Sea of Dreams

Earlier this week a magical boat, maybe the very one used by those famous navigators the Owl and the Pussycat, came sailing into Castle in the Air. It's the final piece to be prepared for "Prints, Charming," and it's a special vessel, as the hull of the boat used to be a whiskey barrel from St. George Spirits! Who knows how many reveries that cask has inspired in its day?

Everything is coming together to make Thursday night's reception and book signing a truly fantastic time. If you can't make it out then, you can come see the dressed prints and other art any time before the exhibit's final day of March 19.

One World - One Heart 2010

I'm happy to announce that Castle in the Air is participating in this year's One World - One Heart event. One World - One Heart is the creation of Lisa "Oceandreamer" Swifka. Lisa began the event in 2007 as a way for more people in the blog world to say hello to one another and share their art.

Everyone who takes part announces their participation on their blog, then posts about an item they are giving away. Visitors to each blog involved leave a comment, and at the end of the event each participant randomly selects a visitor to win their prize.

Lisa describes One World - One Heart as not so much a contest but a virtual "open homes" tour with a chance to win a door prize at each stop. It really does feel that way as you click through to all the participating blogs and get to know so many people.

Last year was our first time to participate in the event. For our prize, we gave away a signed copy of Castle in the Air, the first book from Dromedary Press. Dromedary's newest book, Commonplace Mouse, was published recently, so it's a natural pick for this year's prize. Click here to see our many posts about this tale of perseverance and high adventure. One lucky winner will be sent an autographed copy.

If you'd like to enter to win the prize, all you have to do is leave a (non-anonymous) comment on this post. One World - One Heart ends on Monday, February 15, and that's the day we will draw the winner's name from a hat and announce it here.

To learn more about this event, visit the One World - One Heart blog.

"Prints, Charming" is here!

Once upon a time...well, late last night, to be honest...we put the finishing touches on Prints, Charming, the new exhibit at the Castle in the Air gallery. Because this is our second show, we had the luxury of being used to the gallery space and how to put up the art. We do have some rather unique pieces this time, however, including a ten-foot long framed print, several portraits only a few inches wide, and books (glorious books!) from the Dromedary Press line.

I've been living with some of the original images from the show for many years, some for just a number of months. Now that they are all dressed and gathered together, they all seem fresh and new and as though they are all part of the same family, which of course they are--princesses, magical animals, and my hero, Commonplace Mouse, who has been immortalized in time for the show not only in print through Dromedary but also in doll form by Caron Dunn!

Dromedary Dreams

One of my greatest joys of the past year has been to devote more time than ever to my book projects. For years, Dromedary Press has been a dream that I've been able to bring more and more into the waking world to share with everyone else. The gallery show is shaping up to be a grand celebration of my books and illustrations.

I hope many of you will be able to come to the book signing at Castle in the Air on February 11. But even if you can't join us, you can be a part of the adventure by getting your own copy of Commonplace Mouse through our Online Shoppe!

Prints, Charming

We've been a bit quieter than usual on the blog for the past few weeks, as we're giving all our spare moments to the preparation of the next Castle in the Air Gallery show, an exhibit of three dozen prints of my watercolor illustrations and portraits.

For this show, I've taken several of my favorite illustrations and embellished them in the "dressed prints" style popular in India. Countless hours in my home studio have been spent adding silk, feathers, jewels, lace, sand, and other elements to turn the flat prints into sculptural wonders. You'll have to come to the exhibit (or the reception and book signing on February 11) to take in the full effect.

Prints, Charming
Portraits from the Studio for the Imagination
February 1 through March 19, 2010

Gallery open 12 - 6 Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday

Reception and book signing with light refreshments Thursday, February 11, 6 - 8 p.m.

Castle in the Air
1805 Fourth Street
Berkeley, Calif. 94710
(510) 204-9801

Read the full invitation and press release.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Whatcha doin'?" It's a fairly common question at Castle in the Air, especially among the staff. There are at least two qualities I would say we all share here at the shop -- our own artistic expertise and a curiosity about each others' work. So it's often the case that we collaborate on projects, especially large ones around the holidays. Sometimes it's planned, and other times it grows out of that simple question: "Whatcha doin'?"

Take the holiday wonder John McRae's been putting together for us. (I promise I'll tell you what it is soon. I know, I'm dying to tell you too, but I'm kind of enjoying the suspense!) When he realized that it needed a wintry backdrop scene, he asked if I could pitch in. Of course!

So here's one more tantalizing glimpse at what we're putting together. It will be up in the store after the Grand Transformation this Thursday. But until then, you can find out more by dropping by, peering over our shoulders, and asking "Whatcha doin'?"

