Velveteen, politics and the afterlife

I have been working recently on turning the main character from Karima Cammell’s new picture book, Commonplace mouse, into a soft toy. I thought you might like to see the prototype. Several of his descendants are on display at Castle in the Air in Berkeley along

with the book and an exhibition of Karima’s Illustrations.

Taking a 2d painting and re-imagining it in 3d is an adventure. I’m getting to the place now where when I look at the picture I can see all the pattern pieces in my head before I begin. After I’ve sketched out the pieces I will still make the prototype several times over changing the pattern adding and subtracting darts and seams, changing the placement of parts till I’m happy. These days I don’t hesitate to re-make and start over, I’ve had to teach myself that if it’s not quite right I stop and remake, no regrets.

 Now if only I can apply that to other areas of my life….

        

 These days I’m working on the Molly Ivins plan

                                                    "The first rule of holes: 

                                            When you're in one, stop digging."

I miss Molly, I never met her but I thought of her as family, she cracked me up and made sparkly pools of wit and laughter and sense in the desert of the endless Bush era.

      I have to pinch myself when I remember that there is a beautiful smart caramel colored family in the white house now, Molly would have loved em,  I expect all the born agains thought she was going to hell for her views, if that’s where she is sign me up. If I’m going to be somewhere for all eternity the room mates are going to be important, I wanna be with Molly and Wilde and Wolf.