Through the Studio Door

International Children's Book Day

2011-04-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Fate and Fortune

2011-02-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

How one right turn, leads to landing an agent.

On this journey to get published it seems the road has been nothing short of long and winding, yet just one little turn can send you down an unexpected path. I've always believed in fate. I've always believed things happen for a reason. The last couple of years I'm having a hard time figuring out what that reason might be, but I'm hoping one day it will all make perfect sense. So when a simple chain events leads me smack-dab in the hands of "my" new agent, I have to think there just might be something to this fate business after all.

Here's how the story goes.

It's the middle of the month and I'm in the middle of a rut. I'm going to work each day, trying to figure out when I'll have time to work on new stories, feeling a little low, needing a little inspiration. I haven't been out for awhile, when some people at work plan a Happy Hour get-together. Perfect I think. It's been weeks, maybe months since I went out. I'm ready to go! So I accept. Then wouldn't you know it, the very next day I get an email invite from my local illustrators group for a meeting. On the same day! At the same time! We hadn't had a meeting for months, maybe six or seven months, and now we're getting together on the same day I already made a commitment for. I'm thinking what bad luck I have, wishing they were on different days.

So I go the the Happy Hour. It's close to work, which is close to home. We get done earlier than I expect. Now, I'm the type of person who doesn't like to miss out things. My Mom says I'm always trying to fit 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag. (Actually I don't think she uses the word potatoes.) I'm on my way home believing that's where I'm heading when I approach the freeway on-ramp sign, next thing I know I'm making a quick call to a friend to find out how far into the meeting they are. Twenty minutes later I'm walking into the meeting. Late, but walking in, ready to hear what every one's been up to. I knew Molly would be there sharing her portfolio and her recent experiences in New York City, I just didn't know I'd be there too. Molly Idle won the SCBWI portfolio award grand prize back in August. As part of her grand prize she won a trip to New York to meet with a few Art Directors from major houses and tonight she had stories to tell! Lynne Avril was there too, which always makes the meetings a hoot and a half! She had some original art to show. Part of her Amelia Bedelia books. I'm always amazed at the amount of work she can do in a short amount of time.

As the meeting is wrapping up I'm having a discussion with Molly, who is also querying agents. She mentions an agent that I had queried awhile back but never heard from. I decide the next day that I should query that agent again, maybe she never got the initial query? Within hours I have a reply. She looked at my website, calls my work beautiful, but passes. Again, I hear my work is too realistic. I send her a thank you. (I normally don't do this. I figure their inboxes fill up enough with important stuff.) And what do you know, she sends a quick email back with a recommendation for an agent more suited to my style. I query this second agent and two days later I have a verbal offer! We email back and forth a few times with questions (I had a lot of them - she even said there were a lot - but she took the time to answer every one of them.) And two weeks after this meeting I had never planned to go to, I almost didn't go to, I have a signed contract with my agent!

Being a believer of fate, I also read horoscopes and fortune cookies, I have this one pinned to my wall as a reminder. The harder you work the luckier you get. This is true. This business is hard work. Working hard can put you in the right place at the right time. But I also know some people work really hard and never get lucky. And I also know that as I drove down 56th street that night, and made a split decision to get on the freeway, made that one right turn, fate was involved.

I have an Agent!

2011-01-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

Starting this year out with a bang! I'm very proud to announce I have an agent! I am now represented in the children's book publishing market by Wendy Lynn & Co. They represent over 35 artists. Be sure to check out their website. You'll find me there right in the mix with a whole lot of talent. Yup! Right next to names like Mark Meyers, Tara Chang, Sherry Neidigh, Nathan Trewartha, Kim Jacobs, Valerie Sokolova, Lin Wang, Eric Freeberg, and Penny Webber, to name just a few. I couldn't be happier!

Did you find me?

2011-01-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

Where's Wilson

2011-01-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

From the Creative mind of...

2011-01-18T07:19:00.000-08:00

Holly Conger.

Thanks so much for a great month worth of tips Holly. We appreciate you!
This is one of my favorites, but be sure to out all the others.

#30 – Show appreciation

Life and the Museum

2010-08-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time for blogging now that I'm working full time and pedaling picture books. But I am working at a very exciting new museum, the MIM in Phoenix. If you're in the area be sure to stop by for a visit. If you're not, be sure to add it to your must do list when visiting. Just make sure you give yourself a lot of time!

Words of Wisdom -The Future of Publishing

2010-03-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

Be sure to watch this all the way through. It's what happens at the end that counts! This really makes you think of how easy it is to look at things differently. Thanks Karin for the link.

Created by DK (UK)

Become a Follower!

2010-02-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

Forget leading. It's time to become a follower. I just did! And as a bonus I could win a free chat with literary agent Mark McVeigh. Come on, join me. It's easy. You could win a chat too. Here's how. Go to his blog, The McVeigh Agency Blog, become a follower, and get 10 others to do the same. That's it. It's a blog your going to want to bookmark anyway.

The blog officially launches in two weeks and promises to be loaded with interviews with publishing legends, give-aways, videos, and gossip! Plus, I have the inside scope on his upcoming interview. Stay tuned...

Thanks az-ang for the info!

Launched!

2010-01-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

It's time for a fresh start. So I'm starting the new year with a new website! It was so much fun to work up the design, plus having total control over it will allow me the ease of updating images more often. Be sure to check it out now, and come back later. I'll be adding photos of how we built my studio to the Studio Tour section.

Life and Lemons

2009-07-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Heavy with lemons the branches reach to the ground, brittle and ready to break. But instead, the heat warms the lemons and they let go, dropping to the ground like leaves on an autumn day. There are so many that we squeeze for hours, day after day, and freeze enough juice to make lemonade all summer. Maybe even all year!

So this is life lately. Nothing but lemons. I keep making lemonade. More and more lemonade. I love lemonade! But I've had it with lemons. Maybe it's time to try a new recipe?

We really have a lemon tree. I see it from my studio window. These are the lemons from just one afternoon drop when the summer first turned scorching hot. And it really hasn't been a good year. I guess that's why I haven't been posting here much. I have been doing a lot. I think of topics to post, I go to events, I take photos, I plan on posting. But somehow it never happens. I still draw. I still write. I still submit. But I'm wondering if it's time to try a different way of doing things?

Wednesday Links

2009-07-15T10:26:00.001-07:00

I must have found this on one of those days when I was reacting just like those people on the commercial for Bing. It's in my bookmarked folder, but I have no recollection of how I found it, or where it came from. But I'm glad I bookmarked it! It's a good one. Here's the link. How to be a Children's Book Illustrator. Last week they had some great videos with Caldecott Medal Winner Brian Selznick. Oh, and try not to get lost while you're checking it out.

Take the Dare...

2009-07-01T10:38:00.001-07:00

Cynthea Liu has a new book coming out! It's called Paris Pan takes the Dare. And boy, does she know how to celebrate! Join in on the fun and help out. There are a ton of great prizes you can win. Plus, she just announced "Due to the craziness of the holiday weekend, the auction has been EXTENDED through July 8th."

To learn more about “Take the Dare: Show You Care,” please visit www.cynthealiu.com/showyoucare or contact cynthea@cynthealiu.com.

2009-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Betsy Bird's poll results for the Top 100 Picture Books on A Fuse #8 Production? Sure, everybody's seen them right! In case you missed it, or want to go back and check them out again, here's that link Top 100 Picture Books.

I can't believe with all the books on my bookshelf I don't have either of the top two voted classic. But thanks to Jean Reidy, it's now one down, one to go! Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon is one the way to my studio. Thanks for the contest Jean.

Now, for the #1 ranked picture book Where the Wild Things Are. I had to check my bookshelf to make sure. Maybe I have a Scholastic paperback sandwiched somewhere between a couple of other titles. Maybe I forgot to file it alphabetically. Maybe I filed it with my autographed copies. (OK, now that's dreaming!) But alas, maybe I just check it out from the library for extended periods of time over and over. I mean I know the text by heart. I know all the images. But I don't have my own copy of Maurice Sendak's all time classic! That's just wrong. I guess know the next book I'm buying.

Chilrdren's Book Week

2009-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

What better way to get back to the basics of what this blog is about than with the kick-off of Children's Book Week! Head over see whats happening this week. You can even download bookmarks, posters, crosswords, and puzzles. Be sure to check in on Wednesday for the Children's Choice Book Awards and see what books kids voted their top choice.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

Bestselling author Kelly Corrigan has a very cool Mom!!!

Wednesday Links

2009-04-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen it yet, you have to checkout Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup. She posted a wonderful interview with this year's 2009 Caldecott Honor Medal winner Melissa Sweet! It's chock full of sweet advice, sweet pictures, sweet links, and even a sweet give-away!

Be sure to check out Melissa's blog too. You can see how she celebrated her win.

The Picture-Bookies Are Back!

2009-04-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

After a brief hiatus the The Picture-Bookies Showcase is back! Visit the Grand Reopening of an Online Showcase of Professional Children's Book Illustrators.

Sponsored by the Picture Bookies Group, illustrators of children's books and products are back to display their work for your enjoyment.

Wednesday Links

2009-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Upsetting news from Oxford.
The Alphabet's being axed!
Check it out in today's article at the National Post.

Getty Images

Thanks Verla Kay's Message Board for the link.

Wednesday Links

2009-01-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

Cybil 2008 Fiction Picture Book Finalists
I'm a little late here, but in case you haven't checked out the the Children's & Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards, the finalist were posted last week. There are some awesome titles in the running. And they're in great company with last year's winner and finalists. To see the 2008 finalist in all categories go here.

Quentin Blake-Ten minutes of Illustration
Got an extra ten minutes? Be sure to check out this video of British Illustrator Quentin Blake as he tours you through his studio and demonstrates the method he has used to illustrate over 300 books! I love his system for archiving all of his original artwork. Simply amazing to see. You can also check out a slide show of his workspace and tools.

Giving with Just a Click!

2008-12-22T12:01:00.000-08:00

A Call-to-Action: Post a Comment to Help Share the Magic of BEDTIME STORIES!

