Heather Newman Illustrations

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Heckedy Peg

2012-03-09T08:04:00.000-05:00

How well do you know your children? Well enough to recognize them if a witch turned them into her dinner?

Heckedy Peg

author: Audrey Wood (wife)

illustrator: Don Wood (husband)

Voyager Books Harcourt Brace & Company 1987

fiction

ages: 6-10

Folktale

Down the dusty roads and far away, a poor mother once lived with her seven children named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Every day before the mother went to market, her children helped with all the chores. One morning when they were finished, the mother said, "Because you are such good children, you may ask for anything you want and I will bring it home from the market."

Heckedy Peg has lost her leg and is looking for some children to steal. When the mother returns from the market with a basket full of gifts for her children, her house is empty. She ventures deep into the woods to find them, but the witch has turned them into her evening meal. The only way for the mother to save them is to guess which child is each food item.

This story reads like an old folktale and I would not recommend it for very young or sensitive kids. My boys love the "shivery" quality of this tale and always ask if I would chase the witch to get them back. (the answer is yes, even on the crazy days) It's a good book for dramatic reading.

As always, you can visit Susanna Leonard Hill's site for more PPBF recommendations.

Activity Ideas

What food do you think you would be if Heckedy Peg got hold of you? What item would be paired with you? Why?

Make a memory game of food items and their mates from the story. Make up your own. For example: peanut butter/jelly; cake/ice cream; milk/coffee syrup; soup/crackers. You get the idea.

One of the conversations we've had around this book was whether or not the children were aware of their predicament. Is there anything in the illustrations that give an indication of the answer? What would that feel like?

Don Wood has used color in his paintings to tell the story alongside the words. Talk about how he uses color to convey emotions and mood. Grab some paints, crayons, colored pencils and try to illustrate your own mood. Put on different types of music and try to capture it's energy on paper. How is Bach different from Sousa? Pink vs Lester Flatt? Paul Simon or 5.6.7.8.'s?

Other PPBF books you might like
Lucia and the Light
Northern Lights: the soccer trails
Saturday Mountain
Wave of the Sea Wolf
The Flute

Work in Progress...Thursday

2012-03-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was World Read Aloud Day, so I decided to bump my usual Wednesday post to Thursday even though Work in Progress Thursday doesn't have the same ring to it.

Started some character sketches for my NESCBWI conference workshop assignment. The story I'm illustrating is an old Chinese folktale, but rewritten to give it a more modern spin. I had a brainstorming session with Ben and he suggested a plot twist that I like a lot. This will be my March 12X12 manuscript in addition to my conference work. I like her.

A few weeks ago, I entered my Sheep in Shoes pitch in a contest over at Julie Hedlund's blog Write Up My Life. Editor Tamson Weston chose 3 winners from 25 finalists and my pitch landed in second place!! Not only did Tamson take the time to judge all of the entries, she shared some fantastic advice on how to write a perfect pitch and critiqued the pitches of the winners and honorable mentions. Wow! Thank you, Tamson! This is a post worth saving in your writer's reference file.

Sheep in Shoes now has a thumbnail storyboard. After several revisions, I'm happy with the flow of the text and art. This is another project I would like to finish before the April conference. The next step is to work up these thumbnails as 8'X10' roughs. Lots of notes in the margins!

More detailed sketches of my main character. Arthur liked them so much I had to make photocopies for him.

Playing around with different facial expressions. Sheep have emotions, too!

This one cracks me up.

Happy Thursday!

World Read Aloud Day 2012

2012-03-07T09:24:00.003-05:00

World Read Aloud Day invites us to imagine a world where everyone can read. A person who has attained this skill has independent access to information, the freedom to learn what they choose, and the word at their fingertips with newspapers, books and internet. The ability to read is a valuable tool, whether it is learned as a child, a teen or an adult. Lit World is committed to making this tool available to everyone in the world. They have an activity page on their site with ideas for participating in WRAD.

Ethan and I chose to make a video of me reading Hurty Feelings to him. It was written by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. He's heard this one more than a few times, can you tell? I love watching his face as he anticipates his favorite parts of the story.

If you choose to participate in World Read Aloud Day, you can share a link to your blog post here. I would love to read about it, too, so please leave a link to your post in a comment!

Recent Read Alouds

2012-03-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Reading aloud is always an interesting endeavor in my house. There are times when we're all snuggled on the couch together, times when I read to boys who are playing with toys or building on Minecraft. We've abandoned books midway when they don't feel right or when they inspire the imagination and a project must be pursued right at that very moment. It's important to me to nurture their love of books, so I don't force my boys to sit still to listen or finish a book simply to say we've finished it. Flexibility is the name of the game!

Mrs. Biddlebox written by Linda Smith and illustrated by Marla Frazee was well received. It's book that begs to be read in a dramatic, growly voice. Arthur and Ethan were intrigued by the concept of gathering up a bad day and baking it up into a cake. Linda Smith died from breast cancer before this book was published and Marla Frazee talks about illustrating the book in this interview over at Cynsations.

My husband has named this one of the best children's books ever written. It's simple, wry, a little bit dark and a whole lot of funny. All characteristics that make this an instant hit with our family. Jon Klassen's book has spawned a number of parodies on tumbler. This one is my favorite.

I wrote about and then it's spring in a recent Perfect Picture Book Friday post. Arthur loves the illustrations in this book and we spent a long time cuddled up together looking through it over and over again. Bliss.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is similar to and then it's spring in that they're both about gardening and they're both gentle, quiet stories. This one has more text and the story is told over a longer period of time, into the main characters adulthood. Arthur spent a long time studying the vibrant illustrations and he loved the plants that flourished in abandoned places or grew where they didn't belong.

