It seems like an appropriate time of year to share this as part of my advocacy to raise hereditary cancer awareness and save lives.
Available at Genetionary, a glossary of inherited genetic mutations for download. (Under "I" for "Inherited Mutations.")
Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol was first published in London on December 19, 1843, 180 years ago.
My illustration is 35 years old.
Dickens' message is timeless.
It’s always nice to see one of the books I illustrated read in a video, and this one is appropriate for the season. But, as with every book, there are usually backstories that no one knows about.
I loved working on this book. It is one of my favorites. Having been born and raised in the Southwest, it gave me a chance to whimsically illustrate the flora and fauna I love so much. And also a chance to reminisce about growing up in an area that was once filled with so many beautiful wide-open and unspoiled spaces. I hope the book brings a smile and some joy to all who read it.
I am reluctant to share this backstory; after all, it is the holidays. And it really isn’t the best way to promote a creative work. But what flows from the pen and brush doesn’t always reflect what is going on in real life.
This was one of the most difficult assignments I ever worked on because it was done while I was also my beloved late wife’s caregiver during her first occurrence of metastatic hereditary cancer to her brain*. Many late nights were spent working on the art while I also monitored my wife for signs of seizures or one of the other horrible side effects of whole-brain radiation as she slept.
If you are interested in the book, please know that any and all royalties I receive from the book get donated to hereditary cancer nonprofits.
The book is available from the publisher: Sunbelt Publications, your local bookshop (find one here: www.IndieBound.org), select National Park and National Monument bookstores, and of course, all the online booksellers. ISBN: 9781941384534
Thank you. And to ALL a good holiday season.
And thank you, Ranger Sorom at the Bureau of Land Management, for reading the book!
* Read more about my wife's hereditary cancer story at FORCE, FacingOurRisk.org.
I have conflicting feelings about Thanksgiving.
On my maternal side I have my 9th great-grandparents (the Whites) who sailed on the Mayflower. Then on my paternal side, there are rumors that my 6th great-grandfather was Gelelemend (aka John Killbuck), a Delaware (Lenape) Chief. (However, the paper trail is sketchy and unconfirmed and conflicting on different genealogy sites.) But given that it is Thanksgiving week, I thought I’d share a couple turkey cards I created a few years back.
Before the direction of my life and art career were forever altered by my late wife’s hereditary cancer*, I created many things over the course of my freelance career. Among them were greeting cards, wrapping paper, and other paper products for various publishers.
*Remember, Thanksgiving is National Family Health History Day. I created a pedigree to help you record and share family health history. It just might save the life of a loved one. More info here: www.genetionary.org