Here are some great ways you can give to some great causes with just a click. That's right! Just a little of your time, and a click of a mouse and you're on your way to giving. Check out this great idea from the good people at First Book. Now through December 25, post a comment about your favorite bedtime story or memory on the First Book blog Bookmark and , in your honor, Disney will donate one new book to a child in need-just for commenting! It's free, takes just a minute!

Plus, if you make a donation through the First Book website, Random House Children's Books will match your donation book-for-book through December 31st!

Another way to help others can be found at the Breast Cancer Site. They are having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute and with just a click you can help fund free mammograms for women in need. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation . Help them out and pass it on!

Wednesday Links

2008-11-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Check out what books are winning awards!
NY Times Best Illustrated Children's books

Check out contests and book giveaways.
Cynsations
Anastasia Suen's Blog
The Apple (Teachers only-Winner gets 35 Autographed Copies of Jack of All Tails by Kim Norman for their school.)

Check out a great round-up of holiday books.
Wild Rose Reader

Remember to support the industry.

Links

2008-11-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

Stop by my friend and fellow illustrator's blog for a great round-up (with photos!) of the Founders' Workshop in Honesdale, Pennsylvania put on by the Highlights Foundation. Tanja is always great at sharing everything she learns and continually supports our local talent. Thanks for passing on our promos Tanja!
Tanja Bauerle's Blog

You'll find a great video with Patrick Arrasmith explaining how he creates his amazing scratchboard illustrations and how book design helps define what he creates at:
Mishaps and Adventures

Head over and find the answers to "Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Brian Lies" and see some very cool behind the scenes sketches (Love Brian’s sketch of the library from Bats at the Library!) at:
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Don't forget to keep checking the Cynsations Blog. There's been some great giveaways. And of course always great interviews. You might even get lucky and win a book like I did. This week my mailbox held this little treasure. Listening for Crickets by David Gifaldi . Thank you Cynthia!

Wednesday Links

2008-11-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Just for fun check out these links!

Test Your Color IQ*
Left Brain vs Right Brain Test
A Royal Test
Spinning Wheels
Checker Board

On the color IQ test I scored a 4 the first time. In my category, the best is a 0 and the worst is 1409, so I took it again to see if I could get a perfect score. I came up with a 3 the second time. The blue-greens were my trouble area. Thanks go to Jennifer at Art Words Life for the link.

On the left vs right test found out I can make my brain work both ways!

On the Royal test I made a very good guess. That's all it was, a guess . But interesting answer.

The other two are just plain mind games, but maybe this isn't all just for fun. Color theory and reasoning skills are good things to brush up on. If you want a better understanding how color works, you can read about Josef Albers and color theory here.

Halloween

2008-10-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Check out Lynd Ward's illustrated version of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Amazing wood cut engravings! Plus that type! I think I'd buy this book just because of the type alone...if I could afford it.

Thanks Fuse #8 for the link to this post. Go there! You'll see a number of wonderful interior spreads.

Wednesday Links

2008-10-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

For an inside look, and a wonderfully detailed post by editor Alvina Ling on how illustrators are chosen head over to

The Blue Rose Girls

For some wrap-ups on the Rabbit Hill Festival of Literature check out these great blogs.

The Blue Rose Girls
Wild Rose Reader
Art Words Life

Thanks Alvina, Grace, Elaine, and Jennifer!

Wednesday Links

2008-10-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

Have you headed over to the Cybils (the premier Web awards for children's literature) to nominate your favorite book of 2008 yet? Don't forget to do it by October 15! You can read the rules here. Remember, once a book has been nominated it's in. No need to second that nomination.

I'm looking forward to nominating a book this year. Last year I had the honor of being one of the judges in the fiction picture book category, and felt it would be wrong to have a favorite going in. But not to worry. Others liked a certain book just as much as I did. It made it to the finals! With the first-round panelists narrowing it down to these outstanding finalists, it was a fierce battle. But in the end, a well deserved win went to The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County.

Pam Coughlan, the organizer of the 2008 Cybils fiction picture book category, sums it up best. "A good picture book is a pleasing merger of text and artwork. A great picture book is a celebration of story and illustration, with lasting appeal for kids and/or adults. The best picture books completely excel in art, story, kid-friendliness, and adult appeal."

Check out these links for all the previous winners.
2006 Cybils Awards
2007 Cybils Awards

Illustrator Intensive Coming up!

2008-10-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

The workshop with award-winning author/illustrator Pat Cummings is tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to meeting her, hearing her advice on my piece, and seeing what all the other participants have come up with. I think that's one of the biggest benefits, learning tools, of a workshop like this, getting to see how everyone else handles art direction, and just what that art direction is!

And for all of us writers, Pat is also holding a Writer's Roundtable while she is in town. What a great opportunity to get to work on both the illustrating and writing sides of the business! This SCBWI-AZ sponsored event takes place tonight. You can read more about it on the events page of the SCBWI-AZ website.

It's going to be a busy next few days! We have one more local event coming up this Monday featuring bestselling author-illustrator Bruce Hale. "Make Your Story Unputdownable" A Session for Middle Grade Writers. The registration for this event has been expanded. You can still register if you send your check today and contact our regional adviser and let her know.

Wednesday Links

2008-10-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Read a Banned Book!

Join Random House in the fight against censorship. Celebrate your First Amendment right. Read a banned book! Check out the list of banned books Random House has put together. You'll be amazed at what you see. Their First Amendment First Aide Kit site features interviews with banned authors, strategies for teachers, librarians, and booksellers to stand up to censorship, and tips for talking about these issues.

Just the other day my daughter noticed I had Lois Lowry's The Giver sitting out. She told me it was "a really good book." My kids had read it in school. I'm so glad our local schools have not succumbed to censorship. That's the banned book I'm going to read. How about you?

Wednesday Links-Must have books

2008-09-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a new book I ran across recently that I just have to add to my library. Check it out! I'm very excited about the first one. It falls in a category that seems to rarely see new additions.

Show and Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration
by Dilys Evans.

It can join these others on my book shelf.

Illustrating Children's Books
By Martin Salisbury

A Caldecott Celbration
By Lenard S. Marcus

Wings of an Artist
by Julie Cummins

Talking With Artists (Series)
by Pat Cummings *

And these that I hope to have soon.

Artist to Artist
by Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Pass It Down
By Lenard S. Marcus

* Update on Pat Cummings workshop: If you are in town for Pat's workshop on October 4th be sure to join her at a Picture Book Writer's Roundtable on Friday evening. You can find more information and sign up here.

Wdnesday Links

2008-09-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Have you seen what's cooking over at Book Roast yet? There's a great line-up this month. Starting off the week, you'll find the following agent, editor roasts. Questions will be answered throughout the day and books will be given away!

Mon, Sept 8: Evil Editor
Tues, Sep 9: Editorial Anonymous
Wed, Sep 10: Mystery Agent
Thurs, Sep 11: Moonrat
Fri, Sept 12: Janet Reid

Talk about links! Be sure to check in at Cynsations this week too. I always find tons of great information on her blog. Cynthia Leitich Smith is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her website with more great interviews, and a 10th anniversary giveaway. Love those interviews! Congratulations and thank you Cynthia!

First Books is running their What Book Got You hooked? literacy awareness campaign again this year. You can cast a vote, share a memory of the first book that made reading fun for you and help get more kids hooked. They will be giving away 50,000 new books for children in need to the state that receives the most votes. (Voting ends Sept. 15th.) Last year I wrote about the book that hooked me here.

Wednesday Links

2008-09-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Highlights Foundation's website is a great resource for writers. In addition to the wonderful workshops they offer, you will find a whole library of writing tips given at previous Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua. You can search the archives by topic, author, or title.

While I'm on tips, have you seen Writer's Digest Writing Tip of the Day? Today's tip comes from Jane Yolen, directly from her book Take Joy. (Which every writer needs to have!)

Don't forget to sign up for CWIM's monthly newsletter. You'll be one of the first to get news, tips, and market information hot off the desk of editor Alice Pope. The email sign-up can be found at the top of the homepage.

And no, you're not off a day. It's me. It really is Thursday. This short week just has me off a day!

A Day with Pat Cummings

2008-08-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

*Click on flier to enlarge.
There are still some openings (workshop will max out at 20 illustrators) for the Illustrator Intensive with Pat Cummings! Cummings is the award-winning author and illustrator of over 35 books for children. She is the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, the Orbis Pictus Award, and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. She currently teaches at Parsons The New School for Design in New York.

I've been hearing great things about her workshops. And it's hosted by a great group. You can find full details on the event here.

Wednesday Links

2008-08-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is over, school has started, and it's back to a scheduled life, I'm giving myself a deadline. For me deadlines make things happen. In the past I posted on this blog at whim. I still will for the most part, but I've decided to reserve one day a week for posting links to other great blogs I've run across. This will help me remember where to find them, and help spread the word. (Sometimes one link leads to another, and another, and another, and I forget where I started!)

Book design links:
Book Design Review
Jacket Whys

What editors want (In manuscript submissions and web portfolios):
Full Circle Literary
Editorial Anonymous

Challenge, and future quiz, on "Everything We Think You Should Know If You're Going To Call Yourself a Pro In This Field":
Susan Sandmore

Studio lighting:
Gurney Journey

Thanks Mishaps and Adventures for the book design links.

Picture-Bookies Showcase Farewell

2008-08-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Picture-Bookies Weekly Showcase, a blog created by the Picture-Bookies dedicated to showcasing the work of nearly 50 children's illustrators, is coming to an end.
Thank you members:

* Ginger Nielson
* Sherry L Rogers
* Amy Cullings Moreno
* Kathleen Rietz
* Kristi Valiant
* Paige Keiser
* Bron Smith
* Gina Pfleegor

And special thanks to Ginger for keeping things running smoothly.

Be sure to stop by and have one last look!

SCBWI AZ Illustrators' Intensive

2008-08-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Award-winning Author and Illustrator Pat Cummings will be running a full-day workshop in Scottsdale on October 4th. Early bird, discounted registration is available through September 1st.

