Hi Keri,

This is unrelated to your post, but I just thought in case you hadn't seen this website, it might interest you and make you barf, as it did me.

http://www.getthemblogging.org/

Keep fighting the good fight.

i loved life of pi. i found it hard to read in the begining, but the ending was definetly worth getting through

keri-
thinking about drawing doors... have you seen the film pan's labyrinth yet?
i loved simon when i was a kid.
maureen

When I was growing up I drew stuff and glued stuff and wrote and painted all over my bedroom walls. Then, while I was away at Girl Scout camp, my parents painted the whole room sky blue.

My brother wrote me a letter warning me to be prepared(and that I had missed a whole lot of my father's best cursing)

You'd think I'd have been angry, but it was kind of nice to have a fresh slate to begin again.

- a guerilla artist from way back

to see a door drawn and come to life, you must really check out pan's labyrinth. i think you would love it.

OK I couldn't make it through life of pi, and was completely horrified by it and couldn't finish it and am still confused by the guru nature of this thing.....sounds like I should read it again...can I skip that part? I was upset for weeks after reading the boat part....truly does it get worth it Keri? I trust you.....

so funny. a friend of mine just had a baby and named him simon...i was trying to remember the name of this cartoon (kept thinking of harold and the purple crayon). thank you for refreshing my memory at the exact moment i needed! yes! love this notion of just chalking up to you heart's content - do the whole wall and have fun! xo, mindy

I completely forgot about simon! well you know my name is simon, and the things I draw come true.... wow. that was great. And definately draw a door--first thing.

"Well, you know my name is Simon, and the things I draw come true, and the pictures take me, take me climbing over the garden wall with you!" :)

Simon was the best! I love the idea of filling one's house with magic chalk drawings.

And I really enjoyed your podcast interview, too, Keri - great stuff!

Sarah

you don't know how happy it has made me to think about that Simon show - I thought my sister and I were the only people in the world who remembered it!

Keri,
Have you ever read Harold and the Purple Crayon? He too creates his reality with his drawings. Thanks for the inspirational posts!
Amy

hi Keri - love this post - as always - beautiful weather - at last here in no. VT - climbed Mt. Philo 2 days running

yes perhaps the chalk board paint - also in green? - or maybe any color with a base of something like gesso - need to do this - in studio and here at home - oh your inspirations - singing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xox - eb.

I don't know if I know it from America or England, but I could still sing you the Simon song perfectly!

simon makes me smile.

i use the mirror sometimes
and a sharpie.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/432975365_3b14204e14_b.jpg
black is best.
but what's really cool...
is when you sit in front of the mirror..
close one eye..
and then trace yourself.

: }

this settled it though,..
i am so painting the kids room with chalkboard paint!

When I was a kid I drew a tiny door on my wall. It was small so my parents wouldn't see it... but big enough to enable me to think about the tiny, kind people that lived on the other side. I didn't know the word 'portal' at that time, but that's exactly what it was.

'Simon' was one of my favourite cartoon shows. And I still remember the song to the show, too –

"Well you know my name is Simon,

and the things I draw come true,

Oh pictures take me, take me over,

Climb the ladder with you."

And here's a link to pics and sound clips from the show:
http://www.thechestnut.com/simon/simon.htm

Keri -- I once bought an old Mazda for $500 cash. It was painted with black chalkboard spray paint, and so you could draw all over the car!

I share Courtney Sue's childhood memory of Pinwheel. I immediately started singing Simon's theme song at your mention of the show. Thanks for the smiles.

Hello!
I an an Aussie and have been a reader of your site for a little while. I thought 'The Life of Pi,' was quite good... until I read Yann Martel's earlier book, 'Self' which I loved. Have you read it?
I also really liked Jonathan Saffran Foer's 'Everything is Illuminated.'
Best wishes,
Lex

i absolutely LUUUUVED 'the life of pi'!!
try listening to it on cd- the narrator is indian and his voice is great..

Strange, I got the life of Pi at the library and today I'm reading this very funny article about your prime minister on your blog.
Must be something in the air that reached me here in Belgium!

Perhaps a chalk-wall would be better....I've been planning to paint my room for awhile, so last weekend, I took down all the old posters, etc, and started writing and drawing on the drab white walls with my chalk pastels. It has been an amazingly freeing experiance, and I now have the painting I'm working on hanging on the wall, ready and waiting for that moment of inspiration that'll have me up all night.

Hi. I read the article you mentioned by Yann Martel and loved it. I, too, would like to read the books he suggests but don't quite know how to find out which titles he sends because I live in the US. The website home page states that it is not affiliated with Martel, so do you have any suggestions? Love your blog and thanks!
Michelle

love simon. can still sing the theme song (w the accent, of course). i wonder if you can find old episodes on tape these days...

When I was a kid, Nickelodeon used to show some Canadian kids shows, namely Pinwheel and Today's Special. Pinwheel featured a lot of great "foreign" cartoons, including the stop-action Paddington Bear shorts and Simon. I can still remember the Simon theme song.
Your post about making a chalkboard wall has inspired me. I was going to paint a wall in my craft room, and now I think one wall must be a chalkboard wall, too.
Excellent blog, as always!

Hi jill,
yes i did use a 'chalk board' paint, which is black matte. although my friend summer pierre says that you can write with chalk on painted walls and it comes right off!

try it.

im so happy the sun has come back!

wow - i didn't know you could paint a chalkboard? is it a special kind of paint?