Claire Fletcher

7/27/11 to 8/4/11

2012-01-17T22:44:00.000-08:00

"He had a certain air of being a handsome man--which he was not; and a certain air of being a well-bred man--which he was not. It was mere swagger and challenge; but in this particular, as in many others, blustering assertion goes for proof, half over the world." --from Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

7/18/11 to 7/26/11

2012-01-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

So for two weeks I am trying not to consume gluten, dairy, sugar, and alcohol. My stomach hurts, but I don't know if it is because of the restricted diet or from pilates today. If you have any good recipes without any of those ingredients, let me know. Counting down the days to milkshakes, fries, and cheeseburgers.

7/9/11 to 7/17/11

2011-12-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Baby it's cold outside . . . and inside. My house is freezing. Thankfully the holiday spirit is keeping me warm. Arrow sleeping at my feet is also keeping me warm.

6/30/11 to 7/8/11

2011-12-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

So about a week ago, I got a call from Santa telling me that he has been recieving a lot of letter requests from people asking for more blog posts from me for Christmas. Seeing as how I love Christmas (and letters), I told Santa I would be happy to start posting again.

Birthdays and Bell Book and Candle

2011-10-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

I am awful at remembering people's birthdays. My dad recently had a birthday--which I barely remembered--and I made him this birthday card. The image is from the film Bell Book and Candle. I have never seen the whole movie, but it features the lovely Kim Novak as a witch and James Stewart as the man she bewitches. This painting was a bit rushed, and I could not get the eyes right. Oh well. That is what I get for not giving myself enough time. At least I got to stare at Kim Novak for a bit while she stared back at me.
"Hasn't this cat got anything better to do? Couldn't you give him something to read?"--James Stewart's character, Shepherd "Shep" Henderson

6/12 to 6/20

2011-09-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Things that remind me of my fairy godmother (my grandmother Anne, my father's mother):
Ladybugs
Betty Boop
Royal purple
Mystery TV shows
Gypsy cold care tea
Anne of Green Gables

Things that remind me of my grandmother Mardy (my mother's mother):
Peanut butter and jelly
Large barrettes
Clip-on earrings
Soap
Piles

Terrarium Magic

2011-08-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the lifestyle group at my work went on a field trip to Workshop, a cool DIY craft workshop in SF, where we made beer cozies and terrariums. I know everyone is going on and on about terrariums, but when you make one, you do feel the magic. Now I have my own little magical glass jar world. And did I mention the deer? There is a deer! Awesome.
(Don't judge the magic based on my crummy photo. That's why I spend time drawing and not taking pictures.)
So I am thinking of starting to bike to work, but I am a nervous nellie, and the idea of biking in the city terrifies me. Riding next to cars scares me; riding next to other bikers scares me; me on a bike scares me; you scare me; Anne Hathaway scares me. The only thing that doesn't scare me is terrariums--unless there is a mini zombie in the terrarium--a mini zombie in a terrarium scares me.

6/4/11 to 6/12/11

2011-08-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

I need to have more conversations with kids. When else do you seriously get to discuss buried treasure, mermaids, and gnomes? More conversations about pirates please; less conversations about deadlines and whether a word should be capped or not.
Things I liked to draw as a kid:
Dolphins jumping through hoops
Asian women in restaurants
Mermaids
Paper dolls
Cows hanging out in pastures
Elephants with carriages on their backs

5/26/11 to 6/2/11

2011-08-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Current things that I fancy:

Fashion: This dress worn by Marion Cotillard in Midnight in Paris

Songs: Stardust sung by Nat King Cole (Stardust 4 eva) and Fantasy by Mariah Carey

Drinks: Pimm's Cup or a Chi Chi

Films: Rebecca and Midnight in Paris

Sayings: Gee wilikers

Cuteness: Socks for my chair

5/16/11 to 5/26/11

2011-08-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Sharing is caring and I'm a Claire Bear, so today I am going to share two things with you: One, I'm a robot; two, I'm gay for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Okay, both of those things are false (except the gay for Buffy thing), but I do have two other things to share.

I recently submitted a post on the Chronicle Books blog titled Do You Have Post-Potter Depression? It is all about how to overcome the depression that comes with the knowledge that there is no more Harry Potter to look forward to (cue desperate sobbing).

My brother started a daily picture diary blog called 1 per Day. He is traveling for three weeks, so he probably won't be adding new content for a while, but you should check it out.

And that is my sharing for the day. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time.

5/8/11 to 5/16/11

2011-07-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

2011-07-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

4/29/11 to 5/7/11

2011-07-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

Things I have been up to:

Trip to Seattle (Some things to note from the Seattle trip: Lydia, the gnome who lives in Doe's purse; the church "You either have to join them or you want to kill them."; moldy tent; Keala skying Miranda; Oompa Loompa; yummy food; sultan of cock block; hanging with my ladies)

Midnight show of Harry Potter (so awesome, but my heart feels a little lost without Harry)

Picking out paint for my bedroom

Avoiding working out

Drinking a milkshake from St. Francis

Skirt of Arms

2011-06-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

In honor of the skirts alumni team that I am going to play with at the end of June/beginning of July, I created a coat of arms, or as I like to call it, a skirt of arms.

