BLOGAHOMA

Star Sprite all began during Michael’s chemo session. They can run anywhere from less than 2 hours to more then 7. It took me several sittings to come to the realization that although it was good to be there with him I could use the time to draw. And so I began. Since it is the Christmas season and I am an illustrator from a toy and greeting card background what I drew were holiday themed. Sometimes I struggle with a drawing but while drawing Star Sprite my pencil seemed to have been guided by its own GPS. Once on paper and then scanned and color rendered the simple shapes lead me to the inevitable question, “Would this work as an Animation?”. The simple shape of the sprite reminiscent of Scandinavian candle powered carousels lent it self to animation. I loaded up Cheetah 3D, found a tree out of my previously created objects and so it began. My daughter said I needed music that sounded like twinkling stars. I found just the right music on Cylinder.de, “Winter Fairy” a piano piece by Caela Harrison. After deciding that the winter shot from our yard was a bit scrubby looking I downloaded the perfect piny image from Creative Commons. I did my final editing in iMovie including adding titles, transitions, music and timing. What you see here is the 3rd go around fussing with the details as artists will do.

The drawing took 45 minutes, color 45 minutes the animation 3 days off and on. It is hard for artists to estimate time. Time has so little to do with creative flow. The storyline (all one minute of it) is strictly mine. I am pretty happy with the results. Would I change it again? Yes. And that’s why I have to walk away from it now.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good sprite…..

“We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.” Seneca quotes

Turning this quote around can be harder than one would imagine…. We should receive as we would give

I was taught by my parents from the earliest age on how to give. We had very little really but still we gave. I remember dropping pennies and nickels into the Salvation Army kettle when I was no taller than the money slot. My mother, who was too busy running a household of nine to go door to door, would volunteer me to collect for the Heart Fund for the Diabetes Assoc. and the United Appeal. It was  uncomfortable for me since I was extremely shy. My parents lead by example never turning away someone in need and they shared what they had, be it time, food or shelter. Once on my own and then married I followed suit opening the purse strings, and our doors when asked. So it came automatically, the giving. But receiving is a whole other life lesson, tough really, when you are not used to receiving.

In January 2010, when the ice storm of the century hit, neighbors with a wood burner took us and our two dogs in. While other friends an hour and a half north of here became hosts as we sought communication (cellphone and email) and a hot shower. We learned more deeply what it meant to receive. And now that cancer has entered our life we are accepting help from family, friends and neighbors in the form of rides, lotions, advice and time away from the chemo. We have gratefully received funding from Cancer organizations to help defray costs. Funding found by our daughter and by the financial manager for the Leah Fitch Cancer Center of Southwest Oklahoma.

Although we still give it is in smaller ways and usually not financially as our resources are directed to medical costs. And giving of time is hard as well with a chemotherapy treatment most every week and a day to recoup from the treatment. I am trying to find ways that I can still give outside our family. A drawing or print here or there, a letter, a listen, a kind word and a few coins dropped in the Salvation Army kettle. When it is all said and done we will hopefully be the folks on the giving side and know first hand what it means. We want you to know we know who you are and we know how you’ve helped and we will be there for you and others when and if we can.