SPIRIT WOODS

Sorry to all that it's been so long since I updated the blog. The Thanksgiving festivities ran away with me! First it was down to Beaufort, SC for an all-out feast with Jake's side of the family, then on to Myrtle Beach, my own home town, for the bridal shower of a dear childhood friend. (I'm at that stage of life where everyone and their sister is getting married.) Then Saturday night was the big Clemson/Carolina rivalry football game, which Clemson sadly and epic-ly lost, but ah well, you can't have it all, right? It was still a wonderful 5-day weekend.

On our drive from Beaufort to Myrtle Beach on Friday, Jake and I passed through John's Island (just outside Charleston, for those who have no familiarity with the state), where the famous Angel Oak still stands growing ever larger. This tree is reported to be the oldest thing - living or man-made - east of the Rockies, an estimated 1,500 years old (That means it would've sprouted about 1000 years before Columbus, think about that, people!), and I had never seen it. 

So, of course, we decided to take a little detour and see this alleged natural treasure. 

Truly, The Tree (one almost feels the need to capitalize the word when referring to this one) did not disappoint.

(Notice the scale, the massiveness of this tree next to the people around it. Those are full-grown adults, not children!)

The Angel Oak grows hidden in an obscure wooded area off the beaten path, down a dirt road which winds through the trees while you wonder where in the world it is leading you, and then, suddenly, there it is on your left - this prodigious giant of a tree among its twig-like brothers, its elephant-trunk-limbs spreading upward to tower against the sky. You kind of wonder how anything in the world could grow to be that monumentally BIG. And that old. 

I walked around it, imagining what it must have been like for the person who first discovered - or perhaps re-discovered - such a large tree in the woods as they were trekking through it, perhaps surveying the property to buy and, I dunno, maybe build a plantation on. And then they came across this tree and... wow. What a moment that must've been.

And then, as I continued to walk around this tree, mesmerized by all the wrinkly folds in its bark, its stately stature despite its grandfather age, its thick green canopy blocking out all but sparse patches of the sun's glimmering rays, I realized that this is just the sort of tree that fairies would live in.

I know, I know, of course - fairies aren't real (sorry Tinker Bell), but humor the little girl in me. If fairies were real, I think for sure they'd live in a tree like the Angel Oak...

...which got me to remembering an animated film that Jake and I watched recently, entitled The Secret of Kells. It's a beautiful story, beautifully told and exquisitely drawn, and it's one of my favorite types of stories, the kind with magical realism, which blends world history and fairy tale seamlessly together. And anyway, in this film there is a tree - er, perhaps more accurately a forest, with a little sprite who lives within it, silver-haired and mischievous, much like how I imagine the fairies of the Angel Oak would be. 

As A.O. Scott of the New York Times put it, "The Secret of Kells discloses strange new vistas that nonetheless seem to have existed since ancient times."

If you haven't seen this film yet, you really should.

Just scroll your cursor over the box below to see a slideshow of the captivating illustration work done on this film. 

Haunting, isn't it?

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

(tomorrow)

This time tomorrow I'll be watching the Macy's Day Parade and stuffing myself with delicious home-cooked turkey and pumpkin pie, so I figured I'd go ahead and wish you all a Happy Turkey-Day now.

I can hardly wait! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, which surprises some people, I suppose because it is such a straightforward holiday. No fussy extracurriculars involved. No frills. No real way to commercialize it. It's simply an everybody's-welcome, all-hands-on-deck, eat-yourself-silly, count-your-blessings sort of celebration. And yet, that's what makes me love it so much! It's the holiday when we gather together simply for the joy of doing so - not to open presents or to dress up in costumes or to celebrate a milestone, but simply for the reason that it is good to gather together with thankful hearts.

In this way, the Thanksgiving table manages to satisfy both my stomach and my soul. Passing the green bean casserole, the creamed corn, the sweet potato puree drowned in brown sugar, and listening to the stories, the teasing, the laughter, then later huddling around the tv to watch the big parade and yell at football teams,  I am reminded that the very presence of other people in my life is a gift. And I am so blessed.