Here is the key to decoding the skirt of arms, from bottom to top:

Ardens Desiderio means Burning Desire in Latin (or at least I hope it does) because skirts have got "the juice, the fire, the burning desire."

Flames obviously refer to the burning and also represent zealousness.

The arrow in the center of the shield represents readiness for battle.

The B and S are for Burning Skirts.

The heart represents skirt love.

The snake represents wisdom, but more importantly is a reference to the brilliant movie Stomp the Yard, which the skirts refer to for both battle and dancing tips (the film is so multi dimensional).

The ladies are representations of the strong and sexy skirts of the past, present, and future. They wear the skirts uniform, including the "DOM" headbands. DOM=dominate. The ladies get there pose from, can you guess?, Stomp the Yard. (Wow, that film offers so much. What else can we learn from it? We can learn that a ripped man with his shirt off on a lawn mower=sexiest ride ever.)

Between their hands rests a circle with wings. This circle represents a disc, a snitch, a ring (a la Lord of the rings), and a monocle.

The wings on the disc also are in honor of Billy Bob Batman. (OK I made that up, but he had to be mentioned. He threatened to eat my first born if I did not give him a shout out.)

And there you have it. If you are now asking yourself, "so your whole damn basis for this coat of arms is based on a stupid dance movie?" I would like to respond by saying "yes, and skirtie love." Here are some inspirational quotes from the oh-so-wonderful Stomp the Yard:

Sylvester: Payback's a bitch, ain't it?
Zeke: I'll see you at Nationals.
Sylvester: Yes you will.

Duron: It's not just about you. It's about us, we're a team.
DJ: Well then this team' bout to double up on their asses!

We rep'n skirts, skirts, skirts. We rep'n skirts, skirts, skirts. We repin ooo, ooo, ooo, BOOM!

4/21/11 to 4/28/11

2011-06-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

Another year, another cool camp. I can't wait for:

Waterfalls

Reading

Falling asleep under the stars

Looking for shooting stars with little Claire

Hanging with my cool camp family

Having Alden cook all my meals for me (muhaha)

Listening to Emilia talk about how much she loves Ronald Weasley

Cards

Eating watermelon on a hot day

4/12/11 to 4/19/11

2011-06-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

I have an awesome elephant necklace. I named my elephant Celeste after Babar's wife and also after a sweet lady I knew who died too young. Tonight I was reminiscing about her while I went through an old box my mother had found in her garage. Shortly after telling my mother about her, I pulled out a picture of her. This is probably the only picture I have of Celeste, and it sat there forgotten in a box, on a night I happened to talk about her. Seemed like weird serendipity.

In loving memory of Celeste, gone but not forgotten. Aloha.

4/3/11 to 4/11/11

2011-05-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

The girl in this photo is my old principle. As you may have noticed, I like to paint pictures from film stills. For Christmas one year, my brother gave me a book of Hollywood photographs. In it was this picture of Dana Andrews with his family. And there was Susan, sitting on the stairs getting her hair pulled. How strange to have a part of your past present itself to you in such an unexpected way. Dana Andrews is in Laura, one of my all time favorite film noir movies.

Lyrics from the song Laura:

Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The LAUGH that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
And you see Laura on a train that is passing through
Those eyes how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream

3/25/11 to 4/2/11

2011-05-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

I saw a dear old friend I had not seen in two years last night. We had a yummy dinner, played writey drawey, and chatted it up. Hats off and drinks up to old friends (since I'm too old, shy, and cranky to make new ones).

3/16/11 to 3/24/11

2011-05-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

I went to the dentist today and had my teeth cleaned by a woman named Queenie. What a great name. She told me she was getting married soon. In my imagination her soon-to-be husband is named Kingey or Kingsley. Some of the unique names of people I know:

Teiwaz

Castle

Alden

Zanna

Teja

Pepper Ann (Okay, I don't know a Pepper Ann, but I do know a girl who might as well be Pepper Ann, who goes by the nickname Chaco)

When I was growing up, I fantasized about having a son and naming him Tuppence the lovable chimney sweep.

1/9/05 to 1/16/05

2011-05-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here is another old entry. This one is from January 2005--the days of skirts/ultimate Frisbee, college, Santa Barbara, sleeping in late, and part-time jobs. It is crazy to realize how long I have been doing the daily drawing entries (although it has been on and off throughout the years). I started looking at my old journals to find out when I started it; 2004 is the magical year. The old entries are pretty funny. It is interesting to see how my drawing style has evolved and to see what in my life has changed and what has stayed the same. I think I may start posting more of my old ones, interspersed with the new ones.
Changed:
My life does not revolve around ultimate Frisbee
Alden has long brown hair instead of short blond hair

Stayed the same:
Mike Brown
UCSB sweatpants
Sore shoulders

A Monkey, Alligator, and Bird

2011-04-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Cadbury Caramel eggs are the bomb diggity.

3/7/11 to 3/15/11

2011-04-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

So my journal and I took a little break between November 2010 and March 2011, but we are now going strong. I haven't missed a day since 3/7, and I intend on being faithful, even if Timothy Olyphant knocks on my door. Okay . . . that is a lie. All bets are off if Timothy Olyphant shows up.

Conversation Mike and I just had:

"You look pretty with your earrings and hair like that."

"Yeah, it was a cute day for me."

In case you were wondering, I was the one complimenting Mike on his earrings and hair.

