angelato

A gift for penguin friends

2012-02-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

acrylic on wood

I'm a bit 'bah humbug' over Valentine's Day, but it has been a lovely day for these penguins.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-23T00:36:00.000-05:00

Atelier Interactive Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolor paper

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Today, I planned to work on some other paintings, but I wanted to do a quick illustration in celebration of Chinese New Year. For, the year of the dragon is said to be the luckiest of them all!

I love working on wood, but I've been itching to play with a lighter, quick color technique, so I found my old Arches watercolor paper, and had some fun with this little painting.

Gung hay fat choy!

Illustration Friday: Prepare

2012-01-19T00:07:00.000-05:00

Copic Multiliner pen with digital paint & textures

Prepare, what a great word to start off the year with as I've definitely been in preparation mode this January. This is the time of year I like to set a theme for the next 12 months. This year I'm not planning on attending any conferences. The SCBWI conferences have been like a type of grad school for me, full of information and inspiration, but now it's time to focus on producing the work.

I'm grateful to have been asked to do a 10-15 piece solo show at a restaurant in our local art's district, and although it won't open until December I'll be working on paintings throughout the year. I've chosen a them for the show, and have begun thumbnailing pieces based on a story that's been developing. I'm also considering printing an art book of the series. I'm quite excited to see where this story goes.

So, this year will be about sinking into my own work, and thinking about my art in terms of a bigger picture. I'm enjoying the direction I'm going more than ever, so now it's time to have some fun! I'd also like to finally open my etsy shoppe. I'm now working on a couple mini paintings, and I'd like to get some prints made as well.

Merry Everything! & 6 year blogoversary!

2011-12-23T16:46:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve will mark my 6 year blogoversary! Woohoo! (insert flaying Kermit arms) This year has been filled with so many wonderful supportive friends that I end 2011 feeling so overjoyed. I mean, really, who would have thought a little isolated artist posting a few sketches would find the key to a whole art community of like-minded, amazing, incredible people? Hanging out on Skype, G+, and in person at conferences has been the icing on the cake! Oh, and the dancing! There was crazy fun dancing! The kidlit SCBWI crew definitely knows how to get down and jump around!

Before I forget, I want to mention I was interviewed by the wonderful, Kathy Temean.
See the post here.

To see my Scroogebunny for our Christmas Carol theme check out Between the End Pages.

A fallen maple branch which budded out of season became my christmas tree this year.

I even found an LED crystal garland light string for it.

Found this great comic on procrastination to get me in gear for the New Year.

All I'm asking Santa for this year are opportunities. I'll take care of the rest.

See you in 2012!

2011 OAL Thumb Box Exhibition

2011-11-30T10:52:00.001-05:00

These are my submissions for the annual OAL Thumb Box Exhibition where the only rule is the total art dimensions (including frame) must not exceed 6”x 6”x 6”. One of my rules is to have fun with this, and my subject matter tends to end up being completely random and unrelated.

I brought these to my parent's house to finish them up during the Thanksgiving weekend. As you can see I had some help from Andy, the furry art director.

You see a better view of the Automated Bunnies over on our group blog here.

Happy Halloween from Penguin & Chicken!

2011-10-31T23:54:00.006-04:00

I missed sketching penguin and chicken. When I picked up my sketchbook I found my avian friends dressing up as their favorite characters for Halloween. I plan to update this post with these guys colored up.

I also want to officially announce I've been asked to join a wonderful blog group, 'Between the End Pages'! I was so honored to be asked! I'll be posting more quick sketches over there, along with monthly themed illustrations for my portfolio. Please do stop by for a visit, and to also check out the fabulous work of my fellow blogmates, Jill Bergman, Brooke Boynton Hughes, Marsha Riti, and Tina Kugler!

See another penguin and chicken sketch I posted over on Between the End Pages here.

Happy Halloween!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been working on a top secret painting which will be revealed sometime in the next few months. I don't even know exactly when yet, but I'll be sure to let you know when I do. Hope you had a fun trick or treat day!

James and the Giant Peach

2011-10-06T08:14:00.000-04:00

James and the insects flung all about inside the peach pit

These page spreads are for the Children's Book Rally contest over on Illustration Rally. The contest asked that we stick to a classic familiar story. I asked my twitter friends for story suggestions and Kim Fleming mentioned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which got me me on the Roald Dahl track, and one of my all-time favorites, 'James and the Giant Peach'. (Kim also posted about the contest on her wonderful new Illustration Station blog that you should check out.)

They encounter sharks & escape by tying silkworm strings to a flock of seagulls

My 5th grade teacher read 'James and the Giant Peach' to us, and I was instantly fascinated by the pure imagination of it all. What's best of all is how the insects all look to James to come up with solutions to the dilemmas they face on their journey, and he ends up finding a family where he belongs, and is loved. What more could you ask for?

Painting insects seemed to make sense seeing how I've been photographing them in my garden all summer. I first encountered a baby grasshopper on the inside of my car windshield. He chewed on me.

He decided to stick around.

Isn't he cute? He's even smizing.

Then he nibbled on my green pepper plant, which may explain the lack of peppers.

He ended up growing quite large, and protective of that 1 single pepper.

I also hosted another garden guest. For the first time ever I spotted a praying mantis who stuck around for weeks. If I rustled some leaves his head would turn towards me in the most creepy way, but definitely cool.

With this project I finally had a use for these big reference books I had bought at Half Price Books back in my college days. Back in the time before google searches. I had to face some of my darkest fears though. Sharks give me nightmares, and there are swarms of scary insects in there. Even bugs, ya know, 'doing it'. Oh, my innocent eyes!

Ok, on to the process shots. I used very thin board this time since it would be more practical if I did a book in this technique. Thinner boards are much easier to cut.

The woodgrain on this board was just gorgeous. Check out those waves! This led to me to painting as thin as possible to let the grain show through, which was an extra challenge.

After the base 'stain' I sketched and shaded a bit. Then after several hours and many thin layers we have the finished paintings.

To wrap up, here's my usual sketching location on the couch. I used to only have a tiny table lamp, and found myself leaning over to it, so I found this lamp at Cost Plus which gave me great overhead light. It came with little oval oriental shades which I changed out with some grapevine balls I've had forever, and painted them white. The more natural rustic style feels more 'me'.

I then added rice paper to the inside. Someone told me the lamp looks a bit insect-like. See how this ties into the post now? Full circle

CAW - 'Strands' Show - Cat's Cradle

2011-09-13T23:39:00.001-04:00


Cat's Cradle - Acrylic on wood - 7 3/4" x 12"

This is my painting for CAW's 'Strands' show at the Carnegie Gallery at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The show features visual and performance art about hair, fibers, DNA and other “strands.”

Show Dates: September 15 – October 21
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 15, 2011 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Main Library’s Carnegie Gallery (2nd floor)

The theme made me recall a simple string game, called cat's cradle that I used to play with my mom. In researching the origins of the game I found "versions of this game have been found in indigenous cultures all over the world" Here's a How-to Tutorial.

close-up scan

While working on this these lyrics kept strolling through my mind:

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

This was the only part of the Harry Chapin song I knew, so in order to not drive myself mad with the repetition, I listened to some audiobooks. This time, as per a suggestion by Tracy Bishop I listened to The Golden Compass series, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, and WOW! it is an amazing audiobook series performed by a full cast. It has become my new favorite. (Don't tell Harry)

Here's some process shots

The messy part

Sanded and transferred the drawing

Clipped my color palette to the side of my drafting table.

Hmmm, I want more pattern

Decided to try some reverse transfers. Practiced on little test board, but still scary.

Came out darker than expected, but I like the wood grain showing through

Final close-up with painted textures

Illustration Friday: Boundaries

2011-09-09T14:21:00.001-04:00

Some squirrels know no boundaries.

I've been finding with half eaten tomatoes in my garden....only the insides though....the culprits leave the tomato skin. I suspected the squirrels, and sure enough, one day I saw this guy stealing a green one, and another day one was eating a nice red cherry tomato. (Oh, but I should mention those are apples in the illustration. Didn't want you thinking I was fruit-identity deficient.)

This was a sketch from a awhile back that I colored up to add to my portfolio for the LA conference. I'm now working on a painting for a local show, which I'll post soon.

Until then, here are some photos of my sunflowers. I'm so glad they finally bloomed. I just hope the seeds develop before the first hard frost.


camera shy sunflower

contemplative sunflower

sad sunflower

sunflower with bumblebee

2011 SCBWI LA Conference

2011-08-14T22:00:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I attended the 4 day SCBWI 40th Annual Summer Conference in beautiful Los Angeles, California. It was a great conference filled with good times with good friends. I met a lot of great people like the cute boy on the plane who told me all about how cool Popeye is, awesome illustrators and writers....oh, and the handsome fireman I briefly talked to in the lobby. I knew going in that I wasn't going to be crazy note-taking girl like I was last year, and I wouldn't be doing 4 mega blog posts, but rather sum it all up here in one post because I need to get to work applying what I learned. It wasn't so much about the talking points as it was about soaking up the inspiration of being at an event surrounded by over 1300 children's writers and illustrators. It was a record turnout with folks from around the globe.

It was so wonderful meeting up with so many online friends, and friends from conferences past.

me, Linda Silvestri, Kelly Light, Casey Girard, Diandra Mae, Jim Hill


Kimberly Dwinell, Christina Barragan Forshay, Julia Shahin Collard, me, Jennifer Gray Olson

Congrats to wonderful friends who were Portfolio Showcase and Mentorship winners! ....Eliza Wheeler, Greg Pizzoli, John Deininger, Juana Martinez, and Christina Forshay!

Juana Martinez-Neal, Molly Idle, Debra Pehrson Haun, Linda Silvestri
at the 40 Winks Poolside Pajama Party!

I had a very helpful portfolio critique with Martha Rago, Executive Art Director, HarperCollins Children's Books. She pointed out which of my characters were working for her, and which were not. She also read through my first picture book dummy attempt in many years, and provided tips to improve my storytelling. I will need to take a writing course to better develop these skills.

On the last day of the conference, E.B. Lewis was kind enough to give me a portfolio critique, and he was so explicit about what many of my characters are missing, and pointed out which pieces had the quality he was looking for. This left my mind spinning as it was a complete 180 from what I was told in my critique last year. But, the more I digest his words the more I realize how right he is. He pointed me towards the works I have enjoyed creating most, where the process has been more a part of the work. His critique has had a profound effect on me. I haven't been able to think of much else since. It's like the blinders have been removed, and he has reminded me of my original intentions. For someone to look at your work, and say it could be better is a gift. It felt like Mr. E.B. Lewis looked inside my head, and knew what type of artist I want to be. For this, I thank him, dearly.

So my biggest take away from the conference is the status quo is not good enough. To take a line from Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible, "...the status is not quo. The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it." Ok, well maybe not the whole world, but I, at least, need to rule my own art. We saw wonderful drawing and painting demonstrations from David Small, Jerry Pinkney, Denise Fleming, Kadir Nelson, Richard Jesse Watson, Marla Frazee, and Paul O. Zelinsky, which made me want to refocus on technique, and experiment with mark making and traditional painting again.

I have to admit, before the conference I was wondering why I was going to LA so soon again, but I walked away with the inspiration, focus, and direction that I was craving. Of course, knowing what to do, and applying it are two separate things. Now that the bar has been raised I've had a difficult weekend with my sketchbook. Paintings are due next month, and there are so many projects I want to do at the moment. But, a few drawings are starting to cooperate, and I feel the first pings of excitement of what they might turn out to be. Stay tuned.... this is still the beginning.

"If you don't jump, the wings never come." -Bruce Coville, LA SCBWI keynote speech

"You never know how what you do will ripple out into the world" -Bruce Coville

New business cards and postcards

2011-07-29T10:51:00.000-04:00

Do these piggie cards make me look fat?

My new business cards arrived from Overnight Prints. I like this new colorful packaging they arrived in. They remind me of trading cards.

Here is the front and backs of my new promo postcards. I was going to design them to be mailable, but I couldn't resist filling up the back with art. I also like the rounded corners, and I heard the rounded doesn't mail well. I'll be handing these out at the LA SCBWI Conference next week. I'm saving a few for promotional mailings after I find some nice envelopes.

HP Fangirl- Harry Potter Tribute Exhibition

2011-06-21T10:31:00.001-04:00

Atelier acrylic on 8" x 8" birch wood board

Here's my submission to the Harry Potter Tribute Blog hosted by Gallery Nucleus, who has a spectacular show planned for July 09 - August 01, 2011. I was notified that my piece has been selected to be on the blog, and included in the exhibition! Check out the show flyer to see see all the amazing artists contributing works.....even new paintings from Mary Grandpré herself!

When I first started this traditional style of painting acrylics on birch wood panels, I listened to the Harry Potter audiobooks read by Jim Dale to accompany me through hours and hours of late night painting. It seemed fitting to honor the series with a tribute painting. I wanted to pay homage to the magic that every Harry Potter fan has felt through this series, with a little fangirl hugging her beloved Harry doll and Hedwig plush owl.

Final sketch, a quick color study in Photoshop, and the drawing on acrylic stained wood panel.

During the process I sand down some areas to reveal the woodgrain, and then spray it down with water to pop the grain back up again. It starts to feel more real for me as the paint sets farther into the wood, and the highlights are added.

I used a half inch birch board, and distressed the edges a bit.

*edit*

This piece sold at the show opening!

Prints, Posters, and Canvas Prints are available in my shoppe.

*************************************************

Indiana SCBWI Conference 2011

2011-05-25T10:45:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I attended the Indiana SCBWI Conference. I was especially excited about this conference because of the Illustrator's Intensive with Clarion Books Senior Designer, Kerry Martin, where we had an assignment to complete before the conference. We were to complete 2-3 page spreads from Goldilocks & the 3 Bears. Text was only laid in for placement as we were told to concentrate on the illustrations.

Something clicked with me during this assignment. I feel like information from past conferences, picture book illustration books, helpful blogposts, etc. all started to make a bit more sense, and it was so fun to attempt to put it into practice. I've illustrated tons of Illustration Friday words, but to tackle an actual story was exactly what I needed to work on in order to focus on the storytelling. I enjoyed taking this story into my own world with the Goldilocks piggie, and somehow she ended up with a sidekick in my sketches. I had fun with the little details in Baby Bear's room, and I enjoyed pushing the expressions in the porridge scenes.

The night before the conference there was an Open Mic night where writers read a few minutes from their manuscript and received short, anonymous, written comments from the audience. Also, illustrators were allowed to display their portfolios for anonymous, written comments. It's helpful to read an envelope full of portfolio comments to see what pieces stood out, and which may not be working.

Saturday's sessions and breakouts were excellent! Rebecca Kai Dotlich inspired us with how she became a full-time Poet and Children's Author, and emphasized how there are no excuses to not going after your dreams. She had many obstacles, and not the most ideal writing space, but she persevered.

If you ever have a chance to hear Lisa Yoskowitz and Mary Kole speak at a conference you must attend! Their energy filled the room! They both were very clear on what works and what doesn't during the First Looks session. The competition is intense out there, so bring your A game and be professional.

Many thanks to our excellent faculty for this conference.
Lisa Yoskowitz, Editor, Disney-Hyperion Books for Children
Mary Kole, Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Kerry Martin, Senior Designer, Clarion Books
Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Poet and Children’s Author

This was Kristi Valiant's first year organizing the conference and she did an absolutely amazing job! She put extra care into all the details, with our personalized schedules, yummy buffets, and a great overall event line-up. I can't wait until we get to meet up again in LA in just a couple months. Man, this year is really going fast!

Illustration Friday: Toy

2011-03-30T23:14:00.000-04:00

Next month I'm excited to be attending the Indiana SCBWI conference. I'm now working on completing 2-3 page picture book page spreads for the Illustrator's Intensive with Kerry Martin. This tiny robot toy is a small part of one of my pages. He's only 1 inch tall in my final sketch. Since he worked for the IF topic, I threw some quick colors on him which may change after I figure out the rest of the page. Since I scanned in at 720dpi to enlarge him here I left my sketch lines more au natural instead of going through my usual Photoshop Photocopy step, which seemed too heavy for this little guy. I'm liking the softer sketch lines, and may try this for the full pages.

