How to take a bath

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved

Merry Christmas from Chloe Pink & Co.

Chloe Pink takes a bath

I've found that taking a bath is one of the best ways to relieve stress and relax. It's just the thing Chloe Pink needed to do after shopping for boots! It's important that us, girls know what stresses us out and what we can do to make ourselves feel better. What are some things that stress you out? What do you do to make yourself feel better. Pete and Chloe want to know.

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved

Done shoppin'?

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved

She's that crazy, clutzy, funny Chloe Pink

While Chloe Pink aims to fit in by getting "cool new boots," she's embarrassed by her shopping mishap as witnessed by super popular sports girl, JenBall. Of course, this sort of thing never happens to JenBall or so it seems. So she teases vulnerable Chloe for being a clutz. But never fear! Chloe bounces back with a sarcastic, funny response and outwits her on the spot. Score Chloe Pink, 1. JenBall, 0.
Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved

Boot Dominoes

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Chloe Pink and the 6 boots

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved

Chloe Pink goes boot shopping

As you may know, I recently decided to snag me some of those fancy schmancy over-the-knee-boots. (Coming to that decision was a monumental task in itself.)

So, off I went on that tedious journey which I find to be a big waste of a great resource, time. With today's online shopping, sprawling malls and cute little boutiques everywhere, one could easily spend a month shopping for the perfect pair of boots or jeans or t-shirt for that matter. But who has that kind of time? Oh that's right. "Stars" on TMZ , etal. OK. I'm not them. So off I went to DSW, a gigantic warehouse of shoes. The place has hallways and hallways--I'm not kidding-- of well and non-heeled options. It's a matter of dizzily walking down every aisle and being able to move your head back and forth, back and forth so as not to miss "the one." And then being able to pretend you're Anna Wintour of Vogue as you edit out the "no's" to reduce the amount of time trying on the possible "yeses." When all was said and done in this herky jerky neck muscle defying exercise, I actually found exactly what I wanted and I got a great deal--to boot! Sorry. What an unfortunate pun.

But there was a price to pay indeed for finding dem d'ere boots. It simply took me more time than I had hoped. I liken it to searching for a needle in a haystack or proofing a story and editing out all the bad grammar and words you don't need. (Sort of like I didn't do with this one.)

But let me not digress. I want to know how you feel about shopping? What key strategies and methodology do you execute to purchase clothes and other worldly material possessions? And in the end...and here's the kicker. (Another bad pun..) Is it really worth it?

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

My obsession with over the knee boots

Just like Chloe, I've been thinking about over the knee boots. I've been dreaming about over the knee boots. I've been shopping for over the knee boots. I've been cartooning about over the knee boots. And now, I have finally scored myself some over the knee boots. So, it seems there's only one natural thing left to do when it comes to over the knee boots.

Wear them.

There's just one problem though. They have heels. Wish me luck.

Francophile Chloe Pink

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved

Over-The-Knee Boots

I've been obsessed with the idea of over-the knee boots since I saw this slideshow. Check it out. And if you like the idea of boots as leggings, you don't have to go to the Chanel boutique in Paris. You can shop for them here where I got mine.




Cppyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All rights reserved.

Meet Brooklyn

She's booksmart. She's chic. She's Chloe Pink's left brained, fashion conscious friend.







Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009 All rights reserved

Chloe Pink (TM) Cartoon For Girls

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009 All rights reserved

A hair raising issue

Yup. Pretty sure this cartoon sums up my thoughts about (my) hair. However, the issue is so vast, so important, so incredibly personal to women and girls throughout the land...I'd really like to get your thoughts about your hair. Do you like your hair? How do you wear it? In a ponytail? A pixie? A bouffant? (Probably not. I just wanted to say that word, "bouffant." It sounds so french, so girly.) Anyways, back to the subject. What color is it? Blonde? Real or bottle? Red? Brown? White or silver? Thick or thin? Is it as coarse as horse fur or as wispy thin as a baby chick's first feather? What does your hair say about you? Punk rocker? Biz woman? Jr. Leaguer? Cindy Brady? And do you even care? How many good hair days a week do you have? What's your biggest hair nightmare? And what was your best hairdo ever? How much time do you spend taking care of your hair? What do other people say about your hair? I think it's time we untangle these mysteries of the tresses once and for all. Don't you?

