I seem to have misplaced raw umber...

If my first week of January is anything to go by, it's going to be a brilliant year!  If you have followed this blog for awhile, you might remember this mural, though the eagle is new.  This is the 75 foot long mural I'm working on at Unity of the Valley Spiritual Center, in Burnsville/Savage, Minnesota.  Currently 75 feet, but soon to be closer to 100.  Am I done with the first 75 feet?  Nope.  Problem is, I had ended down the hall to the right, with a brief bit of jungle, which I figured could have savanna animals at the outside edge.  Considering the size of most savanna animals (elephant, giraffe...), and then how much space a rabbit and coyote take up, all I can say is "What was I thinking???" 

Look out rabbit!  An eagle just flew onto the scene!

Oh, wait, I remember.  Originally, this mural was going to be mostly around the four Sunday school classroom doors, with just a bit connecting in between.  Then it was going to be vegetation with animal heads peering out.  Then it took on an illustrators interpretation of an iconographer's depiction of stylized animals.  Now, I'm adding a continent, no make that two, no three, since after the savanna I need Asian rainforest and then some outback.  And shall I make it an even four?  Since the only thing left unpainted in the hallway will be about fifteen feet at the other end, why not add in the polar animals down that way?  Not only did I not finish in 2012, I'm not so sure this will finish up in 2013.  Ah well, perhaps completion is overrated.  At this point, it's part commission, and part labor of love, and my patron is delighted to let me color all I want.

This is how that wall looked a year ago, before rabbit and company arrived.

My new project this month, aside from putting together the spring issue of our fabulous quarterly bookazine, 365 Being (365being.com), is illustrating a children's book.  It's called  Fruit and Veggies Aplenty! It's a rhyming book for young kids by Cat Isles, with her signature interactive questions. She wanted to use both photos and illustrations in this one, so of course I complicated that one step more, by using tissue paper collage on painted backgrounds, and then complicated it yet again by sort of sculpting the tissue paper into veggie shapes. What can I say? The little broccoli trees just begged me to give them form, and after that I couldn't very well leave everyone else flat, now could I? I'll give you a peek when it's a little farther along, but here's the start...

Friday afternoon in fourth grade?  No.  This is my job.  Jealous?  Get your own goodies and splash some happy in your corner of the world!

Whatever the coming year holds for you, I hope it's full of juicy ripe color, interesting adventures, and richly told stories!
Be bold and brave and brilliant!

My portfolio can be seen at theartofthehome.com.  You can email me with questions at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.  If I don't reply, know that gmail sometimes spam filters real emails, and I don't always spot them, so you may want to try commenting directly on the blog, by clicking the word "comments", below.