Pink Cats in Central Park

I think there must be some, even if I did not see them yet...I feel them in the air;)

On 13 of July three years ago

I had my baby girl.
She makes me smile, whenever I look at her. "A princess?" "No, Mommy, I am a cat"
I love having girly talks with her, drinking tea together and reading the same book over and over again. We can spend hours together drawing, and I so love sitting next to her and sharing brushes with her. She has a wonderful eye for detail and color, and I am endlessly impressed when she makes miracles happen on paper. She is only 3, but I believe she has lots of talent in her and I wish I can bring her up so that that talent grows and blossoms. Happy Birthday my dear girl!
this is her masterpiece

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And my favorite Yuriy Norshteyn again with the tale of The Hare and the Fox. It is an old Russian folk tale about how a hare built himself a house of wood, and the fox built her house of ice. The fox's ice house melted in the spring and she took over the hare's. Then one by one the wolf, the bear and the oxen try to kick her out, but with no luck. And eventually the rooster manages to scare her away. The animation is BEAUTIFUL, beyond any words! I have to confess that I saw the animation for the first time several days ago, and I am extremely impressed. It does not look bright or exciting at the first glance, but I assure you that it is an absolute gem! 10 minutes of pure inspiration
Part 1

Part 2

IF: Hollow

The river flooded the hollow, and the house became completely covered with water. The only hope was that the talking fish noticed them and would tell the people on the ship.

Storybird

Some weeks ago I was contacted by Mark from Storybird, who asked me if they could use my Art work for one of their presentations. First of course, I had to figure out what Storybird was. And it turns out that it is a social media service that uses collaborative storytelling to connect kids and families. Two people author a Storybird—one with words, one with pictures—and then share it with their network. The final product can be printed, watched on screen, played with like a toy, or shared through a worldwide library. Great idea! For someone that wants to do a family project with the kids who are already computer literate, or just for themselves...
I found that the implementation was also very well done, and the interface seemed straightforward and easy to follow.

I am looking forward to the release of Storybird, and meanwhile I am proudly showing off the sneak peak, with my work in it.

Out of the City

For the long weekend we went out of the city . Finally! Our first camping trip for this season. I can not describe how different the air is in the mountains. It has dozens of smells in it, and it is not the smell of dust or cat urine(pardon the details). Several friends of ours with families came with us and it was just wonderful! We built a fire every night, sang with the guitar , baked potatos in the ashes and watched the stars. Going back was harder, the messy apartment was not something I was looking forward to. The next outing will be towards the end of summer. And I already can hardly wait for it.

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Realities of a Soviet Era day care with a twist of childhood love.

IF: Shaky Sea Goddess

The boats felt tiny, shaky and absolutely helpless in the against the might of the Ocean.
I recently saw Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea by Miyazaki. It was lovely, as all of Miazaki's work of course.The plot is centered on a fish girl, or mermaid, who runs away from her home in the sea. She ends up stranded on the shore and is rescued by Sōsuke, a five year old boy who lives on a cliff. After taking a great liking to her, Sōsuke names her Ponyo and vows to protect her forever. Meanwhile, her father, Fujimoto is looking for his daughter, upset that she ran away. He calls his wave spirits to return Ponyo to him. Sōsuke is heartbroken by this, and goes home with his mother, Lisa (or "Risa" in some translations), who tries to cheer him up. But that is just a start:) A story of love, faithfulness and strength. Will definitely show it to my 5 year old, to give him a perspective of how in a different place culture and time a 5 year old can behave. The difference of amount of the responsibility taken is tremendous. Plus it is a very beautiful movie. The watercolor above is inspired by it.

What Inspired Me Today on Etsy

This one I will not be able to afford for a looooong time, but I absolutely admire the work by yalonetski.Oksaniko has lovely whimsical dolls that I recently discovered. I have always admired the abiltiy that people have to make this kind of creatures!Jenny M at behappynow always has some new and delicious work! I love her colors and the imagination that has no boundaries.

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Today it is Pixar again, with a short film "One Man Band". Lovely music, good sense of humor.
Enjoy!

IF: Worn

The bear was playing a cheerful melody on his balalaika and was wearing a worn hat that was passed on to him from his Grandpa.

An ACEO SALE

I am clearing out some of the space and will be having an ACEO sale. Please check my store's SALE section to see the reduced items. A new batch of ACEOs is coming in as we speak:)

Making a Blurb Book

Many of you probably know, about a site called Blurb. You can self publish a book there, using their book layout software. And they will print it out for you. The reviews of the site I have read are fabulous. The quality cost ratio should be very reasonable,so I am excited about receiving my first solo Art book.
My research tells me that I need a 7x7" hardcover. And that is what I am making for the past couple of days. Once I get my copy and test drive it with friends and family I will be offering them at my etsy shop.

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This animation series our family has been enjoying for the past month or so. And we got them for all of our friends too:) Wonderful series for kids of all ages, especially if you like the Moomins!

IF: Drifting

A brown unicorn was drifting between the castle and the meadow.

My Men Love Chess

Can you find one thing in common in these?
I have started a series of these, playing chess wherever we go...
Andrei carries a chess set with him almost all the time.

IT IS FREE

A free download of this illustration is available at http://indiefixx.com/category/feed-your-soul/
as well as many many other wonderful creations by various artists.

If you would like the original of this painting please drop me a note

New Baked Goods

A home made organicly baked wolf, and a wholesome tea loving elephant. Brand new and waiting for their new homes.
Sculpey is my favorite medium, did I ever say that ...I am sure I did

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Imagination has no boundries! Truly.

IF: Unfold

Spring suddenly unfolded itself and turned out to be summer.