This hands-on intensive illustration workshop will focus on developing and improving your illustration skills for the children’s book market. It will also include craft topics such as style and technique, and industry related subjects such as the submission process and marketing. Homework assignment required.

You will find more details and registration information here. While you're there, be sure to check out our newly designed, regional website!

Note: SCBWI-AZ logo design by Juana Martinez-Neal

Escaping the Heat

2008-06-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. A 114 degree day. So far, more than a dozen days over 110 degrees. It's that time of year when we Phoenicians flee this oven we live in otherwise known as "They Valley of the Sun." So, for the next couple of months, as I take every opportunity to escape the heat, this blog will be on hold.

An Interview!

2008-06-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Want to find out more about me? Check out my interview on the Susan Sandmore Blog! Thanks Susan! Susan's a very talented writer who just landed an agent. (Not that long ago I called her up and coming. I was right!) She's got a great blog and a great sense of humor. She threw some fun and unexpected questions at me. If you haven't done so yet, head over and check it out. I won this honor by choosing the right answer on her 10 Truths and a Lie post. I love contests and winning things! In fact, since then I also won the book Moon, Have You Met My Mother:
The Collected Poems of Karla Kuskin, thanks to Elaine at Wild Rose Reader.

Want to win a book yourself? Check out Cynsations for the latest Giveaways!

Note: This post was re-posted and updated from last week. I felt it got lost in the middle of my W-I-P, so I'm giving it another go with a few more links.

The Prize Winner is...

2008-06-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

or should I say are!

Kate and
Angela Fox (azang)

Why two winners you may ask? As it turns out when I set the rules for this contest, I was celebrating the 10,000th visitor to this blog and I figured the chances were slim, even with Statcounter, that I'd be able to discover the true identity of the 10,000th visitor. Well I was wrong! I hit 10,000 right on schedule on Wednesday and guess what? I was able to track it right to Angela Fox.

Kate your name was drawn out of a hat! OK, I didn't think of actually using a hat, it was more like a Tupperware container. Among everyone who left a comment last week your name was chosen!

Thanks to all who entered!

If the winners could please drop me an email with your mailing address I will send the prints off to you. You can reach me at gail (at) gailmakiwilson (dot) com. Kate, if you have a blog or website let me know and I'll add the link!

Work-In-Progress Part 5

2008-06-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

And here's the final! Click on the image to enlarge.

To see all the steps of this work-in-progress click here.
To find out how you can win a signed print of the finished illustration click here.

Work-In-Progress Part 4

2008-06-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Finally the bubbles! They are done with Prismacolor colored pencils on DuraLar Matte . I've never used Prismacolor on Duralar before and thought this piece would be perfect for it. I've seen others use it, and I've played with it some, but wasn't sure how it would work with my "many layers" technique. (Which can easily be 10-20 layers. For the bubbles I probably have 4 or 5.) It was very different for me. There is less detail than I normally do. Which is fine. I was going for a softer focus, blurred motion thing. It sure went a lot quicker! And it gave me the shiny quality of a bubble that I don't think I would have gotten as quickly on paper.

Here's detail of one of the bubbles. I'm doing them on a separate sheet of Duralar, scanning, and adding them to the composition in Photoshop. This way I can play with the exact placement and add a transparent quality. Even though I'm drawing each element in this piece by hand my final "original" will be a digital file.

To see all the steps of this work-in-progress click here.
To find out how you can win a signed print of the finished illustration click here.

Work-In-Progress Part 3

2008-06-18T08:13:00.001-07:00

Now I've finished most of the girl. I need to soften the darks underneath her neck a bit more. I faded out the wisps of hair at the ends. I like the white of the shirt. Having it vignette works fine. I don't feel the same about the hand. It's actually drawing more attention to it then I want. It looks kind of awkward. Like I didn't know where to stop, which is true. So I will be including her wrist.

Once I've got the form down, I really like drawing hands. Seems like most people don't, but I find if you look at what's really there, and don't let your mind tell you what to draw it's not so hard. Same thing with ears. Draw what you see.

The other thing that happened, without me realizing it, is my paper angle had shifted. While focusing on the details I lost sight of the original placement. Here I have angled the image properly and will have to extent her hair (hair extensions!) and sleeve down to make the bottom edge horizontal again. I guess you can see where I'm going with the color now.

To see all the steps of this work-in-progress click here.
To find out how you can win a signed print of the finished illustration click here.

Work-In-Progress Part 2

2008-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here I have finished up her hair and face. As I work down her neck, I will decide just how "finished" to go with her shirt. I'm picturing having it vignette. I like the whiteness of the shirt. I'm noticing a dark, hard edge under her neck where I left off. I'll be softening that as I go. I'm considering doing a vignette with her hand too, but will have to see how it looks. Even though I'm working in values of gray here, I know as I work that she has blue eyes and sandy blonde hair.

To see all the steps of this work-in-progress click here.
To find out how you can win a signed print of the finished illustration click here.

Work-In-Progress and a Prize!

2008-06-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

Prize!
Each day this week I'll be posting a different stage of this illustration. In celebration of hitting my 10,000th visitor to this blog, I will be giving away a signed print of the finished piece. Since it will be difficult to know exactly who the 10,000th person is, I'm going to open this up as a contest. Just stop by any day this week, check out the W-I-P, and leave a comment. Each comment will count as an entry in the drawing. (There will be no limit to the numbers of times you may enter.) On Monday June 23th I will post the name of the winner. So stop by and have a look. Good luck!

Work-In-Progress Part One
At this point I am using Graphite pencils on Duralar Matte. The overall size is 9x18. I know this piece will be mixed media, I know I will be combing B&W with color to push the "concept" of the piece. I'm undecided on where the two will meet. I'm approaching the girl as a complete B&W drawing that can stand on it's own, but keeping the option of it becoming an underpainting, with some color being added, in the back of my mind.

To see all the steps in this work-in-progress click here.

A Notice from my Library

2008-06-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

So, I go to renew some books online today and had to laugh out loud when I checked the reason why I wasn't able to renew them. It said:

You cannot renew items because:

You owe too much money

Oh, well. I guess it's time for my annual donation to my local library!

Orphan Works Website

2008-05-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Anyone who opposes the Orphan Works legislation can get pertinent, up-to-date information on a new website put together by a group of involved, knowledgeable, and passionate visual artists. Action can be taken, but it needs to be done quickly. This site has links that make it very easy to see just what you can do to help, and in turn protect your artwork in the future.

If you are undecided on this issue, take a look at the professional organizations listed on the home page who oppose this bill. Then scroll down, and find out exactly how this bill could effect your future rights.

Orphan Works Opposition Headquarters

Back to Blogging

2008-05-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Seems like I've let this blog become neglected this month. Sometimes life just gets in the way. So in an effort to get back in the swing of things, here's a run down (in no particular order) of things to come:

Conference notes from the SCBWI-AZ
"Welcome to Our House" May Editor's Day

"A Day in the Life" Yeah, my life that is!
Thanks to a tag by Holli Conger

Featured Interview on Susan Sandmore's Blog
(You can read why here.)

Designer Mom

Step-by-Step,
Work-in-Progress of my latest Illustration.

The Biggest Party Favor Ever!

And a couple of surprises...

Graduation Day

2008-05-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Was it really only four years ago? How could four years go by so quickly? Time is a funny thing. It seams to go fast and slow at the same time. Right now, my mind is blurry on the details with time spinning by so fast. But it really was four years ago when my daughter moved off to college. I had just broken a toe so I waited, crutches propped up next to the pick up truck, mesmerized at how much the wind blew in this little mountain town, and kept an eye on her belongings as everyone else carried load after load up to the seventh floor. A seventh floor with an amazing view. It made it hard to be sad leaving your child behind in such a beautiful place. A place where her adult life started and she discovered a way to share the beauty around her.

It’s with great pride I introduce my daughter,
graduate & photographer,
Bailey Wilson.

The Other Side of the Desert

2008-05-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

Earlier this spring my husband and I had a wonderful get-away weekend at a place not too far from home, yet very far removed from the hectic, hustle and bustle of life in the city. I fell in love with this place. I think it has become an annual get-away. Maybe next time we will have perfect weather. The evening we took the boat tour was deceptively cold and fairly cloudy, so we thought we were going to miss the sunset cliff, but the sun managed to come out just in time to fire things up before it slide back over the horizon.

Link Back the Love

2008-04-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Link Back the Love is the brainchild of wife, mother, and creative entrepreneur Holli Conger. Check out this link to see all of the cool stuff she dreams up. Today she has a post on her blog, a girl who creates, titled "A Day in the Life" check it out later today and see what she's up to next. (Here's the link) She sure is one creative girl! Is there a blog you like to visit everyday? Head over to Link Back the Love, grab the link back logo, and link away!

Update:
What I like to See in an Artist Portfolio.
While I'm at it, here's a link to a great post from editor Cheryl Kline over at Brooklyn Arden. She has a lengthy post on exactly what she's looking for when viewing an illustrator's portfolio.

It's Ten O'Clock. Do You Know Where Your Art Is?

2008-04-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

It could be here. And you don't even know it. Imagine your dismay as you browse the bookstore shelves, flip through the pages of an art book, and find work you created in print. Maybe there are even some interviews your wrote, right there, printed word for word. Now imagine all this happening without your knowledge or permission, let alone your profit. It happened in this book.

I know the feeling. Last fall, while searching the web, I stumbled across one of my images being used without my permission as part of a performance art display. It's an awful feeling knowing how hard you worked on something and ending up with no credit or payment for your work. In my case the images were removed from the website, but the public performance couldn't be taken back. The damage was done. Someone else's name was now associated with my work. Period. But what might be even worse, is the mixed reaction from the public. Many artists were outraged and supportive. But some people seem to think “imitation is the highest form of flattery” when in this case it is downright stealing.

Read who it's happened to on the following blogs:
Darren Di Lieto
Luc Latulippe
Jonathan Edwards

Here you can see a gallery of all the images 'used' in the book. See any you know? Please spread the word. And don't buy this book!

