Fairy Books....hit Target Dollar Spot....

The books I illustrated showed up in Targets Dollar Spot this week! Always fun to bump into your work out in the real world!

illustration friday

Haven't done illustration friday in awhile. On Sunday, as hubby and I drove to meet the in-laws and retrieve the kids from the long weekend spent sledding, I had time to catch up on reading and the article with Penelope in Home Companion caught my eye, and was once again inspired to participate.

at a dollar tree near you....

Here are some scratch and sniff books I illustrated earlier this year that have finally arrived in stores. Always great to see things in print.

NJ Illustrator Day Follow Up

Sunday I attended NJ SCBWI's First Annual Illustrator's Day.
This is the final art for the assignment we were given. (My first sketch and feedback are posted below.) I received feedback from AD Laurent Linn. He was kind and supportive of all the artists in our group. I later had a portfolio review with Patrick Collins. Look for coming posts about "eyes". I seem to have two extremes too big "shocking", and the dreaded "dot" eye. He recommended I play a bit with the eye to find a compromise. He also recommended dividing my portfolio, trade in one area and educational/mass market in another area. I also have to beef up my narrative. I have a bunch of what amounts to spot illustrations. I look forward to taking the information I received and using it to build a stronger portfolio.

I want to thank the NJ SCBWI for hosting this wonderful event. A special thanks to Leeza Hernandez for doing an amazing job coordinating the event. She also headed up a session that did a pretty kickin 10min. exercise that really got you to speed through thumbnails and see your story quickly. Leeza, you rock!

Karen and Lori were my travel buddies this trip. We had a good time...even if my driving made Karen a bit ill.

THANK YOU

The 12th Annual Rochester Children's Book Festival was this past Saturday. Forty four authors and illustrators from in and around NY participated.
Thanks to all those who planned, worked, attended, and purchased.
It was another wonderful event that I was happy to be a part of.


Authors: Lina Sue Park, Rafe Martin












Room was packed the entire afternoon.





I also wanted to post this butterfly from my new friend Hayden. She drew this following my direction in the "Read to Me Corner". It looks great, I especially love the way she made the wing look like a smiling face. Thanks for being a part of the festival!

a visit from Paul O. Zelinsky

Paul O. Zelinsky also presented to RACWI Thursday night. Can you say "Caldecott"?
Always fantastic to hear someone speak who has a received such an honor, has studying under Maurice Sendak and has had a career that has spanned 30 years. Not too many of those floating around. A humorous tail he shared was about the mouse he got to study anatomy while doing Ralph S. Mouse...how would you get a real mouse to ride a toy motorcycle...not so easy. He also shared with us school photos that Beverly Cleary sent with the Ralph S. Mouse manuscript that were photos fans had sent to her. These faces were the inspiration for certain characters.
Here are some other points I jotted down:
~Copying existing art, is a good exercise to "see what is there"
~Action is the page turner
~illustrate the words that aren't there
~Jumping the shark...a Happy Days reference, to when we have gone to far.

a visit from jeff mack

Can I start by saying, "I love this guy".
There I said it.


I have been a fan for a while now and wasn't the least bit disappointed by the presentation he did for RACWI members Thursday night. He was charming, funny and just plain cute.



The list below are just some of things he shared:

~a graduate of SUNY Oswego
~often works 10hrs a day
~studio in old Yankee Candle factory
~worked as a portrait copier
~also worked at FYE, a job that didnt' last long
~he likes to paint standing up
~media of choice: acrylic paint on #180 lb hot press
~applies varnish to surface of board to create a smooth surface
~mixes "Golden" faux finish medium into paint
~it take about 2-3 mo. for him to complete a picture book
~he used to wear tube socks! (even provided photographic evidence)

Happy Halloween

Illustrator Day in NJ

I have signed up to attend NJ SCBWI's 1st Annual Illustrator Day on November 9th. You can read more about it here, click on events. Twenty-two illustrators will spend the day at Princeton's Theological Society with art directors Laurent Linn (Simon and Schuster) and Patrick Collins (Henry Holt). We have been splint into two groups. Each group was given six manuscripts. Each illustrator could then select a text to work with, and from that illustrate a two page spread. Once we completed a sketch for selected text, we email them off and waited for art director feedback. Above is the spread I sent and below is the feedback:

I love the creative way Brenda is depicted here and especially how the
bed's headboard morphs into the fence, blending
reality with Jessica's dream state. Also, the characters are very
sweet and distinct.

I think, though, that the sketch feels too stiff too posed. Both
Jessica and the Brendas would feel younger and more
caught in a moment if they had more energy and looseness. For
having a nightmare about Brenda, Jessica seems too
content. How would a kid really look when sleeping? Also, the bed
sheets, etc., are too composed looking I think.

I would also recommend flopping the image so that the action goes from
left to right, which is how we want the energy of a
book to flow, to take the reader to the next page.

But a very creative solution overall!

Now that we have received feedback we are to make corrections and arrive that day with both sketches and mounted final art. I participated in a similar format at a workshop hosted by Central New York SCBWI, with work being critiqued by Tim Gillner (AD~Boyd's Mills Press) and loved it. The benefit was not only having your work seen and critiqued, but being present as others go through the process taking all that feedback and also being able to apply it to your work.

It's back to the drawing board. I'm excited about this trip and that I will traveling with two of my illustrator pals. Karen has posted her composition sketch here, go and check it out :)

I hope to post the revised sketch sometime this week.

halloween on the horizon

4 year old artist...not a bad skeleton if I do say so myself.
This child draws constantly, he is well beyond what is considered "developmentally age appropriate". This led my husband and I to ponder whether it has been all the hours he has put in or if it is natural ability. Chicken or egg? Did Rembrandt have the ability to stay focused and on task at his drawing table for hours? It's curious. Maybe it's the apple and the tree?

On another note, Blogger ate my template yesterday. I don't think they meant too. When I updated, I saved my original html but when I put it into the editor it gave me an error message. How did a template that worked just fine before somehow become so error filled it was branded useless? After several hours I am starting to look like my old self again....now I need to get my favorite links up...