So long Elizabeth Taylor . . .

2011-04-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

So long Elizabeth Taylor. May your afterlife be littered with diamonds.

"The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues."
--Elizabeth Taylor

"It is strange that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting."
--Elizabeth Taylor

11/18/11 to 11/26/11 larger version

2011-04-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a larger version for those of you who actually read the journal entries and don't want to use a magnifying glass.

11/18/11 to 11/26/11

2011-04-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

When I get really stressed out or am trying to distract myself from a memory I find unpleasant and/or embarrassing, I start talking to myself. Often times I mumble distracting questions and proclaim things like "NO" and "It's okay" out loud and to myself. Today I was appalled to find out that, if distressed enough, I also mumble these things while people are present. Not good. Nice defence mechanism. Way to make a bad situation worse. Oh well.

This entry was made during my birthday. My wonderful birthday. In case you were wondering what's so great about my particular birthday, let me tell you, it's because it's my birthday, and Harry Potter movies often come out on my birthday.

28 is a good age. You already have 26 and 27 under your belt---the years where it hits home that you are leaving that golden age of working out without stretching, no wrinkles or gray hairs, and an awesome metabolism. By 28 you have come to except those terms and are just happy to be in your twenties. It is kind of a content, settling age where exciting things still feel possible. Stay classy, 28. Peace out.

Everything Is Going to Be OK

2011-04-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

This is the beautiful book cover of a recently published book at Chronicle Books.
5 reasons to check out this book:
1. I have two pieces of artwork in it.
2. It's upbeat and positive, so you can give it to your happy friends or bunny rabbits.
3. It's upbeat and positive, so you can give it to your cynical, depressed friends to piss them off.
4. The cover is super sexy.
5. I'm super sexy.

As Linus would say, "Those are good reasons." It is currently selling at Urban Outfitters and you can buy it on Amazon. Let me know if you are interested in getting a free poster of the cover art as there are currently some available. I have the poster hanging at my desk, and when I get really stressed out, I stare at it for hours, until I realize it is 4 in the morning, and I should go home to bed.

Another old entry

2011-04-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

This entry consists of: a letter from a cool lady named Teja; cut up art noveau–style paper from Caro; Karate poses from an envelope Teja sent; and drawings of two girls based on photos of children in England during WWII. This entry was made in September 2006.

I wanted a bird as a child. My friend had two lovebirds but then one died. I liked to play with the remaining bird, but one time, when I was holding the it, the bird walked up my arm with a devilish gleam in its eye and started biting my ear. I got it back on my hand, but it started biting my finger. I started shaking my hand in panic, and the bird was thrown across the room. Undeterred, the bird started toward me with the same look in its eyes; it was out to get me. I haven't really wanted a bird since. (Plus, it seems sad to be given the gift of flight, only to be locked up in a cage with your wings clipped.)

11/10/10 to 11/17/10

2011-03-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

Along with rereading the Harry Potter books, I am currently rereading The Witches by Roald Dahl. When you mention Roald Dahl to most adults, they smile fondly and reminisce about which books they read as children. His were the first books I read all by myself, and they helped to spark my love for reading. His humor and storytelling are so engaging that his books still resonate with me as an adult reader. Here is a response he gave in an interview regarding what it is like to write a book:

When you’re writing it’s rather like going on a very long walk, across valleys and mountains and things, and you get the first view of what you see and you write it down. Then you walk a bit further, maybe up on to the top of a hill, and you see something else, then you write that and you go on like that, day after day, getting different views of the same landscape. The highest mountain on the walk is obviously the end of the book because it’s got to be the best view of all, when everything comes together and you can look back and see everything you’ve done all ties up. But it’s a very, very long slow process.

The house of Carl and Karin Larsson

2011-03-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a drawing of the wonderfully inspiring home of Carl and Karin Larsson. If you don't know who they are—and you like watercolors—look them up.

Since I am currently rereading all of the Harry Potter books (I just finished Order of the Phoenix), my quote of the day is from J. K. Rowling. I have this quote hanging up at my desk next to a picture of a baby dressed up as harry potter, broom and all. SULTAN OF HARRY POTTER!!!

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.

— J. K. Rowling

10/18/10 to 10/26/10

2011-03-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Remember last year when the Giants were surprising everyone by first, making it to the playoffs, and second, winning it all? I know I do, and so does every San Franciscan. Here is a journal page from October when all anybody could think about were the Giants. There was the time I pulled Nicole into the Giants frenzy while we watched the game and drank margaritas at Tres. There was the other time when I was at an Alexander McCall Smith book reading event and someone interrupted his talk and told the crowd the Giants were up in the final inning and the crowd cheered. And then there was the time I saw Jonathan Sanchez in Safeway, and I swooned a bit. Good times were had by all, except Eric Dahlke. The new season is about to begin, and while a repeat performance would be too much to ask for, it doesn't stop me from throwing out a "Go Giants" even though I don't really care.

Oils pastels, memories, and footloose (and my realization that everything really does link back to Kevin Bacon)

2011-03-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

A friend recently asked to see my old journals, so I got them out. I realized I had not posted any work from past journals in a long time, so I thought it was about time. This is the only drawing I have ever made using oil pastels. I kind of like it. I like how objects, drawings, and photos can bring you back to a partly forgotten moment in time.

