I did. Take a look!

Here’s the Front:

And the Back:

I made these hearts for an online contest to win an ARC (advanced reading copy) of David Macinnis Gill’s upcoming YA book, SOUL ENCHILADA. (Crossing my fingers for the ARC and mystery gift!)

If you want to join the contest, you have until July 31st.

Here are David’s instructions for entering:

———–

1. Create your own candy heart at http://www.cryptogram.com/hearts/. Your heart can say anything you’d like. You are not limited to phrases from the ARC (since you haven’t read it).

2. Copy and paste this entire post–as well as the image of your candy heart–on your blog, Facebook, MySpace, website, etc.

3. Once you’ve completed #3, email me at davidmacinnisgill AT gmail.com with the link to your post. Voila! You’re entered in the giveaway.

4. The contest will be judged by three teen readers based on the criteria of originality, design, and message. The contest closes July 31st.

5. The prize is a personalized, signed ARC and a special gift, TDB by the judges. The winner will be contacted via email. Her/his name and winning entry candy heart will be posted on my lj blog, as well as my home site DavidMacinnisGill.com

————

Fun contest… and clever promo!

Now Hear This… Kira Willey, my uber-talented musician client, sings her original song, COLORS, in a recent Dell commercial. COLORS hails from Kira’s award-winning debut album Dance for the Sun (Dec 2006) featuring 13 songs written, composed and sung by Kira and her musical family and friends. The album CD package was designed and illustrated by yours truly.

Dance for the Sun is sheer delight. Really. The tracks kept me juiced with inspiration as I worked on the art. Though it’s filled with original songs and yoga fun geared toward children and families, many of the songs have universal appeal. Not a surprise that COLORS was picked for the Dell ad.

Kira’s full recording and video of COLORS can be found here.

Two clown friends of mine, Natasha and Jamie, had a beautiful, touching and funny wedding at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley last month. They delighted us with professional circus artisty, a lively cast of performers, stories and laughs.

Because they had a small, private wedding ceremony last year, Natasha and Jamie decided to celebrate their union in a big way this year. What better way than to round up their circus and musician buds and perform for family and friends? All silliness and showmanship aside, the ceremony was heart-warming–a true celebration of love.

The photo above depicts a dazzling aerial duet performed by friends of N&J to the song Loving You, sung in a sweet a cappella by Natasha.

Natasha and Jamie exchange clown noses with Pyglet at their side.

Rubber chicken in hand, Jeff Raz, officiated. Ta Da! A happy, red-nosed couple flanked by a joyful wedding party ;-)!

June almost slipped by without mention. Yes, it’s been a crazy busy month, however… I. Must. Blog. Especially since San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival’s 30th Anniversary was so fabulous. Read all about it here…um, one month later!

Na Lei Hulu (the group I dance with) joined a stellar line-up of Bay Area dance companies on opening weekend. We performed a world premiere production co-created and choreographed by Kumu Patrick Makuakane called Maui Turning Back the Sky. Check out critical reviews of the festival here and here.

While reviews offer insight into the audience experience, backstage is where you’ll find the pulse of the festival. Witness a vibrant community of dancers standing in the wings, clustering around a monitor and watching each other perform. Every fifteen minutes or so, they’ll rise to their feet, shaking hands in the air, in the sign language gesture of applause, as performers who’ve just completed their stint onstage, glide past. The buzz of opening weekend is a palpable mixture of excitement and nerves set to music. All flavors will be heard–voice, drums, strings, foot stomping, toe-tapping and more.

Minutes before final bow we posed with members of Abinaya Dance Company, Raices De Mi Tierra and Charya Burt Cambodian Dance Company (above photo). After the show, Ong Dance Company musicians and dancers, along with other groups, drummed up some impromptu fun (photo below).

Happy spring! I have LOTS to share. Here’s some stuff (and it’s only Tuesday!):

Nowadays, I’m painting away in my studio for a picture book project. It’s a whimsical, Hawaiiana picture book written by another author. The above image is a reference photo of a black spiny sea urchin shown in the picture book. This cool looking creature lives in tide pools and coral reefs around the Hawaiian islands. Another illos project I’m working on calls for humorous line-art for a niche market book written by a doctor in NYC. More about these projects when they’re done :-)!