Update: Add to the list:
Jeff Miracola
(He does a great job of explaining what all has happened on his blog.)

Thanks Jennifer and Drawn! for the heads up on this.

Spring in the Desert!

2008-04-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

The timing and amount of rainfall we had this winter made for a prime wildflower display in the desert. For the last couple on months something has constantly been in bloom. I've managed eight trips out to a spot close to home, yet secluded enough to feel like you're out in the wild. Every trip has been an amazing burst of color, but this one in March proved to be the most spectacular. I took my Mom out for the day to celebrate her birthday. When I headed into the middle of this Poppy field to get a good shot, I felt just like I had stepped into the movie The Wizard of Oz. It made me wonder if Poppies really would make me sleepy! No, they didn't. But they sure made me want to linger.

I Rock the Drop!

2008-04-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

YALSA and readergirlz are partners in Operation Teen Book Drop (TBD). To celebrate April 17, 2008, Support Teen Literature Day, they have organized a massive, coordinated release of 10,000 publisher-donated YA books into the top pediatric hospitals across the country!

You are invited to join in the fun and share your love of reading. Celebrate teen lit day by leaving a book with a TBD bookplate pasted inside, in a teen gathering spot in your community. (Stop by the readergirlz website to print out a bookplate.) Place it where the book will be found, taken, and read. (i.e. a coffee shop, the park, your school, a bus stop.) Imagine the fun someone will have when they find your donation! This is the same day all 10,000 publisher-donated books will be dropped in pediatric hospitals across the country, and it is the same day authors and readergirlz worldwide will release their own books into their communities just as you have.

Special thanks go to Dia Calhoun, Lorie Ann Grover, Justina Chen Headley, and Mitali Perkins readergirlz divas/authors! And to Sara Easterly for spreading the word.

Welcome to Our House 2008

2008-04-04T09:15:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again! Time to register for the annual SCBWI Arizona Welcome to Our House Conference. Join us on Saturday May17th in sunny Scottsdale at the Chaparral Suites Resort and Conference Center for a fun-filled day that includes:

Guest Speakers
Q & A Breakout Sessions with Faculty
First Page Panel
Sample Illustration Panel
Published Book Cover Slide Show
Continental Breakfast
Boxed Lunch
Networking
Door Prizes
Manuscript Reviews
Portfolio Reviews

Sit back, soak up the sun, and gather advice from featured speakers:

Regina Griffin Executive Editor- Egmont USA
Kat Kopit Associate Editor - Roaring Brook Press
Alexandra Penfold Associate Editor - Paula Wiseman Books at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Laurent Linn Art Director - Simon and Schuster
Jamie Weiss Chilton Associate Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Update: Regina Griffin will be unable to attend. In her place will be:
Gretchen Hirsch - Associate Editor - HarperCollins Children's Books

This can be all yours for a modest fee. Just visit the SCBWI Arizona website, print out the registration, and drop it in the mail. Be sure to check out some of the highlights from last year's conference here. Hope to see you there!

IBBY and Poetry

2008-04-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

In honor of International Children's Book Day* and National Poetry Month I'm sending you off to a few of the blogs I frequently visit that just posted leads on some awesome children's books. Enjoy!

Brooklyn Arden
Chicken Spaghetti
Cynsations
A Fuse #8 Production
Just One More Book!!
Kids Lit
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Wild Rose Reader

*Thanks go to Elizabeth for the lead.

Journeys of Discovery

2008-03-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month I had the privilege of attending the 16th Annual Conference on Literature and Literacy for Children and Adolescents, Journeys of Discovery Across Time and Place, at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The hardest part about attending this conference featuring Ted Lewin and Cynthia Kadohata* as keynote speakers, was deciding which books by Ted Lewin I wanted to buy. Look at this table! It went on and on and on! Filled with books I've read a many times, books that were new to me, even one I have on loan from the library that I've renewed way too many times. I chose three. The Girl on the High-Diving Horse an old favorite of mine. After hearing him tell the story behind the story of The World's Greatest Elephant that's a book I had to have. And I can finally return my library copy of High as a Hawk.

Some of Ted Lewin's more than thirty books.

As I went through my notes to see what all I could share from Ted Lewin's keynote address, I found I had very little down on paper. I was totally engrossed in the stories of his life, of how he works, of the adventures he's been on, the places he's traveled to, the animals he's encountered, and the insight he offered. One of the things I related to the most was his use of research and reference material. He said research and reference help you to find the details to make your illustrations authentic. He also compared the picture book to a movie or film, it should tell the story in the same way, but slower. Now if we could only be so lucky as to get to travel the world to research our stories!

The second hardest part about this conference was deciding which break-out sessions to attend. There were more than 20 to pick from, but only two time slots. As it turns out (for a reason I just can't figure out) Ted Lewin's break-out session had very few people. I got there early and he happened to be sitting and talking to a few other people in the front of the room. I sat down behind him and the session turned into a literal "conversation with Ted." He asked a few others sitting in back to come closer and join in. Nothing formal, we all just talked and asked questions.

He told us about his life growing up with very unconventional parents. The way the kids brought home pets. But not the normal stray dog, they filled the house with a lion, an iguana, a chimpanzee and some monkeys. (Which he stressed today wouldn't be in the best interest of the animals. And that his family did end up sending these animals to the Buffalo Zoo.) He left home at a young age to join the circus. He also followed in his brother's footsteps and became a professional wrestler, which led him to later write an autobiography called I Was A Teenage Professional Wrestler. He had a surprise gift from David Edwards, a big fan and a collector who was attending the session. Edwards had found on old wrestling playbill with Ted's name on it and bought it on Ebay. Ted was genuinely touched as he read the names and reminisced about the venues he once wrestled at. Then he appropriately thanked Edwards with a headlock.

The other session I chose was "The Art of Storytelling" with illustrator Guy Porfirio. This guy is filled with passion and energy. Now I know why he has illustrated over a dozen books! He is bursting with energy. Plus, he has one great sense of humor. Which I'm sure was a big plus while he was working with Billy Crystal on Grandpa's Little One. (Unlike most situations he did get to work directly with the author on this book. He even told us how Billy Crystal changed the text to expand more on an image he had created, because Mr. Crystal found so much humor in the image.) His latest book Junk Man's Daughter just made The Bank Street College of Education in New York City's list of the "Best Books of the Year" for 2007.

He talked about the importance of "telling the story with artwork" and showed how he uses the illustrations to add a sub-plot. His work is full of vibrant color, wonderful composition, tons of emotion, and little bit of humor. I have been in awe of his work for a while, but until recently l hadn't realized he was a fellow Arizonan. After his session I got to talk with him, and I'm really looking forward to all he has to share with our local community.

Here are some of the locals I was able to capture.

Author/Illustrators Debbi Haun and Joan Sandin

Juanita Havill and Guy Porfirio at the autograph table.

The line for autographs at Ted Lewin's table.

Performance by Japanese ensemble group during the autograph session.

* More to come later on Cynthia Kadohata. Sorry, no pictures. I was late getting a seat to her "full house" keynote address and wasn't able to get any good photos.

2008-03-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out the great interview over at 7-imp featuring Kadir Nelson. You'll find in depth information on his latest book We are the Ship. Plus, links to many more interviews. His work has had a huge influence on my own. I find his books awe-inspiring. In the interview, when asked "If you could have three illustrators or author/illustrators over for coffee or a glass of rich, red wine, whom would you choose?" one of his choices was Norman Rockwell. I found this very interesting since I consider Nelson to be our “modern day Rockwell”.

Early Reading

2008-03-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

17-month-old who can read

It's never too early to start reading. Really! Can you imagine one of your books capturing a child's attention in this way.

Early Reviews

2008-03-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Explained by a 3-year-old!

Worried that your plot may be too complex for a young audience?
I think they can handle it.

Inpiration and Chris Gall

2008-03-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

I find inspiration in looking at the work of other authors, illustrators, fine artists, and of course everyday things around me. The work of those I admire motivates me. It makes me hope one day I can create work that good! As for things around me, I just want to share the joy of those things. So I found it very interesting listening to Chris Gall speak about what inspired him to write and illustrate There's Nothing to do on Mars. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris last weekend at a wonderful local bookstore, Changing Hands. After talking with him during a phone interview in November, I had been really looking forward to meeting him. Did I mention I'm a huge fan of his work!

So you wonder what could the seed of inspiration be for a book with a setting on Mars? Well, none other than a place right here in the state of Arizona, a place I've visited many times, a place I find full of joy and wonder, I place that's said to have a spiritual aura, a place called a vortex, a place called red-rock country. That place is Sedona!

Photo from: www.adobegrandvillas.com

He visited that place, and it made him think, this is what what Mars would look like, he then came up with the title, from there he had to work out the story. As he said, it had to be about more than "nothing to do", or it would be a very short story! So that seed of inspiration had to grow in his creative mind. That's the part where authors and illustrators really get to have fun. And do a lot of research. (He picked an actual mountain on Mars to be the center of his story.) An idea is just an idea, unless you turn it into a story. When you read this story you'll find out there really is a lot to do on Mars. And yes, I do have another signed book to add to my collection.

Got Illo?

2008-02-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

Back in 2005 this great little magazine started up called Illustration '05. The whole magazine was all about illustration, nothing else. I subscribed right away and enjoyed issues containing stunning images printed to the highest caliber, and informative interviews with some of the top talent in the industry. The first two issues featured Peter de Seve, Marc Gabbana, Joe De Vito, Joeseph Csatari, C.F. Payne, Sergio Giovine, Leslie Cabarga. All that in only two issues! (Illustration '05)

Sadly, there wasn't enough interest, as in subscribers, to keep this this great little magazine in print. But there's good news. illo. is back! With a new name, Illustration '05 just wouldn't work anymore, but the same great look and superb quality. Be sure to check out their website. Just click on the magazine cover in the archives. You'll find in-depth previews. There are even some back issues from '05 still available. Head over to order button and place your order. I placed mine. And I'm really looking forward to the upcoming issue featuring James Gurney. How about you? Let's make sure this great magazine is around for a long, long time.