I lived with three boys in Santa Barbara when I drew this. There was rat king, who never left his room; Teiwaz, the crazy monkey man who liked to twirl his hair; and my boyfriend, Mr. Brown Town. Teiwaz and I were having a lazy day at home--folding laundry and watching a miniseries. Teiwaz got out his oil pastels and started to draw, not caring if he drew off the page all over my coffee table. I could never resist a drawing party, so I joined him. I liked the colors and how you could smear every line.

I guess I should use them again sometime. Teiwaz, want to bring over your wolf and draw sometime? Then we can invite Alden over, have a dance party, and listen to footloose. Awesoma power.

10/9/10 to 10/17/10

2011-03-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't left the states in quite a while, so lately I have been fantasizing about traveling far far away. In no particular order, here is a list of some of the places I would like to go.

Australia

Spain

Switzerland

Germany

Austria

Sweden

Ireland

There is also a lot to see in the states, and I have a couple of places closer to home that I would like to go to.

Grand Canyon

Maine

Chicago

Ashland

Petaluma

2011-03-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

9/30/10 to 10/8/10

2011-03-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the house to myself, and it rocked my world. OK . . . it didn't exactly rock my world; it more like cuddled my world. I listened to Harry Potter while cooking dinner, doing dishes, and making chocolate chip cookies. (And by making chocolate chip cookies, I mean making cookie dough, because let's face it--that's why I make chocolate chip cookies.)

Books I read, Jan. 2010 to Jan. 2011

2011-02-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Here are the book covers of the books I read from Jan. 2010 to Jan. 2011.

The trends: young adult novels, women authors, women heroines, Alexander McCall Smith, and James Bond. As seven-year-old Bella would say, "That's typical."

Books I reread: Jane Eyre, Persuasion, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I read Jane Eyre for the first time in middle school, and it started my love for books written in the 1800s by women authors. Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen novel. I am currently rereading the whole Harry Potter series, while also rewatching all of the movies and knitting a gryffindor scarf. DORK ALERT!

Most disturbing book I read: Sorry Girl with a Dragon Tattoo andUnlovable, but The Road won by a long shot; it wasn't even close.

Favorite novel couples from this selection: Katniss and Peeta, Jane and Mr. Rochester, Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth, Molly Gibson and Roger

Ultimate novel couple: ...this is kind of hard...but not really...but wait it is...my gut tells me it is Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth, but my childhood won't let me forget Jane and Mr. Rochester...I'm going with my gut; Anne and Wentworth are the winners.

Let me know if you have any book recommendations for the New Year. Did you have a favorite book you read in 2010?

9/21/10 to 9/29/10

2010-11-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

My head feels like it is filled with stones today.

Song I am currently listening to:

Let's go fly a kite from Mary Poppins(reminds me of Danelle since the only kite I ever flew belonged to her)

Book I am reading:

Persuasion (I think this is my third time reading it. It is so good!)

Next up:

The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith

Shows I am watching:

Finishing up the final season of Buffy (what will I do without the kickass slayer with the witty one liners?) and watching the 2nd season of fringe

Looking forward to:

My birthday this Friday and going to see the new Harry Potter movie.

9/12/10 to 9/20/10

2010-11-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

I saw Rufus Wainright at the symphony. The show was great, but not enough Rufus. He sang five Shakespeare sonnets. I liked watching the violinists. If I could magically be able to play any instrument, I think I would choose the harp.

This weekend was momentous. Besides seeing Rufus, Mike and I finished converting our bathtub into a shower. I took my first shower in it last night and it was fantabulous. The smell of the new plastic shower curtain makes me happy.

Red Balloon 2

2010-10-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

I like rain on the weekends because I don't have to get out of bed. I can listen to the sound of the rain hitting the roof and windows in the warm safety of my covers.

The Red Balloon 1

2010-10-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

While I enjoyed watching movies like Meet Me in St. Louis and Cinderella when I was a child, my brother liked to watch The Red Balloon. I found the movie a little too sad. I watched it, but all the balloons in the world could not change the fact that the awesome red balloon is murdered by a mob of boys. BOOOOOOO. My brother recently moved into a new place, and he wanted me to give him some paintings to hang on the wall. He suggested I paint some stills from The Red Balloon, so I rewatched the film. It is so beautifully done. Every still could make a wonderful painting. However, the red balloon is still killed at the end and it is still sad. Here is the first painting I did.

On another note, GO GIANTS!

Boy with Bear

2010-10-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here is my first drawing of the boy with bear photo (as seen in post from Sept. 15). More to come.

9/3/10 to 9/11/10

2010-10-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Apparently I have a doppelganger in L.A. with the last name Fletcher. I have a proposition for her. Want to come up here every Friday, go to my work, and pretend to be me while I take the day off? No. Well let me know if you change your mind.

I took this past Friday off and was a tourist for a day in my hometown. I went to the cliff house and the zoo. At the zoo I rode the train, swooned over two baby monkeys, and considered buying a sloth doll to keep me company when my live sloth was not around (Mr. Brown). It was a grand old time.

8/25/10 to 9/2/10

2010-09-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

Highlights of this weekend:

Going to a wedding. It is always a good time celebrating love and drinking free booze. Plus, when you go with Mike, you never know when he is going to break his glass. He may even break it as the bride and groom are saying their vows.

