cartooning relaxes me
I love doing it
a precursor to my paintings
I adore acrylics
fluorescents entice me
fuchsia, orange, green, red, blue,
anything that dazzles under a black light
I never work on one painting
My studio is a messy mess
encouraging me to work on ten at a time
Yesterday I realized I have twenty-six waiting
without a drop of paint
I am working on twelve.
How long can this obsession last?
So far, it has been a steady ten years
Pirates, witches, dragons, castles, mats and bats,
Broomstick divas, a Dracula wearing red flats,
Huskies, and spider monkeys joining soulful frats,
Raccoons, starfish, butterflies, a skull that chats
My imagination gives me enormous congrats
As we pencil out another painting of rat wearing hats
In seventeen minutes I teach cartooning to a bunch of lively and eager first, second and third graders.
I have been looking forward to it in a fantastic way since yesterday, when I realized I am doing it.
We could choose three things to teach, things that we love, that are not traditional school-ish things.
My choices were number 1, Cartooning 2, Poetry 3, Career Exploration, excited I got my first choice.
Wait a second! I always get my first choice. There is an insane madness to getting it. Listen closely.
You have to meet the deadline. I always get my choices back the instant I see them before I forget.
Once something lands on my desk, in my drawer, around my office, it is gone forever.
I am a messy woman, maybe not the world’s messiest, but I am indeed a contender.
Knowing this about myself, paperwork gets done instantly for I despise it so.