The Crown Goes to...

2008-02-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

After serving as a judge, and engaging in lively and passionate discussions with my fellow judges in the Fiction Picture Book category of the 2007 Cybils, I'm proud to announce The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington and illustrated by Shelley Jackson has been crowned the winner! With a vivid, expressive voice, brilliant use of energetic images, a lot of spunk, and a heartwarming surprise ending, The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County is sure to capture your heart.

The nominating panel gave us a tough job, with seven amazing titles to choose from, each covering widely varied topics and styles, but all exceptionally well done picture books.

Congratulations to all the 2007 winning authors and illustrators!
See sidebar.

Special thanks to all the panelists, judges, and especially the organizers, for making this all happen!

Mary in Color- Final

2008-02-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

Final color drawing of Mary

Note* Just click on the label Mary, or scroll down, to see the entire work-in-progress. The new scanner worked great! I only had to do minor color adjustments. (I did tweak the color slightly after seeing this scan online. )

Mary in Color-Part 3

2008-02-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Detail of Mary.

At this point I've concentrated on finishing up everything on Mary. Next, I'll be making some adjustments to the reflections and moving on to the wood for the window frame. I should be able to post the finish on Monday.

Mary in Color-Part 2

2008-02-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

I've finished up the leaves and most of the areas reflecting in the glass. The sepia color worked perfect as a base under the green leaves. I was able to get the depth I wanted, with less layers, by working over a complimentary color. I used ground pastel dust applied with tissues for the blue areas. Everything else is color pencil. While working on the leaves, I was able to take advantage of the view out my studio window. As long as it wasn't too late in the day, the sun hitting the leaves of the lemon tree just outside my window made a great source of reference.

Mary in Color-Part 1

2008-02-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

With this illustration of Mary, my work has become true mixed-media. The final underpainting was done in graphite on vellum. (Previous post.) For the stage shown here I scanned the graphite drawing, then worked on the blue areas of glass in Photoshop. I also isolated areas that I wanted to print out in a sepia tone for the underpainting. This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time and I felt this piece, with all the warm tones, would be the perfect one to try it on. After printing this out on my art paper I will be layering in pastel and color pencil.

Coming soon...Mary in Color

2008-02-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

Now that I have a large-format scanner, I will be able to scan in one piece, hopefully, the final color drawing of Mary. If you don't remember, or didn't see it before, I did a work-in-progress of the B&W underpainting of Mary. Since I'm having some issues with the software on the new scanner and am waiting to hear back from tech support, I'll post the color in stages each day this week. So stay tuned!

Final B&W Underpainting

Rainy Day Delivery

2008-02-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

It's a rare rainy day. Well actually, so far this year, not so rare. We've had more rain in one month than we did in all of 2007. But back to the point. It's cold and rainy. That kind of gray day where the sky opens up and lets out a continual drizzle. Now that is a rare thing here! So a package in the mail was a great treat. Not a surprise, it was expected, but a treat. Now, if it would only stop raining so I could head out to my studio and start setting it up.

My studio is detached from the house. Most of the time I find this to be an advantage, but not today.

Scanner in the Mail!

2008-02-01T07:32:00.000-08:00

I did it! I found the right scanner for me! (I hope. Fingers crossed.) It sounds right. It scans just the right size. It works with my PC. It's a new item. It's hard to get a hold of- at the right price that is- you know, the discounted internet specials. Lots of those places have it on backorder. It seems to be getting snapped up pretty quickly. I'll be sure to keep you posted.

You can read more about it here:
PlustekOpticPro A320

We Are The Ship

2008-01-25T08:37:00.000-08:00

I gotta have this book! Every so often a book comes along that just grabs you from the get go. For me this is one of those books. I love the tittle. I love the story behind the book. I'm a big fan of Kadir Nelson. The previews of the illustrations are amazing. I want to see more. I want to read the story. I want to savor this book.

To find out more just follow these links:
Interview with Publishers Weekly.
We are the Ship Website.
YouTube Video.

I wonder if it's something about the whole story of baseball that I can't resist. I noticed a few of my all-time favorite books are on the same topic. I listed them here a while back while talking about inspiration.

The Color of Moonlight

2008-01-22T09:23:00.001-08:00

If you're up for an experiment in how we see color, or more importantly how we think we see color, tonight's the night to give it a try! With the full moon, and a handful of different colored swatches of the same value, you can see how your eyes respond to color in moonlight. Be sure to check out James Gurney's post Is Moonlight Blue? for the complete instructions. He also has a very in depth scientific explanation of how all this works. If that's not your thing, just check out the great samples he's posted of how different artists interpret the color of moonlight.

Scanner Dilemma

2008-01-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

I'm looking for advise on buying a large-format scanner. (Semi-large I guess, in the grand scope of things.) You know, one that can scan 11x17. I went and got myself a large format printer a while back. (OK, again in the grand scope of things it's not that large, but it prints 13-inch wide by up to 44-inch long, so it it fits my needs.) Now I have a dilemma. What to do once the art is finished.

I have scanned in two pieces and combined them in Photoshop. Sometimes this works fine. Others times I don't get the results I want, and end up spending way too much time fixing things. (And this time it's not working at all!) When I want a really good, professional scan I head down the street and fork out $50. That's what I was ready to do again, then I started thinking. If I put that towards a scanner each time, I could have my very own!

I've been doing some research, and found one under $200. But I wonder how good it is? (Although it has to be better than what I've been using.) I noticed after this price-point there is a huge jump. It looks like there are some nice ones for $1500 and up. But that is out of my price range right now. So I'm wondering what are other illustrators are using? Any recommendations on 11x17 scanners?

*The one pictured above is pretty cool isn't it! It's the Epson Expression 10000XL Large-Format Flatbed Photo Scanner. But at $2,729.93 that is out of the question. The one that's more in my budget is the Mustek Scan Express A3 1200 Pro USB Large Format Scanner.

Enough's Enough!

2008-01-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

Jennifer at Art, Words, Life posted a great poll on her blog yesterday.

She asks...
How do you know when you're done with a piece of art? Or writing? Or are they really ever "finished" at all?

I don't always know when a piece is really done either. Sometimes I overwork things. (I know on a recent piece I went back and re-did the eyes even though I thought they were finished long before.) I really think there are times when we don't want to stop working on a piece because we've become attached to it. I also think we need to get "used" to the idea of the work being done. If I can set it aside and come back to it later and it still feels done, then it's done! This goes for writing and revisions too. The whole looking at your work with "fresh eyes" works!

"...are they ever really finished..."
I think in most cases we can always look back on an illustration and find something we're not happy with or an area we would handle differently. Or in writing, a better word choice might come to you later on. But I think that's a good thing! It's what helps you grow as an artist. We are perfectionists. But then again, not everything can be perfect.

Then there are deadlines. They can make you decide a piece is finished real quick! And that is a real good thing! I like deadlines. Deadlines make things happen.

How about you? When do you know you're done? I forgot to say sometimes the opposite of not wanting to stop happens. Sometimes, I get tired of working on one piece and just want to be done!

Note: Anyone following my blog with a keen eye for observation, might recognize the corner shown above. Yes, I finished drawing Mary! In color. And yes, it was re-worked, overworked, and set aside for a couple weeks. I look at it now and it feels finished. As soon as I get a good scan of the final piece, I'll post the steps of how color was applied.

How Creative Are You?

2008-01-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

Here's my creativity score.

You Are 88% Creative

You are an incredibly creative person. For you, there are no bounds or limits to your creativity.
Your next creation could be something very great... Or at least very cool!

How Creative Are You?

Hmm, I think I could have scored higher if it weren't for two of the questions. You're the type of person who just naturally likes to break the rules. Maybe in art, but not in life. So I couldn't strongly agree with that one. As for what other people think of you, you honestly don't give it a lot of thought. I do give that a lot of thought. In fact, I seem to care too much about what others think.

Thanks for the link Linda.

2008 ALA Winners!

2008-01-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few highlights of the top award winners in children's books. Way to go Hugo! I really didn't think they'd do it. Brian Selznick's 533-page illustrated book is certainly in a category all it's own. It's a highly creative concept that has been duly rewarded. I wasn't sure how it would really fit into the mix of things with the criteria the committee needs to follow. I think the award committee went out on a limb for this one. And Selznick has been rewarded for his passionate contribution to children's literature.

Check out the American Library Association's website for the full list of winners in all of the categories and further details. Congratulations to all!

Randolph Caldecott Medal

“The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” illustrated by Brian Selznick, is the 2008 Caldecott Medal winner.

Caldecott Honor Books:

“Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine

“First the Egg,” illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

“The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” illustrated and written by Peter Sís

“Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” illustrated and written by Mo Willems

John Newbery Medal

“Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” written by Laura Amy Schlitz, is the 2008 Newbery Medal winner.

Newbery Honor Books:

“Elijah of Buxton,” by Christopher Paul Curtis

“The Wednesday Wars,” by Gary D. Schmidt

“Feathers,” by Jacqueline Woodson, published by Putnam

Pura Belpré Award:

Illustration Winner: "Los Gatos Black on Halloween" by Yuyi Morales (written by Maris Montes)

Author Winner: "The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano," written by Margarita Engle (illustrated by Sean Qualls)

Two Honor Books for illustration:

“My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo gabito: La vida de Gabriel García Márquez,” illustrated by Raúl Colón, written by Monica Brown

“My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo,” written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

Coretta Scott King Award:

King Author Book winner: “Elijah of Buxton” written by Christopher Paul Curtis

King Illustrator Book winner: “Let it Shine” written and illustrated by by Ashley Bryan

Two Honor Books for Illustration:

“The Secret Olivia Told Me,” by N. Joy, illustrated by Nancy Devard

“Jazz On A Saturday Night,” by Leo and Diane Dillon, published by Scholastic Blue Sky Press.

