I'm sooo happy, I just finished up the rough color for every page of the book last night In fact I was so excited to see it all together that I ended up staying up for an extra hour just playing with the whole layout of the book Some of the pictures are earlier roughs I did, so I need to work with them some more to make them match my current style, but at least I'm not starting with any totally uncolored pictures any more.
Just about a month to finish them all up, I'm not sure how long it will take me to put the finishing touches on each of the pictures - of which there are something like 26-27, a couple pages have more than one picture, so I get confused sometimes. But I don't expect it to take any longer than doing the roughs did - basically I've laid the main color for each shape and next I'll be adding the highlights and shadows as well as some of the overlying painterly textures.

Meanwhile a headless clay pug dog has been sitting around in my apartment for the last couple of weeks. I started making him off of the Spud picture I have posted here, but I made him rather small which has been difficult to work with. He's probably about an 1" tall - without his head. I'll have to finish him up soon, but then I think the other ones I'll try to make around a 3" scale or so.

Making progress see I wasn't lying this time I have completed the rough color stage for about 7 pages just within the last week - pretty good I'd say I just have nothing to show for it yet I can probably post one sample on sometime, but since the book isn't released yet I can't reveal the work etc etc.

Basically (hopefully I didn't already say this last week) I'm in the coloring stages right now. Diana has kinda flip-flopped on me a couple of times as we've progressed towards the final stages of the book which has made it rather difficult to proceed. But she seems good with the way I'm working them now, so hopefully it'll stay that way and we'll be done in just about another month and a half I sure hope so anyway, 3 years for one book is waaay too long

There will still be the cover to do and probably one more inside page illustration as well as the story got edited a little ways in. That's one thing I've learned - get a signed contract/copy or SOMETHING guaranteeing the author is COMPLETELY done writing the story and not going to edit and change it any more once you've started the art work. As it ended up she had to revert back a few edits so that the pictures I'd already completed would still work.

**On a side note** I'm working on turning my colorful puggies into colorful clay sculptures. I've been encouraged to make some more puggies as well, which I'll have to work on. Unfortunately I don't live with them anymore ~ well and Kartoffel has passed away now T.T (I forget sometimes since I'm not there anymore) But~ this is all significant because~ I'll be intending to sell them so keep watching and I'll let you know when I get there

<3

Art is kind of hard for me still~ but I'm certainly not giving it up. Wow, I guess since my last post a whole lot has happened

I'm, well, going to try to start Deviating again or for the first time more like I suppose. Thank you very very VERY much to the couple people who posted comments and encouragement on my first two pug deviations. I don't remember if I wrote it, but those two were at the time, and really still are my current best expression of myself and my own style. (Fast and simple for one >.>

In the next couple months I should, very much hopefully, be finishing up the illustrations for a children's book written by Diana Kightlinger. She'll be publishing it as well, so it's really a home run operation, we've been working on this book for over two years now ~ so obviously we've both taken our time and been rather busy with other things in the meantime. Diana was diagnosed with a brain tumor sometime not too far along on the project, more than a year ago, now fortunately she has and is recovering after surgery that occurred also quite a while back now. She still isn't quite here same old energetic and enthusiastic self, but nearly, which is really good. Myself, well, I've gotten married and moved a couple of times. I graduated from Woodbury University with a degree in Animation Arts in 2004, in late 2004 I moved to CO to be with my love, Brian, we got married March 28 '05, and then just recently have moved out to Minnesota - pretty much just for the fun and experience of it.

Right now I work as the Pre-press Designer in a small print shop in Bloomington, MN. In my free time I hang-out with my hubby, play FFXI, and other games on occasion as well. Recently I dove into the books of Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey and have since been engulfed by their greatness Also, the cover artist, Jody Lee is one of my inspirations and I aspire to be an artist somewhat like she is someday.

Anyway, more to come sometime later, hopefully not too much later

-Megan

Vivian just told me I should start a deviantART account... so i looked around and then since i knew i'ld been here before i just tried logging in... and presto... i already have had an account~ So guess i'm all set to go now ^.-