September 2012 Desktop Calendar is here!

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It's back-to-school time once again! Wow, summer sure flew by, didn't it? I have been making lots of foliage, flowers and ground cover lately.Yup, it's for some of the final art for Skink on the Brink. The illustrations are coming along nicely, and with the kids back in school next week I will have more uninterrupted time to "get in the zone"Yay!

 So in keeping with my thinking about all things leafy, I thought I'd make the quintessential Fall Canadian sugar maple leaf.   I just adore the deep crimson red, especially when the tips start to go darker... just beautiful! I also switched things up a bit this time and hand lettered the calendar in plasticine.

I hope all your kiddos have a great first day of school, and Fall brings you lots of good things. :)

To download a desktop calendar simply click on the desired resolution link under the image then right click "save to desktop". Enjoy the calender!

I'm off to bake a cake and pie. It is my 3rd son's 7th birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Little Man!



Canadian Wildlife Federation

Check out the new sidebar widget I put up over to the right. Yup, that's it- the Canadian Wildlife Federation widget.  One thing I cherish most about Canada is our beautifully diverse wildlife. And it is in trouble. There are already 52 endangered mammal species with many more animals at risk. I'm proud to show this sidebar widget in an effort to bring more awareness to the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

I have to give my mom a nod here because she introduced us(my sister a I) to the idea of conservation, to love and respect nature, from an early age. I remember she'd take us on nature walks and cross country ski treks through natural areas like Rattray marsh, Lake Ontario Parks and the Kortright Centre, to teach us about the wonderful wildlife around us.

I know I have said before how excited I am about my current picture book project- illustrating Skink on the Brink( Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Spring 2013) written by Lisa Dalrymple.
Stewie, the main character, has carved a special place in my heart. He is a five-lined skink.
 One of a kind.
He is the only species of lizard found in Ontario.
Well yes, he has a great personality and is so darn adorable, but he is also sadly on the Ministry of Natural Resources endangered species list. Stewie belongs to the Carolinian population of five-lined skinks that populate small areas along the shores of Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron. Sadly their numbers are dwindling due, in part, to habitat loss from agricultural, recreational and urban development.

Lisa was lucky enough to meet Stewie during a recent trip to Pinery Provincial Park.

 

Isn't his blue tail simply fabulous?