Dear Friends,
I so enjoy creating irksome monsters with glowing eyes and bizarre creatures with gnashing teeth. Where this little girl comes from, I’m not quite sure. I think she dwells beneath the soft underbelly of my heart. You best be careful digging beneath your heart. Squishy stuff settles there and if to much oozes out, you’ll feel empty inside.
Besides changing hair length – like night and day alternating sides – Galeen loves surfacing now and again. Since she thinks she’s kind of cute, Galeen would like to present her ‘living’ scrapbook.
Dunce
Hair Hiding
Star Gazer
Statically
Autumn Leaves
Thank you. May you dream of wishing stars floating in the soft underbelly of your heart.
As you may have noticed, Galeen likes experimenting with how she appears – she may cover herself with paint, pencil, collage or marker! She’s never quite sure what scented soap to use and loves trying them all…
anntogether 
Much as I love your monsters and bizarre creatures, I have to say this little girl, Galeen, has suddenly become my favorite. She’s so thoughtful, moving, and sad (the second drawing, Dunce, breaks my heart), and I happen to like the way she changes her hair styles (jealous, on my part). I think you’ve done a wonderful thing by releasing Galeen from “beneath the soft underbelly” of your heart. But please don’t let too much ooze out — no feeling empty allowed! BTW, I took your advice this weekend: coffee, juice, coffee. Thank you! I’m getting better; however, I know I’m not 100% when I go into B&N (Saturday) and walk out without buying a thing! AnnMarie, have a great week! And thanks for sharing Galeen.
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It’s so funny – I have a problem with cute, I think it goes all the way back to my tomboy days 😉 I have a few more Galeen sketches in my studio right now waiting to be colored. She’s refusing to go away 🙂 And I’ve discovered in my maturing mind, cute isn’t so bad, especially when it makes other people happy 🙂
Glad you’re feeling a bit better. Don’t get discouraged, it definitely takes a while to recuperate with bronch.. I was actually at B&N two times this weekend. I was in Michael’s Crafts and B&N is attached (lucky me) so I bought myself a lite (of course) decaf (don’t need the jitters) peppermint mocha latte – yummmm. You’ll be back in the B&N saddle before you know it. The second B&N trip I spent real money and purchased a Marvel Comic book for myself – Marvel artists have the most amazing sense of the human form (the giant breasts on all their female characters – I could do without those things smacking my eyes at every turn) and I bought my son the latest Rick Riordan book.
Feel well Deb! Here’s to a great week of healing and writing and coffee (and juice)!
AnnMarie 🙂
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It’s funny, but I was also a tomboy (I’ve always wondered why it’s not called “tomgirl,” but anyway) and whenever I’d have my mom read something I’d written, if it seemed sentimental to her she’d say the writing was “too cute.” She equated “cute” with sentimental. Maybe that’s what you’re feeling about Galeen, but I can assure you she’s anything but sentimental. She’s painfully human. Anyhoo, I hope she sticks around a while, elbowing those wonderful monsters for some spotlight.
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I think she is tough underneath – I haven’t tested out the theory yet 🙂 Perhaps I should 😉
Tomboys – an interesting word isn’t it…
I think you hit the nail on the head, Deb – with the sentimental thing – yes, I think that’s exactly it.
Leave it to a talented writer – like yourself – to figure it out – thank you for the exact right words 🙂
AnnMarie 🙂
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Hey, what are you doing in the blogosphere right now? No subbing today? Galeen is tough. I went round and round with one of my teachers at Bennington about the sentimental thing. We finally agreed that “sentimentality” is “unearned emotion” (something I have to be very careful with in my own work). On the other hand, work that avoids emotion can, in my view, be cold and removed. Galeen is definitely not sentimental. She elicits/earns emotion, and she stands on her own two feet — she’s a tough young woman. If I’d seen and read about her when I was a girl going through the tough times of childhood, I’d have been grateful. Hey, I’m on a roll today — sent you an email.