Arthur and Ethan had mad giggles as I read about poor Tom and his Tweet troubles. Dan Santat's cat and bird are so expressive and comic as Tom does everything he doesn't really want to do to protect the big eyed, blink, blink, blinking bird. Arthur is sitting next to me as I write this, looking through the book, laughing and pretending Tom and Tweet are biting his fingers. Well done, Jill Esbaum!

I finally signed up for a library card in our new town (we've been busy reacquainting ourselves with the books that we had in storage for over a year) and Red Sled by Lita Judge caught my eye. The cover is lovely, isn't it? The entire story is told in images and sound effects. Great fun to read out loud!

My almost 15 year old son still enjoys having me read to him, something that I absolutely love to do. This week we finished Angie Sage's Darke. Septimus Heap came into our lives after the Harry Potter books ended and were craving more wizarding magic to read. This series has a wonderful, unique feel to it and the characters are crew of flawed, stubborn, insecure, quirky, talented and funny people and animals. I have recommended these books to friends (and strangers) many times over. The Extra-Ordinary Wizard, Marcia Overstrand, is one of my favorite read aloud characters ever. Ben says Marcia reminds him of me and I think I'll consider that a high compliment, indeed! According to Twitter, Angie is working on Book 7. We'll be there on release day to grab our copy!

I'm always open to book recommendations if anyone has any good ones to share!

Weekly Link Up

2012-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

As the saying goes, if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a Lamb. While that proverb holds more hope than fact, March did arrive with a snowy roar. Not that I'm complaining. I love the snow and it's a whole lot better than the tornado lions stalking the Midwest and the South the past few days.

We have seen quite a bit of activity at our feeder this week, I think the birds liked the quick and easy snacks during the storm. Visitors included Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Slate-colored Junco, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatch and one Hairy Woodpecker. Who was not hairy at all. Here is a Junco and a couple of Goldfinch enjoying a treat. I love watching the birds and if we didn't have bears in the area, I would keep a feeder year round.

There were so many great posts written and shared this week, it was hard to choose which ones to include. I'll start with a couple of Dr. Seuss related posts, tributes that are a bit offbeat.

Gregory K over at Gotta Book wrote a Lorax Oddaptation. Very funny, Gregory K!
Bakerella has some delightfully adorable Lorax themed cake pops. Take a few moments to explore her site, it's a treat based creative wonderland.
The School Library journal offers an artistic mash-up in it's Re-Seussification project. Brilliant.

The 2012 Golden Kite Award winners were announced. This award is for outstanding children's books written and illustrated by SCBWI members.
Donna Gephart at Wild About Words gives a peek into her experience as a judge for these awards. My oh my, those are some serious stacks of books!

Illustrator Russ Cox compiled a stunning collection of portrait artists. I am completely blown away by the work of Louis Treserras.

Several posts offered advice for authors and illustrators.
Susanna Leonard Hill answers the question "How do I cope with critique group feedback?"
Hazel Mitchell writes about how financial security affects creativity and the need to balance promotion, networking and your budget.
Marcie Colleen advises us all to treat our writing as a job and set boundaries for ourselves to avoid burnout and workaholic behaviors. This applies to artists as well.

Finally, Sarah Albee has a blog full of fascinating tidbits from history and science. Quirky, little known, interesting facts. I do so love this blog!

Enjoy and thanks for stopping in!

Perfect Picture Book Friday-Dr. Seuss's ABC

2012-03-02T07:58:00.002-05:00

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday and Happy Birthday to Theodor Geisel! I'm guessing that there may be more than one or two Dr. Seuss books in the lineup today and I wanted to add a favorite of mine to the list. This is the actual, much loved, taped together, scruffy book from my childhood, passed on to my kids to be loved by a second generation. That's a true sign of a Perfect Picture book! To see more PPBF book reviews, go to Susanna Leonard Hill's site.

Dr. Seuss's ABC

author/illustrator: Dr. Seuss

Random House, Inc 1963

fiction

ages 2-6

Concepts, Imagination

Big A little a What begins with A? Aunt Annie's alligator.......A...a...A

Dr. Seuss offers an imaginative and alliterative alphabet book for younger kids. This one has a wonderful cadence to it and the silly images will hold a young readers interest.

Activity ideas:
Cut letters out of sandpaper and glue them to card stock or index cards for a sensory alphabet experience. You could also use felt, ridged cardboard, fabric paint or yarn to create the cards.

Hit local yard sales and buy up any Scrabble games you find. Put away the boards and give your kids a bucket of letter tiles to play with.

If your child is interested in learning to write the letters, write them on a piece of paper in yellow highlighter and let your child trace them. My oldest son loved when we wrote the letters (or his name or any other word he was interested in writing) on a dusty chalkboard with a wet finger. He then traced them with different colors of chalk.

Bake letter pretzels. Fun to make and to eat! An easy recipe can be found here.

Spread some pudding in a cookie sheet and write letters, words or draw anything else that comes to mind in this yummy medium. This is a great right before bath activity.

Other PPBF alphabet books you may enjoy:
Z is for Moose
Bad Kitty
Alphabet
The Kiwi Kids ABC

Work in Progress Wednesday

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

With several different projects calling for my attention right now, I haven't been diligent about taking the breaks and quiet time I need to function properly. My poor, overworked brain turned off in protest this weekend, so David took the boys out in the snow for a few hours on Sunday and I was able to reset. Rested and ready to tackle my NESCBWI workshop project, an unexpected solution to the assignment popped into my head today. Hooray!

The faeries of the world series is still going strong. This creature is from India and the one word that seems to pop up frequently when I talk with people who have visited or live in that country is color. Not much color at the start of the painting.

The patterns and vibrant hues of the sari fabrics are very beautiful. There is something so elegant about the way a sari looks. I imagine this little faerie has stolen a scrap of fabric to make her dress.

