Hello there!
Just a quick update to say that I am now selling prints of my illustrations and postcards on my website. I’ve set up through Paypal so have a look now to order in time for Christmas!
Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday, friends, dressup, and candy what more could you want?! I’ve made some postcards to celebrate, if you are interested in buying one please check out my website. With a paypal account you can buy a print and I’ll send it to you! www.lindseyyankey.com
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One is back! Here are a few pictures of one of the completed traveling sketchbooks . It started with a wonderful artist in New Mexico and she traveled with it to Switzerland to visit her parents, her son and his family. The whole family worked on this one, and the theme was ‘out my backdoor.’ The photo at the bottom is from Wildhaus, Switzerland, a very very beautiful place that is out their backdoor. Click on it for a larger view.
I’ve finally entered my 5 illustrations to the Illustrators Exhibition for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. I tried to get in last year but didn’t make the cut. The judges selected 80 illustrators and I remember counting more than 800 names of people who entered the show.
The pictures I am entering this year are from a story I have written about a bird. My plan is to continue working with this story, design a layout, create a dummy book, and use these pictures as examples of finished illustrations to show publishers. Maybe even in person at the Fair next year…
Please ignore the silly blue outlines around the pictures, WordPress keeps adding them for me and I can’t figure out how to make them go away.
I try to keep my blog to art and art related things, and this certainly relates, however there aren’t any pretty pictures to go with my text today.
Today I need to blag about something that has my panties in a bunch, or knickers in a twist, or poop in my pants, any way you put it it’s hard to sit still and not say anything about how uncomfortable and upset I am. But keep in mind, if you lived in Kansas right now you would understand, after all our Governor is Sam Brownback.
It has boiled in me for a few months now, but this morning in the Lawrence Journal World I read this in response for eliminating the funding for the Kansas Arts Commission:
‘His spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag reiterated Brownback’s statement…”You don’t go out and buy art for the house when you are behind on the mortgage,” Jones-Sontag said.’
–Which is true. But funding the arts isn’t ‘buying art for a house’; it is investing in the heath and education of your people. So I’ll translate what Brownback has said to this, ‘When your country is struggling to keep its head above water in the world today, you don’t invest in education and health.’
After all, Governor Sam Brownback has made it very clear that health and education are not ‘core values’ for our great state of Kansas. For anyone who isn’t familiar with his accomplishments here are a few:
-eliminating the budget for Planned Parenthood,
-eliminating the budget for the Kansas Arts Commission,
-closing the Social and Rehabilitation Services office in Lawrence
-and not to mention the 50$ million dollars of the states 56.5$ million was cut from EDUCATION!
So I have a question for you, please answer me this, seriously now, what are your top priorities/values/things of most importance for our country and our state?
While you’re thinking about it have a listen to the King, maybe Brownback hasn’t heard this one. Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Liam’s Growth Chart of Native Alaskan Birds
(I’m not an expert by any means, just an oil paint lover growing concerned with her health and has done some internet research.)
—Products that have the ‘AP’ in a circle from the ACMI, Art and Creative Materials Institute, means that they have been tested by toxicologist and medical experts and that they are Non-Toxic.
—Products with the ‘CL’ in a circle from the ACMI, Art and Creative Materials Institute, means that they have been tested by toxicologist and medical experts and that they do contain toxins, but if used appropriately, are ok.
—Products that say ‘Conforms to ASTM D 4236’ means that the United States has tested the product for its toxicity, and is required to add a ‘caution’ or ‘warning’ label such as: ‘This product contains cadmium, a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer by means of inhalation.’ Or ‘No health label required.’
—’Known to the state of California to cause cancer or birth defects,’ Is because of Proposition 65, which makes it a law to place a label on anything that contains a chemical that has been tested and proven to cause cancer and birth defects.
The good news is that a few alternatives products don’t have these labels. I have used Turpenoid, or the Mona Lisa Odorless Paint thinner to clean my brushes, which has the brain and nerve damage label. But there is a non-toxic kind called Turpenoid Natural, more expensive, but way safer.
I mix Liquin Mediom into my paints, it has the CL, and I’ve read that Walnut Alkyd Medium is a comparable product without the CL stamp.
