This quick sketch depicts a field of sunflowers located in Yellow Springs, Ohio. I like to have a sketchbook nearby while I write - the doodling allows my mind to wander while I work on character development. Anna, one of the main characters in a story I am writing, is a journalist sent to Russia to cover the "feel good" stories of the Sochi Olympics. Instead, Anna gets caught up in the turmoil taking place in Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine.

THURBER HOUSE - where laughing, learning & literature meet.

Master Class: First Chapters, First Impressions with Critically Acclaimed Author Katrina Kittle

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• sATURDAY, oCTOBER 7, 2017 9:00AM 12:00PM
• 91 JEFFERSON AVENUECOLUMBUS, OH, 43215
• THURBER CENTER
• INSTRUCTOR: Katrina Kittle 
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• Katrina Kittle is the author of five novels—Traveling Light, Two Truths and a Lie, The Kindness of Strangers, The Blessings of the Animals, and Reasons to Be Happy. The Kindness of Strangers won the 2006 Great Lakes Book Award for Fiction. Katrina teaches creative writing workshops focusing on craft and motivation (and is especially good at jump-starting stalled writers). She teaches in the Dayton/Cincinnati area through Word’s Worth Writing Connections and through online coaching to writers anywhere. She also offers manuscript consultations through Write Sisters Consulting and is a public speaker. You can find out more at http://katrinakittle.com/

http://www.thurberhouse.org/adult-workshops/first-chapters-first-impressions

Rebuilding and New Beginnings

Puerto Rico needs our help.

This sketch is from a photo I took, last month, while visiting Puerto Rico. 
This little guy stood so proud. I hope he is okay.

Donate to the relief effort at: http://unidosporpuertorico.com/en/

https://www.oneamericaappeal.org/

Two Dollar Radio HQ just opened in Columbus, Ohio! 

Last night was the preview party for this independent bookstore, bar, and café.

Go check it out, and get some writing in.

1124 Parsons Avenue in wonderful Columbus, Ohio
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TwoDollarRadioHQ/about/?ref=page_internal 

Puerto Rico - Hurricane Relief

Last month, my husband, son, and I visited Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. My heart breaks for my fellow Americans who live there.

In this painting titled, Puerto Rico, I am looking out over the ocean, beyond the historical community of 
La Perla. 

Please consider purchasing an 8" x 10" print of my original painting, available online by visiting my Website at https://www.etsy.com/listing/546002612/all-profits-from-each-print-sold-go-to?ref=shop_home_active_3

Your 8" x 10" print comes in an 11" x 14" mat and fits in a standard frame.

The profits from each print sold ($12) will be donated to: United for Puerto Rico (Unidos por Puerto Rico).

United for Puerto Rico is an initiative brought forth by the First lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló in collaboration with the private sector, with the purpose of providing aid and support to those affected in Puerto Rico by the passage of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane María.
Puerto Rico needs your support. Join us and help Puerto Rico recover!
For more information, go to: http://unidosporpuertorico.com/en/

Green Tea & Jethro

I took a break from writing and did a quick sketch of my friend Susan's horse - Jethro. Susan died a couple years ago, but I think of her often. She loved that horse.









Hide a Book Day! 
You might just find this book somewhere near the Grandview Grind Coffee Shop!

Weathered Mural - Cassablanca, Morocco

Among the spattering of French colonial buildings in Casablanca is urban sprawl and poverty. This is not a tourist destination, and our being there was received with a mix of puzzlement and delight. 

As we walked the streets, people thanked us for visiting their country. For me, this Weathered Mural, with its fountain and palm trees, depicts the shrouded beauty of the city.

See more of my artwork at:
http://www.leahreynolds.etsy.com/

Friendly Touch

Tarifa is a seaside town on the southern most point of Spain where visitors blend with locals, sipping coffee under colorful umbrellas. While sitting at an outdoor cafe, I spotted this cat enjoying the Friendly Touch of a young boy.

At night, Tarifa comes alive. Happy Hour begins at 
10:00 P.M., and the Moorish structures that appeared abandoned and boarded up by day, open, and hundreds of people spill into the streets to party.

See more of my artwork at:
http://www.leahreynolds.etsy.com/