The finished paintings are watercolor. I've toyed with the idea of moving into digital work, but I really do love the feel of the pencil and paintbrush on the paper. There will probably be a point where I'll experiment with digital, just not right now. This piece is almost finished, only the sunbird and the faerie's wings left to do.

The February 12X12 manuscript is finished, March is ready to go, and I have received some wonderful feedback from the critique group I joined. It feels so good to be stretching my creative muscles again after a long hiatus raising wee ones. My boys are still my priority, but now that they are older (9,11 and 14) I have a bit more space for myself. Any suggestions on balancing family and art are always appreciated, however, as my meltdown this weekend proves I need some help in this area!

**Updated to include the finished piece**

Happy Leap Day!

Weekly Link Up

2012-02-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

40 degrees - it's practically summer!

It's been another busy, creative week around these parts. Inspired by a show on Netflix, Ethan decided to make his own kite with paper, markers and string. He had a great time running up and down our road as it flapped and twirled in his wake. One of the perks of homeschooling is the freedom to enjoy those nice days whenever they appear! Lots of garden dreaming, plans to visit friends, painting and writing stories. Ben picked up his quilling tools again to make cards for his etsy shop, creating on minecraft with his friends, and Angie Sage's Darke for reading aloud. Arthur has immersed himself in his ipad and all of it's wonderful apps this week. I'm planning a post about our favorite apps and why the ipad is a great tool, especially for kids who learn in non-traditional ways.

There were quite a few interesting posts in blogland this week.

Snow art by Sonja Hinrichsen over at Colossal Art and Design.

Lee Wind at the SCBWI blog has an interview with Dianne de Las Casas about World Read Aloud Day.

A great Brain Burps About Books podcast hosted by Katie Davis including an interview with Carol Rasco of Reading is Fundamental and a new monthly segment called Julie Hedlund Gets All Grateful on Your A**.

Kristen Lamb writes about Amazon and the big six publishing companies, changes on the horizon and the danger of a publishing monopoly.

This Friday is the birthday of Dr. Suess and Happy Birthday Author has a growing list of ideas and resources to celebrate with your kids.

This video directed by Erez Horovitz and created with over 12,000 laser-cut pieces of construction paper.

Josh Ritter - Love Is Making Its Way Back Home from Josh Ritter on Vimeo.

Happy Sunday!

Perfect Picture Book Friday-and then it's spring

2012-02-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

It has been outdoor weather here this week and as the snow slowly, slowly begins to melt our thoughts are turning towards spring gardening. Last weekend I had the gift of spending some time on my own in a bookstore where this week's Perfect Picture Book Friday choice caught my eye.

and then it's spring

author: Julie Fogliano

illustrator: Erin E. Stead Erin is the Caldecott Medal winning artist of A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Jules over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast featured Erin in this week's Seven Questions Over Breakfast interview. It's an excellent post!

A Neal Porter Book Roaring Brook Press 2012

fiction

ages 4-8

Nature, Gardening, Seasons

First you have brown, all around you have brown

and then it's spring tells the story of a young boy and his dog who plant a garden and are anxiously waiting for spring and it's green to come wash away the brown of the end of winter.

The text in this book is spare and quiet. It's not a dynamic story, but a gentle observation of this boy's time waiting for his seeds to sprout. A good snuggle up in bed book. The illustrations are a perfect compliment to the story, delicate line work and soft colors. The turtle and the rabbit that follow the boy and his dog are sweet additions to the tale. Erin talks about her artistic process in the Seven Questions Over Breakfast interview. I love her work and I picked up this book because of the cover, before I realized it was Erin's art.

Activity suggestions:

Plant a container garden with your kids or give them a section of a larger garden to plant whatever their hearts desire.

Place some pea seeds in a baggie with a bit of damp paper towel and place it in a sunny spot to watch the roots sprout.

Dedicate a window box as an herb garden instead of planting flowers. Explore which herbs smell and taste the best to each person. Find recipes that call for fresh herbs and cook a delicious meal.

Connect with a local grower in your area and see if you can take a tour of their farm.

Start a nature journal to document changes observed and interesting discoveries

Here are few other Perfect Picture Book Friday Books that you might enjoy along with this one.
In the Garden with Dr. Carver
Grandpa Green
The Curious Garden

Work in Progress Wednesday

2012-02-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

These are some of my character sketches for the Picture Book Dummy Challenge over at kidlitart. My goal is to get this dummy ready for the NESCBWI conference in April, along with updating parts of my portfolio, printing mailers, creating new prints for the gallery and completing the homework assignment for the workshop at the conference. Oh, and keep up with my 12 x 12 writing! I see lots of coffee and little sleep in my future!

Esther has a passion for fashion. She just wants to add a little style and beauty to her world.

She's feeling good in one of her creations, sorting through her baubles and ribbons to find the perfect accessory.

The next step is to break down my manuscript and create a storyboard. I have several finished images in my mind, but haven't laid them out to see how they flow as a book.

Is anyone else participating in the Picture Book Dummy Challenge? If so, chime in and let us know how you're doing!

Weekly Link Up

2012-02-19T11:30:00.001-05:00

It has been a beautiful week here with sunshine and warmer temperatures. Lots of outdoor exploring, repairs on the barn (David's workshop) and an unexpected event when the local maple sugar house stopped by asking to tap our trees. They came back yesterday with a truck full of equipment, willing to explain the process to Ben and letting him taste the sap. Apparently, it doesn't have much flavor. We learned that it takes 60 gallons of sap to make 1 1/2 gallons of syrup! The owner offered to give us some of the finished product and we love the idea of people enjoying syrup that came from our property.

One of our many Maple trees.

Ramona over at Artist or Author? has awarded me my third Liebster Blog Award. Ramona writes about her journey as an artist and author and you can see some of her lovely artwork on her site. I am so very grateful for the recognition, it's nice to feel appreciated! My 5 picks for the award can be found here.