Dueling Banjo Pigs: Leprechaun Piggie

2011-03-15T10:20:00.000-04:00

I was quite excited when The Sketchables asked me to be one of the guest bloggers filling in while Joy tends to her new little bundle of joy. I lucked out with getting the topic of pigs!

For Halloween, I had done a Vampire Banjo Pig, so March had me thinking shamrocks and leprechauns, and I began to wonder, just how does a leprechaun piggie earn all that gold?

For more great illustrations visit:
The Sketchables
Dueling Banjo Pigs

Illustration Friday: Chicken Layers Up

2011-02-25T00:45:00.001-05:00

Here we see Spring Chicken layering up to face the return of winter. I started these pages when the IF word was 'sweater', and it helped inspire this part of the story. I haven't quite finished coloring and didn't star the shading & highlights yet, but wanted to get these up this week. Critiques are welcome as I'm still making adjustments.

See the previous Penguin vs. Chicken page here.

Illustration Friday: Reverse - Penguin Strikes Back

2011-02-07T22:44:00.002-05:00

When last we saw our flightless rivals, Spring Chicken had decided he had had enough of Penguin's winter, and had successfully cleared away all of Penguin's white flakes.

Penguin was not about to give up so easily though, as you can see in this reverse play.

I've been working on picture book writing, but I thought these characters offered a nice opportunity to work on storytelling sequences through images. I've recently been more interested in comics and graphic novels, and wanted to try my hand at it, albeit be a wordless variety.

I don't think we can end this story with our chicken friend down. Penguin's days are numbered as Spring will triumph eventually. I've been feeling defeated by this year's harsh winter, but sunnier days will prevail. So, there may be another mini chapter in Penguin vs. Chicken.

Until then, you should check out the real deal comics over at The Illustrated Section, where the amazing Dani Jones has brought the works of numerous talented artists under one mega site!

Also, check out Abigail Halpin's brilliant new comic, A Thousand Cups of Coffee

and Jannie Ho's super fun Sketchbook Project comic.

The winner is....

2011-01-25T12:56:00.002-05:00

I want to thank everyone who participated in the Will Terry 'How To Illustrate Children's Books' Giveaway!
And of course, big thanks to Will Terry for offering such a wonderful prize!

All the names went into the box......

and then there was a whole lot of shaking.
(Good thing I was wearing my wrist brace. ;P)

Our winner!!!
Congratulations Debbie Meyer!

Illustration Friday: Chicken vs Penguin

2011-01-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

This spring chicken says this winter penguin has overstayed his welcome.

I already submitted some chicken sketches to Illustration Friday this week, but my contempt for this cold winter weather helped inspire another idea. Also, the extra inspiration came since thanks to Jannie Ho it's chicken week! Who wouldn't be inspired by chickens!

I'm thinking I might want to do more Chicken vs. Penguin illustrations. These arch enemies might make good adversaries.

There's also still time to put your name in for the Will Terry 'How To Illustrate Children's Books' Giveaway! Leave your comment on the Giveaway post to enter for your chance to win his 7 helpful video tutorials!

Will Terry 'How To Illustrate Children's Books' Giveaway!

2011-01-17T03:05:00.000-05:00

GIVEAWAY!

When Will Terry contacted me about holding a giveaway of his video series on my blog I jumped with excitement! I had already viewed his sample video on Character Development, and found so many useful tips. I found myself wishing I had an instructor explain these concepts as clearly as Will does back in my college days.

Will Terry's "How to Illustrate Children's Books" video series includes 7 videos:

Lecture #1: Book Design
Lecture #2: Storytelling with Pictures
Lecture #3: Character Design
Lecture #4: Illustration Design
Lecture #5: Rendering
Lecture #6: Working with Color
Lecture #7: Success in the Marketplace

For a chance to win the entire series leave a comment on THIS post between now and midnight of Jan. 24th, 2011 and a winner will be chosen randomly on Jan. 25th. Please make sure I can link back to your site to find your email contact info.

Good luck and please help spread the word!

Illustration Friday: Chicken

2011-01-17T03:04:00.002-05:00

I had to be sure to participate in this week's Illustration Friday since the super-chick-tastic Jannie Ho, aka, 'Chickengirl' suggested this week's topic, 'chicken'!!! It didn't take long to discover that chicks and chickens are really fun to draw. I noticed my chickens tend to stay egg-shaped, and I couldn't resist outfitting some in turtlenecks and pants. That fella on the top right is an especially big Chickengirl fan.

As I've had picture book writing on the brain and have been busy reading tons of children's books and books about how to write books for kids, some of these guys jumped right into my stacks of books and helped themselves to their favorite stories. I've decided to take on the Kidlitart Picture Book Dummy Challenge. So far, I have 1 very very rough draft finished, and the beginnings of a second story. Since I'm not interested in writing just any picture book, but an amazing spectacular one, it is an extreme challenge to study all the aspects of a great book. All the writing stuff is a bit overwhelming, so it was quite refreshing to pick up my sketchbook again to draw these chicks.

In other news, I'm hosting an exciting giveaway! See details on how to enter in the next post.

Blueberry Muffins for They Draw & Cook

2011-01-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

My blueberry muffin recipe has been posted on They Draw & Cook! Or, I should say, my mom's recipe which was clipped from the newspaper years ago. My mom often makes these after we go blueberry picking.They're not your ordinary blueberry muffins. The batter is super dry and crumbly so when they bake the bottom turns cake-like while the top turns into a type of streusel. I attempted to make these over the summer, but messed them up by trying to use Splenda. You really need to go with the real sugar in order for them to turn out as perfect as my mom's muffins. I mounted this illustration on a wood painted plaque as a christmas present for my mom, as she is a cat lover and these blueberry kitties are a tribute to her.

I sort of lucked out in the parents department. (In actually more ways than fit in this blog post.) My mom taught me the skills of following a recipe, and I have my dad's love for experimenting in coming up with my own recipes, like my They Draw & Cook holiday entry, Cinnamon Mango Frappé.

Many thanks again to Nate & Salli for creating and continuing to maintain a great site for us creatives to be inspired. Go check out all the wonderful illustrated recipes posted daily!

IF: Mail, Merry Christmas! & 5 year blogoversary!

2010-12-22T13:34:00.002-05:00

happy winter solstice!

I wanted to get my christmas card printed and in the mail this year, but since I just finished coloring it last night it became an e-card. (I have to admit I like not worrying about my cards being held up at the printer, or lost in the holiday snail mail.)

I want to thank everyone for your wonderful support. 5 years ago on Christmas Eve I decided to start up this here blog to begin sharing my creative endeavors. I never could have imagined all the wonderful connections I would make, and this year I was especially lucky to be able to meet even more bloggers out in the real world. Looking back, this has been an incredible journey, and it feels like it's still just beginning.

edit: Oops! I almost forgot I wanted to share my color palette choosing method this time. I had these colors picked out a while back, and in order to stay true to it I scanned them in. I had to alter a bit from the scan, but it was a good stepping off point.

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled holiday wishes~~~

I wish everyone a Christmas filled with merriment and a prosperous and creative 2011!

For a little creative inspiration, watch this amazing 2D animation.

I noticed this reflection in one of my tiny ornaments the other day:

Don't forget to take time to appreciate the little things

See you in 2011!

Illustration Friday: Phenomenon

2010-12-15T10:56:00.001-05:00

Finding a cottage made of sweets and candy in the middle of the forest was quite a delightful phenomenon for these lost children.

I did this for Will Terry's Hansel and Gretel class assignment which he was kind enough to open up for anyone to play along. It was rather generous of him to offer critiques of each piece submitted. Check out all the entries on Will's wonderful blog . Thanks to Will for the inspiration!

The first thing that came to mind when I read that this week's topic was 'phenomenon' was an old Muppet Show song which I knew wasn't the exact word in the song, but had a similar sound. I was able to find it on that handy youtube, and found it's actually, 'Mahna Mahna', which is a catchy little tune that I remember a littler me bopping along to back in the day.

They Draw & Cook Holiday Recipe

2010-12-06T16:08:00.004-05:00

Now, we see what secret recipe prompted the other reindeer to ask Rudolph to join in all their reindeer games!

They Draw and Cook is an amazing project put together by Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell where artists illustrate their favorite recipes. I had done a recipe earlier which hasn't posted yet on their site, and when I heard they were holding a holiday contest teamed Food Network I couldn't miss the fun of entering.

This Mango Frappé is something I invented a few weeks ago. I had enjoyed some pumpkin ice cream, and thought mango and cinnamon might make a nice orange-colored combo, and it quickly became one of my favorite treats. I usually just throw these kinds of things together, so it was good that I did an actual test with measuring cups and spoons since my first guestimates were way off.

I'm so excited to see that my recipe was just featured on the Food Network blog!

2010 OAL Thumb Box Exhibition

2010-12-01T21:00:00.001-05:00

While everyone was eating turkey last weekend I was enjoying a 4 day painting marathon to complete the last 2 paintings for this year's OAL Thumb Box Show. Participating in last year's exhibition marked a new painting technique for me as started painting with Atelier Interactive Acrylics on wood panels. I ended up loving the process, and I love working with the woodgrain.

Tonight, I found out my 'Piggie with his Kiddie Bank' already sold!

*Update: 'A Boy and His Duck' & ' Carrot Donut Thief' sold the day of the opening!

I'll be making these available in my print shoppe soon.

Annual Thumb Box Exhibition
Location: OAL Gallery & The OSU Arts Initiative
Opening Reception: Thursday, December 2, 6 - 9 p.m.
On view: December 2 - 29, 2010

Illustration Friday: Sneaky

2010-11-22T12:45:00.001-05:00

I was trying to ignore Illustration Friday this week, so I can fully focus on 3 other projects all due Nov. 30th, but when I saw the topic was 'sneaky' I looked over, and saw my squirrel apple thief sketch. I did this a few weeks ago while I was drawing my piggies in the orchard below. I had my Carrot Donut Thief painting sitting nearby & looked at my squirrel in my header & decided to do a mashup of squirrel boy in motion.

After posting the first autumn piggie piece here, and receiving some very helpful critiques, (thank you blog friends!) I made the adjustments to the pig in the foreground, so he's now sneaking a bite of apple. I'm eager to color these, but I won't be able to get back to them until December. So, next month it will still be fall for me.

Busy Bee Teacher illustrations

2010-11-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

I'm now hard at work on 2 paintings, and my They Draw & Cook holiday entry, all due at the end of November here. In the meantime, I wanted to share the illustrations for this web design project for Natalie Rompella's online lesson planner, Busy Bee Teacher.

Natalie, who I met through SCBWI was wonderful to work with, and her program will help so many busy teachers simplify their planning all from home.

A subscription to the program makes a great useful gift for your child's teacher. It's great for a teacher who hates writing lesson plans, sub plans, or plans for an absent student.

Illustration Friday: Spent - Afterwards

2010-11-05T02:15:00.000-04:00

Well, this is a very late post done specifically for Illustration Friday's topic, spent. I wanted to do a literal interpretation and not one of my typical stretch the topic deals. But, now I'm posting after the deadline and the new topic is afterwards, so here we are doing a new stretch.

I plan to color this, (or perhaps it should be just a line drawing), and add it too my promotional packet of piggies and such. I think I need to decrease the size of the piggie bank. Critiques are welcome.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:04:00.000-04:00

I found this mummyboy in my Moleskine sketchbook, and thought sharing him would be an excellent way to wrap up the Halloween season. Hope you've had some spooky fun!

This year I added 3 wonderful Halloween books to my picture book collection. I've been a J. Otto Seibold fan since years ago when he spoke at my college about his gorilla marketing techniques such as putting his promo stickers next to the octane ratings at the gas station. His Vunce Upon a Time is a clever story, and I have a lot to learn from his varying viewpoint page layout compostions.

Both The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo and Welcome to Monster Town by Ryan Heshka are 2010 releases, but they each have that classic retro vibe that I love. The Halloween Kid has quickly become one of my all-time favorites with it's limited color palette and fun character designs.

This is a touch of my autumn decor. Interestingly, the colors here are similar to my book purchases.

When the sun comes in and hits this gourd I painted last year the glitter reflects and creates these stars on my wall. For me happiness often is noticing the beauty in the little things.

Illustration Friday: Racing

2010-10-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

This week I'm re-posting some previous IF entries because the topic fits so perfectly, and because I have new photos to share.

Atelier acrylic & Acryla Gouache on 8" x 8" wood board

A while back I was commissioned to create this painting as a baby gift for racing legend and Indy 500 champion, Bobby Rahal and his wife, for their daughter's nursery.

You can see some process photos here.

I had presented 2 sketch ideas, and the top image was chosen. Knowing that I had the big LA SCBWI conference coming up, I went ahead, and painted the second one as well as a portfolio piece. I was recently pleasantly surprised when Mrs. Johanna Rahal said they would like to buy the second painting!

Atelier acrylic & Acryla Gouache on 8" x 8" wood board
Process photos here.

Just last week I delivered the painting to Bobby Rahal at the amazingly designed Team Rahal offices.

Mr. Rahal was kind enough to pose with my painting.

Illustration Friday: Spooky + Dueling Banjo Pig

2010-10-21T07:29:00.000-04:00

I've enjoyed following the duel of pigs that has been transpiring between Guy Francis and Stacy Curtis, and have eagerly wanted to join in the fun. This week, with Illustration Friday's topic being 'spooky', and Guy & Stacy calling for spooky banjo pigs a sketch developed out of the most obvious solution, Vampire Banjo Pig!

There is an open call for more dueling banjo pigs, so do check out the main blog, and see the over 450 pigs already submitted!

Illustration Friday: Beneath

2010-10-07T12:11:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again when you'll find friends gathering ripe apples beneath the autumn trees.
This sketch has been in the works on and off for the last couple weeks. I've been attempting to concentrate more on environment, depth of field, and multiple character interaction. Critiques are welcome as this is a work in progress, and I'm trying to improve my scenes. After I get some color on it I plan to send it out as a fall promo piece.
Since this is a light post I'd like to share this video I watched a few weeks ago, and even after countless viewings it continues to fill my soul with inspirtation.

Illustrator Pascal Campion talks about the art making process: http://vimeo.com/13387502

I couldn't agree more with how he views the creative process. I love how he talks about the importance of emotion in art. Pascal is a special person and a genuine artist.

Illustration Friday: Immovable/OutSmart 2010

2010-09-02T21:38:00.000-04:00

Smart Car Wash - OutSmart 2010

Once in the tub with her new toy she was immovable for hours.

After seeing all the amazing entries from artist friends such as Maria Bogade and Gaia Bordicchia pouring in for Gemma Randall's OutSmart 2010 project I was inspired to create my own smart car art. I thought it would be a good project to let loose and have some fun with shapes and colors. In the beginning though, I got stuck. I had plenty of ideas, but nothing excited me enough to follow through with to a final. I had wanted to create a fantastical landscape for this little car with a forest and hills, but then the sketch of the girl appeared, and I just followed the idea from there. Sometimes you just never know where you're going to end up.

I've been doing so much traditional painting lately, but I wanted to play with digital again in Photoshop for this. It allowed me to do a lot of experimenting with colors, and to keep my sketch lines crisp.

You can check out all the wonderful submissions over on the OutSmart 2010 blog. The official OutSmart website has also just been launched, and the clean design of the site looks fantastic!

Thanks to Gemma Randall for organizing such a great project!

2010 SCBWI LA Conference - day 4

2010-08-12T00:39:00.001-04:00

More palm trees!

The palm trees spoke to me in California. Begging me to stay. A feeling in my soul told me that someday I need to live somewhere with tall beautiful palm trees. It is my destiny.

But, I digress. Here we are to wrap this puppy up with day 4. It was a grand day. If only all Mondays could take place at conferences amongst wonderful creatives who are passionate about children's literature. We missed the opening Keynote on middle grade novels, so we begin with Paul Fleischman's Keynote on 'Surviving the Novel'. He passes along some good tips such as keeping a file for unused lines, saving several versions of your manuscript and emailing it to yourself. He says writing a picture book is like writing a screenplay. Use Google Street View to see what your character might pass along the way.