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved

What makes a beautiful girl? A Chloe Pink study in gouache illustration

Here's a new take on Chloe PinkTM. I'm going to discuss the composition in terms of being an artist. While this piece is only 7x10," I'm starting to think in terms of one-shot Chloe's. So I thought of it as a big poster that could be framed and hung in some girl's frilly beaudoir. That was the goal at least.

Also, I'd read recently that to test the uniqueness of a cartoon character, put it in silhouette form. While I've been drawing Chloe PinkTM since 2007, it seemed like a good idea. Once I'd painted the aqua marine background around her, I felt I'd passed test #1. I particularly like the little leaves that fill the inside of her signature scarf.

Next, I was drawn to the idea that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. This will be a recurring theme with Chloe. But no matter how I worded it, it sounded sorta' preachy and perhaps, a little unbelievable. After all, we're all drawn to beauty. It's just human nature.

And yet "feeling beautiful" is something I think girls of all ages can achieve everyday regardless of their pimples, wrinkles or weight. I know if I am "doing" something that makes me happy, then it shows. And people are drawn to happy people. Voila!

Next, I remembered the sugar & spice phrase. It seemed cutesy. I wasn't sure I'd use it. But the words painted a visual of lavender, lillies and berries in my mind. I started at the bottom of her feet and drew the flora up her body. Hmmm... just like plants grow!

Originally, I painted a landscape in Chloe's head with a rainbow, sun, house, tree and more flowers. Very sweet and fun, but way too busy and didn't match the somewhat organic feel of the rest of her body. So, I slathered my new favorite art supply--Windsor & Newton Designer's Gouache Permanent White--over Chloe's head and began again.

Once I'd refilled her head with a sugar sprinkled latte, more flowers and leaves, it was time to address the illustrated type issue. Her body was already very busy. (Do ya think!) Would adding the words around fight the intricacy of the flora? I wouldn't know until I did it. Also, you wouldn't believe how many times I reworked the phrase--changing out little words here and there. Not to mention, I literally penciled in and erased each word several times before they fit in and flowed around her body in an aesthetically pleasing way. This is what I've learned about the art of illustration lately. It's not about being Picasso and churning out masterpieces every hour. It's more like writing an ad or a brochure for floor wax. You have to make it seem appealing with a concept or something you want to say. First, you get it down on paper. Then, you go back and tweak and tweak and tweak until it feels as close to perfection it will ever be.

So when all is said and done, I'm glad I challenged myself to a different approach with Chloe. While the look of this gouache painting is different then a 3 panel comic strip, it communicates the central theme of Chloe PinkTM. That striving to do things that make you happy on the inside is a better use of your time than always trying to have a good hair day.

Copyright © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Ladies Notworking Events

After attending a biz women's networking event last night, I woke up this morning with this idea in my head and had to get it down on paper. None of the women I met yesterday do any of the things that the bouffanted lady in the cartoon does. And yet, in some strange way, it seems like they all did. The more I attend these events, the more I realize how multi-faceted and multi-"tasketed" us women are. Whatever happened to the idea of "less is more" and "K.I.S.S." (keep it simple stupid)? We don't just bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan anymore. No, We have 20 other things to do as well. So, I'm asking, just throwing it out there...is this good or bad? Is there a "fall-out" for women, their families, their friends and biz assocaties who "do it all?" Or is that just the way we're meant to be? And do all those "extra" things we do make a ripple in our own communities that turn into a tidal wave of change of positive energy throughout the world? Or, are we all just a little bit nuts? And no further philosophical thinking on this subject is needed?

Chloe Pink © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Friend "count"

Friendship has always been important to me. Having a few people to share my dreams and struggles with over a cup of joe magically makes life better. Which brings me to Facebook, the social network of friends galore. As much as I like FB, I do think the whole "friend" thing is a bit silly. I mean, c'mon. 96 Friends? Really? 96? And that number is actually eency compared to some of my other FB friends with more than 1,000 friends. Also, many of my 96 FB "friends," I've never even met face-to-face. They're biz associates of associates of associates of associates. Or, they're people I went to high school with and don't remember from those prehistoric, pre-wired days. On the other hand, Facebook does give me opportunities to get to know people I already know just a little bit better. Sometimes that's good and sometimes that's bad. If you know what I'm sayin'. And I'm sure that works both ways. Like, I wonder what my FB friends think of me and my Chloe Pink posts, etc. on my Facebook page? Who knows. Oh well. Gotta run. I'm meeting a friend--A real friend. For dinner. In person.

