O'Malley & the Elf

Poor O'Malley. Apparently that pesky elf just gets under his skin, so he spends part of each day barking at it!

O'Malley is the beloved animal companion of Ruth Phillips, a wonderful woman who lives in Georgia. She tells me O'Malley has been learning to walk up and down the stairs, a feat that is often followed by a nap. Hey, it's hard work!

Cheers,
Chris

New book coming soon - "The Shelter Dog"

Hi all,

It's done! Well, almost done.....

The Shelter Dog, my new book for animal lovers, is written and illustrated, going along on the journey all books take before they wind up in a reader’s hands.

I have to confess, I was a little nervous when I began the artwork for this project. This would be the first book I would illustrate without my dog, Jake, under my feet as I painted. The thought of dabbling with the paints without him nearby felt a little lonely.

Dear Jake – he surely was watching over me as I put pencil to paper and begin to draw the rough sketches. I always send a prayer to the heavens, asking the spirits to touch the bristles of my brush with love…..and magic! That magic presented itself in many ways, often coming in the form of one of my four kitties, who danced around the artwork and walked through the paint trays, sending psychic messages when an illustration needed more work or a brighter color.

The Shelter Dog will be available later in 2007….I can’t wait to share it with everyone!

Cheers,
Chris