May your own Thanksgiving Day be just as rich in blessings, no matter where it finds you!

Be back in a few days...

Illustration above by the lovely Shioko Anderson. Like what you see here? Subscribe to my Blog Feed or sign up for Email Updates. Both are free!

MORE FREE STUFF!

The free Thanksgiving goodies just keep on coming!

Check these out (and more!) at Paper Crave!

THANKSGIVING SUBWAY ART PRINTS

I am getting so excited for Thanksgiving! Just a few more days until we all get to take off work and stuff ourselves silly; can't wait!

So today as I was going about my daily blog surfing, when I came across this sweet little find, I thought it was too charming an idea not to share with you guys. There isn't that much art out there devoted to Thanksgiving - and if it is, it usually has big ole turkeys or pilgrims all over it. So I found this refreshingly classy.

This pretty, framed art was created by Janet of Today's Fabulous Finds, who was inspired by all the Thanksgiving themed artwork she's been noticing in the Subways and decided to make her own.

And the best part about the whole thing?

She's offering free prints!

Available in a bunch of different colors.

Just click here to get your own!

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SUNDAY FOOTBALL

I love lazy Sunday afternoons, loungin' on the couch with my hubby, watching football.

Indianapolis vs. New England... Go Colts!

(This sketch was done by - who else? - my husband Jake.)

LIVE TOGETHER, DIE ALONE

Came across something very unique today.

I'm not a believer in tarot cards, but if you followed the tv show Lost and loved it like I did, I think you have to appreciate these. They are just so well designed (by Alex.)

I wonder what the next great television show will be...

(A sketch Jake did of Hurley, one of his favorite characters.)

Ah, Lost. 

Did you have a favorite character?

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THE ILLUSTRATIONS WE REMEMBER

     We all have our favorite books from childhood - those books which our parents read to us over and over again so many times that our 4-year-old selves could recite them from memory. And even now, as "grown-ups", when we pass those special books on the shelves of the juvenile lit. section, they call to us with a compelling nostalgia.

     There are many websites and blogs devoted to what makes a story great, but I wonder - at least, in the case of children's literature - if it doesn't have just as much to do with the illustrations as the words. I can't help noticing when I watch the children in my own life being read to, that as they sit on the carpet, the story being read, their eyes go straight to the pictures and dart all over the page like a school of minnows. It's the illustrations, I'm convinced, that do the work of drawing them in.

     So my question is this: What makes great children's book illustration? I would submit that great illustration is made up of the kind of strong, compelling images that immediately connect with you, that complement the words rather than competing with them; Great illustration is dramatic, kinetic, transportive.

You look at the pictures and you immediately know what sort of story you are in.

     What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Who are some of your favorite children's book illustrators? Beatrix Potter? Dr. Seuss? Randolph Caldecott? Kay Nielsen? Edmund Dulac? Shel Silverstein? Why? What makes their images so memorable, so inviting to you?

     I'd love to hear back from you on this. One new follower of TheIllustrator'sWife and fellow blogger herself, ladaisi, recently posted her thoughts on the subject, complete with pictures from some of her personal favorite children's books. (Check it out by clicking the link!) So what about you? I'd love to get a discussion going!

HOLIDAY BIRD ORNAMENTS

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, and already I'm seeing Christmas trees in all the stores. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I'm not about to nonchalantly skip over it, but today when I was passing a display of ornaments on a shelf in Target, I got to thinking about my own tree and what sorts of decorations we'll be putting on it this year. 

Last year was mine and Jake's first married Christmas together, so we made a point of exchanging special ornaments. 

This one was Jake's for me:

A beautiful, ornately painted porcelain dove.

Of course, I love it. Not only because Jake gave it to me and because it reminds me of our first Christmas together, but because - yeah, you guessed it, for the simple reason that it's a pretty bird, and I love birds. Which got me to wondering what other sorts of cute bird ornaments are out there...

Check these out.

