I saw the movie the day after it was released and, I was actually blown away. I went into the theater with, admittedly, low expectations. I had heard mixed reviews about the film, "it's too formulaic", "it's predictable", "it's cliche", "it's blah blah blah". Despite it all, though, I had made up my mind that I was going to support this film!

So, I went in with my friend and as we waited for the movie to start, we watched the theater fill up! The nice thing was that it was filling with people from every walk of life and children who were very eager for the movie to start. And when it started...WOW!

The art direction was outstanding! The color selection, the backgrounds, the costume designs and, of course, the character designs! I LOVE Tiana!! And I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Naveen!!!! He is easily the most handsome Disney prince without question or competition!

*ahem*



But, aside from that, I loved the designs of the characters, especially Tiana's family (I won't go into detail since not everyone has seen it) but, I really like and appreciate the direction they took with her parents as well as how they designed the neighborhood and the people therein.

One other thing that I really REALLY respected about this movie is that Tiana is not the typical princess who sort of waits for her prince to rescue her or who falls for the prince at first sight. She believed that wishing and dreaming for a thing was only part of making it happen. For your dreams to be realized, you have to work hard to see them through. And she was a hard working character and very beautiful, too!

Naveen, inversely, was the complete opposite of Disney princes! He was a playboy and a lay-about! He was lazy and spoiled, but still very likable because he was just a character who enjoyed a good time...but was very lazy about all the rest life demanded of him. You watched him grow and change into a man and out of the sort of, child-like mentality he had at the onset of the film.

I also really enjoyed the music and thought it was a beautiful counterpart to the film. They worked together to really tell a very entertaining story. Good job, Randy Newman!

The only thing I didn't like was the length. I WISH it could have been a little longer! ...like...30 minutes more. I know that the movie was as long as all 2-D films, but I just wanted to see a little more. Maybe they'll release a special DVD that has a little more...like most DVD's do, nowadays. I went to Border's after the movie as I was waiting to get my phone serviced (it wasn't behaving properly) with the intention of getting a coloring book. I found one as well as a book that was done in a very painterly manner about a story that followed the film. I thumbed through it and found it was very engaging! The art was not that of the movie, but it was very beautiful!

All in all, I give this movie a 9 out of 10!

...and as I'm watching the news, I realize that the nation seemed to enjoy it, too, as it placed #1 in the box office, bringing in over $25 million! WOOHOO!

Have a Blessed Day!




My Club:



Clubs I'm In:




____________________________

CHARACTER COMMISSION SHOPPE (Closed until May, but still taking orders)


$5.00 for pencil sketches

$10.00 for inked illustrations

$20.00 for full color illustrations


The above prices would relate to single character illustrations. If you would want another character in the same piece, the price would change just a bit:


$10.00 for doubles pencil sketch

$15.00 for doubles inked illustrations

$25.00 for doubles color illustrations


The images will be roughly 8.5 X 11 inches, although some images (particularly couples images) could be slightly larger. I will e-mail the finished high resolution file (about 300 dpi) to you and post a smaller image here on DA.


COMMISSIONS

3 character commission for

2 character color commission for

Elf Trio pencil sketch for

Romantic Expecting for

You know, the other day was rather chilly, but for the most part, it's been unseasonably warm, lately.

Last night it was quite warm, but it was also raining. Yet, the oddest thing happened...even though it was raining hard...the rain wasn't making a sound as it fell. It was just like the sound that snow makes when it falls.

...silence.

...very eerie!

Anyhoo, I've got nothin' to report! Mostly I've been keeping busy with commissions and such. I've been hopping across states the last couple of days, but beyond that, life is as it should be I hope everyone's doing well!

Have a Blessed Day!




My Club:



Clubs I'm In:




____________________________

CHARACTER COMMISSION SHOPPE (Closed until May, but still taking orders)


$5.00 for pencil sketches

$10.00 for inked illustrations

$20.00 for full color illustrations


The above prices would relate to single character illustrations. If you would want another character in the same piece, the price would change just a bit:


$10.00 for doubles pencil sketch

$15.00 for doubles inked illustrations

$25.00 for doubles color illustrations


The images will be roughly 8.5 X 11 inches, although some images (particularly couples images) could be slightly larger. I will e-mail the finished high resolution file (about 300 dpi) to you and post a smaller image here on DA.


COMMISSIONS

3 character commission for

2 character color commission for

Elf Trio pencil sketch for

Romantic Expecting for

Man, I am so behind on updates! I should be more proactive about that And I need to change my journal skin, too! Hmm...what to change it to?

Anyway, life's had its ups and downs, but lately I've been so busy with things...good things...that I think it's sort of balanced things out, more or less.

I haven't been home for more than a few moments in nearly two weeks! My sister is studying for a big exam and needed some extra help watching the kids when the nanny leaves as her husband works late. So, I've been camping out here in the company of my dear family all this time, hanging out with my nephews.

...still, I'll be happy to get home! I miss my cat!

I'm also having Thanksgiving at my house this year, so I have to remove all traces of cat hair from the house as my nephew is allergic to him. He'll have to spend a few hours in the cat carrier...poor guy.

I also got a really huge commission to do, plus two additional commissions and called to work on a comic and...and I'm just working hard! I hope I'll have time to work on Sweet Shoppe before the next convention. We'll see, but I'm really wanting to get work on them done before then.

Well, I think that's about it for now. See ya!

Have a Blessed Day!