Throwing a party and getting to see some good friends.

Walking with Arrow, Max, and Whitney at Fort Funston and watching Arrow ignore his groupies (two mini poodles who loved nothing more than following Arrow around and smelling his butt).

Going to my dad's birthday party. I got him an old Marlene Dietrich record and Julie London record. He played them. It was the first time I really appreciated the difference between records and cds. It sounded like Marlene Dietrich was singing live in the next room. Awesome.

Low light of this weekend:

Having someone puke in my bathtub. Definitely not cool, but one must pay the party gods.

8/19/10 to 8/24/10

2010-09-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

I finished reading Jane Eyre yesterday. I have not read it since I was in middle school. My review: a governess, plus a passionate man, plus a crazy woman locked in a room who likes to start fires, makes for a good story.

The things I will/might do this weekend:
go to a barn dance
watch a baseball game
drive to Santa Cruz to ride the giant dipper
buy a dress to attend a wedding
go to a birthday dinner
sleep, sleep, sleep
watch some ultimate

A happy weekend to all, and to all a happy weekend.

boy with bear

2010-09-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hello hot stuff,

I was sorting through the photo bin at Scrap. I was about to give up when I dug deep and pulled a pile of photos up from the bottom of the bin, and this is what I found. A boy with a baby bear on a leash. Yes please. Sign me up. I love this photo. Be on the lookout for a painting of this picture. I have not started it yet, but it is only a matter of time.

The highlight of my day: my outfit

The lowpoint of my day: the stifling heat in my office due to the broken ac

8/10/10 to 8/18/10

2010-08-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Three-day weekends are wonderful. How I spent my weekend:

Watching Mad Men

Floating down the Russian River on a daisy

Eating corn and mint watermelon with lime

Walking with the girls, plus my boys, Mike and Arrow

Going to the movies, I saw The Kids are Alright (you know what? I think those kids are going to be alright)

Reading Jane Eyre

8/1/10 to 8/9/10

2010-08-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

7/23/10 to 7/31/10

2010-08-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

"Do leprechauns get punched in the face or have their cars stolen?"

--Nicolas Cage in Next

7/15 to 7/22

2010-08-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

These photos are from 7/17 when I went to SLO to hang out with Dre and Danelle. We made a lovely picnic made from our farmers' market purchases while we sat on a rock overlooking the ocean. It was glorious.
Today, while walking with Amy back to work from lunch, a woman turned the corner with her hand held out in front of her and walked toward us as if she wanted us to give her something. As she did this she said, "hate, I hate the haters."

Halloween

2010-08-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

This entry goes out to Danelle, a true Disney lover. This drawing is based on a photo of my brother from Halloween many years ago. He always had great ideas for his cosumes and went all out. One year he was the invisible man, another he was Jack the prumpkin head from Return to Oz. The boy trick or treated with a pumkin on his head. I never knew what I wanted to be, and I would make my mom try to read my mind and then get mad at her when it wasn't exactly what I wanted.

The month before Halloween:

Mom: What do you want to be?

Me: I don't know.

A week before Halloween.

Mom: What do you want to be?

Me: . . . I don't know.

The day of Halloween:

Mom: You can be a penguin and where this white botton down shirt with a black coat. Here is a nose.

Me: NO! I hate it.

Yes, I was a halloween costume BRAT.

7/6/10 to 7/14/10

2010-08-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

On Friday, 7/9, I was lucky to get to go to lunch with Granny (Mike's grandmother), Mike, and Arrow. It was a lovely day filled with great company. I may have accidentally dropped root beer all over Granny's lunch, but Granny seemed to like her soggy burger. (Just kidding. Mike replaced it like a good grandson.)

On the following Monday, Mike and I learned that Granny had a bad fall. Mike's family visited her in the hospital, and they were all able to say their goodbyes.

Mike gave her a letter I wrote. For the past couple of years, Granny had been my faithful pen pal. Getting her letters in the mail was always a highlight in my day.

She died a couple of days later at the age of 93. I am fortunate and happy that I was able to know her. I would like to write her one last letter. I don't know if it is too late, but I would like to think it isn't.

Dear Granny,

Thank you for your kindness, humor, and your cursive filled letters. Thank you for always being a joy to be around. You were always thanking us for spending time with you, but no thanks were ever needed. It was a privilege to have known you. You will be missed.

Love, your pen pal,

Claire

Where have I seen this before?

2010-07-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to play Where have I seen this before? There are three elements in this journal entry that reference past journal entries. Can you spot any of them? The most obvious is the whale. The whale made an appearance in my January entry. This page is directly behind that other whale, and the watercolor bled through the page, so I drew him on this page and added another wash of paint. The other two elements are harder to spot, especially considering the spread I stole from is not posted on this blog. MUHAHA. I am actually surprised that I have not posted it before. I will try to post it shortly for comparison. In the meantime, I will let you stew over what parts I took. Is it the cloud? Is it the umbrella? Is it the tree? The suspense is killing you, I know, but we all must pass some day.
On a random note, I had pine nut syndrome at the beginning of the week. It sucked, and now I am afraid of eating pesto. I love pesto, even if my dad thinks it is overrated. Alas pesto, we will just have to love each other from afar.