First, I found these adorable little felt goldfinch ornaments, available on Etsy:

Then, while browsing the site of fellow blogger, ladaisi, I came across these holiday cheer chickadee ornaments, available at ModCloth:

And finally, my favorite find of all - how precious are these!- Christmas Owls!

Oh my goodness!

(These owls are by Lauren Alane, and let me highly recommend that you visit her blog, too. She does the cutest, most unique things with her little bird creations!)

Now, I realize, many of us do not have the means to go on a splurging spree for all these holiday bird ornaments, cute though they are, so... solution! I found a sweet little website that teaches you how to make your very own bird ornament from things you have around your house.

I tried out the process first, to make sure it works, and it does, so here ya go! 

First, you cut out the pattern and then trace it onto the decorative paper of your choice:

(Don't you love that I made my pattern out of an old script? Ah, well. And the ornate red paper was some I'd bought from Michael's.)

Then, just follow the directions on the website, which are given step by step with pictures, and you end up with this. Voila!

Not bad, eh?

For the pattern and instructions to make the paper birdie above, click here. 

And for other do-it-yourself ornament ideas, check out the Ramblings of a Gypsy Nomad!

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HOW THEY DO IT

For those of you who are interested in knowing the process an illustrator goes through in creating images for a book (or other work), I have a treat for you today!

Ward Jenkins, a favorite illustrator of mine and Jake's, has taken the time to explain the process on his website, complete with pictures from his soon to be released children's book, Chicks Run Wild! (The illustration above was taken from his site, and the book will be out this January!)

I have watched Jake go through this exact same process many a time with his own projects, and for people like you and me who aren't professional illustrators, it can be a pretty neat thing to be allowed behind the curtain!

To see what I'm talking about, check it out here. 

Enjoy!

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CROTCHETY OLD MEN

Last night, Jake and I watched the movie On Golden Pond - the one with Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda, based off the stageplay of the same name by Ernest Thompson. I'd never seen it before, so I didn't know what to expect, and I have to say now that even though I think older people probably appreciate it more, I loved it. 

It's about a married couple in the twilight years of life - Katherine Hepburn's character, "Ethel", despite her age, is still full of life and spunk, but Henry Fonda's "Norman"  is losing his memory, he's slowing down, he's crabby and cantankerous and stubborn. Basically, he's the epitome of a grumpy old man. 

(Much like the subject of Jake's illustration below, which he drew before yesterday when we saw the movie, but I think it's a perfect representation of "Norman", nonetheless.)

(Pretty great, right?)

And yet, there's one major difference between the drawing and the film. Jake's illustration has the definite intent of caricature. The movie, however - and maybe this was part of the reason I found it so charming - felt perfectly believable.  I could believe in Norman and Ethel and all the other characters, in their relationships with one another, in the growth and change they underwent throughout the course of the film. It was one of those types of movies that leaves you feeling good and warm, and I found it to be romantic in that way. Not romantic in the Hollywood, hot pink, flaming love scene sort of way, but romantic in the sense that it left me feeling like I had witnessed something rare, beautiful, and true.   

I'm by no means a film critic, but if you're like me, and you don't mind the "slowness" of older movies, I'm willing to bet you'd enjoy On Golden Pond, too. 

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AFTERWARDS...

Check out today's Illustration Friday contest winner!

The theme for this week was "afterwards", and I really love the thoughtfulness of the winning piece, submitted by Bianca Tschaikner, an illustrator originally from Austria who now lives in - a place I dream of visiting! - Morocco.
(As a side note: I also love the description of Morocco I found on her website - a place "full of mint leaves and silver coffee pots, farewells at the strait of Gibraltar, stray cats, petit princes in the desert and false princes on the street, veiled faces and thieves in the night train, lots of embroidered oriental slippers, dangerous food and illiterates pretending to read the newspaper".)

But, without further ado, the winning illustration, "Afterwards":

(He caught the fish and felt strange afterwards.)

To see past Illustration Friday submissions, click here.