Next is 'A View From the Top: 4 Publishers Discuss our Industry' with Justin Chandra, Jennifer Hunt, Stephanie Owens Lurie, & Francesco Sedita. I've got a lot of detailed notes here, but Team blog did an excellent job of creating informative posts on each speaker, so click the names to get the full breakdowns. I do have highlighted that Francesco said to 'write for yourself first'. and once again we hear to NOT write to the trends. As Justin says, 'If everyone goes home and writes to the trends then the vampires win'.

John Parra
The Path of Dreams
I'm going to try to do an especially through job with this one for my friend, Juana Martinez, who was unable to attend Monday's sessions, and who loves John's work. John Parra told us of his family influences and how after he won the Society of Illustrators award he took the leap and moved to NY knowing that he wanted to commit himself to an illustration career. He knew the beginning would be financially tough, but his goal was to be happy, and art was the only thing that would fulfill that. In his process he goes through many sketches and likes to add layers of details to his paintings to create a whole universe, an ecosystem, rich with symbolism. He shows us the piece in the photo, aptly titled, 'Todo Cambia', as it was a style change that took him in a new direction. His books typically take him 7 months during which time he's also working on other projects. John didn't seek out to be a children's book creator. He was approached, and jumped in not knowing much about it. He likes to create an old fashioned look by sanding off layers of paint to make the piece look like something that was found in your attic. He also does commercial work. He shows us examples of his picture library of images collected for each project. John says it's important to be a part of the art community. It is part of the process. Don't shut yourself off. Get involved in local arts groups. Personally, I've found this to be important as it was only when I started reaching out to other artists online and in real life that my creative process really took off. John says luck = opportunity meeting preparedness.

Loren Long
Creating Picture Books - My Process
I'd been looking forward to this workshop since being able to talk to Loren Saturday where he told us some of what he would be covering. Loren begins by telling us that he attended Steven Malk's talk on Sunday, not for himself, but to gather info for us, because that's the kind of workshop guy Loren is. :) What he gathered was a clearer definition of a literary agent as someone who represents writers and artists where as an art rep will get you work for magazines, advertising projects, etc... The other point was, at his last session when asked about the 1 or more styles question, Loren told us what he had always been told which is to only show one style, but Steven Malk and Loren's art director both recently said it's actually a positive to show 2-3 styles if they're all very accomplished.

Loren says the editor, art director, and illustrator work together in full collaboration. The illustrator can can ask them to break up the text for the page breaks. He shows us his beginning thumbnail sketches which set the mood for the entire story, and his process to the final, to scanned art, and finally mailing it off after his whole family kisses the box.

Ashley Bryan
Closing Keynote: A tender Bridge

If you had told me I'd be chanting poetry with 1136 people at the conference I never would have believed you, but it was the absolute most perfect way to round out an incredible 4 days. Ashley puts power into words like no one I've ever heard before. When I returned home I could still hear the rhythm of his voice in my head, and I found myself chanting lines in my apartment, and in my version there was also some dancing.

It was then off to the autograph signing where while standing in line I was able to meet Jennifer Gray Olson, who I recognized as someone who's participated in Illustration Friday. I tend to remember the IF peeps! I was sad that Loren Long's 'Otis' had sold out because as Loren told us 'Otis' makes an excellent Christmas gift, but I was able to pick up a copy of his 'The Little Engine That Could', which he said has been the greatest honor of his career to illustrate.

And Jon Scieszka, the master of words himself, signed his brilliant 'The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs'

It was so wonderful meeting so many authors and illustrators over the course of the event, and reconnecting with friends as well. I was so glad that my author friend Natalie Rompella, who I met just before I moved away from Illinois spotted me in the crowd.

So, after the books were signed it was over, but certainly not forgotten. Linda drove us to Rodeo Dr. so I could snap some touristy-type photos and get a little sense of LA before my red eye flight back home.

Now, there's already a big buzz of excitement among my fellow kidslit illustrator friends about next year's conference, and if we all end up being able to make the trip a very grand party it shall be!

So far, the following folks have expressed interest in attending. If you would like to be added to the list let me know in the comments section.

The LA 2011 crew!! >>>
Andi Butler, Linda Silvestri, Jannie Ho, Tracy Bishop, Laura Zarrin, Nina Crittenden, Joy Steuerwald, Diandra Mae, Lynn Alpert, Kristi Valiant, Bonnie Adamson

2010 SCBWI LA Conference - day 3

2010-08-10T23:22:00.001-04:00

Kim Fleming and Linda Silverstri

After all the fun of day 2 it was back to business, but first a late breakfast, and plan for which workshops to attend. There are so many good talks all taking place at the same time you really need to decide what is going to be the most beneficial to you at this particular stage of your career. We ended up not attending the first ballroom panel of the day on 'Why Narrative Fiction is Hotter than Ever', so we start the day with a Keynote by Carolyn Mackler, "For Richer or Poorer: Writing Through Good Times and Bad". Carolyn tells us about how her book, "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Things" was banned, and how 368 teens signed a petition in support of her.

Our 1st workshop was with Marion Dane Bauer, entitled 'Basics of Writing a Picture Book'. Marion tells us, 'Don't let anyone else define you.' She says some of her presentation will make us say, 'duh', but there is a difference between knowing it and doing it. That is so true! She says most picture books are less than 400 words, and most first drafts end up needing to be cut in half. Everything you write needs to lead to pictures. A writer must let go of the visual aspect of the story. Jane Yolen's 'Dinosaur Says Goodnight' allows visual opportunities through the writing. You are writing something that is going to be read 100s of times. It's the rhythm that makes this tolerable. Read your work aloud. You want your words to be silkenly fluid. Write with thought to the page turns so you don't have one page with one line and another with a whole paragraph. Take a picture book you like and type it up at home to see how few words there are, and where the page turns are. Don't write FOR a young child. Write THROUGH a young child. Kids want to be in charge of their own world. Don't wink at the adult reader like the cartoons do.

Steven Malk
The Do's and Don'ts of Building Your Illustration Career
Steven Malk is a Literary Agent who represents Lane Smith, Adam Rex, Jon Scieszka, and many other of my favorite authors and illustrators, so my ears were especially perked up for this workshop. The room was packed. Steven says be aware of what's out there. Do your homework. Study illustration. Be influenced by the classics. Don't look for a shortcut. (It may be a trap door.) He says Maurice Sendack wrote 'Where the Wild Things Are' from his heart. He didn't follow a trend. It doesn't always happen fast, so don't pressure yourself.
Do think carefully about your portfolio. Don't do the kitchen sink approach. No more than 20 pieces. Your portfolio needs to show you understand the field. Think about the order of the images the way a musician thinks about the order of songs on an album. Always add and subtract content over time. Don't use the same portfolio for multiple fields. Don't ask publishers to make a huge leap. Do have a clean well organized website. Nothing fancy. No bells or whistles, or music. You need a blog. Make it distinctly you. Do attend as many conferences as possible. It is a good investment in your future. DON'T DABBLE! It's a career. Steven hates the attitude that you just want to try one book and then you'll be onto something else. Do develop your own distinct point of view. He loves hearing who influences you. He's been noticing a big Mary Blair resurgence, but the problem is that people are just doing her style without doing anything on top of that. Put on a layer that is your own.

You can have more than one field on your website such as animation and illustration or editorial and children's books. If you are looking to illustrate novels show some line work. Steven says he appreciates anything a person does if they do it well, so multiple styles are acceptable, but if it's weak don't include it. Steven is not taking a lot of people right now. Steven says he loves postcards as a promo tool.


Bonnie Bright and Linda Silvestri doing yoga

Our next Keynote is with Gennifer Choldenko, 'Kill the Bunnies:Writing Novels for Today's Kids" Gennifer says there will always be a market for stupendous books. She tells us to harness the energy of your dreams. Cultivate the between state between sleeping and dreaming when your mind is at rest as during yoga, jogging, or showering. This is when the ideas will come. There is a kid out there who needs your book. Write for that kid.

Our final Keynote is with Rubin Pfeffer who talks about the changes in the book industry and how we are becoming a society of 'Content Creators'. He see this as a positive change with many doors opening and his talk assures us that change need not be a scary thing as David Diaz also explains to us. David went on to say the book is a perfect thing, like the fork or the chair. Music has undergone 10 format changes in the last 100 years. He says in books we're right around where the 8 track was. For more on this see Team Blog's coverage.

2010 SCBWI LA Conference - day 2

2010-08-09T23:19:00.001-04:00

Driving in for day 2
The bumpy terrain is a refreshing sight for this midwestern girl who usually only sees boring flatness. Conference day 2 was like the 'Empire Strikes Back' of this series. Lots of fun adventure and unexpected surprises.

Our 1st Keynote Speaker was Gordon Korman, a writer who Lin says kids really love. He says he looks at 8th graders as New Yorkers. They see everything on a scale of abysmally horrible to not bad. He points out that the dog dies a lot in kid's fiction, and a kid knows that if a cover has an award sticker and a pic of a dog, then that dog is going down.

Gordon speaks of the need for stick-to-it-ness as the attitude needed for kid's book success.

Literary Agents View of the Market Place
Ginger Clark, Ken Wright, Josh Adams, Lisa Grubka
This panel starts out by saying we are in a time of change, but they are indeed looking for books that are timeless and will stand the test of time. Part of an agent's job is to fight for the author/illustrator's audio, multimedia, and even theme park rights. They say we are entering an era where soon you will be able to choose what platform you want to view the material....DVD, theater, book, audiobook will all be released at the same time. (Funny, I was just wishing for something like that.) Josh says, 'Agents are not interior designers, but they will help you stage it.' He says they are also sometimes your shrink, at which Ginger promptly points out that she is NOT your therapist, best friend, or mother. She is your man on the ground - all business. Josh says it's part of his job to help you build up your confidence. It's obvious that you need to be aware of what type of agent you are looking for to fit your work personality.

Kelly Light and Kim Fleming
It was on this day that we met the fabulous Kelly Light! I was so glad Linda spotted her in our row in the ballroom. She is just as lovely and funny in person as you would expect. Her Ripple project has now raised over $9700 to help animal victims of the Gulf Oil Spill. There are still $10 custom art cards to buy so head on over to make your donation! Then on our way to the next workshop Kelly introduced us to Kim Fleming, whose name I immediately recognized as aka lil Kim! I've been following her blog for years. She is just the sweetest, and it was a special treat to meet her here all the way from Australia! I have to thank Illustration Friday for bringing us all together.

Cecilia Yung and Pat Cummings
Illustrator Tips: On Portfolios and Promotion
I had leave early from this workshop to go to my portfolio consultation, so for more coverage on this please refer to the SCBWI Team Blog where you will also find tons of info from all the workshops. Cecilia says she needs to see narrative in your work. She doesn't want to see ABC books unless you wow her with some idea she never would have thought of. For her, she just needs to know she can get one good book out of you, so only show her one style. She wants to see consistency because she's taking a leap of faith when she signs you. Cecilia says your portfolio is only as good as your worst piece. She actually makes a copy of your worst piece for her file to remind herself that if she can live with that it's going to be ok. Illustrate not just a word, but a complete sentence or a complete paragraph.

the next Keynote was with Marion Dane Bauer. She tells us to relax and let the information flow through you at this conference. The stuff you're ready for will stick, and the rest will fall away whether you take notes or not. I find this to be so true as things I heard at the NY conference are just now starting to sink in and take hold. When she begins Marion says she knows what her resolution will feel like even if she doesn't know how to get there. She says a story begins with a struggle. No struggle- no story. She started to realize that her stories had a pattern, but she doesn't think about that. She feels her way through. She says we must discover our own personal truth.

E. B. Lewis Keynote
Pursue Your Passions
The suave and debonair E.B. Lewis calls himself an Artistrator, and through his talk we see this is the most appropriate term. He says as artists we lose track of time due to endless hours in the studio. We lose relationships. He said he lost his relationship with summer. Wow, I can relate to that this summer! He said there was a 2 1/2 year span where he had no inspiration. E. B. says an illustrator creates a visual representation of the written word where a fine artist creates an image of a whole problem or concept. He created 4 books his first year. When E.B. was working as a fine artist someone had sent his slides to 9 publishers and 6 immediately wanted him for projects. All 9 ended up giving him work.

He addresses the topic of finding models for his work, and how difficult they can be to find. He once went into an Ethiopian restaurant and said he was looking for a 7 year old boy. They replied, "We don't serve them here." He showed us this photo of his flying girl reference model. E.B. says he always puts a hugging scene in his books since it's not PC to hug kids in school anymore. He then shared his recent fine art works where he has painted on top of lottery tickets that have never been scratched off.

Something happens at these conferences. You end up falling in love with all the speakers and their works. So much amazing talent, such as...

Loren Long
The Illustrator Who Wants to Write
It was then back to the Westside Room for a workshop on one of the main topics I came to this conference for. Loren Long says 'Drummer Boy' was the first book he wrote. As you can see there is no other pesky name on the cover he points out. He realized he had a voice to write, but he started as an illustrator with no thought of becoming a writer. He says it's customary in publishing to team a new illustrator with an established writer or vise versa. Loren says to begin by jotting down ideas and read a lot. He says you need a strong character, something happens, a problem, a solution, maybe a message. He talks about the rhythm of the words that carry the story. When he's creating a new story the whole time he's communicating with the editor. Sometimes he writes keeping in mind the paintings he wants to do, other times, as with Otis the project is story driven. Loren recommends getting an agent. He says your 1st victory is getting your 1st rejection. Loren points out that even though our name may be second on the cover the publisher values the artist greatly. Often it's the art that makes the picture book.

Our next Keynote is with Gail Carson Levine. For this, I have pages and pages of notes on creating plot and suspense. I'm going to be lazy one this one and suggest you go to Team Blog as their post covers everything I have written.

We then attended the Illustrator's Portfolio Showcase, where we were able to view all the portfolios on view, and the winners were announced. The Grand Prize Winner was Molly Idle. The Honor Award recipients were Ye Won Lee and Debbie Ridpath Ohi. The Mentorship Awards were also announced. This year's Mentees are: Ashley Mims John Deininger Andrea Offermann Debbie Ridpath Ohi Eliza Wheeler Kimberly Gee
We were able to take a look at all the winners portfolios and they were spectacular! The bar is set very high here. I've included links so you can check out all their websites.

Dan Santat and me

Heart and Soul Celebration!
It was then time for the Heart and Soul Gala! As you can see I totally geeked out at being able to meet one of my favorite illustrators Dan Santat! One day I hope to become a tough warrior illustrator like Dan, who is awesome beyond words. My writer friend Sara Wilson Etienne was kind enough to introduce me. I'm also thrilled to announce that Sara just sold her first novel, The Harbinger, in a 2 book deal with Putnam! Big congrats to Sara! At the Gala there were costumes and dancing, and I was very pleased to see that there was at least one Queen of Hearts!

me, Loren Long, Linda Silvestri

After they turned the lights out on the outdoor Gala, Kim, Linda, and I were chilling in the lobby when we happened to see Loren Long who was kind enough to stop and chat with us about school visits and why creating a picture book is one of the biggest thrills for an artist. He really is the kindest writer/illustrator there ever was. And as it turns out he lives in Cincinnati, just a stones throw from Columbus, which would explain that down to earth honest vibe. :) This was just an incredible way to end the day. And we're only halfway through the conference!

