Spring Class Schedule now available!

I have my dates locked in and am looking forward to several months of great classes!  Check them out here:
http://danellesdesigns.blogspot.com/p/2014-classes.html

I wrote a book! Now let's paint!

During these cold winter months I accomplished something I've wanted to do for nearly ten years; I wrote a book!  It is a science fiction middle-grade read entitled ZIGON (a subtitle is in the works).  Typing 'THE END' yesterday felt incredible!

If I got to write my own book cover, the summary would go something like this:

John, a 14 year old boy, lives a hard yet sheltered life on a Pennsylvania farm.

Diana, the child prodigy of her race, is frozen in stone for hundreds of years.

Their paths cross on a routine class field trip and their lives irrevocably change.  Can she return to her race and save her homeland from extinction?  Can he find the time and strength to help her while hiding the truth from his austere parents?  They must use every resource they have available to them to uncover centuries’ old secrets as lives hang in the balance.  Portals, amulets, power crystals, an ancient city, and the ability to influence the world around you down to the tiniest particle are some of the magical things John must embrace to help Diana, but as Diana would tell you, “It’s science, not magic!”

Travel with John and Diana and a diverse cast of characters through an adventure of discovery, loss, and rebirth as friendships are forged and old debts are revisited in this tale where “mind over matter” has a whole new meaning.

ZIGON came in at 412 pages and over 137,000 words.

The idea for the book started around ten years ago when my oldest son was five years old and asked for an original bedtime story.  I came up with the concept that is now the book's prologue.  Since then, creating the back story and science mythos has consumed my mind many a night when I was supposed to be sleeping.

I have begun the arduous task of finding an agent to help me get the book published.  

The news you are likely more interested in is that I will FINALLY be publishing my class schedule by next week at the latest.  I spent the weekend at my mom's and started two canvas class samples.  They come from Donna Dewberry's worksheet packets 'Funky Rooster' and 'Sunsets'.  I have a pretty funny story to tell about the Sunsets project, which I will save for later.

Let's all pray that this is the last day of single digit wind chills!