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INTANGIBLE LOSS

Take a good, long, hard look at the illustration below. I mean, really study it. Stare at it until a feeling begins to wash over you. And now, tell me in one word, what sense does this image give to you?

For me, that one word would simply be, "loss". A loss of heart. Loss of spirit. Loss of luster for life. (You like that alliteration, don't you?)

I can't put my finger on all the subtleties of the reasons why I feel this. Perhaps it's due in part to the isolation of the figure on the page, alone with only the company of a dead-looking tree. Perhaps it is due in part to the slump of the character's shoulders, the fallen expression upon his face, the monochromatic gloom of the gray color scheme, and the hazy, gestural quality of the line work. 

I'm not the artist (my husband is), so I can't say for certain what all strategies were employed in creating the emotional tone of the piece. What I do know, though, is that for me, this image conveys a deep sense of loss. Specifically, a loss of heart.

We've all felt that at some time or another, haven't we? Whether it be as we walked away from a conversation with a professor, a parent, a spouse, perhaps even a religious service - that sense that something important, something intangible but vital, had been explained away or tarnished or lost to us. It's that feeling we lose as we move farther away from our childhood years and into our respectable adulthoods - the diminishment of our sense of wonder and mystery and transcendence. 

I remember quite clearly a summer night some years ago. A friend and I were traveling in her car together on our way to grab a bite to eat, and the most glorious sunset was displaying itself before us across the horizon. Brilliant oranges, fuzed with hot pinks that mellowed out at the edges into purples and eventual blues. We don't often get spectacular sunsets here on the east coast, but this was a sunset to remember. I was so taken with the beauty of the sky - completely dazzled by it, really - that I exclaimed something about how exquisite it was to my friend. To my surprise, she replied by informing me with clinical lack of emotion that, Didn't I know? The multi-colors of a sunset are due merely to the refraction of light through water and dust and pollution in the air. 

"Oh," I mumbled, feeling like all the wind had just been let out of my sails, "So that's all it is."

Little by little, I'm sad to say, in our modern, pragmatic world, we've allowed our desire for efficient, logical, intelligent, successful, suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying lives to drown out the illogical, wild, mystical side of our souls. The part that is fed by things such as beauty and art, poetry and passion. The part that wants sunsets to be more than light and pollution.

Frederick Buechner, in his biographical work, Telling Secrets, diagnosed our situation this way:

"[Our] original shimmering self gets buried so deep we hardly live out of it at all... rather, we learn to live out of all the other selves which we are constantly putting on and taking off like coats and hats against the world's weather."

Well, this has turned out to be a much longer post than I'd intended for such a simple little image, but I suppose all I'm really trying to say comes down to this: I understand wanting to make a name for yourself and survive in the rat race that is our modern age, but if you lose your heart in the process, what's the point?

(Look at the illustration again. Wouldn't you say this describes him?)

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Baller-swine-a

Jake drew this cute little piggy yesterday. 

She looks so happy, doesn't she? This little "ballerswina" is absolutely radiating joy.

It's funny, but when Jake first finished the image and showed it to me, I was immediately reminded of a scene from a favorite 1920s "talkie", Sally, in which Marilyn Miller sings that "all she wants to do, do, do is dance". Watch this clip, and you'll see what I'm talking about...

(It may take a sec or two to load, but its worth it! She sings at first, then erupts into dancing.)

Now scroll back up to our exuberant little "ballerswina" above. Wouldn't you agree that she has much the same song in her happy little heart - that effervescent, spontaneous, delightful compulsion that "All I want to do, do, do is dance."

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ANOTHER REASON TO LOVE M. WARD

I already love the music. Now, check out the illustration on this concert poster.

I realize I seem to be stuck on this topic lately, but I keep finding such cool stuff. I think it just serves to further drive my point home - good music and good illustration often go hand in hand.

The poster above was created by artist Nate Duval. You can check out more of his awesome work here, including these two images:

"Dark night on a long highway

Little lights in the houses say

There's somebody's staying up late...

God it's great to be alive."

                                                        -M. Ward, To Go Home

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TWITTER-IFIC NEWS (Corny, I know...)

