Oh yeah...the puppets

As much as I hate it, this season I have to create more foreground "walls" to conceal the puppeteers on the kids' show. Last season we used very few of these, and it was nice to work free of constraints. But it seems these "walls" and "shelves" come in handy when you're doing anything with characters that have no legs! Last season, their lower bodies were cut off by the bottom edge of the screen, and it really limited us to keeping all the action along the bottom edge. With tiered walls and shelves, we can utilize more of the screen with our puppet acting! Above is one of the first redesigned rooms for this season. I just can't help going overboard with all the little details! I'm really diggin' how the robot and "Super Squirrel" on the shelf turned out. I wish I had a playroom like this...

(Click on the image if you'd like to enlarge it.)

Mary Had a Little Plan

Here's more of my designs from the kid's show! I think Mary, here, looks a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit mischievious. This was a quickie cover for a prop of a children's book. We're discouraged from using written words on the props, so I had to illustrate that it was the story of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" without writing out the title.


And speaking of Marys, I've been looking at a lot of background art by the unsung, ingenious Mary Blair. She was a BRILLIANT color stylist and background designer who worked with Disney.


Stylistically related to Mary Blair, Kirsten Ulve had an exhibit here in the city that I saw the other day. It's amazing stuff, and I'm contemplating dropping some dough and buying a piece. We'll see. Check out her art because she's a true modern day Mary Blair!

Seeing that I'm surrounded by so much talent here in New York, I gotta' step up my work. I'm determined to make this season of the show much better than the last. Here's some background sketches from the episodes to come...where the characters visit an orchard, the dentist, and even the prehistoric era!

Happy Birthday Mimi!

I want to wish a very special birthday to my grandmother, Mimi, who turns 80 today!


I hope you have a wonderful day, because you are the most wonderful grandmother in the whole world.


You have always been so sweet, kind, generous, thoughtful, warm, and loving.


I've always loved your stories, sense of humor, and playfulness when we would play boardgames.


I think everyone aspires to turn 80 and be as beautiful, elegant, gracious, worldly and wise as you are.


You've given me your love, your time, your drawing experience, and you've even given me asthma medication when I was in need. That's the kind of grandmother you are, you know just what to say and do at all the right times and I appreciate it all. I always think about you and how you would bake cookies and cakes for me, Philip, and Patrick. I think about you and miss you when I see certain things...and this last photo reminds me of you. It will always be a reminder of how you would wait for us at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park as we rode the rides. Afterwards, when we'd meet up with you by this calliope, we were greeted by the sounds of these little cherubs and angels playing music in the background. It's something I associate with you, because whimsy and happiness surrounds all that you do. I love you and hope you have a great day!