I’ve been hard at work on this new issue for the past few days — and I think it’s going to be one of my best yet. Inspired by the spirit of Doomed Queens past, I’ve written a piece about five ways Sarah Palin may yet be a Doomed Queen. There’s also an exclusive-only-for-subscribers raffle to win an autographed archival print ($90 value) of a drawing from the book.

For those of you in the New York area, I’ve included an events schedule for my Brooklyn gallery, Kris Waldherr Art and Words. It includes information about the upcoming Doomed Queens book launch and art exhibition, which (appropriately enough) will be a Hallowe’en celebration. Fun!

I’ve just received the final cover proof. (Doomed Queens has french flaps and endpapers though it’s a paperback. Broadway is planning a beautiful production job!) This is also probably on press right now too. After more than a year of solid labor, it’s a strange feeling to not have anything more to do on the book itself.

So where does this leave me? Do I simply more onto the next publication? Well not exactly, though I do have a few backburnered projects that I can now turn back to. Publishing a book is a bit more complicated than that. After all, writing, designing and illustrating is only part one of bringing a book to life. Part two is assuring that the book actually finds its way in the world — that it sells well, wins appropriate attention, and gets well reviewed. All this is a job onto itself.

So here’s my “to-do” list for Doomed Queens, part deux:

1. Finish finetuning my kriswaldherr.com website. I’ve still lots of Doomed Queens content to roll out as publication date approaches. Publication is set for October 28th.

2. Need to finish my press kit Q&A. I’m taking this quite seriously since it’s a very important tool for the media to learn about my book. Am doing my best to be pithy, witty, and wise.

3. Prepare for the launch party. There will be two, one at a private club and one at my gallery, which will include an exhibition of the original art from Doomed Queens.

4. Confer with marketing at my publisher. We have lots of ideas for publicizing the book. Now we need to decide on how to proceed. For example, there’s been talk of a Youtube video, which I think is a fantastic idea. I’d also like to design a Facebook application.

5. And so much more. What I’ve listed here just scratches the surface and doesn’t even include all the labors of the good people at Broadway Books. For example, I know they’ve already sent out galleys for reviews. Once the book is published, there will probably be a big mouth mailing, to stir up support from halo’ed quarters.

As for myself, well, I just feel tired. I’m glad to have finished part one of my labors. I’d love to take a break, a mental margarita if you will. But I know I have many miles to go before I sleep. And now is not the time to lose my focus.

The Doomed Queens website is semi-live. By semi-live, I mean that though the whole site isn’t up yet, I’ve posted a temporary home page. Eventually the content on DoomedQueens.com will expand to include a quiz to accertain your risk of marching to the scaffold, a Youtube video (produced by Random House, natch), and a host of other darkly fun yet oddly empowering content.

For now, the home page will grant you a royal taste of what’s to come. It also features a Doomed Queens cautionary moral of the day (which are sprinkled throughout the book). My personal favorite is for Princess Diana: “Beware of men bearing Camillas and cameras.” Useful advice indeed!

Some of you might be wondering what is going on with Doomed Queens, the book I’ve been working on for the past year. Short answer: Lots. Long answer: Aside from (1) copyediting the manuscript, (2) designing the Doomed Queens website, and (3) trying up lots of loose threads, I’ve been working on the art.

Part of that process is working with models, as you can probably tell from the above photo. Right now, I’ve had about half a dozen models come and pose over the past week. This week, another four will generously spend some time in front of my camera.

Yes, camera. I take reference photos for a number of reasons. The primary one is that I can’t bear to have people hold poses for hours as I draw — it’s too much to ask. From a practical standpoint, it’s also much easier to capture a moment from a quick photo than it is from a sustained drawing. What if I wanted to draw someone twirling? Or jumping? (That written, I might feel differently if I was a more skilled draftsperson….)

The process of working with models is somewhat alchemical — meaning that each of us bring something to the table. The end result is sometimes unpredictable, though I generally have a clear vision before we begin. I know I’ve mentioned before that my models are usually people I know, rather than hired professionals. That’s because it’s easier for me to feel a sense of connection with the character I’m illustrating if the model is someone I know. It also reflects my belief that these stories are something universal, that we carry them within ourselves in some mythic way.