Tweet! Tweet!

The Illustrator's Wife is now on Twitter!

Follow me @ TheIllusWife

and spread the word!

(The image above was illustrated by Jake Page, my wonderful husband, who humors my love of birds by drawing them all the time.)

Tweet! Tweet!

You can now follow The Illustrator's Wife on Twitter!

Follow me @ TheIllusWife

ALBUM ARTWORK

In the vein of my recent post on ears to hear, or at least, using that post as a jumping-off point for further music-related discussion, I was thinking today about album cover art and just how important that is to me in whether or not I buy a physical CD. I know, I know, the times are quickly changing, and who buys CDs anymore now that you can download anything you want from iTunes. But really? You're telling me you don't miss physical CDs at all?

It's the same way I feel about how everybody's saying that soon DVDs will be obsolete, because we'll all just download our tv and movies straight from the internet or Netflix or wherever. Sure, in one sense that'll be great, but in another, I think I'll really miss the feeling of unwrapping a new DVD and checking out all the artwork and packaging.
(And don't even get me started on the whole new digital e-book thing. When it comes to literature, I am an absolute purist. I like my books to come printed on paper, smelling like binding-glue, thank you very much.)

But I digress.

However you feel about these things, the practice of creating album covers for musical records has a definite history, and they started doing it because it works. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say, especially when you're trying to get people to buy something. 

As a non-fine-art type of artist, I have a deep respect for all the fine arts (you should respect things you can't do yourself, right?), but being the wife of an illustrator, I particularly love to come across really good works of illustration. Recently, I discovered the following two CD albums, and I find their cover art to be particularly delightful.  

Firstly, Charlene Kaye's Things I Will Need in The Past:

Front Cover. Isn't it nice? 

I'm discovering I love whimsical things.

Back Cover.

Inside Left Pocket.

Inside Right (Under Disc)

Insert - Front Side

Disc

Secondly, the album from Giants, Old Stories, by Cavity Records: 

Front Cover. 

Back Cover.

Inside Left Panel

Right Inside Panel (Under Disc)

Disc

Pretty nice illustrations, right? 

They kinda make you wonder what the music sounds like, don't they? You're thinkin' maybe now you'll go check them out, listen to a sampling on iTunes, just to see...

I'm telling ya, art covers work. 

(And, okay, since I'm nice - go ahead and click on the above album names in italics. They'll take you to the music. Jeez, I do all the hard work for you people.)  :) 

I'VE BEEN INTERVIEWED!

A week or so ago, my friend M.A. of the fabulous blog, "A Simple Conversation", contacted me to ask if she could get an interview. I was honored and all for it!

(Original photo by Nick In The Wall) 

M.A. is one of my favorite people. I love her blog, and I know you will, too!

So head on over to ASC, check out the interview she did of me, and hang out there for a while!

She has very cute taste, you'll see.

EARS TO HEAR

We all love our tunes these days, don't we?

Of course, I realize the love of music is nothing new, but ever since the invention of the MP3, we've been able to add a walking soundtrack to our lives.

(Illustrated by Jake, and fitting, so soon after Halloween, don't you think?)

At least, most of us have that luxury.

I remember a concert I attended a few years ago. It was a full orchestra/chamber choir type of event, and the performers were truly of the highest caliber. Voices so gorgeous they made your heart ache; instrumentalists that translated every swell, every fall in the music with Beethoven-like emotional connection. 

I sat in awe.

For the first half of the concert, I simply closed my eyes (something my music-teacher-mother taught me to do as a child), blocking out everything but the sounds, allowing the music to run away with my imagination. About halfway through the evening, however, I opened my eyes and noticed an attractive woman in a black, flowy dress standing on the lefthand side of the stage, and as I watched her, she began to accompany the music with sign language, which was beautiful because the lady did it in a way that it was fluid and graceful, almost like a dance. 

I decided to watch her instead of close my eyes.

And I remember that at the end of one of the songs, I happened to look over to my far left, where the "deaf patrons" were seated. And there I noticed an elderly black gentleman. He was discreetly removing his glasses to dab at his eyes with a handkerchief.