2010 SCBWI LA Conference - day 1

2010-08-08T21:26:00.001-04:00

California palmtrees!!!
So, here it is. The big post conference wrap-up. I had been to the NY conference, but this was my first LA one, and this event was nothing less than absolutely amazing! It started with my 4 hour plane ride from Ohio which flew by quickly as I chatted with a cool Navy IT manager who was headed to Coronado Island for Navy SEAL training where among other things he was going to undergo torture training. I figured if he could withstand that I should be more than capable of handling SCBWI's full 4-day schedule of keynotes, workshops, & fun!

me & Linda Silvestri
My blogging friend Linda picked me up from the airport & I was so excited to meet her. She's so sweet & funny, as is her hubbie, Tom. Together they are the cutest couple. After a good night's rest we headed off for registration & then to the ballroom for the big welcome from Stephen Mooser & Lin Oliver. They explained how this is not one of your stuffy type conferences. Here we are encouraged to make friends, and Lin prompts us to turn & introduce ourselves to who we were sitting next to. This year had a record turnout of 1136 people. Of those who listed gender there were 442 women & 62 men, so obviously my chances of meeting a eligible illustrator boyfriend are next to none here, so I better focus on the speeches :P

Jon Scieszka's Keynote
Tales of the Picture Book Writer: Do's, Don'ts, Maybes
Our opening keynote was by Jon Scieszka, and I was super excited that we begin with the master picture book writer himself. I was definitely at the right conference! He told us he wished he knew more when he began, such as the standard PB is 32 pages. He told us he once sent his work to 'Clarks & Potter' a gardening publisher by mistake, so do your research. He told us to congratulate ourselves for being at the conference because we are actually doing something towards our goals. He says the Pope is writing a PB, & says he'd like to call him up and say, 'Hey, I don't get on your turf". He tells us to read every PB we can...the top 100 on the library journal. He says some are creepy like the 'Runaway Bunny'. Also, read the Horn Book, Fuse #8 -Betsy Bird's blog, 7 Important Things Before Breakfast, & other trade mags. Scieszka says that once you start writing you should stop reading that stuff because it will poison you & make you second guess your writing. (I note that the same can be said of illustrating.)

Scieszka says leave room for the pictures, don't rhyme, no princesses, no underwear, & no alphabets.

When Scieszka first started sending out his work he got handwritten rejection letters pleading, "Please Mr. Scieszka please don't send any more manuscripts".

He then showed us some examples of books that show why illustrators are awesome, 'Like George & Martha'. He talked about creating 'The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs' & 'The Stinky Cheese Man'. And about how for 'Truck Town' the illustrators based the vehicle designs on descriptions of kids he met. He showed us the wonderful scenes of 'Robot Zot' with changing perspectives & viewpoints.

Scieszka says "our mission is to be a storyteller. Write what thrills you! Don't believe everything I just told you. Question everything."

M. T. Anderson's Keynote
The End of All Or Exploring:The Journey of Narrative
It has been said that M.T. Anderson creates books for thinking kids, and after hearing him speak I need to go check out his books. He has written about the state of Delaware being cut off from the world, & as evidenced by the fact that no one from the conference is from Delaware he says it's obivious that no one is getting out of Delaware alive! He says he's gotten a letter from the Governor of Delaware, (who called him 'buster'), informing him he has made some errors. I've uploaded a video of him singing his version of Delaware's state song. Anderson creates the kinds of worlds that I wished existed. He says 'take the thing that is most familiar & turn it bizarre like in 'Coraline'.

Lauren Rille
Putting Together Your Portfolio
My first workshop was with Lauren Rille, a senior designer at Simon & Schuster. She lists the 3 important components: technical ability, variety of composition, & narrative quality. She suggests we vary the scale, create interesting shifts in perspective, aerial views, extreme closeups, over the shoulder views. She says, 'try anything, do anything, try something you don't think will work because it may lead to something' 'Take something cliché & turn it on it's side. Take existing & make it your own.' Lauren says she likes to see pieces that prove you will work your butt off. She says only put in work you like.
If you are asked to do samples pieces you will be paid for them. We don't work for free. When promoting yourself, Lauren says postcards may not be the best use of your money. Giveaways, promos, a group newspaper, e-blast, something that folds that she can put on her desk is good. My one-on-one portfolio critique was with her the next day, and she gave me some excellent direction and instilled some excitement in me to push myself to create works more specific to the childrens' publishing industry.

Next up was 'From Your House to My House: What Makes Me Choose Your Book', an editors panel with Nick Eliopulos, Claudia Gabel, Brenda Murray & Jennifer Rees. (Moderated by Krista Marino) The discussion started with voice vs. plot. Jennifer says it's all about voice. The plot can be fixed. When asked specifically what they are looking for: Nick says, 'guy high concept, an original idea', Brenda says, 'teach me something new a kid would think is fascinating', Jennifer says appeal to a 'wide audience', Claudia says, 'someone who can write fast, tween/teen mysteries'.

Steven Malk & Mac Barnett
5 Lessons from Classic Picture Books that Can Help Your Career
This workshop session was absolutely packed! Steven says as a Literary Agent he is looking for those who are familiar with the classic form & not those who are just hopping on the latest trend.

1) Let illustrators do their job- Steven says, 'Don't overwrite'. Mac says the PB is an economical form in terms of text, emotional in pictures. The illustrations can reveal things that even the narrator doesn't know.

2) Understand the Picture Book conventions- page turns, end papers, all elements ( I love that they reference a Sesame Street Grover book that I loved as a kid.) They also showed us variations in text & art layout.

3) The Writing must Serve the Book

4) Understand but don't Underestimate Your Audience

5) Appreciate the Classics but be Your Own Writer- Err, I think this was #5. I don't have a number written.

Loren Long's Keynote
The Picture Book: My Two Cents Worth
I was happy to see that our closing keynote was by 4-time Golden Kite award winner and New York Times #1 bestselling picture book illustrator Loren Long. Loren tells us to ask ourselves, 'why do I want to write kid's books?' He says that when an illustrator takes the text they own it. How do you start a book? Loren says, One sketch in 1 day & forget about the rest of the 6 month of work. He says that in 'I Dream of trains' he created the mood & enthusiasm to create the rest of the book in that first sketch. For his technique he uses thin washes of acrylic, although for Otis he used gouache with a limited color palette for a different feel. He says he takes 2-3 months on the sketches, 4-6 months on final art. He did his first picture book in his late 30s. He won a Golden Kite Award for 'I Dream of Trains'.

Madonna hand picked him for her book Mr. Peabody's Apples, and he had to decide whether or not to do a celebrity book. After reading it he decided it was written for him, and that he could create this world. I remember seeing this book when it first came out, and loving Loren's illustrations with their Thomas Hart Benton influence. Loren said Madonna was great to work with, insisted on seeing every sketch, & liked everything he did.

Loren says mood & emotion are key & you set this in the character & the scene. He says the mood all starts in the 'mystical sketch phase'. He says he likes to imagine music playing while he draws. He says a kid's favorite book is like a friend that gives them, trust, loyalty, & security. His influences are Thomas Hart Benton, George Bellows, Edward Hopper, & JJ Evans from 'Good Times.' Loren says believe that you bring something to the work. When you're in your studio it's your book.

So, then there was the Wine & Cheese reception & book sale where I met some great authors & illustrators & met THE Verla Kay of the blue boards! Yes, indeed it was quite a day, and it was only day #1! So much more good stuff still to come. Man, I need to try to use less words....

Illustration Friday: Double

2010-07-26T14:15:00.003-04:00

Atelier acrylic & Acryla Gouache on 8" x 8" wood board

As I worked on my last painting commission I decided to take my second unchosen idea to final as well to use in my portfolio. It may have 'doubled' my work, but I enjoyed working on them both. While the other was more appropriate for the assignment, I was glad I pushed myself to complete this one as well.

It was rather fun bouncing back and forth between the two. I just slid them down my drafting table, and as I was still figuring out a section on the one I could focus on the other.

This time I supplemented the Atelier Acrylics with some Acryla Gouache for some of those brighter pinks and whiter whites. I'll be experimenting more with this combo.

I then used this for one side of my promo postcard to take to the SCBWI LA conference.

I've also made this painting available as a print since I just discovered that Imagekind does have square formats available. Yay! So, I've uploaded some of my more recent works as well. You can view them all here.

*update: revised colors

Illustration Friday: Breakfast

2010-07-23T01:46:00.002-04:00

Atelier acrylic & Acryla Gouache on 6" x 6" wood board

Hey! Come back here with my breakfast!

This illustration idea started out in my sketchbook as a tug of war between 2 bunnies, but they weren't going to play nice in my square format, so one bunny then picked up the donut, and before I knew it he took off running! Perhaps he realized how little time I had to complete this. It wasn't until I was working on the colorstudy that I saw that this hearkens back to my 2010 running rabbit theme.

My years of Illustration Friday training helped push me to go from sketch to final painting in just under a week. Thanks to the entire Illustration Friday community for being so supportive and encouraging!

This piece will be in the Too Yummy! group show from July 30 - August 1, 2010. Too Yummy! is the second installment of this fun-filled food-themed event, which will raise funds for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.

I needed new business cards for the SCBWI LA Conference next week, so I worked this into the design which I now need to rush over to the printer.

Special thanks to illustrators, Tracy Bishop, Laura Zarrin, Andi Butler for helping me critique my business card tonight. Just when I needed a kidlit critique group in the late evening hours the universe found these wonderous gals who helped me out despite my bad timing of coinciding with kidlitart chat! Multi-tasking all the way!

Carrot Donut Thief print available here.

Illustration Friday: Diary

2010-07-14T00:26:00.000-04:00

Atelier acrylic on wood board

Dear Diary, when I grow up I want to drive fast!

This painting was a recent commission that I very much enjoyed working on. I was told that this was to be a baby gift for a little girl whose nursery is pink and blue with a floral oriental rug, and that she likes sock monkeys and her dad likes to race cars.

As a base I started with a very watered down acrylic wash. I love this part! It's the only time I get to use the big brushes. The palette doesn't stay this clean for long. I'll share the after in the next post.

After the paint dried the boards needed just a bit of sanding. Yes, there's two because I had a second idea I wanted to complete. I'm finishing it now, so I can add it to my portfolio for the SCBWI LA conference that I'll be attending at the end of this month.

I transferred the drawing with brown colored pencil. I always keep references I collected close by.

Before I started the painting I worked up a loose color study in photoshop. I was still unsure of how to pattern the colors, but I realized I would need to work it through during the process, or I'd never get anywhere.

I sort of liked the all pink color scheme, but finally dove into the blue. The dark navy blue became the necessary contrast. You can see a slice of the other painting I was working on to the left.

If the paint became too thick, or an area wasn't working I sanded it back, which is something I enjoy about working on wood. It's like having an undo button! The smoke went through several evolutions.

When I was finished I sealed it, and attached a wire for hanging. I just heard today that this gift was given and well received!

Birds of CAW show

2010-06-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

Myself, my art, and the works of many of my fellow CAW (Creative Arts of Women) members will be at our Birds of C.A.W. exhibition opening this Saturday, June 19th. My 'Canary Chimes In' piece from my previous post will be on display for sale.

Illustration Friday: Fearless

2010-05-11T23:52:00.002-04:00

I did this piece for the 'Art Makes Noise' show a few months back. Here it is transferred onto stained wood art board & lightly shaded with colored pencil. A few of my reference photos are lying about the living room.

I turn the computer screen so I can see my color study that I worked out in photoshop as well as a few reference canaries. My printer is almost always out of ink, and even streaks black & white images, so visuals on screen are my better option .

I'd like to go back and work a few areas just a bit more. This was done on wood board specifically made for painting, but I found it too be much too slick for me. It was like painting on glass, and the paint just slid off. So, I've since gone back to my original craft boards with their toothy wood grain that I love.

'Canary Chimes In'
Acrylic on wood

The yellow canary was so fearless he flew in and sang his own song loud and proud.

Illustration Friday: Linked-princess process

2010-04-12T18:29:00.008-04:00

'Azure Princess'
paperclay on vinyl Baby Qee toy with jewelry findings, yarn, and ribbon

More and more I understand and respect how everything in life is linked, and how life is one big chain of events leading us to that next step. It's the same in art creating as one step links to the next, and jumping ahead will spell disaster. When you're lucky all those steps can be really fun as they were in this this Baby Qee toy project.

For the Toy2R 15th Anniversary World Tour show at Rivet 20 artists were given vinyl Qee toys to customize. Since my 'Aviator Piggie' got his own post I thought I'd show the process on the princess. My 'Azure Princess' started out as the elephant Qee.

I knew I wanted to make it a girl, so I hacked off the trunk with an X-Acto blade (after warming the Qee in a heating pad). I popped the head off thinking it might be easier to work on, (and out of curiosity). The very tip of the trunk ended up being cut and re-purposed as the Princess's crown later.

I decided to use Paperclay for her reconstructive rhinoplasty becasue it air dries, so I wouldn't have to worry about baking and possibly melting the vinyl. Epoxy Resin Clay is also often used, but I didn't want to deal with the toxic fumes. I had first roughly sanded the vinyl to help the Paperclay adhere (which you may be able to see on the ears). Sculpting the eyes was giving me lots of trouble before I realized I needed to sculpt the eye sockets first then place in the dry eyes, and then sculpt eyelids onto them. The Paperclay re-wets with water, so this, while helpful, was still tricky.

Her big hair was a big challenge, and took much longer than anticipated. Again, I found I had to let the first layer of Paperclay dry a bit before creating details on top. Eeks!...she's still naked. Don't stare!

I wanted the entire surface to have a consistant Paperclay texture, so I covered even her arms and feet, but to help the Paperclay stick I applied some Elmer's glue first which was a bit gooey to work with, and increased drying time. Originally, I planned for her to have this green ribbon, and to be more of a woodland character, but seeing her hair I knew I didn't want to hide the details with the dark paint that this plan called for, and this thin ribbon alone wasn't as wild with movement as I envisioned, so I brainstormed new ideas.

During a trip to Hobby Lobby I found a yarn that had the loose fun quality I was looking for, and her new identity was born.

Some glazing of silver paint over her hair and dress was the final polish.

She, and 'Aviator Piggie' are now on exhibit & available for purchase at Rivet Gallery in-shoppe or online here.

Here's some photos of the opening night I attended.

A nice review by Tomopop with great photos of the show can be found here.

Illustration Friday: Rescue

2010-03-31T01:31:00.009-04:00

Got a sweet tooth craving? Never fear, Aviator Piggie to the rescue with a deliciously sweet caramel apple! Please do excuse the insects though. it's to be expected when one flies through the air with sticky objects.

My flying piggie from last autumn has come to life in 3D for the Toy2R 15th Anniversary Qee Show at Rivet Gallery here in Columbus, OH. Opening April 3rd.
Please see my previous post for more show info.

Sculpting and painting took longer than anticipated, and with the show this weekend I knew Piggie and I wouldn't have much time together, so we tried to make the most of it. Here's how the day went:

click for larger images

Now, the princess, who also happens to be in the Qee exhibition couldn't be bothered with this tree climbing and playground nonsense, but I did manage to snap this quick candid shot of her--

Both the Princess and the Piggie are available for sale at Rivet Gallery here.

Toy2R 15th Anniversary Qee Show

2010-03-31T01:02:00.008-04:00

'Aviator Piggie'

paperclay on vinyl Baby Qee toy with needle felted clothing

'Azure Princess'

paperclay on vinyl Baby Qee toy with jewerly findings, yarn, and ribbon

I just dropped off my 2 finished pieces for the Toy2R 15th Anniversary World Tour (Baby Qee Edition) @ Rivet Gallery. These were so much fun to create. I had forgotten how much I love to sculpt in 3D. The paperclay ended up being a wonderful surface to paint on. It was great breaking out the needle felting again too.

more process info here.

The official show flyer featuring Chris Ryniak's awesome work:

official press on the show here.

More show & artist info at Rivet Gallery

custom Baby Qee toys in progress

2010-03-23T23:01:00.005-04:00

This blog needed to be fed with some art, so I thought I'd share what I'm currently working on. I've been sculpting Paperclay onto these Baby Qee vinyl toys, which are both new materials for me. My previous 3D experience has been with Sculpey and Sculpey 3, so I washed off the Sculpey bits off my old tools, and was happy to see that it was somewhat similar to work with. After some trial and error I found that I actually like Paperclay more, and the bonus is that it air dries, so no baking, which I thought might be devastating to the vinyl. It also dries super lightweight, so they didn't become too top heavy, although my girl needed some stabilization built into her dress.