For the most part, I’ve chosen my models well. Occasionally, I’ll ask someone to pose who might be more uncomfortable than expected with the process; this discomfort is passed down to me and shows in the art. Fortunately, this is a very rare occurence. Generally speaking, any discomfort has fled by the time I’ve dressed up my model. (Yes, dress — I have a variety of costumes and props that can propel someone from the twenty-first century back to ye olde medieval times and beyond.)

But the photos aren’t the end result, as inspiring as they may be. After that, I still need to work out the composition before I even begin to draw. Plus photographs need to be adjusted, their perspective corrected and so on.

Nonetheless, these model photographs are the first step in my creating an illustration - and perhaps the most important step. They offer me a place from which inspiration can flow.

First this:

Then this:

I’m uncertain if I’m fascinated or horrified by the Vanity Fairization of these long ago royals. Or maybe I’m just amused. I mean, Henry VIII (or, as they dub him in the Showtime promos, “Henry 8″) in a leather vest? He looks better prepared for wrangling with the Crips than hanging with Cardinal Woolsey.

1. Sunday, October 20th at 3pm:
Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra concert

St. Ann’s Church
157 Montague Street (corner of Clinton)
Brooklyn, NY 11201

ENESCU – Roumanian Rhapsody #1 in A
BRAHMS (Orch. Schoenberg) – Piano Quartet #1 in g minor, Op. 25

Suggested admission is $15 or pay what you wish. After the concert, there is a free reception for the audience. To learn more or for directions, visit www.brooklynsymphonyorchestra.org.

Some of you might know that I play cello in the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, a community-based orchestra. Founded in 1973, the orchestra, a mix of talented amateur, semi-professional, and sheer joy of the experience. The music for this program is filled with lively, gypsy-inspired melodies — it should be a lot of fun!

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2. Wednesday, October 24th at 7 pm:
Goddess Inspiration Oracle signing

East West Living
(formerly East West Books)
78 Fifth Avenue @ 14th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-243-5994

Since it’s been such a busy fall, I have not planned an “official” publication party for the GIO. So this will be the next best thing!

Hope to see some of you at one or both of these events.

The fire of inspiration is a gift all writers and poets yearn to experience. Celtic people of long ago entreated the goddess Brigit for this divine spark. Wise Brigit was thought to take the form of a triple goddess, with each aspect of her divinity bearing a special function. As Brigit, goddess of poetry, poets asked her to take possession of their imaginations to bring forth words capable of moving people to tears and laughter. Brigit, the goddess of smithing, taught humans the important craft of forging iron, allowing them to create tools to aid their work; perhaps as a reflection of this, some believe her name translates as “the fiery arrow.” Finally, Brigit, the goddess of healing, shared her knowledge of herbs to heal the ill.

Brigit’s sacred holiday, the feast of Imbolg, is observed the first of February. It is a celebration that welcomes the return of light after the dark winter. It also marks the start of lambing season, and the new life that arrives with the start of spring.

Though I’ve painted and drawn Brigit for other publications, this drawing was created for Goddess Alive, a book I recently illustrated for Llewellyn Publications. I used pencil, white gouache on tinted paper. The book features 13 Celtic goddesses, each associated with the turn of the seasons and the phases of the moon. Order from amazon.com.

Technorati Tags: Brigit, goddess art, Kris Waldherr

Nut, the Egyptian goddess who personifies the sky, is painted here in her traditional form. It’s not the first time I’ve painted her — I created a miniature which was reproduced in both The Book of Goddesses as well as the Goddess Inspiration Oracle — but this is a far more ambitious composition! It was received in a vision by Star Wolf, one of the authors of Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt; I did my best to hew as closely as possible to her description. I also incorporated aspects of ancient Egyptian art in a respectful manner in my presentations of the deities, decorative elements and borders.

This art excerpted from the cover painting (left) for Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt, a book recently published by Inner Traditions and authored by Nicki Scully and Linda Star Wolf. I used watercolor, gouache and pencil for it; I created a total of eight paintings for the book.

Here’s a not-so-secret secret: the authors have decided to adapt the art from this book into an Egyptian-themed oracle. It will be published by Inner Traditions/Bear & Co. in late 2008. I’ve been reading so much about Egyptian history lately for the New Book that I’m excited to be delving back into this world!

