The Grimm Revival...

Philip Pullman's latest novel

As I sit here with a Macintosh Apple candle burning, listening to the wind chimes outside, and getting ready to edit my own fairy tale, I am distracted by the most delicious of distractions: someone is re-writing the tales of the Brothers Grimm?


None other than Philip Pullman, author of The Northern Lights (better known in the states as The Golden Compass), of the series "His Dark Materials."  Although I heard bits of that story secondhand while passing down the hall as my mother (who also sent me the link to this news) read it aloud to my little sister years ago, the parts I did absorb were so imaginative and wonderfully dark that I began reading the story myself.  I especially liked Pullman's style because he did not water down or flatten his evil characters in consideration of a younger audience.  Fantasy stories, like life itself, are full of complex motives and people, and should not pretend otherwise.

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I have always loved fairy tales, particularly their ability to take simple morals and weave them into entertaining, magical stories that have lasted long enough to be published, and published again, over many years.  Therefore, I can't wait to read this newest collection, especially as its author seems to have a keen understanding of why those fairy tales work so well:

(from NPR interview with Rachel Martin)
"[The Grimm fairy tales] move very quickly. There's not an ounce of narrative fat in them. They go very, very swiftly from event to event. And another thing is you see very few adverbs in them, so I'm trying to cut down on my adverbs. You choose the right verb, and you don't need an adverb to qualify it."

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Pullman's book re-tells fifty of the fairy tales, which include some of the lesser-known stories.  I personally am looking forward to his take on "Hansel and Gretel" and "Cinderella," since those two tales, which have been changed again and again to be "more fitting" for today's children, are particularly violent with dark imagery.  I always picture Pullman's worlds filled with windy mountaintops, veiled characters, and danger seeping through every wall.  Much more akin to fairy tales than brightly colored forests with singing birds and dimpled children skipping about!

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This will definitely be a book I have to own--my apologies to the library, but I'm sure I'll be wanting to pull this off my own shelf many times for one reason or another!


Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to editing my own humble story, and possibly cut out a lot of the adverbs.

Our Fellow Artists: Blenda Tyvoll

"Sunrise Sunset" by Blenda Tyvoll

What better way to celebrate our fall weather than with the paintings of Blenda Tyvoll?  Her treescapes are particularly striking, with stark, delicate frames offset by vibrant, dynamic backgrounds.  Each painting is a joy to explore, containing that painterly quality of thick, rich strokes while simultaneously embodying a graphic style as well.

Tyvoll's paintings are a journey of color and symbols, and a careful eye will see layers upon layers of work creating the space within them.  Her compositions are so simple and yet intricately woven together by vivid, seamless textures.  The heart of Tyvoll's paintings are their backgrounds, and the viewer should take time to drink them in.

A Thank You

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Thank you to whoever purchased my "Train" print from my prints site.  It's always encouraging to know that people enjoy more than just my holiday cards!  I had a lot of fun creating these simple scenes for children.  It's nice to see they're appreciated.

In Celebration of the Cold!

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Here in northern California, we are finally experiencing colder weather for longer than two days at a time, and it's made me want to decorate the living room with candles, put pumpkins on every possible surface, and start making new Christmas cards.

Actually, I'd already done most of those things before the weather turned, but now I feel justified.

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Now that Halloween is over and the wait for Christmas has begun, it is also perfect story writing weather (see my October 21st entry) and when I'm not doing that, I'm thinking about taking down the pumpkins, wondering why it's so hard to come up with Thanksgiving card designs...and then eventually giving in and making Christmas cards!.

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National Novel Writing Month

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I've been researching a lot of writing websites lately and have discovered that November is National Novel Writing Month.  November has become quite a busy month, what with Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Movember, and Vegan month!  I feel like I should've known about National Novel Writing Month over those last two, but what can you do?

Our Fellow Artists: Svetlana Novikova

"Young Woman" by Svetlana Novikova

In a previous entry, I mentioned my bias toward realistic pieces that had fantastical undertones.  Artist Svetlana Novikova embodies that style in her work, although the elements of fantasy are a little more subtle.



Color either explodes from or hovers dreamily around her work, almost becoming the painting's subject itself.  It characterizes her style and demands attention, whether in effervescent cityscapes or surreal glowing portraits.  The color never overwhelms, but enhances each piece.

Can We Skip Thanksgiving?

I just have to say I'm looking forward to Christmas so much more.  Even though the thermostat is still reading between 70 and 75 degrees, I'm having that after-Halloween wishful thinking of snow, desire to bake hundreds of cookies, and urge to wrap everything in sight!

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Luckily, our Christmas culture lends itself naturally to artists, and I have been busier than Santa's elves making cards and prints of all things Christmas.

Okay, okay, I'll back off a bit on the joy.

Going around town during the holidays is another one of my favorite ways to enjoy the season, and I thought I'd share my new Christmas cards as well as some places where I enjoy Christmas.

Old Sacramento has long been a favorite, with stops at:
Artists' Collaborative Gallery
Evangeline's
Taylor's Art and Soul