Other interesting happenings in the blogosphere this week :

Author Kristen Lamb writes about finding your writing groove when the New Year's Resolution high has worn thin.

She also has a great post about the state of the publishing industry and what it needs to do to thrive in the brave new digital world.

Agent Rachelle Gardner makes some great points about what the publishing industry can learn from Kodak's failures in this 3 part series, Do You Know What Business You're In?, Do You Know Your Customer?, Are We Ready For change?.

This year's Cybils winners were announced.

The Blue Rose Girls shared a link to the twenty most beautiful bookstores in the world.

Jules at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast shared this beautiful new picture book Moonlight

Debbie Ridpath Ohi has been posting some of her old comics on her site Inkygirl, head over for some giggles today.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Squids Will Be Squids

2012-02-17T17:58:00.000-05:00

I really need to start writing these posts before Friday morning because sometimes (like today) Monkey Wrench shows up strewing rampant destruction and chaos throughout the house. Six hours later, I am dazedly trying to remember what I was doing before the tornado hit.

Ah, yes! Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book Friday!

Squids Will Be Squids : Fresh Morals and Beastly Fables

Author : Jon Scieszka

Illustrator : Lane Smith

Designed By : Molly Leach

Published by Viking a member of the Penguin Group 1998

Fiction

Ages 8 and up

Fables, Humor

Fables have been around for thousands of years. And it's no wonder. Because even thousands of years ago people were bright enough to figure out that you could gossip about anybody - as long as you changed their name to something like "Lion" or "Mouse" or "Donkey" first.

Squids Will Be Squids is a clever spin on the traditional fable with morals such as "Don't ever listen to a talking bug" and "There are some things we don't talk about at the dinner table." It's one of those books that gets us to laugh out loud at the unexpected twists and quirky characters. The illustrations are as unique as the fables depicting a range of players not usually found in these stories. BeefSnakStik touts his impressive list of ingredients, Toast and Froot Loops argue over what makes the best breakfast and Grasshopper gives his mom conniptions. The story of Pigeon has become part of our family lexicon, as in "Don't be a Pigeon" and "Are you pulling a Pigeon?" Ten years after we bought it, Squids Will Be Squids remains as funny as it's first reading.

A good activity to go along with this book would be to read some of Aesop's Fables and compare them to Jon Scieszka's versions. What is similar? What's different? Talk about why writers are still interested in telling tales with a moral.

Make up your own crazy fables complete with illustrations and silly morals. If drawing isn't appealing, try a collage with magazine photos, use stamps to tell a story or create a fable puppet show.

Are you an Aesop expert? Test your skills with a quiz here.

Remember the Fractured Fairy Tales from Rocky and Bullwinkle? I loved these when I was a kiddo back in the disco 70's.

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2012-02-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, Faerie fever is still running rampant through my brain. It's been inspired by Laini Taylor's writing, I love Magpie from Faeries of Dreamdark and am pining for another book about her. If her books have not yet crossed your path, I highly recommend them all. Daughter of Smoke and Bone sucked me in for 2 days and it's a good thing David was here to keep things running smoothly because I was fairly useless. Laini is working on the sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight , so there will probably be another couple of lost days in my future. Sorry, guys!

This piece is part of a series, the first couple of drawings were posted here, that will be sold as prints in the local artisan's gallery. The plan is to finish this one today and move on to the next wee creature waiting for her color. Here is this one at the start of painting.

The series will consist of faeries from around the world and so far includes Japan, India, Africa (specifically Kenya) and, of course, Ireland. I'm not basing them on any kind of folklore, just what I imagine they would look like. Researching clothing, hairstyles, faces, animals and plants in the different countries has been a lot of fun for me. Did you know there are no hummingbirds in India? I had thought to put a hummingbird with my Indian faerie, but ended up using a Sunbird instead. Beautiful.

This is where yesterday ended. Is anyone out there as loopy for faeries as I am? What other countries should be included in this series? All suggestions are welcome!

**Edited to add the finished piece! Tomorrow will be a lovely journey to Japan.

Unlikely Valentines

2012-02-14T10:54:00.002-05:00

The finalists have been posted! Go one over to author Susanna Hill's blog to vote for your favorite, polls close at noon on February 16th. I'm pleased and proud to announce that I received an honorable mention for my story Daisy Loves Fred. All of the entries are excellent and we had a lot of fun reading them yesterday. Enjoy!

Felix and Oscar Revisited-Valentine's Edition

2012-02-12T15:37:00.000-05:00

Author Susanna Leonard Hill, in addition to Would You Read It Wednesday, Perfect Picture Book Friday and her myriad of other projects, is holding a Valentine's Day Contest! Where is she finding her time and, more importantly, will she share some with me? The subject is unlikely Valentines and my humble offering is a tale for readers ages 2-6. If you would like to see what other writers have to offer (including Susanna) click here. Thanks for reading!

Daisy loved Fred.

She bit him gently. She chased himthrough the house. She bopped him on the head. She rolled him aroundplaying puppy wrestling.

All Fred did was Hiss, Yowl, Swat,SCRATCH!

YELP!!!

Daisy licked her hurt paw and thoughtabout what went wrong.

Gentle play bites=hissing.

Chasing games=yowling.

Bops on the head=swatting.

Wrestling=scratching.

Fred did not like Daisy's games!

Daisy decided to watch Fred to see whathe DID like to do.

Fred watched birds for a very, very,very long time. He did not move at all.

Daisy tried.

Fred took a bath for a very, very, verylong time. He cleaned every bit of fur.

Daisy tried.

Fred watched squirrels for a very,very, very long time. He did not move, not even one little bit.

Daisy gave up. She crawled onto thecouch to take a nap in her favorite patch of afternoon sun.

Fred jumped up and snuggled in next to Daisy. She finally found something they both liked.

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Not A Box

2012-02-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday! Before I jump into this week's book, I would like to thank Alison K Hertz (wife, mom, author, illustrator, juggler, toy designer, teacher, camp director) over at On My Mind who thoughtfully awarded me The Liebster Award! Thank you! The recognition for this little blog is heart warming and my post about this award can be found here.

Not A Box is already on the PPBF list, but the blog that did the review no longer exists. So here is my take on this delightful, little book!

author/illustrator: Antoinette Portis (head to her site to see what other beautiful books she has to offer)

Harper Collins Publishers 2006

fiction

Ages: 2-6

Imagination

Why are you sitting in a box? It's not a box. With these words, the journey of an extremely imaginative rabbit begins! His box becomes a robot, hot air balloon, boat, race car and more. I bought this book for my extremely imaginative youngest son when he was about three years old. The spare illustrations appealed to him along with a story that was simple, yet interesting enough to hold his attention at a time when sitting still was not the easiest thing to do.

This video is a class project by Jessenia Nauta. The assignment was to animate a children's book and this one is true to the tone of the story.

It doesn't seem right to offer structured activities to go with a book that celebrates imagination and creativity, so I will encourage you all to grab a box or three, some paint, markers, crayons, glitter, a healthy dose of imagination and go have FUN!

For those with big dreams and a love of hot glue guns, I leave you with these inspirational images by artist Chris Gilmour. It's hard to believe these beautiful, incredibly detailed works are cardboard and his site is well worth visiting.

Remember to visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog for more Perfect Picture Book Friday recommendations!

Creativity is Amazing

2012-02-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

I love creativity in all forms. Painting, writing, cooking, quilting and, in this video, music as a physical, interactive driving course. Enjoy!

A Different Kind of Book Review

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last month I was scrolling through my google reader and this post caught my eye. Just take a moment to drool over the cover image of this cookbook.

Chronicle Books was running a giveaway of the book for a reader who commented on the post and guess who was the lucky one? The book arrived in the mail about a week ago and the recipes inside look amazing. I decided to try the Perfect Sunday Roast first since it was the image that inspired me to comment in the first place.

An hour after it had been in the oven, the house smelled wonderful. It tasted even better.The roast was tender and delicious with the pan juices and blue cheese topping each slice. Three out of the five people in the family loved the dinner and for a new offering that is a great response!

The recipe for the roast can be found on the Chronicle Book Blog post. As a side dish, the post gives the recipe for Golden Potato Gratin which I will try at some point, but I chose to make the Best-Ever Mashed Potatoes the other night. Potato, leek, buttermilk and Dijon mustard made for a creamy, rich side dish. They truly were the best mashed potatoes I've ever had.

On the short list of recipes to try; Pork Loin with a Blue Cheese Stuffing and Roasted Pears, Mini Wellingtons, Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Figs, Prosciutto, and Gorgonzola, Halibut steaks with Spinach, Chickpeas, and Bacon. Hungry, yet? The side dishes that look good include Butternut Squash with Walnut-Goat Cheese Crumble, Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Apples, Cranberry and Dried Cherry Chutney. If any of this sounds good to you, you can pick up your own copy here.

Happy Eating!

A Little Funny For Your Sunday

2012-02-05T10:47:00.000-05:00

Ben introduced me to this comedian and his bit on children's books gave me the giggles this morning. Enjoy!

The Liebster Blog Award

2012-02-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

The origins of the Liebster Blog Award are unclear, but the word translates from German as "darling" or "beloved". It's given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers in order to generate some traffic for them. Elizabeth Stevens Omlor over at Banana Peelin' was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious enough to send a bit of bloggy love my way with this award. Thank you, Elizabeth! You should pop over to check out her blog, especially on Thursdays when she hosts Banana Peel Thursday where published authors share their hard earned knowledge and banana peel moments.

As part of the award, I get to choose 5 blogs for you all to visit and share 5 random facts about myself.

It probably goes without saying that I have loved reading and drawing from a very young age

18 months

2 1/2 years

However, there's more to me than books and paintbrushes!

I prefer even numbers over odd. My husband and sons amuse themselves by setting the thermostat on 63 or the television volume on 17 and then watching me squirm.

From June 2010 -July 2011, I traveled the country in a 34' RV with my husband, three sons, a dog and a cat. It was incredible and I'm so happy we took a chance to follow our dream.

My superpower is my sense of smell. Not as cool as invisibility or flying, but it did spot a propane leak in the kitchen before anyone else noticed. It could also be considered a hindrance in certain situations. Our elderly cat with irritable bowel syndrome, for instance.

Dear husband knows I'm truly enjoying a movie when I put down my book, sketchbook or computer and give the screen 100% of my attention. Movie theaters are difficult for me, I fidget.

I pretty much only drink coffee, water and beer. Lots of the first, a good amount of the second and a nice, dark stout is always a fine treat.

Now for the 5 blogs who are next to receive this award!

My good friend and fellow homeschooling mum Cherilyn over at Bike Bliss is putting a whole new spin on fitness and exercise. I love her approach and she has a fantastic sense of humor.

Loni Edwards of Loni Edwards Illustration has been an ongoing inspiration to me. Another homeschooling mom, student, writer and illustrator, Loni does it all and her site is worth a visit.

At Polliwog on Safari, Michelle writes about daily life, travel, nature and writing. Her blog is full of ideas and resources for exploring with children.

Jo Hart at The Graceful Doe Writer's Blog has created a treasure trove of writing advice. It's wonderful to delve into her helpful writing sites and blog post masterlist page.

And finally, Melissa of Simple Whimsy has a beautiful, gentle approach to parenting that I love. Her blog has many resources for anyone interested in peaceful parenting and unschooling, two topics very near and dear to my heart.

I hope you enjoy visiting these blogs and thank you very much for taking the time to read this one!

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Fairy Wings

2012-02-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

I have had faeries on the brain this week; reading about them, researching them and drawing them. Here are two I created that are waiting for me to give them some color. I hope you can see them, I use watercolors and like to keep the pencil lines fairly light.

In keeping with this theme, this weeks Perfect Picture Book Friday choice is Fairy Wings.

Fairy Wings

author: Lauren Mills

illustrator: Dennis Nolan

Little, Brown and Company 1995

Fiction

Ages 6-10

Fairy Tales/Retellings of Classics

Once, when the trees and flowers grew as they pleased, there lived a host of the tiniest, most delicate fairies. Every spring, the air hummed with the sound of fairies fluttering from blossom to blossom to preen their gossamer wings for the grand May Dance. All the fairies prized their wings above anything else-all but little Fia, that is, for she was the one fairy born without wings.

Fia has seven older sisters, all of whom have beautiful wings and are embarrassed by their wild and free, wingless little sister. Shunned by fairy society, she plays with her friends Frog, Rat and Crow until one day, a fairy boy named Kip joins in their fun. He invites her to the grand May Dance and when she arrives no one but Kip recognizes her. Tragedy strikes the event and it's up to Fia to save all those who have teased her in the past.

This story always reminds me of Cinderella with an adventurous twist and without the mean step-mother. Fia's parents are loving and supportive of their daughter's unique personality. Lauren Mills has written a lovely tale of a brave and interesting fairy girl and her husband Dennis Nolan's illustrations are beautiful, ethereal creations. Perfect. I have several books with Nolan's amazing artwork and will be featuring them in future PPBF posts.

On a side note, when I attended art school at the University of Hartford, Dennis Nolan was a professor in the illustration department and I was so very excited to have him as an instructor. My sophomore year, the year I could take his class, he went on sabbatical and didn't return until after I graduated. *Sigh*

As always, more Perfect Picture Book Friday posts can be found at Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

For a host of fun faerie activities for kids, check out this site. We're going to be building Faerie houses around our yard this spring with materials we've been collecting from the woods.

Plant a Faerie Garden to invite some magic into your yard.

Brian and Wendy Froud are well known Faerie artists and their site is a treasure trove of Faerie art.

Hit the library to find books on Faerie lore, it's a subject that calls to many writers and illustrators!

And in other news, the talented and witty Elizabeth Stevens Omlor over at Banana Peelin' has graciously bestowed the Liebster Blog Award on little old me! I'm going to be posting about it tomorrow with 5 facts about me and a list of 5 deserving blogs that will receive this recognition. Check back and you may just find a blog you never heard of before that rocks your world!

12X12 January Check In

2012-02-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to say that I did manage to complete a manuscript last month for Julie Hedlund's 12X12 Challenge and even had the time to make a couple of revisions. Many, many more revisions are needed before it's fit for submission, but I'm going to use this idea for the Picture Book Dummy Challenge I'm participating in. Here's a picture my son took of me to prove to you how hard I was working.

It's not a very flattering shot, my house is a bit of a mess and I could be playing Angry Birds or checking facebook, but for these purposes let's just say I was working hard in my creatively disordered living room.

Also joining me in the challenge (and 400 other writers and illustrators) is my oldest son, Ben! He finished his manuscript yesterday and has had positive feedback on it from his friends. I'm hoping to get a peek at it later today. We were planning to look at it last night, but fell into a Doctor Who mini-marathon instead. What can I say? The Doctor called.

Today I will be making another revision, looking over my idea stash to see what I might want to tackle for February and working on new paintings to update my portfolio for the NESCBWI Spring Conference. Lots to do, so I'm going to grab my cup of coffee and get started. I leave you with this picture of my supremely awesome personal photographer, Ethan. Happy Wednesday!

Found My First Job on Facebook

2012-01-31T04:00:00.000-05:00

True story! Lisa Cottrell-Bentley, founder of Do Life Right, Inc and fellow homeschooling mom, posted on facebook in July 2010 asking if there were any artists out there interested in working on a book project for her company. I answered, sent in some samples of my work and was offered the opportunity to provide part of the cover art (the boy, Cody) on Cody Greene and the Rainbow Mystery.

Lisa liked my painting of Cody and decided that she wanted B&W illustrations at the head of each chapter. She emailed to see if I was interested and oh, yes I was!! We were still traveling in our RV when I took this job and the illustrations were drawn in several different states.

August - Ogden, Utah - character sketches for Cody
September - Wichita, Kansas - cover rough and final
October - Jamestown, KY - roughs for chapter illustrations
Kingsland, GA - finals for the first couple of chapters
Hollywood, FL - bio photo
November - Sarasota, FL - finals for the remaining chapters

It's fun to look at the published book and remember where I was when I created each illustration! I also met some interesting people as I worked in the community room at different campgrounds. Here are a few of the interior pieces.

When a painting is stolen from nine year old Cody Greene’s family’s art gallery, he does what any artist does best: he sketches the clues. Through cooking with his friend, visiting the midwife with his mom, hiking with his dad, and helping to prepare for an upcoming art and craft festival, Cody’s homeschooling takes a new turn as he unravels the Case of the Rainbow Mystery.

An interesting fact about this book; the illustrations were created by a team of artists. Since the story is about several different works of art being stolen, Lisa has several different artists provide the images. It's a unique approach that has worked well for this book.

Cody Greene and the Rainbow Mystery is a middle grade book and can be found on Amazon. Do Life Right, Inc is an independent publisher with a focus on stories featuring main characters who are homeschooled. A full listing of their books can be found here.

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat

2012-01-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

The Chinese New Year was celebrated this past Monday and as I shuffled through my bookcase looking for this weeks PPBF pick, Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat just about jumped out into my lap. It's set in a village near Kunming, China and also happens to be the very first book Mary GrandPre' illustrated, the artist who created the well known, well loved images on the American editions of the Harry Potter series.

Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat

Author: Jennifer Armstrong

Illustrator: Mary GrandPre'

Crown Publishers, Inc. 1993

Fiction

Ages 6-10

Consequences, Friendship, Greed, Kindness (This book fits into quite a few categories!)

Many years ago, in a village near Kunming, there lived an official of the government named Secretary Chin. In his house by the lake were the finest lacquer bowls, lettered scrolls of the sheerest paper, and many, many strings of cash. Secretary Chin was very prosperous. The wife of this man, Chin Yu Min, felt that this prosperity was only what she deserved. She was proud and haughty, and she made her servants perform impossible and meaningless tasks-such as collecting incense smoke in a bamboo cage or teaching carp to strut like roosters-just for the fun of displaying her power. She laughed at beggars and turned them away from her door.

Chin Yu Min is a dreadfully arrogant, thoughtless woman whose life takes a dramatic turn for the worse when her husband falls from his little boat and perishes. Her neighbors generously offer to help her, but she turns them away with harsh words. As her money dwindles, she meets a ginger cat and eventually comes to understand that what is truly valuable in life cannot be measured in strings of cash.

As always, the first reason I bought this book years ago is because of the dynamic illustrations gracing every page. Chin Yu Min's body language is so expressive, the reader has an idea of what will happen before even looking at the text. Jennifer Armstrong has written a beautiful story of redemption and what I love best about it is that Chin Yu Min needs to be knocked on the head more than once before she changes her selfish ways. Chin Yu Min is a character that is easy to dislike, yet becomes one that the reader can sympathize with at the end.

Focusing on the fact that the year of the Dragon has just begun, all of the activities this week revolve around the Chinese New Year.

Read a bit about the Chinese New Year traditions and history.

A brief story of how the Chinese Zodiac came to be and a chart to determine your zodiac animal. Remember, the Chinese New Year starts in January or February each year, so if your birthday is at the beginning of the year, your animal may actually be the one from the year before! For example, my youngest son was born in the beginning of January 2003 so his zodiac animal is the Horse (2002), not the Goat. The rest of the family are the years of the Rat, Pig, Ox and Dragon.

If you like Manga, Fruits Basket is a funny, sweet and sometimes dramatic series about a family that has carried the zodiac curse for generations, with members transforming into their zodiac animal when hugged by a member of the opposite gender. It can also be found as anime on Netflix.

Cook up some luck with these recipes.

This page is full of ideas for New Year's activities.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday stories, visit Susanna Leonard Hill, the keeper of the master list. Happy Reading!

Maurice Sendak and Stephen Colbert

2012-01-26T09:21:00.002-05:00

Two very funny videos of Stephen Colbert interviewing (in true Colbert style) Maurice Sendak. Be warned, they're somewhat unsuitable for younger viewers.

Mr. Sendak, nicely done.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 1

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

Video Archive

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 2

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

Video Archive

Banana Peel Badge

2012-01-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

And yours truly designed it! This gorgeous lady is talented, stylish and covered in banana peels. Why the peels?

Elizabeth Stevens Omlor over at Banana Peelin' has started a weekly feature on her blog called Banana Peel Thursday where published authors share their stories of mistakes and lessons learned to help the rest of us avoid those particular pitfalls in the world of children's book publishing. Of course, there are plenty of slip ups out there to make, enough to keep Banana Peel Thursday going for years!

Thanks to Elizabeth for giving me the opportunity to create this fun badge and don't forget to head over to her blog to see what the authors have to say or just check out Elizabeth's witty musings on her journey as a writer.

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, Friday and the Perfect Picture Books you bring! This week my pick is Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm. There are many, many more Perfect Picture Books to peruse over at Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

Author: Jerdine Nolen
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books 1994
Fiction
Ages 4-8
Magic, Tall Tale

Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed. He was a farmer, but he didn't farm like my daddy did. He farmed a genuine, U.S. Government Inspected Balloon Farm. No one knew exactly how he did it. Some folks say that it wasn't real-that it was magic. But I know what I saw, and those were real, actual balloons growing out of the plain ole ground!

A farmer that grows balloons? Unheard of! Yet way down South in the 1950's, Harvey Potter does just that very thing to the wonder and amazement of his neighbors. Well, most of his neighbors. Wheezle Mayfield does not trust Harvey one bit and calls the U.S. Government Inspectors in to shut down the balloon farm. The story is told by a young woman living in this small town who develops an interest in Harvey's farming practices with unexpected results in her own life.

I'm going to start out by saying that the illustrations in this book are so rich and colorful that you can just about smell those balloons baking in the field under the summer sky and hear the sound of them rubbing together in the breeze. There are several characters hidden in each illustration, I haven't yet found them all.
Written in a southern dialect that is great fun to read aloud, this tall tale is a wonderful story about the possibilities that can open up when a person is willing to believe and take a chance on the unknown.

There are many science experiments that involve balloons, here are a few that I found.
Can you put a needle through a balloon? Give it a try! http://www.scifun.org/homeexpts/needle.htm
How about a fireproof balloon? http://www.scifun.org/homeexpts/FIREBALLOON.html
Blow up a balloon with carbon dioxide! http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/inflatingballoons.html

A short video of the show How It's Made explains the process of creating latex balloons. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz_A2QI9Oes&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL364C3EAC1609A5FF

Then check out the history of balloons - http://www.balloonhq.com/faq/history.html

If you're feeling particularly adventurous and artistic (and you don't mind the sound of popping balloons) you can pick up this book and try your hand at balloon creations. Maybe with practice, you'll even become good enough to make something like this.

Perfect Picture Book Friday - The Robot and the Bluebird

2012-01-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

This week's Perfect Picture Book Friday is one that my son received for his birthday last week. He's quite fascinated by robots lately.

