Eggs in the Mail

Getting mail that isn't a bill or junk is always so much fun. Especially a package. An unexpected, surprise package, with your name on it just sitting there waiting to be opened. I got one of those yesterday! The return address said: Little, Brown & Company. Now, if I had had any submissions there right now, my mind would have been running wild with possibilities. But I didn't. So I knew right away what was in the package. EGGS!

My very own, advance reading copy, of EGGS, thanks to being in the right place at the right time. (See how at Blue Rose Girls.) I think this is a great parallel to how things can happen in the publishing world. Sometimes it just takes being in the right place at the right time. Thanks Alvina!

gail

Bread and Butter

In between drawing and revising, and writing and revising, and critiquing and revising, and tweaking and revising, and subbing and revising, and...well, more revising, I do work on other things. So here's a logo I just did for an up and coming author.

Can you tell I've been working on revisions!

Inspiration

At a recent illustration workshop, we were asked to share what inspires us. All I had to do was look at my bookshelf and choose a few picture books. But not wanting to completing take over the rest of the day with my inspirations pieces, I decided I better narrow it down to a few books, from three illustrators, that I tend to look at over and over. (Stealing Home will be released this week. I haven't seen it yet, but can't wait to see it.) So here they are:

Mike Wimmer
Chris Gall
Christopher Bing

Because I am inspired by non-children's art too, I added:"Rolling Stone: The Illustrated Portrait" by Fred Woodward

There are many others that I find inspiration from and look at over and over, but if I were asked again in a year or two, I bet these would still be top on my list.

The AD that was at the workshop commented on how surprisingly different some people's inspiration pieces were from their own style. How about you? What art inspires you?

gail