New Talent Author Award:

"Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It," written by Sundee T. Frazier

Oneliners

2008-01-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

No, not that kind! These are simply amazing.

Sharpie Oneliner-In Context by Field Music
john jay ma! ra! thon !
Daily Motion

Want to try it out yourself. Go here.

Thanks Art, Words, Life which led me to Drawn, which led me to the above!

Mighty Art Demos

2008-01-07T20:44:00.000-08:00

When I was first developing my current style of Colored Pencil work I checked out every book I could find on the topic, and then went out and bought my favorite ones. One of these books was The Colored Pencil: Key Concepts for Handling the Medium by Bet Borgeson. Wow! Now the author of that book has selected one of my step-by-step demos to be included in a new online directory of demonstrations called Might Art Demos and Tutorials . You'll find lots of great work in lots different styles and mediums. And see how it's done. There are even some cool videos! Like Tim Burton- Speed Painting by Nico Di Mattia. Check it out!

2007 Cybils Finalists!

2008-01-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

The Cybils nominating panel has made their decisions! After reviewing and sorting through over 100 Fiction Picture Book nominations the team whittled down the selection to the following titles. Now it's time for us judges to get to work! I'm am thrilled to find among the finalists a few titles I was secretly rooting for, a couple I have only seen from afar and had planned on picking up, and even a couple that I hadn't seen yet, but find very intriguing! Good luck to all the finalists. We have a tough job ahead, and I can't wait to get started!

2007 Fiction Picture Books Finalists

Leaves
by David Ezra Stein
Putnam Juvenile

The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
written by Janice N. Harrington;
illustrated by Shelley Jackson
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

The Incredible Book-Eating Boy
by Oliver Jeffers
Philomel

Pssst!
by Adam Rex
Harcourt Children's Books

Knuffle Bunny Too
by Mo Willems
Hyperion

Four Feet, Two Sandals
written by Karen Lynn William & Khadra Mohammad;
illustrated by Doug Chayka
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Go to Bed, Monster!
written by Natasha Wing;
illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz
Harcourt Children's Books

To read more about the Picture Book finalists go here. To check to all of the categories, just head over to the the Cybils blog.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-23T09:50:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all
a very
Merry Christmas.

Be sure to visit Santa's
website!
You can even read
his blog.
Thanks "e" for the link.

Also check out
Make-a Flake
where you can cut and save
your own snowflake.

Another Win!

2007-12-19T08:29:00.001-08:00

The luck continues! I just won a “consolation prize” from 7-imp. A copy of Piper Reed: Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt. Woohoo! (Consolation only because it's not the autographed copy.) At first I didn't think I was familiar with Ms. Holt's work, but then I realized she wrote the picture book Waiting for Gregory which I've read may times. I'm really looking forward to reading more of her work. You can check out some great interviews that were just posted today with Kimberly Willis Holt at 7-Imp and Cynsations.

Thank you Seven Impossible Things for the drawing!

Seven Things and Thank Yous

2007-12-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

I was tagged to list 7 things about me by Jennifer at Art, Words, Life. Now I did this before, so I'm not too sure you want to hear more weird things about me, although I do remember talking about something I had won then. Anyway, after hearing yesterday that I won two more prizes from the Blogging for a Cure 2007 event, I started thinking, it happens that in the last month or so I have won books or art 7 times! Count 'um. Seven times! And the winners are...

1. On My Block and a signed Giclee prints of The Garden of 32 Cats by Sara Kahn thanks to Kate's Book Blog (Can't wait to see this book! Sara is one of a number of illustrators involved in the making of the book.)

2.One of these books signed by Daniel J. Mahoney thanks to Paradise Found. (I don't know which book yet, he gets to pick. Yea! A surprise in the mail. Man, "A Really Good Snowman" looks really good!)

3. Block Party Today and a signed postcard of Two Christmas Mice illustrated by Stephanie Roth thanks to Writing With a Broken Tusk.

4. Un-Brella signed Giclee print from the book written and illustrated by Scott Franson thanks to Scott Franson. (Well, this one I really won for my local library, but it's still a win!)

5. The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch thanks to Fuse #8.

6. Sightings by Sam Keen thanks to Chronicle Books Blog (Yeah, they have blog. Did you know that?)

7. The Lonely Moose by John Segal thanks to....sorry, more on that later.

(Earlier this year I got a few other books in the mail. You can see those here and here and here.)

So this is a big thank you to all of you out there who are taking the time to run these contests, and send out ARC's and F&G's. Winning is fun! Especially when my bookshelf devoted to signed books expands!

Hmm, I guess I have to tag people too. How about all of those listed above. If you want to join in, you're officially tagged!

Here's how it works:

1) Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

What's your level?

2007-12-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

Who would've guessed that!

I'd seen this floating around a few different places and thought I'd give my blog a check. Interesting..

Pay it Forward!

2007-12-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks to A Fuse #8 Production, who thanks Finding Wonderland , here's a link to some great information via Dutton's new website for those of us submitting manuscripts. It's called Dutton's Writer's Room. Wow! Maybe other publisher's will pick up on this idea and make everyone's job easier.

Flattered or furious?

2007-11-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

I noticed an huge increase in traffic to my website over the weekend. I've been getting a steady amount of hits since the featured artist gig at SCBWI. I do notice a jump when I have a hot post here on my blog, but nothing like this. So at first I'm thinking someone linked my website on theirs, but the stat counter wasn't showing a referring link. Then I thought I'd just keep my eyes open, I'd come across the reason eventually.

But my continuing curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do a Google search. Look at what I came up with! I don't know if I should be flattered or furious! Ok, I leaning toward furious. I clearly have the copyright notice and "These images may not be used without permission." on my website, my blog, and my online portfolio. I was not contacted at any time by this artist (yeah, artist...shouldn't an artist know better?) My name is listed on the index page (with the wrong title for the piece) but it is not to be found anywhere on this page! Look familiar?

What do you think I need to do? Any other artists out there having to deal with this? How did you handle it? Did anyone from Redwood City see this at the festival?

Remember the Cybils

2007-11-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

Have you voted for your favorite children's book yet? There's still time! Go to he Cybils blog and be heard! The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards give the public the chance to nominate their favorite children's books from 2007.

Nominations close at midnight Chicago time on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

And the winners are...

2007-11-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Drum roll please!

Annie Bailey for

Karen Lee for

Congratulations!

Remember auction one of Robert’s Snow: for Cancer's Cure starts today. You'll find both Chris and Jennifer's snowflake there. Happy bidding!

Contest Countdown

2007-11-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

What a great time it's been reading all about the illustrators who donated their time and talent to creating the wonderful snowflakes for Robert’s Snow: for Cancer's Cure. If you want to catch up on any artists you may have missed you can view the complete list of features here. Thanks so much to Jules and Eisha fron 7-imp for organizing this effort.

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a free copy of the following books!

To enter the contest just leave a comment on the post featuring that illustrator by Monday morning. I will have the drawing at noon on Monday, the first day of the Robert's Snow Auction.

Jennifer Thermes
Chris Gall

Behind the Snowflakes-Up Close and Personal

2007-11-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

It's been fun following, Blogging for a Cure 2007 with over 70 bloggers highlighting many of the beautiful snowflakes created by children’s book illustrators as part of Robert’s Snow: for Cancer's Cure. You can still visit the handful of artists featured each day, and get to know each one of them up close and personal. Remember you can bid on your own original art snowflake while helping to fight cancer.

Today I have the privilege of featuring another author and illustrator and snowflake creator Chris Gall! (You can read about the first artist I featured here.) This is a special privilege for me since Chris is one of the illustrators I find my inspiration in. He is one creative guy with a keen eye for detail. Chris Gall is a direct descendant of Katharine Lee Bates author of America the Beautiful, the classic poem and anthem. He has worked with clients all over the world including Time, Newsweek, Money, and National Lampoon, to name just a few. Be sure to visit his website!

Interview with Chris Gall

First let me congratulate you for being selected in this year's Original Art Show at the New York Society of Illustrators. How many times before have you made it into the show?

I was just in New York for the show. It was great fun! My publisher, Little Brown, threw a party. They don’t usually do that. New York is the place to be if you are in illustration or publishing. All three of my books have been in the show. Although only one illustration is displayed, the jury makes their decision on the book as a whole.

How did you become involved in Robert’s Snow and what was your inspiration for your snowflake, “Dinoflake”?

I got a call from Grace Lin. I knew it was for a good cause but at the time I didn’t know a lot about the project, after some checking I found it was a great conglomeration of illustrators. For my snowflake I wanted to do something different, that’s the way I approach all of my art. So I went with something in contrast to the expected imagery, yet not too random, Santa Dino!

Who had the most influence on your work?

As a kid, no question, Maurice Sendak. My grandmother was friends with him. She owned a small bookstore and he would visit. I would get gifts and signed books from him. As an adult I would have to say my influences come form Chris Van Allsburg and David Wiesner.

What is your all-time favorite picture book?

Where the Wild Things are.

How did the project for your first book, America the Beautiful, come about?

After spending a long time as a commercial illustrator, doing magazine and editorial work it became dry, not so rewarding. I decided I wanted to do children’s books. Even with success as an illustrator elsewhere, it’s hard to break into publishing, so I was looking for a pitch. Something that would interest a publisher. My family kept asking me to illustrate America the Beautiful-I am the great grand-nephew of Katharine Lee Bates—the poem’s author, and after 9-11, I felt the need to do just that. So I put together a proposal and sent it to friends, who sent it to friends, until it ended up in my agents hands. I still have that agent today.

Are the original hand written lyrics on display now?

The family has one of the hand-written copies of the lyrics.

You are the writer and illustrator for your last two books. For you, which comes first, the pictures or the words?

The manuscript first. Always. The industry is biased toward the story not the art. You have to have a strong story. They buy the manuscript. I will include some sample art along with the manuscript when I send it.

You have such a unique style, tell us a little bit about your illustrative process.