These are for an upcoming show:
Toy2R 15th Anniversary Qee World Tour @ Rivet Gallery
Group Exhibition - Opening April 3rd, 7-10pm
more show info & artist list here.

Here's how they started off before their brutal facial reconstructions and rhinoplasty. I ended up covering them almost entirely with Paperclay. I'm finding that I really like the texture of the Paperclay surfaces, and that it's really fun and easy to paint on. More updates soon....

my lightbox reconstructed

2010-02-18T16:13:00.008-05:00

My little 11" x 14" lightbox has been a handy part of my sketching process since before college, and I guess I expected it to last forever, but this was not to be. The switch had been aggravating for years. But, more recently it didn't want to stay on. A new bulb gave me another couple weeks of life, but then it refused to turn on at all. It has very few parts, so one would think you could just replace one or two parts and be back in business. My dad helped me diagnose the situation, but Radio Shack didn't have the correct switch, and the wrong one would deliver a continuous current that could cause a massive explosion! Danger! Danger! Radio Shack guy told me he had one that started a fire. Apparently, fluorescents are nothing you want to mess with. The problem also could have been the transformer, and I didn't know where to find the proper one of those.

So, I had to accept that nothing could be salvaged except for the box and the opaque cover, and I removed all the guts.

Sure, I could have bought a new one, but I didn't care to spend $45 - $100+. Instead, I found an UnderCabinet light at Meijer for $8.00. I fastened it to the bottom of the box, and it was a beautiful fit. Someday, I might be able to find a way to cut a hole in the metal box to run the plug through, but for now it's ok hanging over the top sandwiched under the cover.

For a skinny little bulb it is surprisingly bright, and as you can see I'm able to view my drawing through the sketch paper perfectly!

Currently, I'm working on a couple paintings for a local arts show. Updates soon....

Illustration Friday: Confined

2010-01-11T22:08:00.006-05:00

When deciding on images I wanted to paint for the 6" x 6" exhibition I thought about my previous whale and boy illustration, and wondered how I could squeeze these characters into a more confined square space. I'm often cropping images down, but this forced me to think about how the image related to the edges of the board, and I liked how this influenced the work.

Here are a few process photos. For info on paints and technique please see my 'Undone' post.

Illustration Friday: Renewal

2010-01-07T09:25:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to get a new painting started, but I just couldn't let this IF topic slip by without a post. For me, 2009 was all about change, and oh, so many changes there were! A new job, and moving for the first time in 9 years, and being now back in Ohio with dear friends, and getting involved in the local arts community has brought on an amazing feeling of renewal for me. My life had grown quite stale, but now new possibilities and creative opportunities are everywhere!

For the past few years I've thought of each year in terms of themes I want to focus on. Going back to my 2009 Resolve post I was happy to see that I did keep all my 'resolves' in mind, especially the part about being more pro-active in all things. I took a lot of leaps, and told myself again and again to think and worry less, and do more.....just do....just act.

This year, as I find there's just so much more going on, deadlines everywhere, etc., I'm going to work on keeping my momentum going, but to really work on my focus. I finally have a calendar up at the new place, and I'll need to work more on scheduling and budgeting my time.

I decided that this year also needed a symbol, which is the running rabbit above. I started seeing this type of rabbit here and there, and paging through my sketchbook had drawn one, and written that seeing one was a sign that I was on the right path. I do feel like I've taken a trip down the rabbit hole, and while there were a few things that I was running from, (old limiting ideas and fears), this year it's more about all the things I'm running towards. My Chinese zodiac sign also happens to be the rabbit. This year, I believe I'm going to need to keep a move on to avoid being eaten up during this approaching year of the tiger!

OAL Thumb Box Exhibition highlights

2010-01-06T23:02:00.006-05:00

There's a nice article about the OAL Thumb Box Exhibition on Jeff Regensburger's On Summit blog. I was pleasantly surprised to see my little paintings mentioned as a newcomer to the local arts scene. It was a fun show to be able to participate in!

Check out the article here: On Summit- OAL Thumb Box Exhibition

Terrible Yellow Eyes

2009-12-26T13:59:00.002-05:00

My 'Where the Wild Things Are' tribute piece can now be seen on Cory Godbey's Terrible Yellow Eyes site. If you haven't already, I encourage you to check out this collection of amazing artists from around the globe. Cory has posted that he's made the decision to close the project with a final post, Friday, January 1, 2010, but the work will remain online as a tribute to Maurice Sendak's book that we all love so much.

Visit the Terrible Yellow Eyes blog to see all the contributions.

Illustration Friday: Undone

2009-12-19T11:43:00.010-05:00

I've been meaning to post about my painting process, and seeings how this week's IF topic is 'undone', I thought I would post the 'undone' to the done stages of my recent 'Not to Be Trusted' piece for the Thumb Box Exhibition.

I wanted to paint with acrylics on wood, which is something I haven't done since the Holocaust Star Project. Blick didn't have the 6" x 6" size I needed for this small works show, so I bought 6" x 12" craft wood, and since Home depot said it was too small for them to cut without damaging the wood, I bought a Kobalt Fine Tooth Laminate Saw to cut the boards in half, and then sanded. I've always loved woodworking, so this was fun. :)

I gave the wood boards an acrylic base coat stain, and then transferred the 2 drawings I had completed. I could submit 3 pieces, but I only had 2 weeks, so I wasn't sure if I'd get that 3rd board, but prepped it with a blue stain just in case. (I'll post the outcome of that one later.)

I used a Pablo Caran d'Ache sepia-toned pencil to go over my drawing and add some shading. My goal was to maintain some of my linework in the final piece. (Before this step I had I scanned the drawing and the actual wood surface into the computer to work out my color plan in photoshop.)

I then started painting with my new favorite paints, the Atelier Interactive Acrylics, which enable you to re-wet them for blending, but you can also 'cure' the bottom layers with a hair dryer to glaze on top. They gave me the ultimate in flexibility. I also worked with stiffer brushes than the sables I'm used to. I liked the look of the illustration with the wood background showing, and contemplated leaving it like this. I wish I could have hit the 'duplicate' button to end up with 2 painting versions.

''Not to Be Trusted' acrylic on wood

After I had the background, and most of the rest painted, I had to scan it back into the computer to rethink her dress color. My original plan was to make it an emerald green, but that started to feel wrong. Testing out some colors in photoshop took the guesswork out. To 'cure' the painting I used a hairdryer over all of it. Some of the whites darken when they dry.

I was able to help hang the show, which was a good learning experience. The night of the opening I was surprised to find that she already sold. I was excited, but also just a touch sad as we didn't have much time together. I took lot of photos and scans, and I'll be offering a print soon.

This week I'll hit my 4th year Blog Anniversary!!! It's been quite an artistic journey, and it makes it all the better to be able to share it here with such a great art community. At first I was just so excited to meet fellow artists online, but this year I've been able start meeting some of you in person at the SCBWI conferences, and local artists here in Columbus, and it's been so inspiring.

I want to send everyone warm wishes for a very Happy Winter Solstice! I love this day as it means the days will start to become longer. I hope everyone has a safe merry holiday season!

Illustration Friday: Hatch

2009-12-18T00:54:00.003-05:00

This sketch still needs work, but I wanted to post it for Illustration Friday because this week's topic, 'hatch' helped me figure out what I wanted to do with this drawing. I started the sketch below several months ago, and I had a distinct color scheme in mind that I'm quite excited about, and I knew I wanted to paint it on wood. I had to set it aside to work on my children's portfolio for the conference, and then an opportunity came along to do some small 6" x 6" paintings. I ended up feeling like the new work is more me. The girl below doesn't feel like it has enough of the style I'm going for. Sometimes it's only when you distance yourself through time that you can begin to see these things more clearly. I still liked some of the concept, so I reworked it into the above sketch.

Working digitally has given me more respect for the sketch phase. I'm now finding ways to be more patient and careful about my technique to keep some of that linework in my traditional painting. before I pick up a brush I need to make a plan for the value and how to create depth in the trees. I have a wood plaque designated for this, and I'll be using the Interactive Atelier Acrylics again. I'll be posting more on the new painting process soon.

Indiana SCBWI Picture Book Conference

2009-12-16T20:41:00.010-05:00

I'm still behind on things I want to share and chronicle here on the blog. There's been so many good art things going on lately. I want to finish a drawing tonight, but before I do I want to share some of my notes from the Indiana SCBWI Picture Book Conference I attended last month. I was most excited about this conference because the focus was all on Picture Books. (Their MG and YA conference will be in Spring 2010.) These conferences are like graduate school for anyone looking to seriously enter the children's book market.

I arrived the night before for the Open Mic at the hotel to hear attendees read the beginnings of their manuscripts. Since I'm still trying to jump start my writing brain these are always helpful. Then afterwards, we laid out our illustration portfolios for a critique. I was excited to meet fellow CCAD grad, and amazing illustrator, Kristi Valiant, who had printed out critique cards with check marks for the necessary criteria, and what the strongest and weakest pieces were. This last question was one of the most helpful. Then, it was off to sleep before an early morning, and I realized that this was my first solo stay at a hotel. After cramming 5 of us in the smallest hotel room I'd ever seen in my life back in San Diego, I felt like quite a princess in my nicely sized room. :)

The conference was at The Saturday Evening Post. Somehow, it hadn't dawned on me where we were until I saw the sign. I didn't realize this famed publication was located in Indiana.

The halls were lined with all the familiar covers.

Actual real life original Norman Rockwell paintings also hung throughout the building. Real canvas texture!

Courtney Bongiolatti, Associate Editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers was our first speaker. She spoke about what an editor looks for in a Picture Book.
In her terms, she's looking for:
1. Uniqueity -Make what's existing unique. Unique a trend. Unique a format.
2. Readability - Does it read well out loud?
3. Realatability
4. Schoolability - Is it relevant to the school market?

Laurent Linn, Art Director for Simon & Schuster for Young Readers spoke to us about the Anatomy of a Picture Book, and their basic structure. He explained that rather than think about the art as separate illustrations, a PB should be thought of as one illustration over 32 pages. Fun Fact: a press sheet is called a 'signature' because back in the day it needed a signature 'sign off' approval.

Laurant also conducted a workshop explaining, through examples, what makes appropriate art to send as samples to publishers. Portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and figure drawings may be beautiful art, but they are not appropriate portfolio samples. A Renoir portrait is great for frame, but doesn't tell enough of a story in the way Tenniel's 'Alice in Wonderland' illustrations do. As illustrators we are costume designers. Dress your characters to show each individual personality. Posture shows character. Think in camera angles. The city, a landscape, or a single tree can be a character. Use light and shadow to show mood.

Illustrators, Kristi Valiant and Sharon Vargo also gave a talk on the Illustrators Perspective. A portfolio should demostrate that you can master a range of emotions. In writing for picture books, anything that you can show in the illustration gets chopped out of the story. SCBWI has a list of mostly current publishers at each house to send art samples to.

All in all it was an excellent conference, and just what I needed to get focused again after my move. Kristi was kind enough to sign her latest trade book for me, 'Cora Cooks Pancit'. I love how she's perfected a digital style that looks so beautifully traditional, and the story about a Filipino girl who wants to help cook with the grown-ups is wonderful and relatable. Check out an interview with Kristi about her book on Elizabeth O. Dulebra's site.

Now, to the lightbox to work on my drawing before my eyelids no longer stay open....

Blooming Blogs that Inspire Award :)

2009-12-09T13:15:00.003-05:00

A few months ago, I received this beautifully designed award from Deborah Mori on her wonderful blog, Life Without Novocaine. I was so honored to be included in her list of uber-talented fellow bloggers, who have all inspired me as well. I've been wanted to pass it along, but these last few months have been crazy busy (in a good way).

I love the idea of this award; to take a moment to acknowledge how we all inspire each other. Being able to share my creative sparks, along with the dreaded creative blocks with everyone has enriched my life more that I can say. Moving to Ohio this year was a huge change for me, but knowing this supportive art community was still here was very comforting.

I pass this award to everyone in my blogroll, and all of those who I haven't gotten around to adding yet, but who I love to visit. (My Bloglines currently has 266 feeds that I'm following.)

I want to make one special mention of a blogger, the lovely Miss Linda Silvestri, who always inspires me with her humor, and who is amazing me this month by posting the most clever holiday advent calendar of her illustrations, which 'open' to reveal fun surprises! Anyone who has tried posting everyday knows what a challenge it is.

Check out Linda Silvestri's Sketched Out Blog. Here's Day 1 of her Advent Calendar.

The rules upon accepting this award:

1.) Only one rule. Pass this award along to someone who motivated you, inspired you or enriched your artistic life with their creative gift. If you feel so inclined, you can create a short list of the things you love, your favorite muse, or your favorite childhood memories. The most important thing though is to award someone who has made your life better.

OAL Thumb Box Exhibition- All Sold! :)

2009-12-04T12:21:00.005-05:00

acrylic on wood (6" x 6" each)

I was at the Tiny Canary handmade arts & crafts show a couple weeks ago at the very cool Junctionview Studios artists' space, and met awesome fellow CCAD grad, Amy Atwell, who told me about a small works show with the Ohio Art League. I was excited about this prospect since it's been a goal of mine to get some art up on a gallery wall somewhere for quite some time. So, I was determined to get at least one piece done, but managed the max of 3, in 2 just weeks. It helped that I had some sketches already started that worked for this size. I ended up sick with a cold, as if it wasn't enough of a challenge, and I had to finish the one at my parents' home over Thanksgiving.

These are painted on wood panels with Atelier Interactive Acrylics which enable you to re-wet them for blending, but you can also 'cure' the bottom layers with a hair dryer to glaze on top. I had more fun creating these then any artwork I've ever done. I loooovvvved working on the wood, but I also want to try these paints on paper.

Tuesday I attended the OAL 'Art of Hanging' Workshop where we learned how to group and hang multiple works for this gallery show. Amy and I are very proud of 'our wall' we put together, and it was fun, and I learned a lot. After a few hours, hundreds of the submitted (6" x 6" or smaller) works were up.

Last night was the Opening Reception of the Thumb Box Exhibition, and I saw that all 3 of my paintings already sold!!! This is my first gallery showing, so I'm very excited. :)

I'll be sharing some progress pics of each soon, and once I color correct my scans I'll be offering up prints. I'll also be blogging about the Picture Book Conference I attended last month. There's been so much going on that I've been getting behind here on the blog.

Illustration Friday: Skinny-Where the Wild Things Are

2009-11-04T19:35:00.001-05:00

So here's the skinny on my alternate ending to Maurice Sendack's 'Where the Wild Things Are'. (I know another bad stretch of the topic.)

Max was not so sure his mom would react favorably to him bringing home his new friend. But, the Wild Thing convinced him that once he goes on his diet he'll be skinny enough to fit under Max's bed unnoticed. "Okay, Max said hesitantly."

I've been wanting to do some Wild Things tribute art for quite some time. I went to see the movie for inspiration, and oh, did it ever come pouring in! I can't remember ever smiling more during a movie. I absolutely loved it! Spike Jonze took an already wonderful story, and created a treat for the senses. I love how Jonze focused on the theme of how to abolish sadness. How do you not be sad anymore? This question is what drew me in, and also how Max wanted to believe his acting out was justified and innocuous. After the movie I still wasn't sure what these characters would look like in my drawing until I looked down at my sketchbook and there they were.

I've been having a lot of fun in the sketching stage lately, so I decided to share my pencil sketch this time. As you can see the decorative waves swept in from my last post. Also, you can see I increased the size of the Wild Thing, (Carol in the movie), once I brought it into photoshop. I realized halfway along that he was too small, but decided it would be easier to adjust it after scanning it into the computer. Ahh, the digital age. :)

edit: sail color adjustment

edit#2: This illustration can now be seen on Cory Godbey's Terrible Yellow Eyes site. "Terrible Yellow Eyes is a collection of works inspired by the beloved classic, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak."

Visit the Terrible Yellow Eyes blog to see all the contributions.

illustration Friday: Fast

2009-10-29T02:15:00.000-04:00

After the turbulent storm Caleb and the Whale were fast friends.