Outlander

Years ago one of the crew here at Castle in the Air gave me the book Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, as a gift. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It had young love, sword-fighting, botany, witchcraft, Scotland, and a wacked out cast of characters...there were so many similarities between the story and my own life. It's even got a John McRae! So when I heard there was a sequel I ran to the bookstore to buy it. I was surprised not to see it on the fiction or fantasy shelves, and when I found it in the romance section I was a little embarrassed!

Of course while I don't honestly think Diana Gabaldon had me in mind when writing the book, today it really does seem like I'm living a story out of a romance novel, as my husband is taking me to Gabaldon's signing at Books Inc. in Mountain View! I'll pick up the seventh book in the Outlander series and say hello to a writer whose work has given me so much satisfaction over the years.

Speaking of Books Inc., not only are they the oldest West Coast independent bookseller, but they've also just opened a new store across the street from Castle in the Air!

Step Back

Any painter can tell you that part of the work is stepping back once in a while to look at the picture as a whole. If you stay too close to the canvas, all you see are details.

Amidst all the other projects at the store, we're preparing the relaunch of the Dromedary Press website. Collecting images of the various books and cards, along with concise descriptions of each, reminded me of the importance of stepping back and taking stock of one's work as an artist. What is the picture saying as a whole? Some projects come together quickly, others are chipped away at over the years as time and inspiration present themselves. An occasional step back to take in the bigger picture shows us what we're really working on, whether we knew it or not, and gives us a sense of the worlds we're creating as artists.

A Cup of Wisdom

I have a memory from when I was young of my father Diarmid preparing coffee on the stovetop. Diarmid practiced Sufism, and as he boiled the Turkish grounds in a little metal pot, he sang the praises of the dark elixir, known for centuries as an aid to achieving mystical states.

My own personal voyages on coffee are a much more recent experience. Throughout college, I stayed away from caffeinated coffee, not pulling any all-nighters unless I was able to stay awake out of pure interest. (Okay, so I had a little tea now and then.) But on my recent trip to Italy, where espresso is a way of life and everyone was so hospitable to my family, I developed quite a taste for the stuff. So much so that the first thing I did when I came back to Castle in the Air was to install a little espresso maker for us. Now look at me -- I drink 3 coffees a day and am beginning to see what all the fuss was about, all those years ago.

Keep Going!

I'm working on a few secret projects that have to do with heraldry this week, so of course I've been looking at the Cammell coat of arms, along with collections of other families' crests.

I've always loved my family motto: "Perseverando." To me, it means that no matter what life throws my way, the best thing to do is to keep carrying on and trust that better days are right around the corner.

Mr. Marsh spotted a crest for a double-barrelled (two-part) name combining Chisenhale with his own last name. He said that he remembered seeing his family crest hanging on the wall when he was growing up, so he recognized the horse's head and the crosses on the shield in the coat of arms. Even though it seemed to us that the horse was getting a bit overwhelmed by what we could only assume were the Chisenhale parts of the crest, Mr. Marsh said that it would be all right, because of the Marsh family motto: "Nil Desperandum!" We had a good laugh over our respective family mottoes -- they seem like two sides of the same coin!

Hooligans

Summer means summer camp, and my younger daughter keeps coming back from her day camp hikes in the Berkeley hills with wild turkey feathers she finds on the trail. Of course, kids aren't the only little creatures having summertime adventures. The turkeys themselves have waddled down from the woods at the top of the hills and are wreaking havoc on the UC campus and in the streets and gardens all over Berkeley and the neighboring towns. They're a bit like our local raccoons, who run in packs and aren't afraid of people, animals, or cars. In fact, the turkeys like to climb up on top of cars and leave scratches and little souvenirs on the hoods. For a university town, Berkeley comes up a bit short in the hooligan department, so the turkeys are filling a need by stirring up all kinds of trouble and I love it!

This painting is one of mine from when I co-taught an illustration class on Edward Lear's Owl and the Pussycat with Caron Dunn. Seems these fellows can play both sides of the law.

Setting off...

Castle in the Air's smallest hero sets off on the first leg of his adventures today -- Commonplace Mouse has gone to press! Only a month or so before the books are here! Stay tuned for news about the festivities we have planned to celebrate the publication of the second title from Dromedary Press.

Having a Wild Weekend

Aside from hailing all the amazing new changes at Castle in the Air, I'm also celebrating all the wonderful and bold changes that happened when my husband, Duncan, and I married each other ten years ago today. This Tarot card image (from Magic Realist Press' The Victorian Romantic Tarot by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov) is about having graceful strength as we move through all that life brings our way. It's a good talisman for anyone, married or not. But I didn't choose it for its symbolism. No, Duncan and I honeymooned on the savannah in Africa, and this weekend we're having our tenth-anniversary honeymoon at Safari West, an African wildlife preserve right here in Northern California!

Illustrated Letters

Before there were web pages and blogs, it was more common to see people adding color to their communication by drawing and painting images on the letters they sent through the good old U.S. Mail. Tomorrow Caron Dunn and I are teaching a class on illustrated letters in the studio at Castle in the Air, so this morning I worked up some sample envelopes. What makes illustrating letters such a delight is that it really gives you more time to think about the person who will be receiving it, and making art that you think they'll really enjoy.
Of course, any letter is a joy to receive, especially if it has a beautiful stamp on it. The post-office is raising its rates on Monday to 44 cents for a first class letter, so we bought a new book of stamps for the shop. They've got some wonderful art on them!

One World - One Heart

Before I started this blog, I was convinced that it was the perfectly wrong thing to do. Here I was, running a bricks-and-mortar store where I get to have face-to-face conversations with all of the wonderful artists who visit Castle in the Air. What sort of online experience could hope to match that?

While there isn't anything that can truly compete with real world friendships, it didn't take long for me to see that the store's blog was putting me in touch with all sorts of people whom I would never get to meet otherwise. Alongside our Online Shoppe, the blog lets people from around the world get a taste of what we do at Castle in the Air, and we can get to know each other through email or through visiting each other's blogs.

Someone who understands this power of the Internet to bring artists together is Lisa "Oceandreamer" Swifka. For three years now, Lisa has organized One World-One Heart, an annual festival that takes place across any number of blogs. Participants simply list an item they'd like to give to a lucky reader, then go and enter similar drawings for prizes at other participants' blogs.

For our entry, we're giving away a signed and numbered copy of Castle in the Air, the first book from my publishing company, Dromedary Press. The story in the book was a surprise gift from my husband on our first wedding anniversary (the paper anniversary). It tells the tale of a queen who has countless suitors, but pledges to give her heart only to the one who can build her "a castle in the air." While Duncan was secretly writing the story, I was furtively painting a picture for him, a picture of a queen waiting to meet the one who would sweep her off her feet.















When we exchanged gifts and saw how well they went together, Duncan and I decided to celebrate by combining the story and the painting into the most romantic little book. We engaged letterpress printer Richard Seibert and bookbinder Victoria Heifner to create it in limited hardcover and pamphlet editions. The forty-page book includes the full-color image of the queen and five line illustrations of the marvelous castles proposed to her.

Do you want your very own copy? We sell them at Castle in the Air as well as through our Online Shoppe, of course, but we're giving away one copy of the Castle in the Air hardcover to a lucky reader -- it could be you!

All you have to do to enter the drawing is to leave a (non-anonymous) comment on this blog post. You don't have to be a fellow participant in One World-One Heart, you don't even need to have your own blog -- the festival is just about getting people to say hello and get to know each other in this brave new online world. We'll draw a winner's name at random on Thursday, February 12 and announce it here!

To learn more about One World-One Heart and see who else is participating, please visit Lisa's blog.

Tell it like it is.

My family name, Cammell, originates in old Scotland. The name Campbell is a modern version of Cammell (it seems my ancestors didn't get the memo). Although the extra letters make the name look longer and more elegant, it is in fact pronounced "camel," just like the animal. Some people with the name Cammell might feel like changing it to something that doesn't remind people of a cantankerous, spitting pack animal, but it suits me just fine!

The Bactrian pictured here is about as pleasant as they come. It's from our beloved illustration and crafts teacher Caron Dunn. Caron made it for my collection from wool felt and stuffing. It is sewn with the tiniest, tidiest stitches and the tail has a tuft! It's got a darling blue and pink bridle and is just perfect.

Castle in the Air -- A Love Story

Dromedary Press, the in-house publishing imprint of Castle in the Air, is very happy to announce the publication of its first title. Castle in the Air is a love story beautifully written by Duncan Brown and lyrically illustrated by Karima Cammell. The book tells the tale of an itinerant traveler who attempts to win the heart of a young queen. Awash in suitors, she has declared that she will only marry a man who can build for her a castle in the air.

Castle in the Air is letterpress printed by Richard Seibert and hand-bound by Victoria Heifner. Forty pages, 5 1/4" by 7 1/8". Includes one full-color and five one-color illustrations. Produced in two limited editions: 100 numbered copies case-bound with red Japanese mohair cloth over archival boards, and 200 numbered copies pamphlet-bound in paper cover with red button-twill silk thread.