6/27/10 to 7/5/10

2010-07-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the quality of the last two images. I am experimenting with my scanner to see if it can scan okay images from my journal. The scanner is not very big, so the scans come out a little blurry.

Looking back at the entries for these days makes me happy because I realize I am making the best of summer even though I am still working full time. Here are some things I have enjoyed doing this summer:

Going to Healdsburg and floating down the Russian River

Seeing the Musee d'Orsay exhibit at the De Young

Seeing A Secret in Their Eyes with my dad

Taking walks around my favorite lake in Golden Gate park with Arrow and my sister

Sitting in the sun drinking iced chai tea

Reading

Forcing myself to wear dresses on warm days

June 3rd to June 26th

2010-07-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

The other day I saw a dead pigeon on the sidewalk. Nothing like a little death to end my day. Which reminds me of last night, when I watched some Ms. Marple. Gosh, I love an old woman who solves murders while drinking tea and knitting.

Today I saw a construction site gone wild, and I don't mean there were large construction workers showing off their man boobs. A digger must have hit a main water pipe, and a flood of water was gushing out of the ground at least 20 feet high. It looked like a geyser in the middle of the city.

Since June 26th, I have started drawing daily pictures again. I am going to keep it up this time . . . honest . . . but maybe not. We'll see.

the journey is the destination

2010-07-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

One of the books that has had the biggest influence on my life is The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon. His journals inspired me to keep my own journals, which, as this blog attests, I still keep today.

Last night I dreamt a shark attacked me, but since the ocean was in an office building, I was able to escape down a hallway with no water. I was not afraid in the dream. In fact I much preferred it to the other dream I had where an insect or alien had laid eggs in my hand, and I had to tear back some of my skin to try to push the eggs out. It was gross. Sorry if I just grossed you out. I probably should have kept that dream to myself. Oh well. Pleasant dreams.

Outfits

2010-06-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is for anyone who stays up at night wondering "what did Claire wear on April 10th 2010?" Now your curiosity can be satisfied. I have started to keep drawing lists in my journal to help me remember things like what I wore and what books I read. I am currently reading Moonraker, the third book in the James Bond series. It is a fun read, but it does make me want to sleep with Daniel Craig--even if he is gay as Brennen insists he is.

Cool Camp 2010

2010-06-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Got back from Cool Camp on Sunday. A list of things to remember about this year:

waterfall

water basketball

shooting stars

running water

James Bond and Sylvester Bond "You're teeth look sharp. Can I see you naked?"

Period pieces with modern musical numbers

Cole in drag

Indiana Jones with sock puppets

"Look at me. I'm fat. I have poop on my face. I'm pathetic."

the mysterious Ms. Cole

Batman vs. Superman

Blue Moon

Werepires

Clown cars

bobcats

Sophie the cat

film crew

bowling

Hans

camp fire

young adults who will always be children in my eyes

Annie Hayworth

2010-06-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

My adoring fans have spoken (all four of them), and they requested more blog entries. So here I am, giving my fans what they want. In return, I only ask for love, praise, money, and your firstborn child. I am most generous; now kiss my ring. Here is another drawing based on The Birds by Hitchcock. This is Annie Hayworth. She is a brunette and a spinster, so she must be killed by the birds. Those are the rules of Mr. Hitchcock. In real life, the actress who played Annie lived to the age of 71, and got married three times. Take that Hitchcock.

bears and hawaii

2010-02-19T18:04:00.001-08:00

When I open my journal, this is the first thing I see. I just got back from playing in a frisbee tournament in Hawaii. Man I could really drink a Chi Chi or a Pina colada right now. Hawaii was wonderful.

The Birds

2010-01-26T17:30:00.003-08:00

Here is a quick watercolor study I did from a still of The Birds. This is the scene where Tippi Hedren is attacked by birds in the upstairs bedroom. Hitchcock told her that mechanical birds would be used. Instead, ravens, crows, and gulls were flung at her for five days. Rubber bands were used to clamp their beaks shut. When Cary Grant visited the set, he told her, "I think you're the bravest lady I've ever met." After the shoot, she had nightmares of flapping wings.

Man:What are you doing for work today honey?

Tippi: I'm going to go to a studio set and have live birds flung at me while a fat man watches.

Man: Awesome.

purple balloon

2010-01-26T17:30:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I saw a purple balloon floating in the bay. It looked like a sailboat, indecisively making its way in the water. It was the highlight of my day.

Full Spread

2010-01-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

whales, dwarf antelopes, and new york city

2010-01-21T17:25:00.001-08:00

I'm back. Where have I been? Mystery . . . mystery (said in the voice of a ghost in a haunted house). I'm a scorpio, so I was born mysterious, or maybe not. Here is what I have been up to:

new job, same company, very busy

frisbee, club nationals

holidays, wonderful holidays

wearing onesie pajamas

trip to NYC, visiting old friends, seeing rehearsals of my dad's play

For Christmas I got a new journal. My old one was falling apart, and I stopped working in it. My new one is purple and ready for action. Here is the first entry from my trip to NYC.

they were once children

2009-08-20T15:49:00.001-07:00

Isn't it entertaining looking through old family photos? Each decade has it's on distinctive style. Your mother goes from a toddler to a teenager. Your grandparents go from dead to alive. The photos become little windows into the past.
Have you ever wanted to enter an old family photo? If so, do tell.

girl

2009-08-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Claire's thought for the day:I am so glad I am a girl.