I can't decide which color version I like best. Which do you prefer?

I really enjoyed sketching this one. Although I may have gone a little overboard with the waves. Ha! overboard = ship reference! Oh, I think I've been up way too long, and am getting loopy. This is my image for the other side of my promo postcard. I wanted to show character interaction with a dash of emotion. I'm also planning on offering prints of this in both color versions, but I'm too tired to get that set up tonight. But, check back soon. :)

Illustration Friday: Flying

2009-10-16T01:07:00.000-04:00

What do we have here? Well, when pigs fly in autumn they love to eat caramel apples while soaring through the air because they like how the stickiness catches the flying insects making for an extra special treat! Mmmm....yum!! There you go.....explanation provided. :)

When I read that the topic was 'flying' I immediately thought of my Flying Ace Andy, but didn't want to repost. Also, I needed to post a quick little illustration since some other drawings I've been working on have been proving to be more time consuming. ( I feel like such a slacker, and start to feel rusty if I go too long between posting a somewhat completed illustration.)

I'm about to register for the Indianapolis Picture Book Conference on Nov 6-7, and I was thinking I might use this for a promo postcard, but I'm not sure if I'm happy with how the colors turned out. I've started sketching another idea for the flip side. I'll have to take a look at this one tomorrow with fresh eyes. I'm thinking sleep is going to feel really good right now. I'm off to test that theory.......

(*edited with bolder line and color)

Reunited with my old drafting table

2009-10-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

Since I now have more room in my new art studio I decided to move in my old drafting table that has been in storage at my parent's house since my high school days. Reassembling it was a bit of a challenge with only 2 hands, but miracles can happen with the right amount of stubborn determination. I never much liked this table because the wing nuts were always coming unscrewed, but I was introduced to locking washers at Home Depot, and so far all feels secure....fingers crossed. I had to make some modifications. I removed one of the cross braces to create a ledge, so I can try working at an angle, and moved the bottom brace that the chair was running into.

Friday, I found a clearance Ott-Lite TrueColor lamp, but I think I still need at least one more lighting device. I also realized I wanted to take advantage of the daylight when I can get it, so I rearranged my office, and moved the whole setup next to the window.

I can't wait to get painting to try this all out. With my old art desk, I can even work on 2 paintings or projects simultaneously! I'm planning on working on a new surface. (I just love the smell of pine, but transferring to the wood is going to be my least favorite part.) I've been working on this drawing for awhile, but still have details to work out. I've been distracted by sketching on some other ideas. The color palette came to me the other day which is exciting when I know what colors I want to play with before the drawing is complete. Colors often drive me.

Hopefully, I'll get some more art up here on this dusty blog before too long. I have procrastination projects lining up. Gourds to finish painting, necklaces to bead, pillows to sew. I call this kind of stuff 'productive procrastination' since it does result in the completion of other projects, but it keeps me from the more important stuff, so I must resist!

Illustration Friday: Welcome

2009-09-17T20:22:00.001-04:00

I thought I would welcome autumn with a new fall-themed blog header. I've been meaning to update it all year! The new autumn breezes are making me want to start all sorts of new projects. A new season brings all kinds of possibilities, and fall especially, maybe because we're so trained for this being the time of year when school starts, always feels like a time to leave the frivolous summer behind, and get serious again. This feels like a more apropos time than New Year's to set down some goals. Of course, my head is spinning with a bit too much of what I want to do, and the chilly, darker nights are making me a bit more sleepy, so I'm not doing so hot on my To Do list yet. The trick I found to completing this tonight was to get straight to it after getting home from work, and skipping dinner. But, hungry now, so time to get something to eat, and make blueberry muffins for tomorrow's office potluck.

Illustration Friday: Magnify

2009-09-03T23:26:00.000-04:00

I've been working on a project for a client, and one of the images just happens to fit this week's 'Magnify' theme, so I thought I'd post this work in progress. There will probably be some shading and subtle texture added, and I'm still tweaking the colors. I wanted to be farther along on this earlier in the week, but I've been feeling a bit under the weather.

Illustration Friday: Modify

2009-08-03T18:01:00.000-04:00

And when she finally let go, the magic of her true life began to unfold....

And finally after many modifications I'm calling this painting finalized. Other things came up so this sat idle for a bit giving me a chance to figure out how I wanted to paint it. I was sure that I wanted to paint in gouache, but after painting a background wash and a bit of the figure it just wasn't feeling right, so I started over completely in watercolor. This seemed to give me more control over the tiny details. I can envision an infinite number of ways to paint this one. Maybe acrylic on wood, or different color palettes, but we'll stick with this for now.

I feel like this painting represents where I am right now in my life. I've let go of some past restrictions I had put on myself, embraced change, and am enjoying all the new developments that continue to occur. The future does look bright from this angle. :)

Prints of this piece are available in 11" x 16" and 8" x 10"

Also, for anyone in the Seattle area, Roq La Rue is running 2 incredible solo shows by 2 of my favorite artists. "Beauties and Beasts" by Nicoletta Ceccoli and "Daughters of Our Nature" by Columbus's own Eric Fortune will run until Aug 8th. These amazing shows compliment each other beautifully, and are a real treat for the eyes.

Illustration Friday: Unfold

2009-06-18T21:44:00.000-04:00

And when she finally let go, the magic of her true life began to unfold....

I'm just posting a sketch so far as I'm not yet sure how I want to color this. I'm thinking I want to tackle it in traditional medium, gouache most likely. I have some experimenting to do, and I'd like to play with being looser with some textured elements, and let myself have some fun with it. I'll see what I can come up with this weekend, but it looks like it will have to wait until sunday as it sounds like I'll be working saturday. (I'll work on giving her some toes too. :P I ran out of paper. I'll also need to give the drawing more breathing room especially on the left side.)

Illustration Friday: Craving

2009-06-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

The young prince was quite dismayed that his mother the queen forbade him from eating the cherry pie he craved until he finished his peas and brussels sprouts. (I myself love extra crispy roasted sprouts drizzled in olive oil.)

My strongest craving lately though is Edy's 'Take the Cake' ice cream. It's ice cream that tastes like yellow cake.....absolutely the most brilliant thing ever!! The blue frosting swirl adds a nice touch too. It's slow churned, so as Edy's website says "you get 1/2 the fat, 1/3 fewer calories, and all the taste you expect from regular". Yumminess with less guilt!

This is an especially late entry this week as my illustration mojo is still revving up slowly...

Illustration Friday: Adapt

2009-06-02T19:08:00.000-04:00

Perhaps this illustration works for this topic as these characters had to learn to adapt to their extreme circumstances. This is a gouache painting of my previous entry for the Illustration Friday topic, Tales and Legends. It never felt finished, and I wanted to try my hand at giving it a traditional painting treatment. This was done several months ago, as I haven't got my IF mojo working yet. Since my move to Ohio I've been busy getting settled, and learning to adapt to my new environment, so I thought it fitting to jump back into the IF routine with this topic. :)

Having just moved for the first time in 9 years
I thought I'd offer up a few moving tips that I learned:

- Keep all your original boxes with the styrofoam, especially for electronics. If you've got the room this really comes in handy!

- Save plastic bags of all sizes. A great way to protect your clothes and other items from moisture.

- Seal all glitter containers properly!!! I learned the hard way that it's true that 'glitter is the herpes of the craft world'

Overall, I'm so happy to have broken out of my old routine life. It was long overdue. Change isn't just good, it's freakin' incredible!!!! :)

edit: (Oh yeah, and I just joined Facebook. Find me here.)

Beginning the Next Chapter....

2009-04-26T13:07:00.000-04:00

I didn't mean to just disappear from the blogworld. I happen to be in the process of moving. After 9 years in Illinois I'm relocating to Columbus, Ohio for a new job and new adventures! Columbus happens to be where I went to college, so it will be nice to return to some familiar territory, and to reconnect with longtime friends. :)

I won't have home internet access for awhile, so expect a continued hiatus until I get settled, and the creative juices start flowing onto the sketch pages once again.

I want to thank everyone for all the support you've shown through your wonderful comments. You help keep me going, and give me that extra bit of strength to keep trying new things! You are the best!! :)

illustration Friday: Legendary

2009-03-16T22:48:00.000-04:00

The legendary Marie Antoinette has gone down in history for having said the phrase, "Let them eat cake", but there is much controversy over whether this was the actual wording, or if it was even she who said it, or if it was instead spoken by Marie-Therese 100 years earlier. If you take all the callous political meaning out then eating cake and cupcakes sounds like a good idea to me! :) I was inspired by the Kirsten Dunst movie version of Marie Antoinette, which may have not been a good movie, but was the very definition of delicious eye candy.

I actually finished the sketch for this illustration back in October when the IF topic was 'Sugary'. I knew I wanted it to be very pink, but figuring out which pink went where, and how much blue and cream to use became a tricky puzzle for me, and I got stuck and put it aside, but went back to it many times. Then, last week when the topic was 'Intricate' I thought it might be a good time to tackle the details once again, but didn't get it finished until now.

I think I stressed myself out with this one because I knew I wanted to offer it as a greeting card and a print. I finally started up an Imagekind gallery store, and I'll be stocking it with more art throughout the year. My cupcake lovin' Maire is available here.

Illustration Friday: Breezy

2009-03-05T01:28:00.000-05:00

This week the topic, 'breezy', led me to do some character studies of the 3 little pigs, who soon found that their homes became quite breezy when that wolf came a calling.

Instead of just the three, I ended up with 4 pigs. The fourth, rarely mentioned piggie, was so involved in his puzzle that he never even noticed what was going on around him. Luckily, he was roommates with the pig in the brick house, so he never had anything to worry about except for a few pieces that fell on the floor because the window was cracked open a bit. This piggie is dedicated to my mom who is the expert puzzle doer of the family. :)

The pigs in my drawings started out looking not so worried, but by the time I got to this last one the reality of the situation finally settled in. This guy obviously lived in the straw house that is now no more. I usually just play with my line work in photoshop, but this week I decided to bring it into illustrator to try simplifying it a bit, and then I ended up coloring all the characters in illustrator, and then bringing them back into photoshop to add the texture.

This piggie on white is more cartoony than my usual style, and a fun experiment.
I also wanted to share the evolution of the idea for these illustrations this week. I was eating lunch which was a nice Israeli couscous with asparagus, and relaxing and gazing out the window when I noticed a wolf staring back at me. Usually when I see things like this they are not photographable because they exist somewhere between imagination and reality, but this time the imagery stayed put for me to capture.

Can you see the wolf's head?

Bonus points for also spotting the bunny.

The wolf should be worried since that bunny is rather large in comparison. :P

Scroll down for the reveal.

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-03-01T00:23:00.001-05:00

I want to say big thanks yous and send hugs to Andi Butler and Christine Grove for giving me these sweet awards. It appears that Andi's blog is under construction. (I can't wait to see what exciting things she's up to over there!)

Now I'm supposed to list 7 things I love, so here we go.

1) My family and friends
2) Traveling to new places.
3) Being warm - Or more accurately just not being cold
4) Art, of course! Color, texture, pattern, design, typography, retro design, the whole enchilada!
5) Staring out windows. Perhaps something I picked up from growing up with cats.
6) Sour candy. But, I can't find any sour enough. They always end up too sweet, not enough sour. Does anyone know any great super sour candies?
7) Nature walks. Through the woods by a lake or river, or on a quiet ocean beach are my favorites.

I now pass on this award to some inspirational artists who's blogs I love to visit:
Annie Patterson
Anthony Van Arsdale
Kristin Sorra

Illustration Friday: Instinct

2009-02-25T19:15:00.000-05:00

Joe Bearamore was all ready for a leisurely dip in the pool when his instincts told him that there was honey nearby. It should be noted that if your neighbor is a bear, and you break open a box of Honey Nut Happios that you'll probably be having an unexpected guest for breakfast.

After posting days of conference notes I thought this blog was in desperate need of some illustration. I wanted to experiment a bit this week with a different background texture, and with a slightly different color palette.

2009 SCBWI Winter Conference -Sunday

2009-02-22T11:14:00.000-05:00

The final day of the conference started off with the Portfolio Awards. Big congrats to all the winners! I was glad to have been able to meet honor award winner, Pat Cantor, who's portfolio is stunning!!

It was an especially exciting moment when Cecilia Yung announced that my conference buddy Leeza won the Tomie dePaola Grand Prize Award!!! Her work is amazing! I can't wait to see her books on the shelves. :)

Our first speaker of the day was brilliant author extraordinaire, Bruce Hale, who treated us to a song. I recorded a portion of it on my little camera, and asked Bruce's permission to post it on Youtube. To which he replied that it was ok as long as he didn't hit any clunker notes. I didn't hear any, and thought it was a fabulous start to a great speech. You can view it here. One thing I realized at the conference is that besides illustrating I would like to write my own stories, and after being amongst so many talented writers I know that to do that I have a lot to learn about how to write a good story. So, Bruce also sent me a link to sign up for his newsletter filled with writing tips to keep me inspired. In his speech, Bruce said that during his childhood he lost someone very important to him. His tv died. His parents said they couldn't afford a new one, and that's when he learned that a book can be a man's best friend. Kimberly J. Sabatini, who I met just briefly in the lobby when she and her friends were coming back from dinner with Jay Asher, wrote up a great recap of Bruce's 8 recommendations to middle grade writers.

The agents panel consisted of Michael Sterns, Edward Necarsulmer IV, Alyssa Eisner Henkin, and Michael Bourret. It started with a discussion of the topic that is on everyone's mind this year, the economy, and how it will effect the industry. On the plus side, children are the last ones that people are willing to scrimp on. It was pointed out that John Steinbeck found a way to profit from the depression, and that, "Most people don't realize that there is as much money to be made from the wreckage of a civilization as the building of it." That's a bit grim, but maybe inspiring as well?

The wonderful Richard Peck then took the stage, and reminded us that "We can't be fired. We're unemployed." He gave us eloquent words of encouragement, and story writing advice. He said at some point the story needs an epiphany. He says he only gets one idea at time, so he always thinks this one will be the last. He said a manuscript is like a sick friend that you don't want to leave alone for too long. Richard said, "We hunt. We gather. We observe. We listen to other's stories and research."

Jack Gantos was our final speaker. Jack Gantos is one of those people I could listen to all day. He has such a distinct, colorful inflection to his voice, and a wonderful way with words into which he injects tons of great humor. He said the best part of a story is when the character is affected by change. I'm afraid I don't have more notes from his talk because it was our checkout time. You can find more at the Official SCBWI 1oth Annual New York Conference Blog. You can also find some better photos there.

We wrapped up the day at the Autograph Signing where Jarrett Krosoczka signed my copy of his 'Punk Farm On Tour', and Jay Asher signed his 'Thirteen Reasons Why' which I'm glad I bought the day before since they sold out. (see pics in last post).
With hungry overtaking us, I walked over to Pershing Square with Andy, Leeza, and Sara, and we had an early dinner, and reflected on the last few days. We were all feeling the conference 'buzz'. I'm so glad I went. It's a great introduction to the business, and provides more then any Google search can. It's also very honest. No one told us that it would be easy. To be successful takes an enormous amount of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears, and most likely a bumpy road with setbacks and disappointments. But, if you truly want to write and illustrate for children that passion can be is it's own reward.

Something about being in that SCBWI crowd felt right, so I plan to keep working to be a part of that world, and to go to more conferences to meet more great friends!!

2009 SCBWI Winter Conference -Saturday

2009-02-21T19:57:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wrap up the rest of the conference, but I'll keep it brief because Alice Pope did a nice job of live blogging the event with photos. You can read it here and here.

The main event started on Saturday with all of us illustrators and writer folk, all 1056 of us, in the main ballroom. It's not often that I get to hang out with so many creatives, so this in and of itself was a treat. Lin Oliver and Stephen Moser reminded us that this isn't high school, and in this group it's cool to stick out your hand and say hi.
Our first speaker was award winning author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka who talked to us about the highs and lows of the the biz, and about changing gears. In 2005 his book, Punk Farm, was going to be turned into a movie by Dreamworks, but then in 2006 the movie 'Barnyard' came out, so his movie deal was scrapped. Personally, I would have preferred Jarrett's rock star farm animals to whatever 'Barnyard' was any day. I mean, really, can anyone yet explain to me why the boy cows had udders?