I start with thumbnails, sketches, layouts, tracings, and composition. I spend the most time on composition. Then I do a black and white engraving on clay board, kind of like a woodcut. Then it’s scanned and colored in Illustrator. 75-80% of the color is done on the computer. I might then use Photoshop too to move elements or make any changes.

There’s Nothing to do on Mars is due to be released early next year. This book seems like it will help fill the void in picture books for boys, do you have more like it planned for the future?

Yes! I definitely want to fill that void. Early in my career I walked into a bookstore to research the current state of pictures books, and I couldn’t find much that I (with my 7 year old hat on) wanted to actually read. I was determined to create books that I would like if I were a young boy. Of course, girls are always welcome too!

With such a busy schedule, do you still find time to do stand-up comedy? (You curious readers can see what I’m talking about on his bio.)

Oh, I retired from that four years ago. I toured, I was in an improve group, but it was too exhausting. It’s a serious business! But it did give me public speaking experience. If you’re used to dealing with 300 drunk, rowdy, chain-smoking strangers on a late Friday night—all of whom are convinced they are funnier than you are—then entertaining a few 3rd graders is a piece of cake.

Thank you Chris for letting us get to know more about you! His Grandmother was friends with Maurice Sendak, how cool is that! As a special treat I will be giving away a copy of Dear Fish to one lucky reader of this blog. That's right! Just post a reply on this post and your name will go into a drawing. The winner will be selected on the first day of the auction. (You can find the auction details here.)

All images © 2004 - 2007 Chris Gall.

Be sure to check out the other snowflakes being featured today:

Sunday, November 11

Tim Coffey at The Silver Lining
Elizabeth Dulemba at sruble's world
Amy Schimler at Please Come Flying

New Look!

2007-11-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

Now that I've learned my way around blogger I decided it was time to get a custom look. As a designer I was really having a problem with my masthead not being totally unique. Problem solved! To go along with the new look here, I put together a "sister" blog, studio gmw. It will highlight one style from my portfolio. (Stylized realism.) I'll keep the link to this online portfolio, in my sidebar. Take a look!

Rejection, It's Nothing Personal

2007-11-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

They say not to take it personal, it's just business, one person's opinion, a tough market, a slow season, not the right match, not suited to their needs, yet as you read your rejection letter, you realize it is just that. Pure and simple. Whether a form or a personal letter, it's still a rejection.

This is how you are supposed to feel when rejection hits. You are supposed to feel rejected!

Which got me thinking, what does it mean when you don't take it personal, when it doesn't bother you, when you just check them off the list and move on? When your heart doesn't sink while looking at your own SASE in your mailbox. This seems to be where I'm at and I wonder, is this a good thing? Does this mean I'm looking at submission from a professional stand point or does it mean the long, drawn out process of submitting is starting to wear me down?

I'd love to hear from others on this one. How do you get that feeling back where, whenever you send out a submission, you think "This is the one!"

Snowflakes Abound Week Four

2007-11-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

Where to find this week's Illustrators. (Be sure to come back here this Sunday for an Up Close and Personal interview with Chris Gall!)

Monday, November 5

Anna Alter at The Longstockings
Laura Huliska Beith at Just One More Book!!
Cece Bell at Jo's Journal
Denise Ortakales at cynthialord’s Journal

Tuesday, November 6

Carol Heyer at The Shady Glade
Joe Kulka at ChatRabbit
Steven James Petruccio at Blog From the Windowsill
Carol Schwartz at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup

Wednesday, November 7

Jeff Ebbeler at Sam Riddleburger's blog
Scott Magoon at Just One More Book!!
Connie McLennan at The Shady Glade
Julie Paschkis at the excelsior file

Thursday, November 8

Genevieve Cote at a wrung sponge
Linda Graves at Your Neighborhood Librarian
James Gurney at Charlotte's Library
Matt Tavares at Please Come Flying

Friday, November 9

Susan Kathleen Hartung at Wild Rose Reader
Mary Peterson at Brooklyn Arden
Annette Simon at Check It Out and Deo Writer
Melanie Watt at Whimsy Books

Saturday, November 10

R.W. Alley at at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup
Jeannie Brett at cynthialord’s Journal
Daniel Mahoney at Paradise Found and Great Solutions to Team Challenges
Amy Young at Kate's Book Blog

Sunday, November 11

Tim Coffey at The Silver Lining
Elizabeth Dulemba at sruble's world
Chris Gall at Through the Studio Door
Amy Schimler at Please Come Flying

And remember to stop by 7-imp too! Each day they will be featuring an artist who created a snowflake, but didn't have it finished when Blogging for a Cure started.

Just around the corner: Bidding for the snowflakes in the Robert's Snow auction. Each snowflake makes a unique gift and supports an important cause.

Halloween Past

2007-10-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Logan!

I had forgotten how many different cake options there are to go along with a Halloween birthday! Logan's 16 today. In the spirit of making sure he lets me continue to take his picture, I'm limiting these shots to when he was little.

Snowflakes Abound Week Three

2007-10-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Where to find this week's Illustrators

Monday, October 29

Dan Santat at Writing and Ruminating
Joanne Friar at The Longstockings
Alissa Imre Geis at Wild Rose Reader
Diane Greenseid at Just One More Book!!
Sean Qualls at Brooklyn Arden

Tuesday, October 30

Ann Koffsky at Book Buds
Bill Carman at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Gretel Parker at Finding Wonderland
Matt Phelan at A Year of Reading
Stephanie Roth at Writing with a broken tusk

Wednesday, October 31

Shawna Tenney at Kate’s Book Blog
Adam Rex at Booktopia and Welcome to my Tweendom
Mo Willems at MotherReader
Rolandas Kiaulevicius at a wrung sponge

Thursday, November 1

Karen Lee at sruble’s world
Diana Magnuson at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Melissa Iwai at Brooklyn Arden
Victoria Jamieson at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
Molly Idle at The Shady Glade
Meghan McCarthy at A Fuse #8 Production

Friday, November 2

Tracy McGuinness-Kelly at Sam Riddleburger’s blog
Sarah Kahn at Kate’s Book Blog
Sylvia Long at Whimsy Books
Jeremy Tankard at the excelsior file
Holli Conger at Please Come Flying

Saturday, November 3

Susan Miller at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Ellen Beier at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Hideko Takahashi at The Silver Lining
Judith Moffat at Jo’s Journal
Wendell Minor at Wild Rose Reader

Sunday, November 4

Joy Allen at Check It Out
Robin Brickman at Greetings from Nowhere
Lauren Stringer at laurasalas
Nancy Wallace at In the Pages . . .

Be sure to stop by 7-imp too! Each day they will be featuring an artist who created a snowflake, but didn't have it finished when Blogging for a Cure started.

Just around the corner: Bidding for the snowflakes in the Robert's Snow auction. Each snowflake makes a unique gift and supports an important cause. Check then out!

Up Close and Personal Contest Update

2007-10-23T16:54:00.001-07:00

Have you entered the contest to win a signed copy of Sam Bennett's New Shoes by Jennifer Thermes yet? There's still time. In fact, after it was brought to my attention that some of the auction dates have changed, I'm changing the rules! Anyone who posted on the original Behind the Snowflakes- Up Close and Personal post will be in the drawing. Whether you answered correctly or not! If you haven't entered yet you still can. Just go here, and read all about it. The new date for the drawing will be November 19th. The first day of the Robert's Snow auction.

Like to enter contests? Paradise Found has put together a list of all the Blogging for a Cure bloggers who are giving away books and art . Check it out!

Update:
Here is just one of the many contests going one.

Snowflakes Abound Week Two!

2007-10-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

I sure enjoyed reading all the bloggers posts last week featuring illustrators who created snowflakes for Robert's Snow. What great interviews and contests and photos and snowflakes. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Blogging for a Cure is up to this week!

Please take time out to visit all of these blogs, and read about these fabulous illustrators. And think about bidding for a snowflake in the Robert's Snow auction. Each snowflake makes a unique gift and supports an important cause.

Where to find this week's Illustrators

Monday, October 22

Mark Teague at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Sharon Vargo at Finding Wonderland
Christopher Demarest at Writing and Ruminating
Rose Mary Berlin at Charlotte's Library
David Macaulay at Here in the Bonny Glen

Tuesday, October 23
Carin Berger at Chasing Ray
Marion Eldridge at Chicken Spaghetti
Sophie Blackall at not your mother's bookclub
Erik Brooks at Bildungsroman
Brian Lies at Greetings from Nowhere

Wednesday, October 24
Elisa Kleven at Rozzie Land
Consie Powell at Becky's Book Reviews
Jimmy Pickering at Shaken & Stirred
Frank Dormer at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Sheila Bailey at Lizjonesbooks

Thursday, October 25
Julia Denos at Interactive Reader
Rebecca Doughty at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Brian Floca at A Fuse #8 Production
Margaret Chodos-Irvine at readergirlz

Friday, October 26
David Ezra Stein at HipWriterMama
Juli Kangas at Sam Riddleburger's blog
Ginger Nielson at Miss O's School Library
Margot Apple at Jo's Journal

Saturday, October 27
Julie Fromme Fortenberry at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Sarah Dillard at The Silver Lining
John Hassett at cynthialord's Journal
Abigail Marble at Please Come Flying

Sunday, October 28
Ashley Wolff at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Barbara Garrison at Brooklyn Arden
Kelly Murphy at ChatRabbit

Remember 7-Imp has a special Blogging for a Cure page that includes a list with links to all the posts that have featured the Robert’s Snow artists and 2007 snowflakes to date.

Note to Blog Readers about Blogging for a Cure: When Jules of 7-Imp put out her call in September for bloggers to interview/feature artists who had created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007 at their blogs, a number of artists had not yet sent in their snowflakes to Dana-Farber. As time was of the essence to get Blogging for a Cure underway, we worked with the list of artists whose snowflakes were already in possession of Dana-Farber. Therefore, not all the participating artists will be featured. This in no way diminishes our appreciation for their contributions to this worthy cause. We hope everyone will understand that once the list of artists was emailed to bloggers and it was determined which bloggers would feature which artists at their blogs, a schedule was organized and sent out so we could get to work on Blogging for a Cure ASAP. Our aim is to raise people’s awareness about Robert’s Snow and to promote the three auctions. We hope our efforts will help to make Robert’s Snow 2007 a resounding success.