August 6th 2009

2009-08-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

birds and procrastination

2009-07-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Smarty Pants: Run, run for it! Why aren't you running?
Procrastination: Oh, you wanted me to run now? I was going to do that later.
Smarty pants: Too late. Your dead.
Procrastination: What happened?!
Smarty pants: The zombie dinosaur ate you. I'm sorry, but you should have listened to me.
Procrastination: but...but... it is so hard to do stuff. I try, but then I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start, and then I don't do anything.
Smarty pants: Baby steps.
Procrastination: What about Bob right?
Smarty pants: totally
Procrastination: Yah, I watched that instead of doing my work the other day. It was awesome.
Smarty pants: Want to go watch it right now?
Procrastination: if it means all I have to do is sit on my ass, then YES!

cats and emotional attachments to cars

2009-07-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

My old car named big mama, a 1992 Toyota previa, is no longer. She reliably took me on many a trip, acquiring over 200,000 miles traveled along the way. She drove strong to the very end. (I gave her up to acquire a newer, more fuel efficient car.) The other day I found myself petting the steering wheel, holding back tears as I told her how much I loved her. True story. My family had this car since I was a kid, and I inherited it in High School. The memories I had in that car were many and wonderful.
Cool Camp travels
dance parties
'tempted by the fruit of another' sing-along
Frisbee Tournaments
Family trips to school
So long my dear big mama. I love you.

old friends

2009-07-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be filled with friends. I am going to have lunch with one of my oldest friends and go to a party for my friend the Goblin who is moving to DC. Come to think of it, they are both old friends.
The image above is a portrait of me and my friend. Just kidding. It is the creepy shining girls. 'Come play with us Danny, forever, and ever.'
They are not my friends. They may not come to my birthday party, and I will not play with them forever and ever...okay, maybe just one game.

Gnome Wedding

2009-07-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

I attended a gnome wedding last weekend. They would not allow me to take any pictures since they are not supposed to exist. Lame. I had to content myself with drawing pictures of the ceremony. I accidentally stepped on, and killed, this snail shortly after drawing this picture. My bad.

a black eye and cute houses

2009-07-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

A wise person once said, 'Women with black eyes are awesome.' I couldn't agree more wise person, couldn't agree more. So it just so happens I have a black eye...interesting, did not see that coming.
I wish I could take a stroll in the above drawing. Anyone have a magic spell that will turn me into a drawing so that I can enter into illustrations? If you do, let me know on the down low. C-Bear out.

Larry or...?

2009-07-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is Larry...or is it? I have named him Larry, but I am not quite sure I like the name. Let me know if you have any other suggestions. Perhaps Wilbert or George? Anyway, I am a little in love with him; although, I am conflicted. Can I really love someone named Larry? I just don't know.

stealing candy from a baby and loving every minute of it

2009-06-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

My camping trip was filled with: a jesus-loving motorcycle gang, dear friends, a hungry mob of mosquitoes, a mud pit, kittens, lord voldemort, watermelons, and so much more. It was wonderful, WONDERFUL I tell you. Now I am back at work, looking outside, wishing I could move my desk across the street and into the sun. Anyone want to help?

Easter Sunday

2009-06-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a drawing of my mother, grandmother, and some of my aunts and uncles, all dressed up for Easter. I love their outfits. It makes me want a completely vintage wardrobe. What's holding me back? Comfort. Glorious comfort. I like to be able to run and frolic at a moments notice, which means jeans and sneakers please.

June 5th-June 10th

2009-06-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

I am going on a week-long camping trip tomorrow, so there will be no new entries until I get back.
What I am looking forward to:
trees
creek (if it is running)
birds
kittens
card games
sunsets
the night sky
shooting stars
storytelling
reading
frozen grapes
swimming

girl with a pail

2009-06-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

i'm a girl with a pail
why are you sad?
i'm not sad
you look sad
no, i was just holding in a fart
oh...that smelled
...sorry

Daily Picture Diary May 28th-June 4th

2009-06-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a day to day picture diary from my life from May 28th-June 4th. I am going to try to post my daily picture diary either in a compilation like this at the end of each week or post one a day.
Last night was magnificent. As I walked the almost deserted streets of San Francisco at 8pm I marveled at how exceptionally beautiful it was out and how sad it was that most people were indoors and missing it. Then my feet started to hurt from all the walking I was doing, and I just wanted to join everyone indoors and sit down.

Jump

2009-05-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Who is happy the weekend is here? oh me, I am, I am. I swung on some swings today which made me feel like a kid and reminded me that it is summer (both good things). Big shout out to my old college ultimate team, the Burning Skirts, who are the number one woman's college team in the nation. WOOOOOOOO AHHHHHHHH!

