
    Well I know that you have lots on your plate right now so please go right ahead and take of it and we will be waiting for you when you get back. Happy creating my friend. You are the best. Truly you are.
    Hugs
    Nester

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  39. Hi everyone! What a treat for me to view your wonderful words..thank you so much for taking the time to come by. It's taken awhile but I believe I've gotten back to everyone. I thank you for all of your words of encouragement..I hope to pop in now and again to see all of the great work you all do. Keeping my focus is harder than I thought it would be! : ) Back to work...ta ta til next time!

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  40. You know we just can't stay away from you Shirley! We should leave you in peace, but oh well, you know how much you're loved! The new site IS going to be wonderful, the tea party theme is just perfect, can't wait!

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  41. Oooh look how pretty it looks! You're style is simply wonderful! Your water coloring is really good!

    Wish you all the luck with creating,refining etc. for the concepts and remember to have a break now and then. Preferably with some tea and cookies ^_^! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

    Take care!
    TJ

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  42. Yes Shirley, thats one of many pieces im working on ;)))

    Now now get back to work work work and work :D
    hehe.. im thinking of sending the 2 faeries pretty things from Indonesia... let me find it in the forest... hummmm...

    ps: Ces just called me a young economist, awwww i love it :D

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  43. fantastically excellent and you always capture the magic so brilliantly.
    Good luck with the concepts, sounds like a fun project.

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  44. oh-oh i forgot, please tell to Monsieur: je t'aime tant, xxoo.

    ok ok i let you work.

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  45. Looking forward to the new site! I'm sure it will be brilliant.

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  46. wait. what's this now? no posts? entirely unacceptable! *stomps tantrum-style* :) good luck with everything. i know it'll be wonderful. can't wait to see the site.

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  47. OMG! your work is sooooo amazingly beautiful!! I'm just became a fan! :)

    Greetings from Portugal!

    Francisco Martins

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  48. Beautiful, good luck with all your projects Shirley

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  49. I love your work too, so delicate and charming ! :))

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  50. Hey Girly,
    I thought you would be uncover for a while. I'm glad that you got a chance to peek your head out. He he he he!! Well tomorrow we are suppose to get a ton of snow. I'm done with snow right now. I have my work to do so I won't complain. Snow is good!! It cleans the earth and air. Okay, thanks so much for your kind words Shirley. I need them right now. SO much to do and seem that time goes sooooooo fast. I love being busy. I really do. I love doing this thing. It's awesome. Most books take about a year to do and most of the wonderful books that I am working on are taking less than 6 months to get the work done. It's a lot of work even when you are working on your computer. I would love to have a year to do a book he he he! So day. Anyway, I just had to do a couple of fixes to the Talluah book before it's sent off to the printer. I just did them and now we are officially finished. Everyone things that I spent time talking to Tori Spelling and all. I spoke to her once is all he he he! I worked very close to the publishers and art director is all. I have learned a lot and I have also learned that each publisher is different some leave you to figure it out and then make comments, other are hands on and want to see each and every piece before you work on them. I need to find my own rhythm when working with them. What are you up to? Enough about me!!!! What are you working on? How is it going?? How is the site coming along??? I know so many questions. I want to know though. Hit me back when you have some time.
    Hugs to you and the girls,
    Nester

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  51. Oh see I was typing so fast and I have been sitting here on my bum most of the day and I'm spelling words all wrong. I meant Underground (working) OH you know what I mean Shirley and stop LAUGHING!!!! he he he he! Okay I go lay down now. I sleepy and my butt hurts.
    Ouch!
    Nester

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  52. your watercolors are just gorgeous, shirley!...they are so rich and textural and your color is just exquisite! In response to your last comment, I pretty much do most of my illustration work in photoshop. Rather than draw, I plot points to create the shapes I want. After that it's just a matter of filling the shapes with color and texture. I hope that answers your question.
    keep up the awesome work!

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  53. Your work is so nice, Shirley... I´m glad for comming around here :)

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  54. Beautiful and sweet illustrations!


    brava ...raúl

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  55. Been thinking of you Shirley, miss you and hope things are going well!

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  56. Dearest Shirley, i hope you and the faeries are fine.

    i think of you,

    x

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  57. OOOHHHH!!!!!
    YOU ARE THE SWEETEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  58. sorry...
    i didnt mean to yell at you :D

    check your inbox!!!!!

    xxoo

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  59. Hey Shirley!

    Thanks for all the advice and support - there's an award for you at my blog whenever you feel like stopping by - no rush, I know you're busy!

    Hugs, Susan

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  60. How about that? I came right after Susan! Well, since I'm cheating, I'm giving you the same award as Susan did... all because you're so sweet!! xx

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  61. oh, no, I listed you as one of my favorites for the same award, three times the sunshine!

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  62. Don't know how it seems I missed this illo!I love it!
    I have an award for you on my blog!:)

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  63. Aaaah, Shirley! Good to see you again, even if it's only briefly. The good thing about climbing mountains is you'll come back with great abs and biceps. :) Good luck! Hope you are eating lots of yummy pastries for sustenance. xoxo

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