SCALE
is this week's theme at Illustration Friday. I guess the week is almost over actually. But I prefer to take a wider view of these things: it's Illustration Friday ALL WEEK in my opinion!

I was interested to see so many varying interpretations of the theme...musical scales, fish scales, weighing scales, proportional scale and what have you. I'm going for small scale here. This is one of the smallest paintings I have ever done, yet the objects are slightly larger than life-size! It's all relative.

Small Candy, 3 1/2 x 5 inches, oil on canvas laid to board

A NEW BOOK
for which I shot the cover photograph, is just coming out. I think you can pre-order the book from the Publisher, should you happen to be a teacher who has an inclusion classroom with kids with autism! The publishers wanted the cover photo to be authentic, and it really is. The little boy in the photo really does have autism, and really was in a regular classroom with some extra supports (you can see his wonderful aide behind him.) The teachers, students and administrators at the school, Philladelphia's Penn Alexander, could not have been nicer or more helpful to me. The whole job was a pleasure, from beginning to end.

HATS
are this week's theme at Illustration Friday. Very seasonally appropriate I thought. I have already started looking out the family's winter hats as our house is wonderfully cool in the summer but also in the winter, alas! Wearing a hat makes a big difference.

In fact, when winter really hits, a hat is a necessity, especially in my studio. North-facing and with a very feeble radiator, there are times when you can practically see your breath in there. No need to wrap up my palette at the end of the day...the paint stays nicely refrigerated and fresh for days on end. Me too I guess, so I wear a hat, a neck-warmer and a paint splattered down vest to work.

Self Portrait in a Cold Studio, oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches