CuppaArt

Wrapping it Up

2015-12-27T12:55:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have seen the finishing of some things. Finished PiBoIdMo for 2015. Good to have some more ideas added to the roster. Some are worth pursuing. Others, well...let's just let them stew in their own juices so to speak.

I also finished the Tomie de Paola project. Got lots of good feedback from my fellow artists. Glad I completed it, though it was close this year. Had some struggles figuring out the color scheme and what I wanted the style to be. (This is ongoing, no surprise there). I don't seem to have a huge problem with composition or creating the characters, it's just getting the final look that sends me over the edge. At any rate, the important thing is to complete it and just keep on completing things (manuscripts, art projects etc) regardless of whether or not the final is what you imagined. I'm hoping that the more this is done, the less it feels like pulling teeth. The ultimate goal of course, is to someday get paid for this obsession. Meanwhile I just keep reading those picture books, getting projects done and brainstorming, doodling.

Tomie de Paola project: Little Red Riding Hood

November...yikes!

2015-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm participating in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) hosted by the indefatigable Tara Lazar. This is possibly my fourth year, but hey, who's counting? I look forward to daily posts of wisdom (some by people I know, such as Josh Funk) and of course, prize giveaways. But prize winning or no, the biggest prize of the event is just allowing myself the month of November to dive into the zaniness that is picture books. Just saying "It's okay, let the dust bunnies fly. Write and doodle more. That's what matters." is a breath of fresh air. Somehow it's more permissible when hundreds of others are doing the same thing. Kind of a boycott of adulthood (within reason, wink and nod). November is my "Let it flow" month. Sometimes it flows, sometimes it doesn't but at least I tried!

In addition to that event, there's the annual SCBWI Tomie dePaola contest. So picture book folks who write and illustrate have a lot on their plates in the month of November. I took a couple of years off from this contest, but thought I'd sharpen my pencil once again and jump in.

Not to mention all the other local events going on before the end of the year: Mary Blair exhibit at the Eric Carle, Illustrator exhibit and auction for the Bacon Free Library in Natick, and the Children's Book Tree exhibit at the Concord Family Museum. I think my head might explode!

Meeting my hero(ine), Melissa Sweet

2015-08-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

So, I had a great weekend going to see Melissa Sweet's studio sale last Saturday. At first I was going to go, then I couldn't find (decently priced) lodging, then at the 11th hour I found lodging so whoopee, I was going!

I hadn't been up the coast of Maine in a while, so it was a real treat to see the ocean, trees and rural sights. The Rockport/Camden area is gorgeous and if it weren't for the endless winters I'd be living there right now. (Still thinking there's a way around all that snow... 2 months somewhere south perhaps).

Anyway, the venue, Union Hall was a lovely historic brick building with wood floors and to-die-for views of the harbor. My kids and husband went for a walk to the harbor while I perused the art and got up the nerve to speak to Melissa. I shouldn't have feared anything, because she's so down-to-earth nice. It felt like I had known her in a previous life/on another planet kind-of-thing.

I bought some art, a book and a special "Floating Fairy" which will serve as a mascot in my now cramped, but someday-to-be-expanded studio.

I'm still pinching myself on the whole experience!

Three books, three friends

2015-08-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am fortunate to know three people in the kidlit world who have been published in the last few months. My friend Brook Gideon just got her illustrations published in Azalea Unschooled by Liz Kleinman. The folks at Islandport Press loved her whimsical watercolors and asked her to illustrate this chapter book. Looks great!

My other RISD art buddy, Walter Silva, is one of the featured artists in The Big Book of Mod Podge. Several of his decoupage projects are in the book. Walter took illustration classes with us at RISD and has an Etsy shop for all the great decor items he's created.

Also having a publishing "birthday" is Josh Funk, the leader of our picture book critique group at the Writer's Loft in Sherborn. Josh has several books in the pipeline. The one just published is Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast, a whimsical rhyming journey of two breakfast treats as they fight for the last drop of maple syrup.

