There's No Place Like Home... To Work Your Butt Off!

This is the last illo I created in that series for wHaggle.com. Here's a larger version of the illo.

Yup, it's true what they say. You buy a house and the work begins, and it never, ever ends! Maintenance, repairs, renovations, cleaning, yardwork, yada yada yada! I love doing the work, it's just that lately it's been a question of finding the time (and the energy!) This summer has been chock-full of freelance work, so it's been very difficult organizing my time for all the things I have (and want) to do.

So what sort of freelance stuff have I been doing? Well, just recently I finished illustrating a gift book about etiquette for dogs and their owners, which is written by the author/dog trainer Sarah Hodgson. I created over 70 black and white illustrations of every kind of dog imaginable. Poodles, pugs, beagles, bull dogs, dachshunds and great danes ... I'm totally dogged out! The book will be published by John Wiley & Sons, and will come out this September. I'll definitely be blogging about it, once it's out!

I'm in the middle of illustrating a 93 page educational workbook which will be published by the company FlashKids. It means drawing at least one spot illustration per page, so I've been doing one heck of a lot of sketching!

Also doing some fun spot illos for Scholastic Canada, as well as some pirate cartoons Scholastic U.K. It's the first time I've ever drawn pirates, and I've discovered that I love drawing pirates! Who knew?

And I just signed my publishing contract with the publishing company Red Rock Press to create that little Valentine's Day gift book which will be coming out in 2008. I was just tickled pink when reading the line that I had to sign; it reads: Author/Illustrator! So exciting!

Anyway, all this rambling is my way of saying this is why I've been a delinquent blogger. Many apologies, and will try and make up for my errant ways very soon.

Comments

[R J Keefe]

How nice to be busy! I love the doggy carpenter.

[iliana]

Congratulations on the signing of the contract! How very exciting.

[Bernita]

I relate to that.
The moment you fix something up - something else falls down.

[Cipriano]

Wow Patricia, you are a busy gal.
[Will any of your pirates look like Johnny Depp, a.k.a. Jack Sparrow, do ya think?]
Happy creating, to you!

[patricia]

Ha ha. Sorry Cip, nothing remotely like Mr. Depp.

I have a deep dark confession. I couldn't STAND 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. And I thought that Depp's character Jack Sparrow was bloody annoying. I won't be seing the 2nd or the 3rd movie, ever.

And quite honestly, I don't get this fascination with pirates. But what the hell, it pays the bills, and they are fun to draw... ARRRR!!!

[Carmi]

Damn, that is so cool. I feel like I should bow or something, as I'm in the presence of a seriously publishing person. You so deserve this.

My kids'll love you: they're Scholastic addicts!

[paula]

Your projects sound fun, Patricia! Looking forward to seeing some of the illos when you're finished. And congrats on the book signing! Stick that feather in your cap, girly!

[Isabella]

Congrats on signing your book contract! (Does the house in the illo look anything like yours?)

[patricia]

Very good question, Isabella! Yes, I did base the illustration somewhat on our house. But in order to squeeze in all the various people and things in that illo, I had to make 'adjustments' to the house. For example, our upstairs has two rooms looking out the back, and beside the kitchen window we have a patio door and a large deck attached to the back of the house. My walkway along the side of the house is not as nice as what I have drawn – call it wishful thinking, I guess... I want those lovely English-style flagstones!

[Brian Fies]

What a cool mix of projects and clients. That's the kind of diversity and balance I've never been able to achieve in my freelance writing career (I always put too many eggs in one client basket). Busy is good and you deserve it all. I'm happy for you. Arrrr indeed.

[n.l. belardes]

If my family were only half as perfect as the illustration... oh wait, I DO get functionality out of dysfunctionality though...

-Paperback Writer

[Home Remodeling Ideas]

there is no other place like home....thats for sure....