Jarrett shared with us the process of turning Lunch Lady into a graphic novel.

Then he showed us his new video with multiple cameos from well known kid's lit stars. It's a must see for any children's book junkies: BOOK BY BOOK: the making of a monkey man

Jarrett said he was working at a camp for kids with cancer when one day he had just read a bad review, and bumped into Paul Newman, the camp's founder, who told him to not pay any attention to reviews. Newman said nothing good comes from reading reviews. The good ones will give you a big ego, and the bad ones tear you down. Jarrett also mentioned that at his very first conference he was sitting all alone at lunch, and none other than my Illinois chapter's very own Esther Hershenhorn came over and befriended him. I can see why he's always remembered this since I was fortunate enough to meet Esther last November at my first local meeting. She's one of the most supportive and encouraging people you will ever meet.

Then it was time for my first breakout session with Tamson Weston, Senior Editor at Hyperion. She said she's always loved music lyrics, and she still loves the rhythm of the words. She talked about how wonderful it was to work with Adam Rex on 'Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich' because of how receptive he is to feedback.

My second breakout session was with Caitlyn Dlouhy, Editorial Director at Antheneum Books, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. She likes picture books with a twist and feisty characters. She publishes based on voice, and not plot so much because she says she can help or change the plot, but she can't create a good voice. She said that revising is just as important or more important than writing.

We were then back in the ballroom for lunch, the highlight of which was the delicious mini cheesecake. Jay Asher gave a wonderful keynote speech titled "How to Sell a Book in 12 Years or Less. He broke down his journey year by year and agent by agent. In 2003 he wrote the first 11 pages of Th1rteen R3asons Why, but didn't know if he wanted to spend time on such a serious topic. He talked about the importance of entering the SCBWI joke contests, and how Henry Winkler was once in the audience when Jay won, and later asked if Jay would be interesting in doing a show, which didn't happen, but it's still a cool story. He gave an amazing speech that had everyone caught up in the emotional moment when he thanked his wife for supporting all his efforts towards his first published book. She broke down in happy tears, and many in the audience shed a couple too.

My last breakout session was with Timothy Travaglini, Senior Editor for G.P. Putnam's Sons. He's looking for: great voice, narrative tension, a strong first line - first paragraph - first chapter. Someone asked if he's ever regretted passing on a book that later became a big hit with a different publisher. He says that he knows a lot of people who have passed on books that became popular, and that none of them regret it. He says that if he had worked on it the stars may not have aligned the same way for him. There are so many intangibles in the process. The book was fated to go where it did. This was especially encouraging for me to hear. I love that it's all about creating the best work. He also said that it's not just about getting published, it's about staying published, and for that you have to keep at it.

We were then all back in the ballroom for our final speaker, Richard Jackson. He said that we should write not as teachers, but as artists. He said, describe what you see, either actual or imaginary. He said, so many books today are written like movies, but there's so much less to imagine in a movie.

Wow, I really need to learn how to summarize with fewer words. I'll write up Sunday in the next post.

Illustration Friday: Celebrate- 100th Post!

2009-02-20T01:22:00.000-05:00

This is a late post, and I'd still like to finish coloring it, but I thought it was too perfect that it was my 100th post, and I wanted to celebrate along with the IF topic since most of the posts here have been created for Illustration Friday. So woohoo 100!!!

I came back from the SCBWI conference inspired and energized, but my head is so packed with information that it's left me a bit unsure of which way to go, and ended up making my mind short circuit and go blank temporarily. I heard a lot about what to do and what not to do, (see previous post), but I'm still uncertain of where to take my style. I think the conclusion I come to is that the only direction to go is forward, and to let my style to continue to evolve naturally, however that may be. The fun thing for me with these IF topics is never knowing what might end up on my sketchbook page. So, I need to turn off that part of my brain that likes to over think everything, and let the creative process do it's thing.

2009 SCBWI Winter Conference - Art Directors' Panel

2009-02-14T20:01:00.000-05:00

The Art Director's Panel was one of the most helpful parts of the day for me. By listening to them critique 3 pieces of art from 30 different illustrators we got to hear what they are looking for. On the panel was Giuseppe Castellano from Simon Spotlight, Scott Piehl from Disney Book Group, and Carla Weise from HarperCollins.

They said they are looking for a distinctive style with a strong narrative and strong characters, strong color, and strong composition.

In an artist they look for: dependability, creativity, humor, ability to be part of a team, and someone who understands that nothing is personal. It's about creating the best work.

Their criteria for judging good art:
• Impact
• Craft - proportions, correctness (Is it a dog or a horse, a child or a short adult?)
• Idea/Concept - Do you want to know more about the story?
• Appropriate for market?

Detail is good as it gives children something to take a second look at. There should be as much concentration on creating a good background as the characters. Be careful about creating work that looks dated. Characters should not be too 'Disney-like' unless you want to work on stories with licensed characters.

When sending 3-4 samples there should be a consistency. Don't show type in an illustration or they will concentrate on that instead. Makes sure art is not too editorial which is a singular image that you can't see the narrative in.

They are looking for something they haven't seen before.

Giuseppe said it's important to send good artist samples without too much information-your contact info type needs to be only big enough to read. Your postcard will only be looked at for 10 seconds. If it's bad it will be thrown away. Don't send anything gimmicky-no puzzle cards. One good postcard is all it takes.

Scott said he prefers mailed samples over email. He's looking for artwork with high impact.

Don't send 10 styles to one art director. If they can't see a consistency they still don't know what to expect from you. Instead, if you work in multiple styles send one style per art director, and make sure to do research to know who would like that style.

Giuseppe says he goes to blogs. He says he loves them because he gets access into your head. And they all love websites and portfolio sites because they can forward your link easily.

After my head was spinning with all the info from the Intensive, which was indeed quite intense, Leeza and I headed off to the Wheeltapper Pub with awesome illustrator friends, Pat Cantor and Andy Mitchell, and fabulous writer friend, Sara Wilson Etienne for the Kidlit Cocktail Party hosted by Betsy Bird and Cheryl Klein. I met agent Stephen Barbara, and the amazingly talented illustrator/art director, Laurent Linn. It was great meeting SCBWI members in a casual setting. I met another Angela, Angela Russell, a writer who was there with her sister, and we had a great chat with NY Times Bestselling author, Jay Asher, who was so wonderful and humble! It was a great first day in NY.

2009 SCBWI Winter Conference - Illustrators' Intensive

2009-02-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

The sun rises over New York as we approach the city

I wanted to post up my notes from the conference as soon as I got back, but here we are, and it's been about 2 weeks, and I'm still trying to process the amazing weekend. I've been wanting to go for a couple years, and decided that this year I must go, but then I started to have doubts as to if I was 'ready'. I contacted Leeza, and after a long talk we decided to be roomies, and it was so wonderful to be around her amazing energy and positive generous vibes.

Day 1 of the conference was the Illustrator's Intensive. On the way down in the elevator a kind woman enters from another floor. Leeza introduces me, and tells me this is Lin Oliver, the Executive Director and co-founder of SCBWI. What a wonderful way to start the conference!

After grabbing some bagels we file into the room with chairs and nice narrow tables which are great for note taking and resting one's plate of toasted bagel halves and ice water. We are told that revolution is upon us. Whatever worked in 2008 will not work in 2009, and 2010 will be a whole new game. We are entering a period of redefinition and reinvention. Our speakers exemplify this. Change is a permanent part of their portfolios. We will redefine children's books.

Leo and Diane Dillon

Our first speakers were Leo and Diane Dillon who are the only illustrators to have won the Caldecott 2 years in a row. The married couple has worked together for over 50 years, and they were a treat to listen to. Their strength has been their flexibility and their ability to change with the times. They talked about painting layers on acetate, and learning new techniques like tapestry, and woodcarving, and stained glass looks for the first time during actual illustration jobs. They said you learn fast when you have to. I am amazed at how they worked together on the same projects. They said they worked in shifts, and always respected each others space by asking permission if it was ok to look at the others' work yet. They jokingly said the biggest advantage to working as a team is that you can always blame the other one, or the other one can fix it.

We then had our first workshop on digital painting with William Low. He likes to work with a full screen in Photoshop without any palettes showing, so he has memorized just about every keyboard shortcut there is. I don't know if I could fully commit to working that way. That's just a little too much info for my brain to handle. For me it would be like working blind. I like to see my layers palette growing, and my history, navigator, and menu tool bar. To paint digitally Low said to treat layers in terms of physical space, so your foreground, middle, and background are on their own layers. In designing for a book we're not just creating pretty pictures. The type and art must fit like a dovetail joint. He provided many tips in blending , color settings, etc. that even a Photoshop expert could benefit from.

Grand Central Station

Then after dropping off our portfolios and a very quick lunch picked up next door from Grand Central Station it was onto workshop #2 with Elise Primavera. Her advice is that in order to do something fresh do something you are completely unqualified to do. At one point she thought she had nothing to say, and was not a writer. She was living at home with her parents at age 40, but then she wrote a successful children's book. She is now finding success in the graphic novel market which we often heard at the conference is the hot new trend, especially as the format relates to picture books. She split us off into groups, and we created the beginning of a paneled story by each of us introducing our characters, and then passing it to the next person to continue the story. This exercise was a good introduction to the basics of storytelling for me. After some initial confusion it ended up being a lot of fun, and some people went up to act there's out.

After all this the day 1 Intensive was still not over. The Art Directors' Panel is coming up in the next post.

The Importance of Quality Drafting Chairs for Illustrators

2009-02-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

A great illustrator has many tools at their disposal. While some tools like pencils, pens, and paper are considered staples in the art community, there is another tool that is equally as vital to the creative process. Sure quality art supplies make an artist's job easier, but it's not all about what goes into your hands. Sometimes it's what goes under your butt that matters most. I'm talking of course, about a drafting chair.

Creating art requires great focus and countless hours of hard work. When you first begin a new project, you want to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible. Most artists spend hours slumped over a desk or drafting table, deeply immersed in their work. Very few people consider the physical toll that this can take on your body. When sitting down and digging into a long project, it is important that you sit up straight and have the proper support for your back. Ergonomics aren't just for the office. The more comfortable you are, the easier you'll be able to focus, and that level of concentration will surely be reflected in your work. Having a quality office chair or drafting chair will help ensure that your back will stay straight and upright. This will help make the hours less painful, at least from a physical stand point.

Many artists now-a-days also use computers for digital illustration, graphic design, and photography. The same rules that apply in an office setting hold true for artists as well. You need proper back support or you're going to regret it later. When logging in long hours on a project, the proper posture can help relieve stress, which is always helpful. Different chairs come with different options and some are definitely better suited for your body than others. Try to find a chair that has been labeled 'ergonomic' to help make sure it will help you maintain the proper posture.

You should find a chair that best suits your artistic projects. If you spend long hours at a computer desk, then an ergonomic office chair would be your best bet. If you work primarily at a drafting table however, you would be best suited to use a drafting chair. Drafting chairs differ from office chairs, in that they site much higher off the ground to accommodate higher drafting tables. They also usually come equipped with a foot rest to prevent your feet from dangling awkwardly.

Not only are these chairs good for your body, but finding a designer task chair can help create a modern and fashionable workspace. An artist's desk is the focal point of their studio. It's the first place your eye is drawn to, so you want it to say something about you as an artist. Choosing the right task chair can help accent your desk and turn it into a stylish centerpiece for the room. An artist's work area is the heart of their studio and everything needs to be functioning perfectly in order to create the perfect environment for artistic creation.

Illustration Friday: Contained

2009-01-13T23:39:00.000-05:00

On this frosty winter day Nathan was happy to see that the mugs Malcolm brought contained his mom's delicious hot cocoa.

I've been working on this as one side of my promotional postcard for the NY conference's portfolio drop off. I plan on sending them to the printer tomorrow so they'll be ready in time. I'm thinking of putting one of my traditionally painted pieces on the other side. Any critiques or suggestions are welcome as I'm still trying to figure out what images would best represent my work.

I just stumbled upon the blog of the amazing illustrator, Poly Bernatene. His work has inspired my love for children's books all over again. Check out his many amazing books here.

Illustration Friday: Resolve

2009-01-05T22:36:00.000-05:00

This year I resolve to appreciate each day of 2009 filled with hope for positive changes as I recognize all the possibilities, and to remember that life is a series of choices. I don't believe so much in resolutions, but I do think of each year in terms of what themes I'd like to focus on. My 2009 goals include becoming more pro-active in all things, to focus on promoting myself for the children's illustration market, and to not forget to enjoy the small stuff like a nice walk along the river.

I was watching the New Year's celebrations around the world, and realized that this is the last year that the funny spectacles people will be able to use the 2 zeros in the middle of the year for the eyeglass lenses. I wonder if this makes the manufacturers of novelty specs a bit sad? Oh well, they had a good run.

Illustration Friday: Voices

2008-12-23T03:21:00.000-05:00

I had been wanting to draw some geese for the holidays, but I didn't know what they would be doing, and then the topic, 'voices' was chosen, and it all came together. I've been quite a blog bum with the not posting in so long. I hit a big creative fall/winter funk, and lost my mojo for a while, and also had some other priorities that I had to focus on.

But, now it feels great to draw something new again, and get back to Illustration Friday especially since tomorrow will be my 3rd year blog anniversary! Thanks so much to everyone who has visited, and been so encouraging. It means a lot, and fuels future posts. This blog and IF have helped me build up a portfolio, and with the help of my dad I was able to launch my website this year. I still have planned to build a shoppe, and to start selling some greeting cards and prints through Imagekind. And I'm very excited that I'm all registered, and I'll be attending the NY SCBWI conference in January 2009. Is anyone else planning to go?

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Winter Solstice! Yay!, longer days are soon to come in the northern hemisphere. Also, have a happy, jolly, fa la la la la-filled fun and safe holiday season! I'll be traveling the roads to go home for the holidays later today, and they're calling for tons of snow, so I'm hoping for a safe trip.

Illustration Friday: Packed

2008-09-22T14:09:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the big copyright © over the image, but the congress has been trying to sneak through the Orphan Works Bill which would weaken current copyright law, and make it a lot easier for our artwork and even photos of our families to be stolen out from under us. The thief would merely need to claim that the original owner could not be found. We would most likely see more companies stealing from our image galleries such as how Virgin Mobile already stole a photo from Flickr last year to use in their ad campaign without the owner's permission. The Senate already passed the bill by hotlining it, and Wired was told just today that the House would not look at the bill until after the election, but a few hours ago the Illustrator's Partnership sent out an email saying the bill is in the House now. If we wish to keep the strength of our copyrights they urge us to call Congress now. More information is available on their blog.

Illustration Friday: Island

2008-09-16T23:58:00.000-04:00

When we were kids my little brother and I used to lay out the sofa cushions and pillows all over the floor, and pretend they were islands, and that the carpet was the ocean with shark-infested waters. Too bad our carpet wasn't blue like this to help add to the illusion. On a side note, the only color of shag carpet that ever made any sense to me was green, so you could pretend it was freshly mowed grass. :)

Illustration Friday: Clutter

2008-09-11T22:50:00.000-04:00

Baking cupcakes with mom is a lot of fun, but it does cause quite a bit of clutter all over the kitchen countertop. :)

I'm not yet sure where I want to go with the colors, so I'm posting a work in progress sketch somewhat colored in photoshop to squeak in before the IF deadline. I need to work more on a final technique, but I've also been working on making progress with my drawing skills. I've been feeling the need to step it up to make my children's illustration portfolio stronger.