Chloe Pink © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

The Meeting

This week, I overheard Dee Dee Myers, the former (and first woman as well as 2nd youngest) White House Press Secretary on a news show. She was in a panel discussion about the congressional hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. According to Myers, almost every girl and woman has "felt left out" at a meeting, even female justices in the highest court of our land. This made me think, "Wow, if a woman makes it all the way to Supreme Court Justice and is still ignored, it just goes to show! We're never too young, girls, to work on being noticed, acknowledged and heard. Of course, this means having something to offer in a meaningful way...not to bore the audience...know what you're talking about...be on subject...and cut to the chase.

Chloe Pink © Sharna Fulton 2009. All rights reserved.

The Chloe Pink Pledge

1. To be curious. Why? Because if you accept your world as it is and never question or discover what's new, you limit your self growth.

2. To be self confident (and to work on it everyday). If you don't nurture yourself, you can't flourish.

3. To follow your dreams. Why just follow the crowd? Do your own thing. Figure out what it is. Could take you awhile, but it's worth the pursuit.

P.S. Watch out for those "sly little squirrels" always trying to lead you astray off your chosen path.

Chloe Pink © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Thinking about pink. And other major life decisions.

The Chloe Pink Studio interior design project has begun. Last weekend, I came across an old french desk and chair at Alley's Attic. And hired someone to "shabby chic" it. That was easy. Now, the real work begins: finding the right shade of pink to paint CP's studio walls. With so many pinks from corals to candies to hot and french pinks, it's not as easy as you think. I want a room that makes a design statement, but it needs to be a conducive work space as well. I want "pink" to motivate, not distract me from bringing Pete & Chloe to life! Underlying this whole decision is, well, my problem in making decisions. I think it's partly a female characteristic to aim for perfectionism and overthink things. Often, that makes for a good outcome. But other times, it's kept me from moving forward in life. Sometimes the details become all too important and I can lose focus of the big picture. Does that ever happen to you. Have you ever waited too long to make a decision when you could've been making progress towards a goal? How many trips to the paint store would you make to get just the right pink? I've made 3 so far.

Chloe Pink © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Follow Your Dreams, Girls

For our inaugural cartoon, Chloe wanted to make a statement on behalf of women and girls. Her line in the first frame is a direct quote from Barack Obama on March 11, 2009 at the signing ceremony for the White House Council on Women and Girls. The new Council's goal is that every agency of government thinks about the impact of its policies on women and girls. He added, "When any of our citizens can't fulfill their potential, that says something about the state of our democracy." Chloe and her friend, Pete couldn't agree more.

Chloe Pink © Sharna Fulton 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Chloe Pink Re"Coming-Out" Party

Hi. My name is Sharna Fulton and I'm a cartoonist. In 2007, I finally pursued my lifelong dream of creating Chloe Pink, a 32 piece greeting card line for the National Stationery Show in New York City. (Chloe Pink is also the name of the main cartoon woman/girl character who deals with the daily pitfalls of life with her dog, Pete.)

With just enough interest from the head comedy writer at a major greeting card company to get my hopes up, but zero sales, I tried the next thing that came to mind. Thanks to help from a talented wordsmith and Cause Marketing professional, Joe Waters, I tried to find a nonprofit who could use Chloe as a spokesgirl for their cause. I tried for a few months, but got no bites and so I stopped trying. (Definitely not something Chloe would ever do!)

So, I put Pete and Chloe in a drawer and walked away from my dreams. A year later, enters Carol. She and I met at a party in my neighborhood and we became friends instantly. She's a retired school teacher, mother, grandmother and one of the strongest, most independent women I've ever met. Carol now sings for her livelihood and believes in following one's heart.

Thanks to Carol, Pete and Chloe are back in my life. Tomorrow, Carol's throwing a coming out party for the three of us and inviting her family and friends. Actually, it's really a celebration of being a girl or a woman. That's what Chloe Pink is all about. Which reminds me...What are YOUR dreams? What makes YOU happy? I'm opening up the conversation right now. Chloe, Pete, Carol and I want to know.

Chloe Pink Copyright Sharna Fulton 2009. All rights reserved.