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Art Show! Magical Nature + Kid-Inspired

Paloma and her dragon friend Wings celebrate Hawthorn - Art by Jane Valencia (c) 2012
Paloma and her dragon friend Wings celebrate Hawthorn – Art by Jane Valencia (c) 2012

Art Showing by Jane Valencia

Into Forest Halls: Kid-Inspired Art From The Heart Of Our Nature

At the HUB 070 Gallery – November through Year End (Located in the Spinnaker Building in downtown Vashon just north of Chase Bank and across from Vashon Market)
17710 100th Ave SW,Vashon, WA

First Friday Gallery Tour Opening: Friday, Nov. 7, 2014, 6-9PM

Come enjoy harp music and micro-magical tales from artist Jane Valencia, good island company, yummy forest-and-garden inspired snacks, and nourishing and delicious herbal beverages as you browse an enchanted forest of nature-rooted, kid-inspired art that speaks to the heart of our true nature.

About the show:

Step into forest magic in this showing of whimsical nature-rooted and kid-inspired art that speaks to the heart of our true nature.

Featured in this showing of watercolor and colored-pencil drawings and fanciful photography are several pages from Paloma And Wings, an herbal comic for kids, which was published for two years in the internationally acclaimed herbal journal, Plant Healer Magazine.

As a harper and storyteller, an instructor with the Vashon Wilderness Program, and a children’s fantasy book author, Jane Valencia draws upon her love of imagination, music, magical lore, the natural world and her joy in adventuring with kids in the outdoors to create her art.

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Why Not Write? Camp NaNoWriMo Begins!

Join a Writers Camp like no other!

Hello, folks!

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, and takes place each year in November. Folks from all over the world spend one month furiously writing novels — whoo hoo!

Camp NaNoWriMo is the summer fun version of this annual undertaking. Each one of us is invited to work on a writing project of our choice for one month, in the spirit of campfires and cook outs.

This month, my daughters and I have embarked on writing projects. And it looks like my sister-in-law and niece will be joining us too.

Here’s a peek of what I started:

Dragon Tale

by Jane Valencia

Santa here, reporting on a typical late winter predawn morning on Yonder Island. The birds are whimpering. The trees are drooping in the drizzle. Who wants to be out here in the damp? The birds don’t, and I bet the trees don’t. And I sure as heck don’t.

My sister Annie is snuggled in bed. My mom has forced me to bundle into layers of thermal underwear, wool socks, my insulated waterproof boots, and, ugh, rain pants. I’m pained as I put all this stuff on, but, see—I’ve been coming out every morning for quite some time. And though I despise all this stuff and nonsense, my scientific mind has to admit that, although I’m miserable out here in the damp, I’m far more miserable when I forego all these absurdities. So, layers and waterproofs it is. I’m bundled as much as I can deal with and still hike up from the house, and up into the Upper Woods. I bypass all my favorite places, our longtime haunts: the Mental Village and DragonAir, the Octopus tree, and all the other fun of the Hundred Acre Woods.

You could say that reason has overcome madness in this regard—or is the other way around?

Santa is not here to play. I’m here for a high purpose. The highest anyone is likely to find.

I’ve an egg hidden in the Upper Woods, an egg of the most incredible kind. And I intend to hatch it. …

[to be continued]

Do you want to be a writer? Then please join me at Camp NaNoWriMo, and let’s all write!

Share what your writing project is in the comment box below!

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Dragon Art Show! Also – Govan’s Masque

Santa, here.  I’m super-excited because dragon-artist Suzanna Leigh is allowing us to show some of her dragon art right here on FoxTales!

Let me give you some background.  Suzanna is an amazing watercolor artist, who also paints on silk.  This month she has a show of her dragon art at a place called Vashon Intuitive Arts.  Suzanna creates lots of different kinds of art–all really beautiful and magical and full of sweet charm.  But dragons have a special place in her heart–to which I, as purveyor of DragonAir!–of course totally relate.

Here’s our mini-show:

Sleeping With The Dragon - Art by Suzanna Leigh (used w/permission)

I just love the expression on this dragon’s face. I’d love to snuggle with him too!

Emerging Dragon - Art by Suzanna Leigh (used w/permission)

Shell is particularly struck by this piece. I’m sure it’s because of an upcoming Leaf — no, I’m not going to give you any spoilers! I’ll just say that you’ll likely understand the connection when Jane posts Leaf 1 of the Fourth Branch.

In the meantime, we want to let you know that Suzanna will be telling stories about her dragon art next Saturday, April 14, at 7PM, at Vashon Intuitive Arts, 17331 Vashon Hwy SW, and Shell, Annie, and I intend to go! I’ll even let Mom take us over hill and over dale in the quadricycle.

If you happen to be on the island, you come too, and introduce yourselves. We’ll be the ones accompanied by the red tea pot (Yes, Tam is excited to hear the stories as well!).

In the meantime, enjoy Jane’s latest installment of Because Of The Red Fox. Our story continues with Govan and his adventure with my cell phone ….

Read all about it here!