All three of these people are dedicated to their craft, be it writing and/or illustrating. They have all given me hours of helpful feedback on writing and art. And they are nice people as well! I'm proud to say I know them....check out their work!

NESCBWI conference 2015

2015-05-05T13:40:00.001-07:00

So much to say, where to begin?
I had a great time at the conference this year, learning new things, meeting new people, seeing familiar faces and great artwork.
This time around, I took workshops in both illustration and writing for picture books. It made for a more well-rounded experience for me. Also, I got to hear about the creation of I Don't Like Koala, which I saw first-hand at work the following Tuesday. Very synchronicity-like or something of that nature.
It wasn't a perfect event, I managed to leave the map light on in my car, hence draining the battery. And I didn't get a critique on my illustration at First Look. Oh, well...But I went with the expectation of learning and enjoying and I definitely did both of those things.
All the speakers (that I happened to hear) were great. Dan Santat, Kwame Alexander and Marv Terban were full of personality, vitality and pearls of wisdom. Though I only heard the last 20 minutes of her speech, Jo Knowles was very touching and had me choking up.
Now, I just need to put those inspirational words into action and get a dummy created/sent out!
Here's my submission for the Illustration Challenge this year with some in-progress shots as well:

Initial stages of "Don't worry I fixed it."

Alien and pet character study


Pencil rough

Finished piece

William Steig

2015-03-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

I’m just discovering William Steig. I didn’t read his books when I was a kid, because his books didn't gain popularity until the 70's. All I knew about him was that he wrote “Shrek”. But there’s definitely more to him than that.

Two favorites of mine are "Spinky Sulks" and "Doctor DeSoto".

In "Spinky Sulks", he really captures the essence of a kid who feels the world is slighting him and decides to withdraw. I’ve read that some people don’t like the book because Spinky’s family bends over backwards to placate him. But hey, this is real life. Also, I think writers sometimes want to paint a picture of children at their best and we all know that isn’t childhood. As if to satisfy the readers who are annoyed, the ending has a rewarding (but not forced) conclusion.

In "Doctor DeSoto", I love the world that Steig creates: this dental practice belonging to the mouse DeSoto and his wife/assistant. Doctor DeSoto wants to help others, but he’s confronted with the fox who poses a threat to the dentist, yet needs his tooth extracted. I just love the soul searching, yet whimsical tone of the book. In the end, the fox is helped but the Doctor and his wife are safe from being eaten.

There’s something that reminds me of Roald Dahl with Steig. He admits that children have bad days, and that there’s whimsy and also danger in the world but things can be worked out. It’s something to aspire to as a writer (and illustrator).

Interesting facts about Steig: he didn’t start writing kids books until he was in his 60’s, he never graduated from college, and he was good at water polo.

There’s a great obit on Steig from the New Yorker that seems to distill his essence:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/10/20/william-steig

Another factoid about Steig: he hated public speaking. Here’s a letter he wrote after receiving the Caldecott in 1970 for “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble”:

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/06/id-rather-die-than-formally-address.html

NESCBWI 2015 Spring Conference

2015-02-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I done did it. Signed up for the conference this year after an art drought, which is still lingering but nonetheless, I'm dragging myself through it.

It's exciting to think about the Illustration Challenge, networking with kidlit folks and learning new things. Not to mention a two-day getaway. Can't remember the last time I used my suitcase (okay, no need to pull out the hankies yet...).

This year will be a little different in that I have my foot in two camps: as illustrator and writer. Having gone to the Writer's Loft a few times, I am slowly learning to carve out stories. This is not to say I know what I am doing, but I am starting down the road. Nor have I abandoned the illustration world, but I am looking at it (and myself) with different eyes. It ought to be interesting.

PiBoIdMo 2014

2014-12-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

Back again after a major hiatus. The impetus for this post involves the completion of PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) 2014, an annual online event organized by the amazing Tara Lazar.
This year I came up with 71 ideas, one third of which are probably tossable. A handful however, are actual candidates for books. For 2015, my goal is to complete at least one of these ideas in the form of a manuscript and possibly a dummy. I am debating about whether to do 12 x 12 (12 PB manuscripts in a year) run by Julie Hedlund. This is a large order for me, but after having done three PiBoIdMo's in a row, there must be enough material there to complete the challenge. (Or sink a boat....)