Illustration Friday: Memories

2008-09-04T19:09:00.000-04:00

Summer watermelon memories
hand drawn sketch digitally colored in photoshop with multiple texture layers

When I first read the topic this week my shoulder was hurting, and I was remembering that it was caused by stubbornly needing to carry every bag of groceries in at the same time the night before. I have a thing about not doing multiple trips, and now with the cloth shopping bags that fit a ton of stuff, and have big strong handles I can really pile it on. So, all in one haul I managed to carry 3 liters of 7-up, 2 quarts of Tropicana OJ, 1 gallon of milk, 1 very large head of cauliflower, (I literally gasped with delight when I saw how big and beautiful it was), other various veggies, several 6 oz. Yoplait yogurts, 2 bags of Tollhouse chocolate chips, 2 64oz glass bottles of cranberry juice, some frozen cod, 1 32oz bottle of Strawberry Kefir, and one large seedless watermelon. Needlesstosay, I won't have to go to the store again for a good while. I was going to illustrate this feat, but I lost interest in that idea, and decided to focus on the watermelon which I've been enjoying all week. I've been downright addicted. I've been seasoning it up similar to how my good friend from Mexico introduced me to years ago. I think she sprinkled on Lucas chili seasoning, but since they were found to contain lead a few years ago I haven't bought them, so I made my own recipe.

I just sprinkle on:
a dash of chili powder
a dash of cayenne pepper
a dash of salt
a dash of sugar
a sprinkle of lemon juice

The lemon juice starts to macerate the watermelon, so it needs to be eaten quickly or you'll have more water than melon. It sounds crazy, but it's mmm, mmm good, and really great for my sinuses! I wanted to make sure I enjoyed the goodness of watermelon before summer in this hemisphere is all but a memory.

Illustration Friday: Routine

2008-08-28T00:55:00.000-04:00

One of the most important parts of any proper hippopotamus's routine
is brushing their impressive teeth.

Illustration Friday: Detach

2008-08-18T23:35:00.000-04:00

Hubert always felt detached from the rest of the school.

Illustration Friday: Sail

2008-08-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

Although I'm not very happy with China's policy on Tibet, or their smog situation I put that aside for a night, and immensely enjoyed the opening ceremony. One of the highlights for me was a lovely and graceful dancer who made her green ribbon sail through the air.

I was so inspired that I jumped up, and took a couple photos of my television screen.

I missed quite a few IF topics lately, and haven't been blog visiting as much because as I mentioned in my last post I was working on my new website. I'd love to hear your comments and opinions.

My New Website!!

2008-08-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

I've been a bit absent from this blog because I've been hard at work trying to organize myself into website form. It was a project that became so much more involved then one anticipates, but I'm so glad I finally put the time in to figure it out. I was just the designer of the site, the credit for all the heavy lifting with the coding goes to my dad. It was our first time working together on a project of this magnitude, and I'm happy with the results.

I've never shared work from my day job, or my freelance work on this blog, so if you'd like to see the other sides of me that pay the bills please head on over and check it out. We see it as a work in progress that will continue to evolve, so I'd be interested in opinions and critiques.

My new website: www.angelamatteson.com

San Diego Comic-Con 2008!

2008-08-03T20:56:00.000-04:00

I've been back from Comic-Con for a few days, and I still don't know how to sum up the experience other than to say that it was mind-blowing and spectacular! For a tv-aholic like myself it was so much fun to see some of my favorite stars talking about the shows I love. My first panel was for Stargate, and I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan, but I couldn't pass up seeing Richard Dean Anderson and Ben Browder. The whole cast was wonderful. I then tried to see a bit of the exhibit hall, and found Gris Grimly's booth, and came back to buy 'Little Jordan Ray's Muddy Spud', and have it signed by the man himself. After a very long line I made it into the 'Dr. Horrible Sing-a-long Blog' panel with Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and the one and only Buffy creator, Joss Whedon, and it may have been the most entertaining panel I attended. All 3 acts of the musical, Dr. Horrible, are temporarily available on Hulu.

Also on Friday I attended panels for Family Guy with Seth MacFarlane, and Seth Green, and Prison Break, which was missing Wentworth Miller. :( On Saturday my friends and I walked to the end of the longest line I have ever seen for the Heroes panel. It was literally over a mile long, and went way past the convention center, and then when hope appeared to be lost it actually started moving, and we made it into the hall amongst cheers of 'You made it!' The 6000 of us were treated to an airing of the entire first episode of the next season, and a very brief chat with the entire cast. Later, on the exhibit floor I saw Adam Baldwin with his son, and proceeded to stalk him for a few paces for a few pics. He was then at the Chuck panel where he stole the show in front of a crowd that contained more than a few Firefly fans sporting Jayne knitted caps. I somehow ended up at a Battlestar Gallactica panel, a show I don't watch. It was still fun because Kevin Smith, who I enjoy, moderated, and the cast members attending were hot! :) The last panel I made it to was for Fringe with J.J. Abrams and star Joshua Jackson. Walking around the Gaslamp District we saw a herd of cows penned up in a parking lot presumably as viral marketing for Fringe. It's still too soon to tell if this show will be any good.

It was then back down to check out more booths, and take more photos of people in costume. I was impressed how everyone came prepared with their perfect pose for photos, but I still found it sometimes more fun to catch those candid moments.

I ended up picking up anything they were giving away. I figured with the popularity of reusable shopping bags, we'd see the studios take advantage of this form of advertising, and it definitely was the year of the bag. The poster size Pushing Daisies bag was my must have Con accessory.

It wasn't all just tv and movie booths, although they were the loudest presence, and attracted the most wall to wall people. The Ugly Doll booth was bright and cheery, and I got a few pics of the life size dolls roaming the halls. Sights like this meant standing in line was never dull.

Seeing so many of my favorite illustrators was a real treat. Chatting with the great Stephen Silver was a special highlight.

I ended up with a bag full of cards and postcards of inspirational artist's work that caught my eye that I'll be looking into more online. I didn't bring big enough luggage for all the books I wanted to buy.

One of the best parts of this trip was reuniting with my most awesome college chums, Bob, Trevor, Sean, and Eric. After all the chaos of the Con it was nice to kick back, and enjoy the beautifully perfect weather of San Diego.

We had some great fish tacos at Tin Fish near the convention hall, and the taste of Shanghai at the Red Pearl Kitchen another night, and a nice relaxing day of sightseeing along the beaches of La Jolla. I was excited to see the seals swimming in the ocean, and while strolling along the shoppes we stopped for some most delicious gelato! I had a scoop of blood orange with raspberry fudge swirl on top. So good! :)

We also took the trolley to Old Town, which had photo opportunities a plenty. We had some great Mexican food, and went ghost hunting at the Whaley House.

I took around 900 photos and videos, so this post could go on forever, but I'll end it here so I can get back to doing some illustrations. :)

Illustration Friday: Enough

2008-07-23T20:24:00.001-04:00

Even though they were like ducks to water, Rupert and Mildred had

had enough of all the flooding in the Midwest.

I haven't posted in forever, and I have been really missing participating in Illustration Friday. I needed a little break to enjoy all the wonderful summer weather, and to get all my ducks in a row. It should be known that even if you do manage to get your ducks in one single row that getting them all to face forward is a whole other matter all together.

The last few weeks I've been working on some other projects which I hope to share here soon. Tomorrow though, I'm off to San Diego for 6 days to meet up for a mini-reunion with some of my ol' college chums, and to attend Comic-Con. This is my first year attending a conference of this magnitude, and my first time on the west coast, so I'm unbelievably excited!!

Illustration Friday: Worry

2008-05-29T22:56:00.001-04:00

When I saw the IF topic, worry, I almost was going to do a collage of some of my past illustrations since so many of my characters end up with a somewhat worried look on their faces. I think I'm drawn to that worried look because you can see that something is churning in their brain. I find the mystery of what that may be intriguing.

I'm not sure what this bunny is worried about. I know he wasn't so sure he'd make it to post before the deadline, and he's not sure where he came from. He just showed up about 5 minutes after I started sketching. I'm not so sure he's worried about anything in particular, and instead is just generally neurotic.

Illustration Friday: Wide

2008-05-21T01:31:00.000-04:00

Lucy Pevensie pulled the wardrobe door wide open, and found a whole other world.

I've been meaning to post some photos I took a couple years back of the actual wardrobe that inspired C. S. Lewis to write The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was on display along with his writing desk, and other items. I was most interested in the wardrobe, which although it was not the one from the movie it was more special because it was the catalyst to the entire Narnia series. I thought it was timely to post it now with the new movie, Prince Caspian out in theaters now.

This sign was some cute museum humor. It warned, "Enter at your own risk. The Wade Center assumes no responsibility for persons who disappear or are lost in the wardrobe."

A Typical Day

2008-05-18T09:28:00.000-04:00

The other day I was reading a post on Eric Orchard's blog about his typical day, and I couldn't help thinking about my own day, and so when I got to the end of the post, and saw that I was tagged, I thought what a fun surprise! But, sorry to say, my days are quite boring, and I don't have myself on a schedule for the illustrating stuff you see on this blog. I'm thinking I may have to fix that. Oh well, here's a typical weekday:

4:55 am - The alarm goes off. I hit snooze to turn the buzzer off. Also, my wakeup light turns on, and I have my thermostat set to make it hotter, so I'm forced to throw the covers off.

4:57 - The radio alarm turns on, and listen to the weather, etc for a little while, although lately all I hear is the rhythmic creaking of my neighbor's bed above my apartment. More incentive to get up, and leave I guess.

5:15 - give or take - Take a shower, and make myself presentable to the world. Make a protein fruit smoothie if I have time.

6:10 or so - Pack my lunch from whatever frozen meals I have prepared in the freezer. Grab my protein smoothie, if there is one, otherwise just grab a yogurt. Leave for work. It's so nice not to have to clean the ice and snow off the car anymore.

6:30 - Arrive at the office. I'll check my email and horoscope, and maybe a few blogs. Also, I have my breakfast smoothie, or the yogurt with cereal. Then I look at what projects I have. Right now I'm designing Christmas. So everyday is fa la la la la, and holly, holly, snowflake, snowflake. A few other projects also cross my desk.

midmorning - I start to get hungry. I might nibble some Trader Joe Multi-grain Pita Chips, and then a few Tollhouse chocolate chips. I would say I check my email again, but I've probably already checked it 5 times by now.

about 5 to 10 minutes before noon - I go to the cafeteria to heat up my lunch, unless I have a cold salad. Lunch is almost alway brought back to my desk to eat, and internet browse.

after lunch - Back to work.
2:00 - small break

3:15 pm - The benefit of starting so early pays off. It's time to go home!! :) Now here's the variable part of my day. I'll either:
a) Run some errands
b) Drive to the bike path for a 3 mile walk followed by relaxing outdoors
c) Go straight home, and do my Yoga Booty Ballet exercise video followed by a shower
d) Go straight home, and browse blogs, or draw, or work on other projects
I didn't do much of b and c over the winter, so I'm trying to get them back into the routine, so I have more energy. Yesterday, I did 16,585 steps, according to my pedometer, approxiamately 8.29 miles to make up for all the slacking. I'm feeling it today. Good pain though.

between 5:00 and 7:30 - I make myself some dinner. I'll usually have my favorite Discovery channel shows on, "Cash Cab" and "How's It Made".

7:00 - 10:00 - Watch tv and maybe draw, or visit blogs, or work on some procrastination project like making a necklace, or work on a freelance assignment. What I do in this block of time depends on how tired I am.

between 9:30 -11:00 - I often fall asleep on the couch with the lights and tv still on. This is an awful habit I'm still trying to break.

2:00 am - I awake to find that I'm still in the living room, and some horrible infomercial is on, and those messed up dreams I was just having are starting to make sense. I now try to go to bed, but end up not being able to fall asleep, and I toss and turn for hours, hopefully, eventually getting a little more sleep, before the alarm goes off, and I do it all over again.

Whoa, sorry this got to be so long. Probably way more then you ever wanted to know.

I will now tag-- Eric Smith, Andi Butler, David Sones, and Sheree Boyd

Illustration Friday: Electricity

2008-05-15T01:33:00.000-04:00

After Ben Franklin discovered electricity he invented the oven, and he and Isacc Newton baked that apple that fell on Isaac's head into a very fine pie in this chapter of altered history.

This week's topic of course made me think of Ben, but I also, for some reason, immediately thought of Isacc, perhaps because their epiphanies both came about outdoors. Anyway, I was excited about drawing some historical figures, but the sketch wasn't turning out like I planned. It was too dull and ordinary, and I asked myself, "Matteson, where's the style, the dynamic shapes, the fun???" I was discouraged, but kept at it until I got to this point which I'm kinda o.k. with.

Interestingly enough, I just read that Ben just missed meeting the aging Newton. So it feels good to be able to bring them together at least in spirit. Ben actually did invent the Franklin stove, but it wasn't electric. For more real facts follow the links above.

Illustration Friday: Seed

2008-05-08T23:38:00.000-04:00

Little did the mothers who gave birth today at Hanz Hopkins Hospital know that Doctor Spermalot had planted his seed all over town.

This was the first idea that came to mind this week. Mostly likely influenced by last week's episode of Reaper. I wasn't sure I wanted to finish sketching this idea, and had started a 'prettier' second idea, but bounced back to this one. I've got to get working on these earlier in the week, but then again having no time means quick decision making, and more unexpected results.

Illustration Friday: Wrinkles

2008-04-30T22:50:00.000-04:00

Sam never worried about his wrinkled, rumpled clothes when he went fishing.

This needs some proper shading, but I only have time to block in some quick colors. I tried not to clean up my sketch so much this time for added wrinkly effect. :)

Illustration Friday: Primitive

2008-04-24T23:18:00.000-04:00

Back home at my parents home there used to be a ton of cute, furry, little chipmunks scampering about the yard. But, slowly they started to disappear as some neighborhood cats took over the territory. Soon, no more chipmunks were to be found, but occasionally we would find a tail here and there. I began to imagine that the savage wild cats would perform some sort of ancient tail-removal ritual to gather these prize souvenirs. Somewhere in a secret lair I imagine them decked out in full ceremonial garb with the tails made into headdresses and necklaces. In the drawing I had to strategically place the tree stump because these guys are so savage that they don't wear any pants.

This is a sketch color blocked in photoshop. The other week I was busy painting some of my decorative wooden boxes to give my little place a little spring makeover, and I was sanding a painted surface, and ended up scanning that, and I used it here as the background texture.

My apologies to chipmunk lovers. No chipmunks were directly harmed in the creation of this illustration. The same can't be said for what happens in the wild.

Holocaust Star Project

2008-04-19T22:30:00.001-04:00

back:

The illustrations are acrylic painted on wood.

When Jillian Curtis contacted me about the Holocaust Memorial that she is building in her front yard I was more than happy to participate. It's a wonderful way to teach her children that every life is precious, and that we can never let hate overcome.

Jillian is asking that stars of any sort be sent. As I thought of what to illustrate I remembered the striking imagery of the girl in the red coat in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List. While the girl in the movie wasn't based on anyone in particular, Roma Ligocka said that when she saw the movie she saw herself. She was wearing that same red coat when she was a little girl at the door to the home of the polish family that took her in, and secretly housed her.

You can follow the star project on Jillian's blog: Blog Me Til Midnight

••• update: The Winona Daily News did a story on the project. There's a sweet photo of Jillian and her boys holding my star. The article is here.

•••• 2 News stations covered the project for Holocaust Remembrance Day. You can read the articles, and watch the videos at these links:
KAALtv story and video
WEAU story and video on lower right side

Winona Daily News photo

• The news stories are no longer available, but here is the photo of Jillian and her boys.

Illustration friday: Homage

2008-03-30T22:00:00.001-04:00

An homage to an old friend.

This was a commission that I completed for someone as a christmas gift for her father. She wanted a portrait of their dog, Cocoa who had passed away. I used gouache on this acrylic paper I found which had a linen finish, and held up to the paint better than the bristol I had been previously using. I was given a few photos to work from, and I asked for a list of his traits. She said he liked the snow and liked riding in cars, so I incorporated that into it. (The snowy background is a little hard to see in the scan.) Trying to get some kind of likeness was difficult, especially since I couldn't see his eyes in any of the pics. When I gave it to her she said she loved it, and said I got the eyes perfect. Whew! He ended up younger than the pic, but she liked that since the painting was about remembering the good times when he was still alive.