It’s September, which means that (drumroll, please!) the Goddess Inspiration Oracle is officially out and about in the world. For those of you in the NYC area, I’ll be having a signing for the GIO at East West Living. Here’s the official information:

Wednesday, October 24, 7 pm:

East West Living
(formerly East West Books)
78 Fifth Avenue @ 14th Street
New York, New York 10011
Phone: 212-243-5994.
Email: bookpos@eastwestnyc.com

If you can’t make it, the GIO can be purchased online from Amazon.com here. (Link opens in new window.)

As well, reviews for the GIO are starting to appear. Here are quotes from a few of them:

Corrine Kenner:
“I don’t know about you, but every now and then I’ll do a reading that flows beautifully from one card to the next, gracefully unveiling a story that makes perfect sense … until I reach the final card. That’s when I slam head-first into a brick wall with an outcome card that brings the whole reading to a screeching halt.

In those cases, I realize that I really didn’t want an ordinary outcome card: What I really wanted was guidance and advice. So I throw clarification cards — sometimes, one after another, which only complicates the issue.

That’s what makes the Goddess Inspiration Oracle such a welcome addition to my collection. It’s a quick and easy way to clarify any card in a tarot reading, and answer one of our most pressing questions: What should I do?

I love the fact that the Goddess Oracle cards complement the Goddess Tarot deck so well.“ read the rest of this review . . .

Aeclectic Tarot:
“The “Goddess Inspiration Oracle” kit consists of an 80-card deck of oracle cards based on a Goddess theme, a 120 page companion book (the “Goddess Inspiration Oracle Guide”), and a lovely gold colored organdy bag to act as a home for the cards. As always with Waldherr’s work, I am in awe! . . .

I found it interesting that Waldherr defines oracles as being both the vehicle for the message, and the message itself. Waldherr sees her messages as offering creative solutions, Whereas one of her previous works, “The Goddess Tarot”, offered wisdom through the venue of Tarot, Waldherr see the “Goddess Oracle” as opening this knowledge to those who do not necessarily work with Tarot . . . Incredible artistic talent, combined with a bent for serious research, is a trademark for Kris Waldherr!” read the rest of this review . . .

Julie Cuccia-Watts
“The Goddess Inspiration Oracle is very multicultural which I always like and it was also something very user friendly. It is perfect for a one card pull. This deck is something that I would use as there are times when I don’t want to use my own decks especially for my own personal readings, cuz let’s face it using my own deck can get to be, just too much “me”sometimes.

I think even though there are some cards that have grown up themes I
would still highly recommend this deck for teens. My daughter just
turned 15 and I think she would enjoy the ‘girl power’ energy of
this all goddess oracle with the meanings printed right on the card.
I found the Goddess Inspiration Oracle to be both educational and
inspirational. . . .

I give the Goddess Inspiration Oracle a thumbs up for content, multicultural, the feminine divine and art.” read the rest of this review . . .

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Meanwhile, I’ve got several posts percolating within me. One of them is about this piece of art (detail posted below):

A tip of the hat to anyone who can identify the painting, the artist and the quote. A hint: think fin de siecle Vienna.

Are the Valkyries goddesses? Or are they supernatural warrior maidens? According to Norse mythology, they are dísir, or fate goddesses who served the ruling god Odin. Their main purpose was to choose the most heroic of those who had died in battle and to carry them off to Valhalla, where they became warriors to fight at Odin’s side at the preordained battle at the end of the world.

The most famous Valkryie is Brunnhilde, whose story I find particularly stirring. She offers a potent example of how love can inspire people to great deeds. It also serves as the linchpin for Wagner’s massive music drama, The Ring of the Nibelungen. Valkyries are also associated with ravens; some images show them as half-raven/half-woman, almost vulture-like in form as they swoop down to gather the dead.

My drawing depicts the Valkyries as they fly through the sky on their supernatural mounts, like thunder in the sky. Like the Muses, there are nine sister Valkyries (though that number varies in different myths); I’ve only drawn three of the Valkyries here, so I could focus more on the details — didn’t want to draw a crowd scene!

This drawing was created for Goddess Alive, a book I recently illustrated for Llewellyn Publications. I used pencil, white gouache on tinted paper. The book features 13 Celtic goddesses, each associated with the turn of the seasons and the phases of the moon.

Goddess Alive was recently published and can be ordered at amazon.com. If you decide to order it, autographed bookplates are available upon request.