**********

Spring cleaning. Whether or not you’re currently obsessing or soon-to-be obsessing with stuff from spring cleaning, watch this eye-opening film: The Story of Stuff. This animated film introduces a whole new paradigm shift on “stuff”–how we deal with it in our daily lives, locally and globally. Ever wonder where all the stuff we use comes from? Where it goes? Think you know? Watch the film. The story is told with humor–it’s essentially, edutainment, filled with surprising, if not, sobering factoids. I highly recommend it. Check out a few teasers here and here.

While the film depicts some brute, and perhaps shocking, realities of modern living, it offers a message of hope (thankfully) by the end of the film. The Story of Stuff site suggests how we can make a difference, listing action steps, resources and organizations.

***********

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii
Garlands of flowers everywhere
All of the colors in the rainbow
Maidens with blossoms in their hair..
(Lyrics & Music © Leonard Hawk)

After May Day, then what? It’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month!

So, it’s only fitting that PBS will include a Pacific island, award-winning film this month, Na Kamalei, The Men of Hula, directed and produced by my hula sister, Lisette Marie Flannery, under her film production company, Lehua Films.

Several years ago, Lisette was in the middle of editing the film, flying back and forth between NY and Hawai’i, pushing to meet her deadline. Not only did Lisette make her deadline, but she went on to win the Audience Award, Best Documentary at the Hawai’i International Film Festival and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, and the Emerging Director in Documentary Feature in the New York Asian American International Film Festival and more. {Yay, Lisette!}

The film documents Halau Na Kamalei’s hula journey, under the direction of Kumu Hula, Robert Cazimero, as they practice, prepare and compete in the premiere hula competition, The Merrie Monarch. FWIW, the halau I’m with, Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu is hula cousin to Na Kamalei. My kumu studied hula for many years under Kumu Robert, competing and performing with the group in a wide range of venues, including Merrie Monarch and Madison Square Gardens, NY.

Also check out PBS for info about Lisette, her film and show times in your area. In the Bay Area, the film is running today, Tuesday, May 6 and Saturday, May 10 on KQED, channel 9.

Stay tuned for more stuff as the week unfolds. Thanks for visiting!

This big doodad consists of a bunch of little doodads. It’s called a Victorian Strobe. I found it on a 2007 holiday gifts blog. Go there and read how useless this doodad really is or stay here, prop up your feet and peruse my happenings…

Group Show at MOCHA
Children’s Book Illustrators Once Upon A Time: Then and Now at Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA) will show from April 5 to May 31. View an original image from my book, THE SLEEPING GIANT, and a self-portrait I created when I was a teen.

MEET THE ARTISTS on Saturday, April 5, 2-4 PM. Come on down to Oaktown!

From the City of Oakland’s Calendar: Popular annual exhibit features the current work of children’s book illustrators alongside works created by the artists when they were children. See stories illuminated by some of today’s most innovative and exciting illustrators – and see what they were creating way back when!

Wicked Lovely Art Contest
Wicked Lovely author, Melissa Marr, held an art contest. I submitted my illustration of characters, Sasha and Donia on the first deadline, Winter Solstice. Now the contest’s been extended to Summer Solstice. A selection of current art can be viewed at Melissa’s site. Lots of teen talent there! Scroll down to peek at adult artwork, including mine. [see the artwork]

I’ve Been Listed…
…by author, Kim Norman. on her new Authors by State site. Now, if you or your nearest school want an author/illustrator to visit with the students for the day (wink, wink), you can search from a list of CA authors. Thanks, Kim! [my school visits]

Soup’s On!
Last month, I was fortunate to be interviewed by children’s book author Jama Rattigan on her blog, Alphabet Soup. Hope you’ll check it out. Jama asked great questions and posted a ton of pics. She even squeezed in my mom’s recipe for lumpia with my step-by-step photos. [go to interview]