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Can you believe, I’ve been at the laundromat all morning washing comforters and blankets too big for my machine. I’m prepping for Thanksgiving palooza – when many Italians descend upon my humble home and park themselves for four days of eating, insanity and fun…
I also took the day to take my daughter to doctor – she has a little cyst on her wrist from doing pushups – she’s not athletic like her momma – geez, talk about being further away from a tomboy – she’s too girly 🙂
I like the ‘sentimental’ debate – it all makes sense. Aren’t we all a group of ‘hominids’ just looking for the eye-meet of others? We all need the sentiment, but most won’t ever admit the need of this ‘unearned emotion’ (I luv that phrase) – except Mrs. Fields and Kathy Lee Gifford 😉 I think in the end – Galeen’s tomboy/tomgirl 😉 would come out if someone threatened to harm her puppy or pet butterfly. I cry at most coffee commercials, watch Hallmark Holiday movies and listen to John Tesh’s Romantic Christmas CD, but you’ll never get me to admit any of this!
AnnMarie 🙂
responded to your email too – hope it’s helpful…
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Better you than me at the laundromat (in my neighborhood, however, I’m sure I’d find plenty of stories). Another way I envy you: your big Italian family. As an only child, I don’t really have family, and since the death of my husband’s mother 6 months ago, we haven’t been on good speaking terms with his family. Let’s just say, the holidays are quiet. Sorry about your daughter’s wrist — geez, I’ve never heard of that! Love the “eye-meet of others” — so perfect! I definitely think there’s a place for “sentiment” — or else why would they ever have invented the word in the first place? LOL I think I’d rather write something that makes someone cry than leaves them scratching their head (unless, of course, they had head lice — then the scratching would be wholly earned). Ha! I’m cracking myself up — probably this new cup of joe I’m drinking. Oh boy, will I be hopping in the classroom this aftie! Well, cry away — I’m right there with you (which is why I NEVER watch animal shows on PBS).
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Hey there, Deb,
Yes, the big family can be wonderful when it’s wonderful – then sometimes there is the old expression – too much of a good thing. Quiet is sometimes very nice too – maybe someday though – the family wound will heal. Family stuff can require many bandaids followed by surgery. Speaking of sentiment, one of your FB images made be weep this morning – the bear leaning against the wall in the cement enclosure…
Hope you had a terrific afternoon and are feeling better!
AnnMarie 🙂
daughter is fine, was at doc’s for 2 hours waiting…cyst is fine…nothing to worry about…if in the future she wants it gone it would require small surgery ’cause it’s on the underside by arteries…
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Glad to hear your daughter’s wrist is fine, 🙂 Gosh, how many push-ups did she do? Crazy many, eh? Re: family: bandaids and surgery required. Gosh, I’ve made you cry here lately — I need to pick some cheerful photos/words from now on (that bear photo was emotional, with strong sentiment, I agree). Yes, feeling better: Aleve is my friend. 🙂
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What a creative little creature she is! I can relate to her uncooperative paint brush, as that’s the only kind I own! Have a brave week ahead, AnnMarie. – Fawn
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Fawn, again I thank you for all your wisdom. I’m over my art tantrum and back to just getting the job done and where ever it takes me – it takes me.
Those darn paintbrushes 😉 Have a wonderful week too – I don’t doubt you’ll be extremely busy!
Here’s to a terrific week!
I’m so bad, I’ve already started listening to Christmas music and watching holiday movies on my laptop as I draw 🙂
AnnMarie 🙂
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Three cheers for Galeen! (The autumn leaves picture s my favorite)
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That one has a funny story. I think the last time I attempted collage, my shoe size was 3. I painted the dark bkgd to coverup a booboo – and decided to paint leaves and glue them on top! Many folks have told me they like this one especially – perhaps I should think about doing more this way. Thank you!
AnnMarie 🙂
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In a word? ” ❤ "
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🙂
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