This is me in my favorite habitat:
on vacation with my husband
at a B &B in Colorado.
About Me
Part 1 - the military 'n me
I'm an Air Force spouse who was born to an Air Force spouse near Tyndall AFB, Florida. My first military move was at age six months when we transferred to Germany. Dad was already in Europe so Mom had to travel alone with me and my two-year-old brother. That's what military spouses do.
For a time, we moved so much that I went to a different school every year. We finally landed in Taiwan where I attended Taipei American School for three years in a row - which I consider a milestone at that point in my life.
Apparently, the military is in my blood. According to my brother's genealogical research, my father's family - the Moores from Bentonville, Arkansas, by way of Texas (somewhere around Denton, I believe) - have served in the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War. You might say it's our family business.
About Me
Part 2 - the non-military in me (for genealogy buffs)
On my mother's patriarchal side, we are American Indians. The Harrises of Rogers, Arkansas, are directly descended from the Cherokee Indians who walked The Trail of Tears.
I've read the names of my ancestors on the Dawes Rolles, thanks to the Oklahoma Historical Society and my Cousin Bill, who continues to study our Native American Heritage.
* * * *
My mom's matriarchal family, The Nidas, are also from Rogers, Arkansas, by way of Afton, Oklahoma, where my great-grandfather had a blacksmith shop. Cousin Martha and Cousin Jack are diligently pursuing that branch of the family tree.
* * * *
Well, that's about all there is to know about me. If you'd like to know about my life as a starving artist, you can go to the website that showcases my illustrations and there's a great bio here.
Thanks for asking! ~ j
Just another one of my favorite pictures:
me & Angel, New Year's Eve '98
at the Shaw AFB O' Club, in the Top Gun Lounge.
Picture taken by my friend, Carol Neal.
(She caught him licking his lips...hmmm, wonder what
he was thinking about? haha Good shot, Carol.) |
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Why Cartooning?
I've been an illustrator since I was four-years-old. I know this because my first life memory is of getting in trouble for drawing Barbie dolls on my dad's work papers. Luckily (for me, anyway), even though he was quite upset, dear old Dad brought home a big box of cast-off papers from his office the very next day.
Boxes and boxes of paper later, I landed my first editorial cartoonist gig around the same time I was handed a children's book to illustrate. The book never took off but the cartooning did and I've been creating spots, gag panels, illustrations, and newspaper cartoons ever since. I even created a line of greeting cards and sold them out of a little basket at spouse functions.
Why a cartoon about spouses?
When our overseas assignment came up, I packed my entire studio into storage because I thought I needed some time off from illustrating. What I didn't expect was how this PCS would turn out to be the most frustratingly overwhelming thing I'd ever encountered and how badly I would need an outlet.
Always true to my craft , I literally went 'back to the drawing board' and Jenny was created to show the crazy, silly, hoops we spouses sometimes have to jump through.
I hope you enjoy her. I also hope you don't go through the same things she does but, from the mail I'm getting, it looks like you do. So, as one reader put it, let Jenny be "the voice for all of us spouses" and, as another spouse put it, let Jenny be the one that helps you "look at things in a whole new, humorous way" and "make things a little less stressful".
Again - why a cartoon about spouses?
Because it's about time - don't you think?.
A final note...
My husband and I still have many years left in the United States Air Force. We aren't making any decisions yet about where we'll land when we finally put an end to the constant moving but I promise to keep you posted.
Meanwhile, let's all continue to "Bloom Where You Are Planted", as my friend, Kathy Hostage, once told me right before I was inspired to draw the little girl above.
Go Home
Just for grins....
This is my desk; where "Jenny" happens.
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