Whew…

yummy churros con chocolate

Things have been crazy lately! Thanksgiving, tons of guests, work, Christmas shopping… I met Scott in Barcelona from Dec 4-9. It was really awesome… also fun to see the Park Güell, which I had drawn in Nico’s Journey. I’d been wanting to go to Barcelona for years, so when Scott suggested I meet him somewhere in Europe on his return from Egypt, Barcelona came to mind! The image to the left is, of course, delicious churros con chocolate. Mmmm…. It was a fabulous time. I’m kind of weird with art museums when I travel. I usually like to see everything else first, and since we were only there for a few days, we didn’t go to any! They just take up so much time and you don’t get to see any of the city… We did go to the cool Museu d’Història de Barcelona and saw awesome Roman ruins. Went in a few churches, including La Sagrada Familia. Took the cable car over Port Vell. Went to Montserrat (beautiful). Saw a bunch of other Gaudi buildings… it was fabulous! And now I am back and things are hectic!!!

I’m leaving for Pittsburgh to join my family for Christmas and likely attend my grandmother’s funeral. She became really ill and is now unresponsive in a hospice, and this time we think is it. In the past few years she’s been pretty ill before and always miraculously recovered. She is one tough lady! But she’s also been suffering and getting more and more sick, so this is probably for the best. We’ll miss Noonie.

So… that has put another hold on life, since I’ll be gone for a week and a half. The Scholastic book, which was mostly due the first week of January, will be extended for a bit yet again, probably just another week or so. They gave permission, of course. I want to do my best on these paintings and so far they are looking great! So I’m excited to get back to work on them when I return. I’ve been using normal tube watercolors this time, instead of the watercolor inks I’ve been using for the past few years. Take a bit of getting used to again! But I think I like them better all around. By the way, this Breyer book will be published in Fall 2010.

Oh yes, I also attended a great signing over at Books of Wonder on Nov. 28th - in attendance were Art Spiegelman, Francoise Mouly, Jerry Pinkney, Brett Helquist, Holly Hobbie, John Rocco, Laura Cornell, Charles Santore, and Leo and Diane Dillon. Spiegelman drew a sweet picture in the book of his I bought! Funnnn.