Being Picky for 2009

My motto for 2009 is to "Be Picky". My "Just Do It" and "Keep Truckin'" themes of the past have left me with so much to do. I decided I don't need to do every project/Illustration Friday topic/swap that came to me. That's crazy!!! I should only work on things that are really special to me. Obviously I really took that to heart since it is mid-February and writing this now. (The piece above sold...by the way!)
With that said, I just sent out my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project (photos to come) which gave me time to play and be abstract. My next project that I am going to work on is with an old friend Jen McCleary from Art School. We will be doing a collab project with altered books. You can read more about it here. We are going to catch up on the last 10 years while altering books. Since we are going to keep on passing the books back and forth they will become more and more abstract and less like a diary. I think it will be a great experience and I am so excited that I am back intouch with Jen and I am really excited about my book! I am going to use a hardcover edition of the Rules of the Operating Department from the New York Central System from 1956. Since I spend my life on mass transit, I thought it was fitting. It has so many fun things inside, I can't wait to start working in it!