2009-05-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

This post was a long time in coming. These were the other two paintings in my Rosemary's Baby series. You can see the other painting below.
This weekend I am going down to Santa Barbara to play in a tournament. I am super excited to see all my SB pals. My old college team is playing in Nationals this weekend. Go Skirties! Burning F***ing Skirts! Elie is a goblin (okay that has nothing to do with the skirts winning, but everything to do with Elie being a goblin)!

search for a dog

2009-05-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have been thinking about getting a dog. Last Sunday we met a dog named Ivan who took hold of our hearts in his little paws and wouldn't let go. On Sunday night we were already coming up with possible names: Wally, Buster, Pip. Unfortunately, when we went back to the shelter a day later, he had been adopted half an hour before we got there. NOOOOOOO! Part of me thinks I should be relieved, and the selfish part of me that likes my responsible-free life is a little bit relieved, but another part of me wants Ivan to let go of my heart already. So long dear Ivan. May your new home be full of fire hydrants and dog treats.

balloons

2009-05-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

I saw a clip from The Red Balloon today. That movie depressed me as a kid, but I watched it a lot because my brother always put it on. What a beautiful film.

I'm on a boat

2009-05-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

A trip to the Cemetery

2009-04-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

delicate creatures doing indelicate things... 2

2009-04-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am quite happy it is Friday. I had a dream the other night that a lion was attacking me. I was not scared. For some reason I knew I would be alright, maybe I was aware it was a dream, and I was happy to see a lion up close. Last night I had a dream that every dog I came across charged at me and nipped at my hands. Now that scared me. I wonder what it means to dream of animals attacking you.

Boat, me in diapers, and text

2009-04-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent spread from my journal. I wish I could see the sea made out of paper.

delicate creatures

2009-04-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

did I just sleep with the devil?

2009-04-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

My work is having an employee art show tonight and I deiced to make some new pieces. The past week I have been totally stressed out for various boring reasons and I wished that I could submit some older work. Instead, I forced myself to complete three new pieces. Here is the first in the series of finished paintings based on film stills from the film Rosemary's Baby. I am not a hundred percent happy with how my images turned out, but I am happy that I created some new work rather than depending on old standbys. I need a new work strategy. I think from now on I am going to tackle everything with the Rocky theme song playing in my head. If nothing else, it will make me laugh.

Story Illustrations

2009-03-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a story on and off for a couple of years. It is finally almost done. I had started some illustrations for it, but I wasn't totally satisfied so I decided to make some new illustrations. The old drawings were all done in watercolor, but I am thinking of using more pen and ink and maybe markers (which I have not really used before). Let me know if you have any good marker recommendations. Here are some recent sketches.

More on Rosemary's Baby

2009-03-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is another sketch from the Rosemary's Baby painting series.
Mia Farrow: I'm preggers.

Wedding 3/20/09

2009-03-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

I am going to a wedding tomorrow. It is the first wedding I will attend where people who are around my age are getting married. It is events like these that remind me that I am now an adult.Don't worry, by Sunday I will think I am a kid again.

2009-03-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

This is an old school journal page. The alligator drawing was on an envelope sent to me by my friend Teja. She dreams of alligators; I dream of whales.

March 11th 2009

2009-03-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Rosemary's Baby sketch

2009-03-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

This is a quick sketch for a painting I am going to make based on a still from Rosemary's Baby.
Mia Farrow's inner monolouge: I'm confused...did I just sleep with the devil?
Me: Yes you did Mia. Devil child is on his way.

February 6th 2009

2009-02-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

Years ago I came across James Kochalka's American Elf. He makes a small comic strip about his life every day. At the time I was having a uninspired relationship with my journal so I decided I would follow his example and create a small comic of my life to document at least one occurrence from each day of my life (another inspiration was John Porcellino). The comics are simple, and usually don't mean anything to an outside observer, but for me they are great. I can go back and remember a small slice of my life that would have otherwise been forgotten. I always draw them in pen, so even when my drawings are awful I have to live with them, which seems appropriate. My commitment goes in waves and sometimes I make one daily, other times I don't make a comic for months.
So my current goal is to start publishing at least one post a week. My future, more ambitious goal is to start posting my little comics every day of the work week. Wish me luck.

Tops of homes

2009-02-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

In my freshman year of college I painted a picture of the top of my parent's house, which made me want to paint more pictures of the tops of houses. I never did. I started one other painting, and never finished it, even though I wanted to.
What is it about the tops of home that intrigues me? It is the mystery. That lone light in the window of a house at night. Who lives there and what do they do in that room, behind those walls?
I have finally decided to take baby steps. Here are two small drawings of Victorian homes in San Francisco. I have always had a fairy tale pining when gazing at Victorian homes. Awww...so Victoriany(yes i just made up a word).

Anne and Julia

2009-01-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

This is my grandmother and my aunt Julia back in the day. My grandma is rocking a mumu. I miss her. When I was a child she liked to wear purple and Betty boop pins. She introduced me to my first cup of tea and we shared a love of watching mystery shows. She had spunk and vinegar and would only cook spaghetti.

Father and Brother

2009-01-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

My aunt recently gave my family some old photos. I have been drawing pictures and painting watercolors based on these photos. Here is a picture of my dad holding my brother(who looks like one of those babies in Outside over There by Maurice Sendak). They are both so young.

More on Vertigo

2009-01-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Stewart being a creeper

2009-01-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

Pillow Talk Extras

2008-12-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

2008-12-17T13:52:00.001-08:00

The two images above are more from the film still series. These are both small watercolor paintings mounted on wood. Both show extras from the film Pillow Talk. I became fascinated with watching the brief moments where the extras were the main focus of a shot. Even though they are people, they really just act as background scenery for the larger story, yet they are people with their own lives and stories that may have been elated by their one moment on screen.