My Club:



Clubs I'm In:




____________________________

CHARACTER COMMISSION SHOPPE (Closed until May, but still taking orders)


$5.00 for pencil sketches

$10.00 for inked illustrations

$20.00 for full color illustrations


The above prices would relate to single character illustrations. If you would want another character in the same piece, the price would change just a bit:


$10.00 for doubles pencil sketch

$15.00 for doubles inked illustrations

$25.00 for doubles color illustrations


The images will be roughly 8.5 X 11 inches, although some images (particularly couples images) could be slightly larger. I will e-mail the finished high resolution file (about 300 dpi) to you and post a smaller image here on DA.


COMMISSIONS

3 character commission for

2 character color commission for

Elf Trio pencil sketch for

Romantic Expecting for

...it was really great despite me forgetting my camera. I was looking for one single issue of Katmandu to complete my collection, but couldn't find it, but that's alright. I found a bunch of leads. There were a TON of celebrities there. The original Ohura, William Shatner, the woman who played Janeway, Adam West, Sean Young, the woman from Terminator...Sarah Connor, I think and the man who played her son, a bunch of WWF old school wrestlers a ton of Playboy models, the man who played Bruce Leroy............................................and the one person who completely made my day seeing him.......BRENT SPINER!!

...yes, I geeked out and had a moment! But he was SUPER sweet and talked to us and I have never had been more flustered speaking to a person but....HE IS A LEGENDARY ICON TO ME!! AND HE'S STILL SO HANDSOME!! ...yes, I admit to having the biggest crush on Data ever :embarrassed: But, he was very nice and answered questions and talked to me and my friend and...yeah...good times.

There was also a fella who came all the way from Australia to have his portfolio (which was very good, by the way) by the folks at Marvel, but they refused to see his stuff. SO! I told him where the Marvel Studio was down the street and he was happy to learn of it. My good deed for the day, HOORAY! And on the way home, a bunch of people who were moving were trying to giveaway a keyboard that they didn't have space for in their moving van but didn't want to leave it on the street in the oncoming rain so they gave it to me! YAY! MUSIC!!

....Brent Spiner...

*runs away with a silly nostalgic grin on my face*

Have a Blessed Day!




My Club:



Clubs I'm In:




____________________________

CHARACTER COMMISSION SHOPPE (Closed until May, but still taking orders)


$5.00 for pencil sketches

$10.00 for inked illustrations

$20.00 for full color illustrations


The above prices would relate to single character illustrations. If you would want another character in the same piece, the price would change just a bit:


$10.00 for doubles pencil sketch

$15.00 for doubles inked illustrations

$25.00 for doubles color illustrations


The images will be roughly 8.5 X 11 inches, although some images (particularly couples images) could be slightly larger. I will e-mail the finished high resolution file (about 300 dpi) to you and post a smaller image here on DA.


COMMISSIONS

3 character commission for

2 character color commission for

Elf Trio pencil sketch for

Romantic Expecting for

WOW! Long time no write! Too much stuff has happened since the last entry. This has not been the best year ever, but, hey, the world hasn't ended yet and that means there's still time for things to get much better. So, that's what I'm going to keep holding out for As it is, things are starting to get better already, so I can't complain. The best things come to those who wait and even in the waiting, my needs are met and I have a lot to be grateful for

OK!

Sweet Shoppe Notes!


About Transportation

For the most part, the folks of Calico City walk wherever they need to go. If you're not walking, you're probably riding a bike. If you're not riding a bike, you may be riding a horse or being pulled in a horse drawn cart or a cat powered rickshaw. These are the most common sources of transportation.

The second most common is boat. Being an island, the islanders get around by boat very handily and very often. Whether their island hopping or channeling one of the many rivers, boats are a part of every home's assembly of transportation vessels.

The less used vehicles are cars, trains and planes. Emergency rescue units have cars or trucks (police cars, fire trucks, ambulances) and many families have a family car which they use, pretty much, just for leaving the island by way of airplane or to travel to a distant part of the island by train. They will drive to the airport or train depot and leave the car there only to pick it up on the way back. The car is also used when moving or acquiring goods for moving. But, other than that, cars aren't used that much, except by the emergency teams or the Royals.


About Technology

The technology of Calico City is comparable to ours, but just a little behind. There are no cell phones, although there are beepers, for example. No dvd players, but they do have VHS. There ARE cd's, but portable cd players are kinda expensive. If you have one, you're pretty hip! Most everyone uses a walkman and cassette tapes. Computers and the internet...don't really exist There's running water in the homes and they've got indoor plumbing, although farms also use wells and well water.



The Tidewater Troop

As mentioned before, the climate on the island has a rainy season. During this time, more destruction is done to homes, families and the land than any other time. As a result, the Tidewater Troop was formed. The TT is a group that fights water in the same way firefighters fight fires. It's actually more dangerous than firefighting (fires don't happen that much here), but flooding is rampant. Hardly a year passes where at least one member of the troop or the islands is not lost to the elements.

Have a Blessed Day!




My Club:



Clubs I'm In:




____________________________

CHARACTER COMMISSION SHOPPE (Closed until May, but still taking orders)


$5.00 for pencil sketches

$10.00 for inked illustrations

$20.00 for full color illustrations


The above prices would relate to single character illustrations. If you would want another character in the same piece, the price would change just a bit:


$10.00 for doubles pencil sketch

$15.00 for doubles inked illustrations

$25.00 for doubles color illustrations


The images will be roughly 8.5 X 11 inches, although some images (particularly couples images) could be slightly larger. I will e-mail the finished high resolution file (about 300 dpi) to you and post a smaller image here on DA.


COMMISSIONS

3 character commission for

2 character color commission for

Elf Trio pencil sketch for

Romantic Expecting for