Once again, I've discovered that my writing style leans toward making lists. Maybe this satisfies my research tendencies. Looking up goofy words or discovering lingo from a sport I'm not 100% familiar with is a fun task for me. This year however, I incorporated more scribbling and proto-dummy stuff that I didn't give myself permission to do in the previous years. Why a newbie illustrator needs permission to draw is a topic for later discussion!

Anyway, thank you Tara Lazar for organizing this whole affair. The planning, managing and cheerleading of this event boggles my mind!

Maira Kalman and Mary Blair

2014-03-02T15:46:00.001-08:00

I recently read “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything” by Maira Kalman. It’s basically a short picture book biography of Thomas Jefferson, but with Maira’s wonderful paintings and focus on unique details. This made me wonder, what else has Maira been up to? So I checked out her book, “The Principles of Uncertainty.” This is a great book, based on a column she did by the same name for the New Yorker. It’s essentially a journal and not really a children’s book. With Maira, however, her children’s books have an air of sophistication and her adult books are kooky so it all blends together ultimately.

I remember having read a few of Maira’s children’s books before (The Max series: “Ooh-la-la” etc) but not really liking them that much. Sure, she had a few quirky illustrations, but a lot of it didn’t hang together for me. Her book from 2003, “What Pete Ate from A to Z” I remember as being more cohesive (because it had a format: the alphabet?) Anyway, her artwork has, for me, now reached an amazing level!

Coincidentally, I was flipping through "Mary Blair Treasury of Golden Books" and was almost as jazzed-up about her work. I kept thinking , how could I like and be inspired by two artists that are so different? But alas, dear Sherlock, they're not that different. Both of them exude joy and slight zaniness (Maira a bit more perhaps). Also, their color choices are out of this world. Look at the skin tones and lack of blending on Maira's people and the odd color choices for objects (moons, trees etc.) with Mary. Both women, separated by decades and backgrounds have a similar zest for life.

How inspiring!

In tribute, I thought I’d paint a portrait of Mary Blair if Maira Kalman were to do it.

An exercise, hopefully not in futility!

Here's a bonus: Maira Kalman giving a TED talk.

Live Animal Study at RISD's Nature Lab

2014-02-25T11:14:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday was a day well spent. Most of the afternoon, I was at the Edna Lawrence Nature Lab at RISD sketching live and taxidermied animals.

"Posing" for us was a dog, rabbit, turtle and I believe, an African Gray parrot.

The proceeds went to the RISPCA, Providence Animal Rescue League and Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue. What a great way to spend an afternoon: sketching, hanging with the animals and fellow artists plus supporting animal welfare. The whole time I went to RISD I never did more than pop my head into the lab (I missed the evening class "field trip"). Now I can't wait to get back. It's really a great resource. I'd even consider bringing my kids, though I might wait until they're pass the "Eww, that's so gross" stage!

Thanks to Christina Rodriguez for setting up this animal study. To my knowledge, it's at least the third time that she's organized this. Also thanks to Laurelin Sitterly for bringing in the animals, managing their set up and explaining some behavior and anatomy to the artists.

PiBoIdMo 2013: Mission Accomplished

2013-12-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

I finished PiboIdMo 2013! Yay! Complete with over fifty ideas....probably half of which are tossable, but it's still comforting to know that I can pull ideas out of the old cranium. Even if they're so ridiculous only myself and one other person might find them funny or plausible. Now comes the hard part. This is the third year I've participated and have yet to complete a manuscript based on these ideas. My task this week is to whittle down the best 3-5 ideas of this year and possibly revisit the last two years.

Easy right? Not so much for Miss Lack-of-Attention-Span/Don't-I-Have Laundry-to-Attend-to? I usually have little problem coming up with ideas (some wobbly as mentioned), but fleshing them out, that's what separates the men from the boys or the senoras from the senoritas. Something like that.

Doodle of the day: leaning brain

The other thing one notices after having done PiBoIdMo for the third year is how one's brain leans in a certain direction. I tend toward listing things: craziest inventions, ABC or 123 books, dogs around the world etc. Or, completely wacky stuff (Princess Dentist) or children who are outcast for some reason (Fussy Eddie, Nerdy Betsy). Or if I'm desperate enough, I just take an existing story and try to rework it. Just look at Cinderella....that's been done a trillion times. Not by me....yet.

So, fellow PiBoIdMo'ers or People on the Path toward Righteous Writing and Illustration (henceforth known as POPRWI), take faith in knowing that we're all stumbling along. Some in a direct and focused fashion. Others get up, race along, fall off the edge of an embankment, push off the ground, brush off the dust and hobble toward the finish line of publication. (Which as we all know is never truly a finish line. It's a process and as long as we know we're not alone, all is well.)

All things Sendak

2013-12-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Maurice has been on my mind lately. Through another blog, I became aware of "Sendakifying" wherein some illustrators took a scene from a Sendak book and used the style of another illustrator. How cool I thought, I'll try it. Well, it's harder than it looks. (Maybe it depends on who you're blending with Sendak.... hey I like the sound of that: Blending with Sendak, could be a whole new workshop/trend etc.) I chose Garth Williams, because he's another illustrator who's been on my mind as of late. I got a cool copy of "The Rescuers" by Margery Sharp and was entranced by William's illustrations.

So, who better than to try than Mr. Williams (especially since no one had yet Sendakified him)? It's kind of a psychological as well as technical journey, trying to get inside the head of two illustrators simultaneously. Some people have done an amazing job. Check out Sendak's "BumbleArdy" in the style of Richard Scarry (another fave)..... just hilarious!

Here's a small work-in-progress-- my version of "The Wild Things" a la Garth Williams:

Not well-known fact: Sendak along with his brother Jack wanted to design toys.

And yet another interesting Sendak-related tidbit: "Where the Wild Things Are" was originally "Where the Wild Horses Are" and this blog entry describes how it evolved. I love seeing the behind-the-scenes evolution of a particular book or illustration.
Note to self: get a copy of "The Art of Maurice Sendak"!

More PiBoIdMo

2013-11-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

I love this PiBoIdMo process. It really drags the creativity out of me and I enjoy sharing the journey with the other participants. In addition to Tara's website there's a Facebook group wherein people share all sorts of info and news: getting signed by an agent, not being able to come up with an idea, getting an idea and discovering it's already been written, links to articles which are inspirational etc. Two links I've found helpful are one about doodling and one about remembering what it's like to be a child when we write.

My own crazy doodles

The doodle link goes to a TED talk given by Sunni Brown who reminds us that doodling is seen as subversive and pointless by society and yet it's one of the most sophisticated ways to come up with ideas. The other link is a blog post by literary agent, Sally Apokedak, who reminds us that kids aren't interested in topics that obsess adults.

Both of these ideas are simple and yet profound.

---Keep doodling (it's okay, in fact you SHOULD be doodling.... get a prescription from your doctor).
---Never forget what it feels like to be a kid. Read this poem and you'll agree.

Poem by Mary Ann Hoberman Illus. by Marylin Hafner

Back to the Drawing Board with PiBoIdMo

2013-11-01T07:49:00.001-07:00

Literally, it's true. I'm back to the drawing board. Although in small increments and not really at the board. Since mine is in the basement minus a leg bracket I can't seem to locate. I am however, back in the saddle... very part time.

Yours truly at old drawing board circa 1992

Household things break, children need tending to, regular work intervenes. You name it, there's excuses up the wazoo as to why I am blog-absent.

But PiBoIdMo beckons. In case you've been hiding under a kidlit rock, Tara Lazar hosts a month-long extravaganza for picture book authors wherein we all get to scratch our proverbial heads and curse at the paper. Really though, in the past two years I have come up with some nuggets for picture books during this sacred November ritual. Hard to believe that there's ideas still rattling around up there, but with the assistance and inspiration of one's fellow writers/illustrators many an idea floats to the top. How many become picture books? Ten percent? Who knows. But it definitely gets the creative juices going and that, my friends, is how I hope to revive my terminal case of creativitis.

If you've never heard of Tara Lazar, she also has a blog, Writing for Kids (While Raising Them). Please stop by and check her out http://taralazar.com/. Even if you're not going to join PiBoIdMo, it's fun just to lurk.

Journaling and Danny Gregory

2013-02-28T12:52:00.001-08:00

Whenever I get in a creative slump, (which happens to be now!) I reread "The Creative License" by Danny Gregory. For some reason his work really "resonates"* with me. He's a guy who has to work for a living (in advertising) and manages to take the carpe diem approach to art. Just do it... a little each day. Observe. Nothing has to be good. Just do it. So, in my birthday month I now will devote a small chunk of my day to get off the media and do art. Simple art with a pen or pencil. Just record. If I manage to write also, that's bonus points.

If anything comes out of this journal that's worth sharing I will do so.
In the meantime, I'll share a quote from Danny Gregory that addresses why people are enthusiastic at the beginning of art journals and lose energy as time goes by:
"Why? Often it's because you are disappointed with your drawings. You may say you don't have the time, forgot your book, grew bored. But it's really because you aren't that impressed with your drawing skill. You haven't made something that looks like art."
The true purpose of doing journals according to Danny is "To celebrate your life. No matter how small or mundane or redundant. each drawing and little essay you write to commemorate an event or an object or a place makes it all the more special."
In other words, it doesn't have to "look like art". As long as we can accept that, the journals keep on going.

In case you haven't heard of Danny Gregory, here are some of his books:

His most recent is "A Kiss Before You Go" a diary about life after his wife's recent passing. Which is sad, but shows how Danny's journal is such an important part of his life and how he experiences/records his world.

Check out this interview with Danny Gregory and his website when you get a chance!

*I don't like this word, but I can't think of anything more appriopriate!

Celebrity children's books

2013-02-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

Due to my back being thrown out and having illustrator's block,
I'm hereby reporting on junky internet news:
Here we go again. Another celebrity pens or co-pens a children's book and everyone needs to rush out and buy it. Or maybe only the curious. Or huge fans of said celebrity. Or people who just like to watch cash fly out of their pockets.
Dennis Rodman, basketball fashionista himself has a book out entitled, "Dennis the wild bull" which he co-wrote with Dustin Warburton and illustrated by Dan Monroe. The bull stomps to the beat of his own drummer, so we know it's loosely(!) based on his own persona. Perhaps there's a positive message to be had out of this book.....wear outrageous clothing and piercings kids....it's all good (just joking :-)).
Which got me to thinking: has anyone surveyed celebrity kid books and listed the good, bad and ugly?
Sure enough, in 2010 Library Journal had an article on just that subject which was a follow-up from the blog posting on Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

It seems as though Madonna was a top winner amongst the baddies, along with Gloria Estefan, Jeff Foxworthy and Jay Leno. Just goes to show you that even money and fame can't guarantee a solid performance in the kidlit world.

One-Star Amazon Reviews

2013-01-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

This week's posting is prompted by a hilarious online article: One-Star Amazon Reviews of Beloved Children's Books. Just goes to show that even the classics get panned and you can't please everyone.

Here's a couple of samples:

Goodnight Moon:
"If you want to bring up your children to love God or at least acknowledge the existence of things that are not part of the physical world, things such as love, spirituality, truth, etc. I think you'll find the page which says 'goodnight nobody' a bit jarring....."

Where the Wild Things Are:
"I cannot believe this book is a best seller. Max, the protagonist, is a wild, rude, annoying, little snot-nosed monster. The last thing I want is for my child to model her behavior after him! My daughter received this as a gift and it is now in the trash because I could not bring myself to give it away to another child."

This got me to thinking: what other classic children's books have been "dissed" by one star on Amazon? Oh yes Virginia, there are more!

Green Eggs and Ham:
"This book is SOOOOOOOO annoying! What's the deal with all the rhyming? That got on my last nerve. I can't believe this book is a children's "classic". This book does for childrens' books what Jim Jones did for children's drinks (kool-aid, that is). If you want a GREAT children's book, try "Atlas Shrugged" the pop-up book by Ayn Rand."

Blueberries for Sal:
"I don't understand the positive reviews here or the caldecott award. The sketchings are artistically done, true, but in a way an adult can appreciate intellectually; they don't really evoke emotion. The story is a yawner."

Harold and the Purple Crayon:
"Harold's messy adventures have resulted in a lot of pain and suffering in my household. Purple crayon everywhere. You could say the blame falls on me for leaving purple crayons in easily accessible areas of the house, but I prefer to blame a children's book. Harold seems to be a stand up little fellow, but I shant be purchasing any more Harold adventures that involve colored paraffin wax."

Snowy Day:
"My wife bought this book for our 9month old son. He doesn't understand it but likes to hear stories. I won't read this to him any longer. Simply put this book is strange and doesn't have any redeeming value as children's literature. I honestly found it to be a little creepy."

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel:
"The steam-shovel is personified enough in the book, and at the age I was introduced to this book, I had a fuzzier concept of animate vs inanimate. The ending... living forever in a basement, immobile, was hellish. I cried in horror at the steam-shovel's fate. While I wouldn't recommend this book to any child, I would be especially cautious if the child has demonstrated any interest in construction machinery."

Ferdinand the Bull:
"I bought this for my 4 year old son because my husband said it was his favorite book growing up. Well, this book was only one of his many problems from childhood. First of all, it speaks of the violence brought on a bull in a bull-fight (not appropriate for young kids in my opinion). The worst part, however, is the ineptitude of Ferdinand. He is a big, strong bull not at all interested in being what he is. He is lazy and just wants to look at flowers. He is a waste. I cannot fathom how anyone finds the story endearing..."

Okay, I made my point. Nearly all the books I looked up had at least one person who couldn't fathom the book, found it boring, illustrations amateur, politically offensive etc. It's actually kind of funny when you see all these one-star ratings in a collection. It's an almost addictive research process...endearing and weirdly amusing!

Illustration Friday

2013-01-18T07:51:00.001-08:00

In honor of Illustration Friday I'm posting today, even though I'm usually a Monday/Tuesday blogger. But that's okay since I missed this week! And I'm trying to get back into sketching regularly, so this works for me.
This past week's topic on Illustration Friday was "Ocean", and I have an older piece that I thought I'd share.
My style has evolved since this piece was done, from watercolor to gouache and/or acrylic.Though I was never comfortable using watercolor, I was somewhat happy with this piece. It was for an assignment at RISD and the text involved a boy being afraid of the ocean. Images immediately came to mind and this is one of them.

Starting today on Illustration Friday, the topic is "Myth". That might be harder, since I don't typically do myth... but hey, there's a first time for everything!

Quentin Blake

2012-12-31T17:31:00.003-08:00

When you think of Roald Dahl, what images come to mind? The loose, sketchy watercolors of Quentin Blake of course. And I am pleased that not only is he still alive and doing artwork, but he will be receiving a knighthood by the Queen this year.

He has also devoted his art and time to many charities including murals in UK hospitals and an international organization called Survival International (supporting indigenous rights). Clearly a guy who is not only talented but a humanitarian as well.

And to top it off, you can buy Quentin Blake fabric/wallpaper. Quentin is a one man
band!

Always good to see long term illustrators get the recognition they deserve. And a good news story to start out 2013!

Books and Christmas

2012-12-25T18:50:00.001-08:00

My family has been under the weather this week, so I'm doing more caretaking and movie watching than drawing or blog posting. However, once I got back on the web, I noticed two interesting articles that put an emphasis on books during the Christmas season.
One is from My Little Bookcase, a blog by an Aussie mom. It features a book-a-day advent calendar. That sounds like a great idea for next year!

The other is a fascinating NPR article about Icelanders and their relationship to books. It turns out that the Icelandic people are big on books---actual books not e-books (as of yet). And they only recently started getting into paperbacks. This time of year is especially important, since most of their Christmas gifts are books. They even have a word for it: Jolabokaflod or Christmas book flood. Imagine if the U.S. had this tradition.

Intrigued by these people, I'm determined to read at least one book by an Icelandic author (children's books included) this year. Any suggestions?

Happy New Year! (Or Gleðilegt nýtt ár!)

Vintage illustration

2012-12-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

One of my side passions about kids books is vintage illustration. I've always had a nostalgic fondness for them, but only recently has it turned into a growing hobby.
Today while thrift store rummaging I found a copy of The Joke Book by Oscar Weigle and illustrated by Bill and Bonnie Rutherford. I'm really enjoying the bold craziness of some of these 1950-70's kids books. There's all sorts of silkscreen-like and ink action going on in this one. Here's the cover:

I was disappointed however, when I tried to find out more about the Rutherfords. I noticed that they had several books to their credit (including Little Black Sambo and The Gingerbread Man) but no biographical information anywhere. This seems a little strange to me. There are other vintage artists out there for which biographical information is readily available. Alice and Martin Provensen, Eloise Wilkin, Richard Scarry, Gustaf Tenggren (Poky Little Puppy), Tibor Gergely (The Little Red Caboose) etc. But no biographical information for the Rutherfords at all.

It makes me wonder what happens to illustrators when no one remembers them? Who is keeping track of all these wonderful vintage artists?

If anyone has more information on the Rutherfords, please let me know!

Tomie de Paola SCBWI Award

2012-12-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

Technorati claim token: HV8F8S3RAX2P

Well I finished it, for better or worse. It's out there, my Little Women illustration for the annual Tomie de Paola SCBWI contest. In an earlier posting I mentioned that I chose the scene when Beth receives a piano from Mr. Laurence. Funny how once you choose a scene it does come together (with the help of my art buddies Lin Norman-Lyman and Brook Gideon). There were challenges, particularly in keeping the values distinct (it was supposed to be in black and white). But then again, that is usually my weak point anyway. So, no matter the outcome I enjoyed the process and it was good to dive into the world of grayscale.
It was interesting to see other illustrators artwork at Diandra Mae's gallery site. (My illustration isn't up yet, but I'm hoping to see it there sometime this week.)
I find it endlessly amazing at how people can take the same topic and render it completely different, even with the same the black and white parameters. Lots of great art out there!
I'm including in this post a few intermediate sketches that show how the piece evolved from thumbnail to finished art.

Early layout idea

Character studies

Finished sketch without digital treatment

Final piece

Pigs in bad sweaters

2012-12-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

Thinking about pigs- in kids books that is. I was prompted to think about pigs when a blog posting brought them to my attention. Pen and Oink is having a contest: just name your favorite pig character and you could win a copy of Maurice Sendak's Bumble-Ardy. I hadn't given it too much thought, but when you think about it, pigs are everywhere in kids books.

In my brain library, I thought of Pig Will and Pig Won't (Richard Scarry), Wilbur of Charlotte's Web (EB White/Garth Williams), Babe: The Gallant Pig (Dick King Smith/Mary Rayner), Poppleton (Cynthia Rylant/Mark Teague), Toot and Puddle (Holly Hobbie), and Wibbly Pig (Mike Inkpen). Then there's the more recent, Olivia (Ian Falconer) and Piggie books (Mo Willems). But one of my favorite's is Benny (Barbro Lindgren & illustrator Olof Landstrom). In Benny's Had Enough the pig's expressions are priceless and the little stuffie he carries around is beyond repair. This is the second time (at least) that I've gone crazy over a Swedish character. The first was Boodil from Boodil My Dog. Which makes me realize that I'll need to devote an entire post to Swedish authors/illustrators someday soon.

