Expanding the story

 I’ve started comparing story telling to making up a lie. You start with this little character. Then you need to expand on that character to make it true. What is his name, where does he live, what does he do and why does he do it.  The story is really coming alive now and I see no turning back. It is part of my life now. Apart I don’t want to let go. Those little characters are becoming my truth, my friends.

I’m at that point now where I need to start expanding on the small things I’ve started around here for the kids. Like the Enchanted door I built and installed in the garden house. Or the little decorated aquarium in my living room where the fairies live all winter. These will be my upcoming winter’s project. I’ll be making fairy homes and Hilda’s nest for the gardens. Sculpting new characters and updating the older ones. I will be filling my spare time with imagination and fun. I can’t wait to get started. But first I have some more chores to do. Like fall cleaning in the gardens.

Stay with me and I’ll keep you posted on the progress of The Adventures Through The Enchanted Door.

Have a creative day!

Ann

http://www.AnArtistView.net

Save 15% off Hideaway Hilda this friday Oct 10th – Oct 17th only.

 

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Inspiring a child’s imagination

   I begin this morning by telling you about writing for my grand kids. Let me begin by saying that I’m an artist first and the writing of the stories began because of playing with the kids. Being a grand parent is the perfect excuse to play once again without everyone thinking you just lost your mind.

It all started one day as we were playing with play doah. It was then that I realized that kids don’t really know what to do with the stuff until you actually show them. We started making little things and it grew into bigger things. It was amazing to see their little faces as they themselves realized they could make it into whatever their imaginations wanted. It was then that I began to push their imaginations. Making up stories and playing the “what if” game with them. It was so much fun, and not just for me. I had forgotten how much fun it was play, to imagine to dream without limits.

After they went home, the work began. I would create a world of fairies that would forever keep their imaginations growing. I created little clay fairies that held perfectly still if you looked at them. We began one day with a simple fairy trap. It was a box rigged with a string dangling from the inside from which a piece of jewelry hung. If a fairy came and tugged on the jewelry, the door would shut and the fairy trapped.  I had the kids set it up that night, lining the path with Skittles, cuz you know no one can refuse those colorful candies. Come sunrise those kids  were out the door before I knew it. They had trapped their first fairy. Then two.  And so the stories began and more fairies had to be made.

The fairies are the first things they look for when they come over now as the fairies never do seem to stay in one spot and the children always want to put them back into the aquarium village where they have there inside home. I wonder how long this wonderful game will last. Will the kids begin to make up there own stories? Will they still be looking for the fairies when they get older? And maybe not want to admit they are?  As for me, I know I’ll keep it up as long as they do. Maybe even let them weave the stories by the kid’s imaginations.  Will they eventually begin to write there own stories? Time will tell and I’ll be sure to let you know.

Have a creative day!

http://www.anartistview.net

15% off the Enchanted Door books this friday, Oct 10th – 17th.  Save even more when you buy both books.

 

Free Kids Activities and Drawing Lessons

Three more days and I’m just a scrambling. Not procrastinating mind you, just adding one more thing after one more thing.

What am I up to you ask? Well, as a grandmother, you can never have enough things to keep the kids busy so I’ve created a few fun activities pages where you will be able to print out free Meet the Character coloring pages, dot to dot, maze and word search games. And most of all, I’m starting to offer free drawing lessons for the kids. these will all be available this coming Friday, Oct. 10th on my website, http://www.anartistview.net .  They will be geared towards kids Pre K to 3rd grade. Very simple and easy to follow along. I’ll be adding more every month so be sure to check back. I plan on making lessons for the adults later. Sign up for the newsletter for more details.

By the way, Thanks for the responses yesterday. Although I prefer an actual book over and electronic device, I’ll be sure to look into making the kindle version work. As well as offer them online as well as at my local bookstore.

There is plenty more for me to do today so until tomorrow!

Ann

Don’t miss out on the opening day special!

Order your copies of the new Hideaway Hilda children’s book and you’ll receive 15% off the cover price, Oct 10 – 17th only at http://www.anartistview.net

The date is set! Hideaway Hilda is coming this Friday, Oct. 10th!

  Hideaway Hilda Learns to Share is the second in the Adventures Through the Enchanted Door Series and is set to be released this coming Friday, Oct. 10, 2014.