Behind the Snowflakes- Up close and Personal

2007-10-18T01:55:00.000-07:00

Now through November, Blogging for a Cure 2007 will feature over 70 bloggers who will be highlighting many of the beautiful snowflakes created by children’s book illustrators as part of Robert’s Snow: for Cancer's Cure. Visit the handful of artists featured each day, and get to know each one of them up close and personal. Bid on your own original art snowflake while helping to fight cancer.

Today I have the privilege of featuring author and illustrator and snowflake creator Jennifer Thermes. Jennifer writes books about life in the colonial time period. Her stories are inspired by events that happened in her 280-year-old family home. The old farmhouse was once owned by poet and editor Louis Untermeyer. She is convinced "his spirit still infuses the place with a love of stories and ideas." Be sure to check out her website. Like her books, it's chock-full fine detail and historical information.

Interview with Jennifer Thermes

How did you become involved in Robert’s Snow and what was your inspiration for your snowflake, The First Snow?

I had heard about Robert’s Snow in previous years, and when the call for interested artists came out, I sent in my name. So many people’s lives have been touched by cancer, and I thought it was a very worthy cause.

As for the inspiration for my snowflake, I still get excited with the first snow of the season, and I’m sure that children in colonial times did, too!

Who had the most influence on your work?

Many people– my first art teacher, my writing group, something I’ve read, other artists’ work. It’s always changing. I try to stay inspired by new things. I have always liked that saying about “thinking like a beginner,” in order to keep learning and growing.

What is your all-time favorite picture book?

Another tough question, because my favorites change all the time! (I will say, my favorite Dr. Seuss story is “What Was I Scared Of?” There’s something about that “pair of pale green pants with nobody inside them” that gets me every time!) But seriously, I love the work of Peter Sís, David Small, Garth Williams, Barbara McClintock, among so many others.

For “Sam Bennett’s New Shoes” what was the time line between when you first found the boot and shoe hidden within in the framework of your 1720's farmhouse house, and when the book actually became published?

I knew right away there was a story in the boot and the shoe, but it was about three years before I put pen to paper. Between putting the story and the pictures together took about a year, and then another year before a publisher picked up the idea. Then, of course, another two years working with the editor, doing the final artwork, and completing the whole production process. It’s probably not a good idea to think too hard about the time it takes to make a book!

Do you have the original boot and shoe on display in your home?

Yes, they make a great conversation starter.

Tell us what it’s like working from your office in a home with such a colorful history!

I probably have the same distractions as anybody who works from home, though with a lot more dust! I think the thing an old house really teaches you is that life isn’t perfect, but it can still work just fine, and even be wonderful. In an old house things break, paint peels, floors creak and nothing is level- but there is a certain charm that is hard to reproduce. Also, I find it oddly comforting to think about all of life’s ups and downs the different people who lived here must have experienced.

Working as an author/illustrator, for you, which comes first, the pictures or the words?

It depends on the project. Sometimes an idea will come to me visually, and sometimes a line of text will come whole, seemingly out of nowhere. I’m convinced it’s a gift from the subconscious when that happens! More likely is that I’ll work on the words first– struggling through a first draft and trying to figure out what the story is about, and then shifting back and forth between the words and pictures to meld it all together. I think with each new project I crawl before I walk, and walk before I run. Once I get into the “groove” of an idea it seems to flow quickly.

Tell us a little bit about your illustrative process.

I do a lot of scribbly-sketches before a picture’s composition takes hold, and then refine the drawing from there. It’s helpful to keep a thumbnail layout of a book project in front of me as I work so that I can keep in mind how the pictures and story will flow from page to page. Once I start the finished art I have to remind myself to take frequent breaks– otherwise I get too nit-picky with the color and, actually, everything! I’m never completely satisfied with the finish, but I suspect many artists would say the same about their work.

Your stories are such a part of the life you have lived, or inspired by the lives of those who lived before you, what do you have planned next?

Right now I have several stories out for consideration, one is a picture-book biography and all with historical themes. Since my “day job” is creating illustrated maps, I’ve been working on an idea that incorporates them into a story. It’s still in the early stages.

What were you thinking with that 1980's hairstyle? Just kidding! (All you curious readers can see what I’m talking about on Jennifer’s website bio.)

Oh, come on, I was SO COOL!! (But really quite shy, believe it or not!)

Thank you Jennifer for letting us get to know more about you! And a special thank you for donating a signed book to be given away to one lucky reader of this blog. That's right! Just post a reply on this blog telling me if Jennifer is in auction 1, 2, or 3, and your name will go into a drawing. The winner will be selected on the first day of her auction. (You can find the auction details here.)

Be sure to check out the other snowflakes being featured today:

Brooke Dyer at Bookshelves of Doom
D.B. Johnson at Lessons from the Tortoise
Erin Eitter Kono at Sam Riddleburger
Sherry Rogers at A Life in Books

More Snowflakes Abound!

2007-10-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's the big day. I'll be featuring Jennifer Thermes and her snowflake. Be sure to check back in. There will be a drawing involved. You could win a signed copy of one of her books!

In the meantime take a look at who's been featured in the last two days...

Wednesday, October 17
Rick Chrustowski at laurasalas
Diane DeGroat at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup
Ilene Richard at Something Different Every Day
Brie Spangler at Lectitans
Don Tate at The Silver Lining

Tuesday, October 16
Selina Alko at Brooklyn Arden
Scott Bakal at Wild Rose Reader
Alexandra Boiger at Paradise Found
Paige Keiser at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Janet Stevens at The Miss Rumphius Effect

For a comprehensive list of snowflake and illustrator features, written by over 65 bloggers and coordinated by 7-Imp, in the 2007 Blogging for a Cure, click here.

PLEASE NOTE! Not every illustrator involved in this project will be featured on our blogs. Some are still working on their snowflakes! That means to see all of them, you'll have to go to the Robert's Snow Site.

Snowflakes Abound!

2007-10-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Blogging for a Cure, has begun! Starting today, more than 65 bloggers will be highlighting snowflakes and the illustrators who created them. Thank you Jules and Eisha, at Seven Impossible Things, for organizing such a huge event. Here are today's features:

Monday, October 15
Randy Cecil at ChatRabbit
Michelle Chang at The Longstockings
Kevin Hawkes at Cynthia Lord's Journal
Barbara Lehman at The Excelsior File
Grace Lin at In the Pages

This year Robert's Snow has rounded up, more than 200 well-known children’s book illustrators from around the world to create a unique, original art snowflake. And you can own one! The 2007 online auctions for bidding on these hand-painted snowflakes will take place in three separate auctions, from November 19 to 23, November 26-30, and December 3-7. You can read all about it here .

The artists I will be featuring are:
Jennifer Thermes: Thursday, October 18
Chris Gall: Sunday, November 11

Special thanks to Elaine at Wild Rose Reader for not only sharing more photos of the gallery exhibit featuring the snowflakes, but for having a contest with the very special price of a a limited edition Robert’s Snow giclee print created by Grace Lin! This is going to be fun! In fact, many of the feature blogs are running contests with prizes, so be sure to check each one, each day.

Update on the Update

2007-10-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Elaine updated her photos from the gallery show!

Robert’s Snow Exhibit
October 3-22
Child at Heart Gallery

Somehow I missed posting the link to photographer Pennington Geis's
slide show.

Don't forget you can also see them at Robert's Snow: Cancer's Cure, where you will also find information on how to bid and win your very own original art snowflake!

Behind the Snowflakes Update

2007-10-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check out the Wild Rose Reader Blog for the latest in the exhibit of Robert's Snow snowflakes! Elaine has posted links to the original art exhibit along with some great photographs from the open house that took place this past Saturday at The Child at Heart Gallery in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Great photos Elaine! Thank you. I would love to get to go the gallery. But since I can't, here's the next best thing:

Robert's Snow: Artist Open House & Exhibit

A Smile to Warm Your Heart!

Scenes from Robert's Snow Artist Open House

Artwork will be on display at the following locations.

Child at Heart Gallery
48 Inn Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
Open House: Saturday, October 6
Exhibit Dates: October 3 – 22

Danforth Museum of Art
123 Union Avenue
Framingham, MA 01702
Open House: Sunday, November 4
Special Sneak Preview: October 31 – November 3
Exhibit Dates: November 4 – December 2

Behind the Snowflakes
Below is an update to my original post. More artists links have been added to this list!

The Woman Behind the Snowflakes
The Robert's Snow project, was founded by author/illustrator Grace Lin in honor of her husband Robert's life. Grace gathered artists from all over the children's book illustrating community to create original art snowflakes to be auctioned off. Since 2004, this online auction has raised over $200,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Sadly, in August 2007 Robert lost his battle against cancer at age 35. This year's snowflakes will be auctioned in November and December.

The Artists Behind the Snowflakes
You can see how some of the artists created their snowflakes for this years auction on the following blogs. If anyone I missed would like to be added to this post just let me know.

Anna Alter
Elizabeth O. Dulemba
Holli Conger
Karen Lee
Roz Fulcher
Don Tate
Sherry Rogers
John Nez
Sarah Dillard
Connie McLennan
Paige Keiser
Kelly Murphy
Dan Santat
Stephanie Roth
Sharon Vargo
Susan Mitchell
Ellen Beirer
Liza Woodruff
Sally Vitsky
Jane Dippold
Cecily Lang
Mary Haverfield
Consie Powell
Marion Eldridge
Adam Rex
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Eric Brooks
Alissa Imre Geis (look here too!)
Amy Schimler
Meghan McCarthy
Matt Tavares (look here too!)
Julie Fromme Fortenberry
Aaron Zenz
Ashley Bryan
Jennifer Thermes
Jeff Newman

Update: Since this was originally posted I have added thirteen more preview blogs. I will keep adding more as I come across them, so keep checking in!