I'll frequently have people ask me - "Sooo, what you do is.... to take one feature and make it real big......"

"Yes, yes", I mindlessly say ~ because I'm busy drawing and I can't really interrupt my experience to start teaching and explaining ~ or else I wouldn't be doing it anymore. I would be talking instead.

When I'm really in my game, when I'm really 'in the zone', I'm feeling the expression that I'm seeing. I'm feeling it. So I know what the different 'parts' are doing. I might be 'dancing with the long curly hair'. Or or puppy-dogging my eyes. Or nervously looking around (I don't like when my subject does that ~ It doesn't feel good for me to have to feel it) ~ that sort of thing. And this is imposed upon the shapes that initially Wow me as the person approaches. My first impression of what the person looks like.

Here are some simple pictures that I drew at a child's party. I'll try to remember my main impression of what I saw at that moment so I can tell you about it now:

It was the narrow triangle on the bottom of the face which repeated the shape of the smiling mouth ~ ........ ............... Oooh ~ I felt scared to do this one ~ The girl's mother told me how they're both professional models because she's so pretty and all....... ........... ........... Smooth sleek hair ~ 'Tut-tut-now' lips .............. ..............

Aaaah ! that debonair glance ~ Those luscious lips .............. ............ I wish I could touch that haircut ............. .........

wide-eyes, led around as a little girl ~ reminded me of myself when I was little and didn't have a clue as to what was going on ............... .............

those teeeth. not aware of that suggestive look in his young eyes. Boys. ............... ..............

I ran into the gym just in time for today's appointment with my trainer. Not time to stop. Or so I thought.

A woman in the locker room stopped me - "Hi Alison. I read about you in Newsday today." Whoa, I stopped. "Yeah? The Kidsday article came out today?"

Joyce brought me the tearsheet. Happy Surprise.

The kids were great. The whole article concise and upbeat. And most of all - the Title. Great writing, kids!

btw, it's not unusual for Joyce to know what's going on in Newsday or any other publications. As a professional writer, she's interested in it all. If you need "The Right Words For Your Business", you might want to call her at (516)485-2152.

I'm happy to be able to post this picture. Back in February, I wrote that I want to post some of the pictures I drew so Quickly as per my client's request. And I just got up to it. Here are some of the pictures I drew that night:

The Children were beautiful. They all had much fun at this Dance that the PTA had arranged. Made me wonder about my own childhood. Were we as adorable? As vivacious? As happy? Yes - the answer is Yes. I was There when I was a kid.

But it's hard to visualize what I really looked like. All I remember is how I felt. How I would have been surprised and self-conscious at such an event - not aware of what it was, not aware that I wanted it... But I went along, was led through my life, trained to become a teenager, then trained to become an adult. I remember being so impressed with my older brother. He was so cool. So confident. Trained to become the cool, confident teenager that he later became.

And now I'm wondering if it was such a good idea. I know the adults try to make things easier for us. Try to encourage self-esteem. Try to show us how to handle the events that we will be finding when we're older. But the personalities were so set - based on how we felt, based on what happened during those 'training Dances'. So instead of naturally handling whatever came up when we were 'of age' - based on the more mature convictions that we would have had when we were 'older', our teen years (which then affected how we approached dating, coupling up, marriage, our whole lives, actually), Instead of handling whatever came up when we were old enough to handle it, we ended up handling the things that came up based on how we fit in at the 'training Dance'. Is it good? Is it bad? It is what it is. Who was I? Who would I have been without this sort of care? Just something to ponder. As life goes on.

And on. Another School Dance. Another Graduation. Communion. Sweet 16. Bar Mitzvah. Office Party. Engagement Party. The beat goes on.