The idea for Hilda came about as I was doing some weeding in my backyard gardens. There seems to be a few hawks that live close by and who frequently check out my bird feeder.  The hawk perched itself  upon the top of the garden house where just a few feet under it stood the little clay fairies stood on the porch railing awaiting the kids to come and find them.  My imagination immediately took over and from there the story began. The hawk, Hilda, was now a hoarder instead of a hunter and the kids were the prize she wanted for her collection.

It’s been a long fourteen months of writing, rewriting, editing, and illustrating. I’ve learned a new respect for writers and illustrators. My determination and concentration are getting better. You can’t be a flighty artist and stay focused this long. I’ve certainly enjoy the process although there were many times I could have just given up if it weren’t for my precious grand kids Dawson and Avery, asking what was going to happen next.

Now I have a question I need your help with. When you want to purchase a book, do you buy from a store or a website? If you could just give me a simple reply I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you!

Ann

http://www.anartistview.net

PS  Don’t forget to sign up for the monthly newsletter where you will get the behind the scenes stories of the books, updates on the newest artwork from An Artist View Photography, the progress of my other book series, Second Glances and most of all, some specials, and more. Sign up today!

What a great idea!

Good Morning!

So I’ve been thinking.

Oh, come on now, quit shaking your head and rolling those eyes for just a second and let me explain.

This really is a good idea! Really!

I want to start a newsletter. That’s right, just a small email newsletter that I could send out maybe just once a month giving you an insiders look at what is going on at An Artist View Photography.

But here’s where I need your help. I really need your help picking out some topics. That way I’ll be sure to address some of the things you want to read about. After all, I could only hope that it would become something you would look forward to receiving and enjoy reading.

Would you like topics on photography, photoshop, demonstrations on how I go about creating an image? How about using background textures with your photographs? Then, there are those wonderful little fairies and the process of digitally creating them. And don’t forget about Second Glances, I love find them!

Please help by leaving a message below as to what topics you like most and I’ll be sure to try and fit them all in. And don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter. I’ve placed a link on every page this is posted on. I’ve even updated the website to include it right on the homepage.

Thank you!

Ann

http://www.anartistview.net

 

The winds of change

Remember Mary Poppins? A spoon full of sugar? They always make me smile. And then I wonder how many other stories have impacted my life. Just last night as I was thinking of all the new and exciting things that I want to do with An Artist’s View, I naturally just blurted out, ” The winds are changing”. Now I’m sure that is not exactly what the guys on the roof were saying but it didn’t stop my imagination from picturing them on the roof watching to see what was coming their way.

I personally relate more to Alice in Wonderland, myself. “Why sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Always imaging, always playing. I swear I learned all of life’s lessons within those few short innocent years of childhood. Lessons that will forever be repeated throughout the rest of my life. And now that I cascade through the creative journey, weaving the web of the series, Adventures Through the Enchanted Door, I try keeping this in mind. As I write these stories for my grandchildren I often wonder what will be trapped and repeated throughout their lives. I can only hope it’s a good thing.

Update on Hideaway Hilda.  Well….editing is taking a little longer than I had planned. Another proof book delivered yesterday and another proof book will be ordered again today as just one little letter didn’t show up where it belonged. And so the story goes….

Also I will be adding a opt in on my web page for collecting emails so I will be able to connect a little closer to those who wish to receive emails with specials and inside glimpses on the behind the scenes of An Artist’s View. Free giveaways, private lessons and all sorts of other things that will not be available on any of my blogs.

I’ve got my hands a little full with juggling the marketing right now, so stay tuned for more for the best is yet to come.

 

“I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.”

Ann

http://www.anartistview.net

Hideaway Hilda Learns to Share

     The two new friends began their journey through the tall field grass. Chatting and laughing as they went. Avery caught a red feather that floated down in front of them. Neither of them seeing the slow moving shadow creeping up behind them. The darkness ended their carefree conversation. It was now circling them on the ground. Avery and Sadie stood perfectly still. They could hear a swooshing sound and it was getting louder.
Hideaway Hilda Hawkins would take whatever she wanted. Until the day she took Avery.

After nearly eight months, it’s finally coming to an end. Now for the editing and final arrangements.

Coming this July!!!!

Preorders will be available in late June.