One of my daughters says there's also a new (to U.S.) show on Nick Jr. featuring a pig family: Peppa Pig. Very much in the vein of Maisy by Lucy Cousins (also a UK import).

Then there's my own strange pig doodles
that always seem to wind up in bad sweaters:

Pigs are a great resource for showing emotion. Some animals seem to be easier to anthropomorphize (say that fast 10x) than others. Try putting a cute face on a naked mole rat and you'll see what I mean.

Oh, wait.... someone did. Hah!

Picture Book Magic

2012-11-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

I've been participating in Tara Lazar's online challenge PiBoIdMo, which is an unpronounceable acronym for Picture Book Idea Month. There seems to be a plethora of online writing and illustrating challenges out there this month. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), SkaDaMo (Sketch a day month), Illustration Friday (the weekly on-going grandaddy of them all) and even NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for those who still can't get enough.
I've been tempted to do many of these, but PiBoIdMo is one I enjoyed last year and am doing again this year. The daily posts by guest authors are inspirational, entertaining and sometimes even rewarding (i.e.goodies). It's amazing what does or doesn't come out of one's own brain on a daily basis. I'll be listening to NPR or someone will email an article to me and there it is. Either it becomes a children's version of the topic or it will send me off on a tangent. Guess there's something good to be said about having attention deficit.
Then there are days where I sit at the dining room table in the a.m. and think what can I do with this broken, headless tiny mermaid that my kids left here? There has to be a story in this. Or maybe the lack of a story is a story in and of itself.

After a while I notice themes or (ruts, lol) that I get into. Why do I mostly focus on one character with a problem? Are all stories basically the same? How can Mo Willems write a whole book about a pigeon driving a bus or Jon Klassen a bear missing a hat and have it turn out amazing? Where is the magic book powder that we can use to sprinkle on our creations? Answer: Of course there's no powder you (picture book) dummy. It's a process, not a product. Something no one wants to hear: put in the hours people! Eventually something comes out of it. You may have to wade through 50 pages of gunk before a little gem pokes through.

But all in all, it's worth it. The online cameraderie is what it's all about. A little reminder that, no you're not the only one who thinks up whacky ideas and hopes to entertain children and/or make a living. And maybe some little picture book magic develops!

Over and Over

2012-11-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

I just read an online article in the Horn Book which was very moving. It's a tribute of sorts to Charlotte Zolotow, the 97 year old children's book writer/editor by her daughter Crescent Dragonwagon. It focuses on Charlotte's Over and Over, in which a girl slowly learns the rhythm of time and the seasons. Crescent then compares her mother's slipping awareness of time to the girl's unfolding awareness of time. Throughout the book, the girl asks "What comes next?" and her mother provides answers. But in 2012, the tables have turned and Charlotte looks to Crescent for time references.

It's very well written and perceptive about time and aging. It brings up such questions as where do our spirits go as we age? Do we check out or just stop being so obsessed with the craziness around us; instead noticing the eternal and natural? Apparently Charlotte was a very type-A woman when she was younger: writing and editing up a storm. Now at 97 she has relaxed into her old age and enjoys small but profound things. It seems that as we age we go back to being our child selves, both physically and emotionally. Noticing the little things, our awareness shifts inward and that relentless struggle of adulthood lessens.

I hadn't read anything by Charlotte Zolotow prior to picking up Over and Over at a library sale. What caught my eye was the illustrations (guess I do judge a book by it's cover!). The illustrations were done by Garth Williams, one of my favorite illustrators. I love the softness and intimacy of his work. And the Halloween spot reminds me of my childhood.

Among the holidays there's a passage about Thanksgiving:
"What comes next?" she asked her mother the next day.
"Thanksgiving," her mother said. The little girl woke up one day to a delicious roasting smell and the fragrance of pies. That afternoon her grandmother and grandfather and uncles and aunts all came to her house for dinner and afterward they sat in front of the fire and cracked open walnuts and ate the soft sweet kernels.

Happy Thanksgiving!