The catch is sometimes there are products that have the ‘Conforms to ASTM D 4236’ and ‘No health label required’ … so how come they don’t have an ACMI stamp? I’m trying to find out, and will post again if I do.
Another tip- appropriate ventilation requires 2 fans in your work area. One to suck the bad air out and shoot it outside, and the other to pull in fresh air into the work area.
Like I said, I’m not an expert so do your own research and if you learn anything more or different that what I’ve posted here please let me know!
Happy painting!
http://www.dickblick.com/products/weber-turpenoid-natural/
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/background/p65plain.html
In 2009 I had an idea. I thought it was a brilliant idea. I still do, if only I could get it to work.
The idea was like the surrealist’s game ‘exquisite corpse’ but was to be played over a long period of time and distance. At the time I was living away from home and I had friends all over the place and thought it would be fun to play a snail mail version of exquisite corpse.
I made several little accordion fold sketchbooks, attached a return address, and sent them off to friends in South Korea, Mexico, Oregon, New Zealand, and I started on in England. As you can imagine there are many hang ups in such a long-term game. The mail system for example, the book to Mexico never arrived. Also, catching people’s attention enough to have them make a drawing, (and responsible enough) pass it on to another person to do the same six times over!
Similar to my last post, it is like fishing. I think I started 6 books then and I believe the more I send out, the higher the chance of a few returning one day. Completely full of art from different people all over the place, all making one big picture.
Last month I started a new book with a friend who has a family of artists and intended to share the book with them. I am looking forward to what they make. The book below also has a starter, a watercolorists south of Lawrence. My goal is to start 6 or so each year. If you are interested in knowing more or think you would like to partake in a traveling sketchbook please contact me and I’ll do my best.
There is a bit more information and pictures of other traveling sketchbooks on my website. www.lindseyyankey.com
Leah’s beautiful picture started in South Korea, hope it is still traveling around Seoul filling up!
I’m fishing for children’s book publishers.
I’m fishing for people to take part in my traveling sketchbook adventure.
I’m fishing for affordable health insurance.
So there for, I’m doing and I’m waiting. I figure the more lines I cast the (wisely of course) the better. I hope something will bite.
I’ve been lame and not posted in a long time…But I have a very good reason. I was in Europe for April and as I am still stuck in the stone ages without a fancy inter-netting-phone or laptop, I wasn’t able to post.
But I’m back in my studio in the U S of A and happy to share my photos and story.
In brief the trip was a m a z i n g. When the customs man at the airport asked if my trip was for business or pleasure, I got to say both.
I went to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for the first time and had my mind blown. So many books to look at, people to talk to, friends to make, and illustrations to inspire. It was wonderful. My new-found friend, Diana, and I became each others cheerleaders as we approached publishers to show our portfolios to. I got a lot of positive feedback and am excited to continue working hard as I try to get in the children’s book world.
From the Fair my boyfriend, Ashton, and I visited friends in Switzerland. We had the pleasure of meeting their friends and family, and picnicking at the base of a beautiful waterfall in the sunshine. Then we stayed along the southern cost of France at a great little campsite just 45 minute walk from the beach. We visited local museums and markets and continued to soak up more sun.
Then the first class train ride to Paris. (fortunately when you are a ‘youth’ train tickets are cheaper if you ride first class…don’t ask me why) It was our first time in Paris and we enjoyed walking around doing many of the main tourist things, visiting the tower, considering the line at the Louvre, and deciding it would take half a day just to get inside, relaxing in the parks and gardens, and visiting more museums.
For me, visiting Paris for the first time was a guaranteed wonderful time…and then to make it even better, I finally visited Shakespeare & Co! It has been a year since I first started working for them from afar. So it was great to met everyone for the first time. The bookstore is just as magical and beautiful as all the pictures and stories that I’ve heard, and so are the people. Thank you to everyone at the shop who gave us a welcoming place to stay, beautiful places to visit, and being the icing on the cake of wonderful trip to Europe!
Below are some photos from our Euro tour o-eleven.
I am so grateful to have the life I have and to know the people I know.
xxxx