For some reason, the image of this man has never left me. There I was, in the midst of heavenly music that pulsed all around me, bouncing off the walls and swirling into the air, music that hovered all around me and above me, music that moved my soul. And that poor old man couldn't hear any of it. None of those smiling, nodding "deaf patrons" could. There was nothing for them to do but to sit in complete silence and watch the violin bows move and to watch the fingers of the flautists, to watch as the chamber singers opened and closed their mouths but no sound emerged. And yet, something about that moment, silent though it was for him, moved that old man enough to wipe tears from his eyes.

That day, I thanked God for my hearing. And I thought to myself, how many things there must be in my life that are absolutely precious but I take totally for granted! I don't always do as well as I'd like to at remembering to live in gratitude, for things both large and small, but as Thanksgiving quickly approaches for those of us in the States, it's a good reminder to count our blessings.

So... next time you're nodding your head to the rhythm in your earbuds, well, you might just consider whispering a little prayer of thanks. 

OWL COOKIE JAR

I know, I know, I'm obsessed with owls, but I was just browsing through Anthropologie and came across this adorable little cookie jar. It's sadly out of my price range, but so cute, I just had to share!

Also, stay tuned, Jake has been going crazy drawing owls lately (Could it be because his wife loves them so?), and I'll be posting progress on those illustrations soon!

----------------------------------------UPDATE----------------------------------------

November 5, 2010 10:20pm

After posting earlier about the owl cookie jar, a reader contacted me to tell me about these super sweet little owl bookends from Coldwater Creek. Thought I'd pass along such a cute, unique find!

(Perfect for helping you organize the "whooo's whooo" among your hardbound and paperbacks! ) 

A DRAWING GAME

So... sometimes after school, Charlie (who is 9) and I play this game where we each draw a picture. There's only one major rule in this game - one of us contributes a subject and the other contributes a verb, and then both those things must appear in our drawings. For instance, I might say, "wind surfing", and Charlie might say, "Perry the Platypus", in which case, each of our drawings would have to include Perry the Platypus and windsurfing in some creative way.

Recently when we played this game, I contributed the subject of "Mario Brothers". And, true to form, Charlie contributed the verb of "farting". 

(You're already getting a feeling for how incredibly meaningful this post is going to be, aren't you?)

Here were the results:

First, Charlie's.

(I love how Bowser is on the right side, screaming, "Noooo!" to the SBD bomb Mario has just released.

I also love the spelling of "fart".)

Oh, little boys. Ha.

And this one was mine:

I know, not nearly as exciting.

A SKETCH JAKE DID OF ME

"I want to live; I want to love

But I'm afraid my simple faith will never be enough.

I want to laugh; I want to be set free

And let you hold all that my soul has deep inside of me.

But I don't know where to start.

It's on the tip of my heart."

                                       - Bebo Norman

WORK IN PROGRESS

Today has been a bit hectic and I don't have time to post anything much myself, but Jake has been re-working an old art piece from awhile back, and he posted his progress on his blog today. I thought you guys would enjoy it...

Jake Page Illustration: A work in progress

As he states himself, he isn't nearly finished with it yet, but don't you love where it's headed? I'm going to try to convince him to offer prints of the completed version at our Etsy shop. Can't you just see it? This stately gentleman, nicely displayed in an antique-looking frame on the mantel, the history and age of the subject matter juxtaposed by the modern pop of the colors.

LOVE it.

2011 CALENDAR

It's hard to believe November is already here. Pretty soon we'll be into the holidays full-swing, and before you know it, it'll be the new year. I've been increasingly reminded of this fact lately as I've followed Holly Becker's blog, decor8, because she's been doing a 2011 Calendar Round-Up. I'm one of those people who's big on calendars - I have to be; they keep my life sane! And part of the fun of a new year for me has always been shopping for a fresh new calendar to keep me organized and to inspire me with its pretty images hanging on the wall above my desk. 

