Everywhere I look, I am seeing good-byes and good-riddances to 2016. Some people are naming it the worst year ever, but for me, though it ended with an election nightmare, the year itself has been full of productive studio time, forays into the world with my new book, Yellow Time,  and meaningful time with family and friends. 

Most of 2016 was spent in my new third floor studio meeting the daily challenge of painting illustrations for a new picture book about Frank Lloyd Wright. It comes out in September 2017-- so I will write more indepth about it in the coming year, but for now, here is a studio glimpse: Studio wall with illustrations in the works. When planning a new year, I make a "Mind-Map" to organize my must-be-dones, want-to-dos, dreams and hopes. I choose a color, a word, and an animal to represent the year. For 2016, my color was Yellow to celebrate the publication of Yellow Time. My word was "curiosity", nurturing that noun in my daily practice through reading new books, listening to podcasts, and taking long walks at different times of day and night to see the way the light and the world around me changes. It is certainly a word that I would add again to this year's intentions. And when I read this book last January, my animal for the year chose me. 

Because my children have chosen to live faraway in their creative lives, I have the great fortune to visit them. 

In 2016, my studio time was paused three times by three weddings- the first two filling my home in Minnesota with friends, family and love and the third in Tangier, Morocco, surrounded by new family, new friends, and a new culture. My daughter, Ruby fell in love with a wonderful Moroccan man and when two such diverse cultures meet, more than one celebration is a necessity. 

Meanwhile in Montreal, my son, Cooper, continued his training in the circus arts at ENC. Seeing his end-of-the-year performances fills me with awe at what he and his fellow students are pushing their bodies to do creatively and dramatically.  Before the year ends, I want to shout out my gratitude and appreciation to the people and bookstores that helped me launch my newest picture book- Yellow Time! Beginning with the Anderson Center's 17th Annual Children's Book Festival, organized by the incredible Amy Baum and Mackin Educational Resources, Yellow Time made its first appearance with leaf crowns and a story-telling tent!

Next, thank you to Addendum Books in St. Paul, where Marcus and Katherine fill the shelves and walls with the most wondrous collection of books, filled its windows with Yellow Time and offered leaf cookies with yellow sprinkles to everyone who came to my reading!

Thank you to the Red Balloon Bookshop, who let me paint their window with yellow time and gave me a stage to conduct a Yellow Time orchestral reading of the book (the audience were the musicians!)

And thanks also go to Valley Bookseller, who invited me to ride the roller coaster trolley all around Stillwater, MN and share my picture books with my fellow riders!
, by A. S. Byatt, narrated by Rosalyn Landor
                        H is for Hawk, by Helen McDonald, narrated by Helen McDonald
                        Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan, narrated by David Levithan
                        His Dark Materials Trilogy, by Phillip Pullman, narrated by Phillip Pullman and numerous actors--a                          brilliant listen!Some of my favorite picture book blogs in 2016:                          Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
                         Art of the Picture Book
                         Books Around the Table
                         Picturebook Makers
​                        And if you like to cook and you like to look a illustrations, follow this illustrated food blog!

I could keep making lists of my favorite books read this year and favorite museum shows and favorite music, mostly found through my kids great music lists, but I think I will stop here-- my daily practice of my word for the year, "curiosity," brought much enrichment to my life. Thank you 2016!

And when the clocks toll midnight, I will begin my wishes for 2017... 

​Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!