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Archive for January, 2015

Trust your Spidey Senses-!!! – Ways to Better listen to your Intuition

Posted in Writing on January 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »

I’m a great believer in intuition.

The Prima Ballerina.

Posted in 1968 Notebook, Art, Ballet, Books, Children's stories, Crafts, Dance, Illustrators, Poetry, Writing, tagged 12 X 12Challenge, 1968Notebook, ARTIST:VincenteRomaro, Ballet, Children'sBooks, Children'sPictureBooks, Frances Macaulay Forde, Illustration, POEM:ThePrimaBallerina, poems, ShadraStrickland, TheArtOfPictureBook on January 24, 2015| 2 Comments »

As I’m focused on picture books for children through my 12 x 12 challenge, I’ve also just enrolled in a class on The Art of the Picture Book illustration class with Shadra Strickland.

(Of course, I could never be as good as Vincente Romaro who’s paintings I’ve just discovered!)

So for a ‘tester’ project, I’m going to use a poem I wrote many years ago (and I mean many) in the early 60’s called “The Prima Ballerina”.

I hope to show you how I adapt it to a PB and slowly, how I have a go at illustrating it too…

The Prima Ballerina

She lives in a world of fairy tales,

all fantasy, happiness and woe.

Floating across the stage in tulle,

fine silk or organza.,

softly pirouettes through the mist,

or dies upon the snow.

This is the world of Ballet

of the Prima Ballerina.

So lithe and slim, so beautiful,

so graceful and serene.

On stage, supremely untouchable

yet so frail behind the scenes.

She’s the Queen of the ‘Corps de Ballet’,

the star with the golden feet,

dancing her way through ‘Petruska’,

‘Swan Lake’ or the ‘Nutcracker Suite’.

The audience, transfixed with awe,

watch silently, as in a dream,

for gripped by suspense and beauty

– such as they’ve never seen!

They observe the scenery so real,

the superbly made costumes,

but their eyes are fixed on the ‘Bluebird’

and all it’s fine blue plumes.

And when the ballet is done,

And encore after encore taken.

And baskets and bouquets

of flowers dispensed….

There’s a feeling of despair and longing

at the end of such unforgettable enchantment.

@FrancesMForde #FrancesMacForde #1968Notebook #POEM:ThePrimaBallerina #poetry #Ballet

#Children’sPictureBooks #Illustration #TheArtOfPictureBook #ShadraStrickland #12x12Challenge

#ARTIST:VincenteRomaro

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Eleven

Posted in Writing on January 23, 2015| 2 Comments »

Wonderful words…

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…FATHERHOOD…and an EVOLVING HEART

Posted in Writing on January 23, 2015| 3 Comments »

Just loved this glimpse into Kevin’s world…

Kevin Hotter

“Beachside Fun”

A few days ago, we took our 18-month old daughter to a tucked away little beach in Malibu. That’s where I took the above photo. The beach was empty except for us, and the herd of surfers who were riding waves of paradise.

I watched my tender, innocent daughter wander through the landscape. Enjoying and observing every little thing she saw.

The sand. The driftwood. The seaweed. The rocks.

They were all simply amazing to her. And to watch her enjoy life with such an angelic, naivety was just as amazing.

I smiled. (Then, ducked down from a swooping seagull.) And then I smiled some more.

Adulthood brings with it such responsibilities, anxieties and concerns. Your heart begins to fill with worry and disappointment. You block people from entering your heart…because…you have been burned too many times in the past.

Then something magical happens. A little girl arrives here on planet…

View original post 166 more words

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Happy New Year!

Posted in Writing on January 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Congratulations on a wonderful poem and win, Carmel Macdonald Grahame!

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Peggy Charren, Children’s Television Advocate, Dies at 86

Posted in Writing on January 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Thank you Peggy Charren…

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Australia’s Favourite Author 2015 – The Top 10 (nearly)

Posted in Writing on January 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Almost there…

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WA Writers Links:

Posted in Books, Children's stories, COMMUNITY, Favorite Writers, Illustrators, Poetry, WA Writers, Writers, Writing, tagged DianneWolfer, FraneLessac, GabrielEvenas, Illustrators, JamesFoley, MarkGreenwood, MegMcKinley, NormJorgensen, poetry, SCWBI-WA, ShaunTan, WAwriters, WendyBinks, WritingForChildren on January 22, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Read (only) some of my favorite WA Children’s Writers:

SHAUN TAN: Author, Illustrator, Animator etc…

DIANNE WOLFER: Author

NORM JORGENSEN: Author JAMES FOLEY: Illustrator

MEG McKINLAY: Author

WENDY BINKS: Author & Illustrator

MARK GREENWOOD: Author

Frané LESSAC: Author & Illustrator

GABRIEL EVANS: Author & Illustrator

to name just a few, so many more on SCWBI WA.

Speak Up

It takes more than placement to tell a story.

More than illustration or clever juxtaposition

to speak to our children. The voice of our words

connects while young eyes search for meaning,

only then are hearts able to hear our stories.

@FrancesMForde #FrancesMacForde #SCWBI-WA #ShaunTan #DianneWolfer #NormJorgensen #JamesFoley #MegMcKinley #WendyBinks #MarkGreenwood #FraneLessac #GabrielEvans #WritingForChildren #Illustrators #Poetry #WAWriters

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Ten Quote Tuesday (#24)

Posted in Writing on January 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

My favorite: “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” – Terry Pratchett

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28 years…

Posted in Exploring Possibilities, Love, Poetry, Romance, Writing, tagged ExploringPossibilities, FrancesMacaulayForde, Love, POEM:MyKnight, poems, poetry, Reunion, romance on January 21, 2015| 1 Comment »

Mum, Amazon Crescent, Kitwe, Zambia, 1972.

Today would have been my dear old Mum’s 84th birthday. I wish I could give her a hug, like I do in my dreams. It’s also the anniversary of my husband first finding my name on the net in 2002 (after 28 years apart) then that hug and a promise to explore the possibilities of love, again.

I think it was Mum’s way of hugging me… bringing my love back to me.