This year, though, I think my problem might be that I can only choose one!

I absolutely adore this tree calendar, which was included in decor8's Calendar Round-Up, created by Etsy seller photographybykarina. 

The photographs are all so soft and delicate, they're almost ethereal. Such a welcome balance to all the technological gadgets strewn across my desk!

And of course, I loved this Owl Calendar, which was also featured among decor8's best of the best . After all, how could I not love it? I love all things owl.

The Owl Calendar can be found on Etsy, in Gingiber 's shop.

And this one below was nice, too, I thought. The actual calendar part is too small for my own practical use (as is the case with the owl one... sigh), but I like the illustrated/collage-y look of the images. And their prettiness. 

(To purchase these, visit myfolklover on Etsy.)

Like I said, these are some of my personal faves, but there are tons more to see at decor8, so definitely check that out. Even if it's only to window-shop, all the artistry of the different calendars is still worth seeing.

And that brings me to another thing - a bit of good news for those of you who don't want to spend a lot of money (or any at all) on a new calendar for the upcoming year but would still like to have something well-designed and artsy hanging on your wall. You're in luck! On this rare occasion, you can have your cake and eat it too, free of charge, thanks to BlueAntStudio!

They are, for a limited time, giving away free printable downloads of this awesome calendar:

Just head on over here to see each month's image and get your copy! 

SKETCHES IN CHURCH

Some of you who read my blog may attend a house of worship - a church, temple, mosque, or the like.

I attend a Christian church, and I am a "note-taker". This means I choose to tote my little pink moleskine journal - which I have personally decorated with a doodle of an owl (my favorite of all birds) - with me to church each week, to take notes on things the pastor says which I feel are important for me to remember.

I've noticed that a lot of people my age do this, and until I married Jake, I guess I always assumed they were taking notes the same way I do - a logical, structured outline of sermon points, Bible verse references, etc.

But no. It would seem a lot of my fellow moleskine-carriers are doing much more creative things in their church journals than I am. Sometimes when I'm busy jotting down notes in my journal, trying to get the thought down quickly so I don't miss what the preacher has gone on to say next, I'll look over at Jake's moleskine, and there's some absolutely amazing sketch sprawling across the page, with phrases flying this way and that, intertwined with the artwork. My mind just doesn't work like that. I'm thoroughly impressed by people whose minds do. 

Take, for example, my friend Daniel Romanoski. 

Here are some "church notes" of his:

Pretty cool, right?

Granted, I believe he doctored them up with a little color and whatnot after the fact, but still, much more impressive than my A-B-C outline.

And here are some sketches straight off the page, drawn by an illustrator whose blog Jake and I both follow, Ward Jenkins. He's awesome.

(And he promises that drawing in church actually helps him pay attention.)

Here are still more illustrations done in church - these by a lady named Paula J. Becker, whose blog I also follow. 

I really enjoy the fact that people from all over, across the nation and the world, are daring to bring their sketchpads to services and draw in church. My friend Daniel Romanoski lives in South Carolina, Ward Jenkins is in Oregon, and Paula J. Becker lives in Montreal, Canada, yet I feel a little closer to all of them, a little more connected, knowing that, most likely, they, like my husband, will find themselves next Sunday sketching in church.

Oh, and before I forget - the very thing that inspired this post! - here are a few drawings from the moleskine of my own dear Jake, sketched out over the last few Sundays, mostly during the "Exile" series, which I mentioned in a previous post.  

Beginning with a cartoony version of our pentecostal-bear-of-a-pastor:

(I have no idea why Jake wrote, "Rumble, Rumble, Rumble" next to this one. You'll have to ask him yourself. Maybe God was stirring something inside of him. Or maybe his stomach was growling, ha. Our services do tend to go long! Hey, at least it doesn't say, "Ramble, Ramble, Ramble" next to the preaching pastor, right!)

This is an illustration Jake did of a recent guest speaker:

And my personal favorite, this past Sunday's:

Do you or someone you know sketch during church? I'd love to see the artwork if you'd like to send it my way!