The Robot and the Bluebird
Author/Illustrator: David Lucas
Publisher: first published in Great Britain by Anderson Press Ltd.,2007 // published in America by Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 2008
Fiction
Ages 4-8
Friendship, Helping others/Kindness

There was once a Robot with a broken heart.

Poor Robot has a broken heart. The other robots were unable to fix him, unable to listen to him, so they sent Robot out to languish on the scrap heap through days and nights, autumn into winter. When tired, freezing Bluebird lands on his shoulder in her struggle to fly South, Robot offers her shelter where his broken heart used to be. Robot decides to help his new friend and in the end finds his own peace and happiness.

I enjoyed the journey of Robot finding his friends, not with the other robots who are similar to him physically, but with a creature who seems, at first glance, to be the opposite of him. Friendship is about the connections we make with our hearts. This book opened up a beautiful discussion about being receptive to a relationship with someone who seems different (Robot and Bluebird) and accepting that others do not always think or feel the same way (the robots not listening to Robot).

The illustrations in this book are beautiful, the metal world of the robots, the jagged, frozen travels of Robot and Bluebird and the warm, colorful journeys end. This book has quickly made it to our list of family favorites.

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park has a wonderful page full of information, games, activities and coloring pages about bird migration.

For families wanting to be more directly involved in the science of migration, The Great Backyard Bird Count uses data collected by people around the country for their studies.

We love a good timeline in this house and here is a basic Robot Timeline for kids who want more information. It covers 270BCE-2004CE.

Here are some fun robot craft ideas.

This link is one I can't wait to show my son when he gets up today; a build your own robot game! Click on the game title at the top, but turn the volume down first as the music is pretty loud.

To see many more Perfect Picture Book Posts (say that five times fast), head over to Susanna Leonard Hill's page.

Happy picture book reading!

Cybils Nominations

2012-01-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

The Cybils nominations are out! (well, they have been out for a week, I'm just a bit late in sharing) I have my list of must reads, go have a look and see what you want to be reading this year.

http://www.cybils.com/2012/01/the-2011-cybils-finalists.html

(For those who may be curious, Arthur is reading The Arrival by Shaun Tan. Not one of the nominees, but a phenomenal book just the same.)

2012 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award

2012-01-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

Today the winner of the 2012 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award was announced. And the winner is...

YVETTE PIETTE HERRERA!

Congratulations, Yvette, on your beautiful winning entry and enjoy your trip to the SCBWI Winter Conference!

The runners up are Carrie Eko-Burgess, Rotem Omri and Lori McElrath-Eslick. Congrats!

As an added bonus, the Unofficial Blog that SCBWI Houston Illustrator Coordinator Diandra Mae put together featuring almost 250 of the over 300 entries is available for anyone who wants to see the wonderful work submitted. You can access that by the link above or by clicking on the acorn at the top of the sidebar.

I'm happy that I submitted this year, I have a great portfolio piece, met some very talented artists and had a lot of fun creating my Chicken Licken and all his friends.

Lots of links in this post, but I promise some lovely art at the other end of them all!

Perfect Picture Book Friday - The Whales' Song

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

For this Perfect Picture Book Friday post I'm traveling in the Wayback Machine to 1991 when I started building my picture book collection, six years before any kiddos were living in my house. I've always loved a great story paired with gorgeous art!

The Whales' Song
Author: Dyan Sheldon
Illustrator: Gary Blythe
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers 1991
Fiction
Audience Age: 4-8
Themes - Ocean Life, Magic

Lilly's grandmother told her a story. "Once upon a time," she said, "the ocean was filled with whales. They were as big as the hills. They were as peaceful as the moon. They were the most wondrous creatures you could ever imagine."

With these words, Lilly's grandmother shares the beautiful world of wild and free whales with the child she loves.

I like this gentle and magical story that has just a hint of tension from the crotchety great-uncle, but what draws me to this book over and over again are the illustrations. Rich, detailed and practically perfect in every way, they match the mood of the writing beautifully. The love Lilly and her grandmother share is palpable in the images. The Whales' Song is a good reminder to keep believing in the magic that is the world around us.

There are many whale and ocean related resources out there, but none that correspond directly to this book. OK, there was one, but the ideas were very dry and I couldn't imagine any kids having any fun with them. The whole point is for kids and adults to enjoy the stories and activities, right? So, here are some other ideas!

http://www.whalesong.net/ - The WhaleSong project - hear what Lilly and her grandmother heard and learn about humpback whales.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5539552_whale-art-projects-children.html - a couple of fun whale crafts, I'm partial to the bottle project.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/education/whales.htm - a page full of information about whales!

Netflix offers several documentaries about whales. My kids tend toward being visual learners, so this is perfect for them. Yes, of course they love books and my reading to them (we have several read alouds going right now), but the documentaries are good supplements that suit their learning style.

Happy Reading!

Facebook Fun

2012-01-04T21:21:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine on facebook sent me an invitation to a 30 day art & writing challenge hosted by Annex!Comics in Newport, RI. They've posted a list for the month and I jumped in on day #4 with a 5 minute sketch for the word Devil. What could be more devilish than scheming squirrels?

Evolution of Enigma

2012-01-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

Last November I joined the Sketchbook Project over at the Art House Co-op. It seemed like a fun way to jump start some creativity in a brain that had not worked intensively on my art in quite some time. The endless doodles on various scraps of paper around the house as my boys were busy growing don't count. I was pleased with a few of the ideas this project generated and ultimately reworked them into more finished pieces.

The theme I chose for my sketchbook was Beneath the Surface.

This piece is bout my son, a boy who has been called an enigma by pediatricians and neurologists in three different states. Hey, if someone is going to slap a label on you, enigma is a pretty darned cool title to hold!

It comes from years of watching my mostly silent dude move through his world and realizing the vast amount of information he is capable of retaining and the diversity of his interests. I wanted to show what he has trouble expressing. A love of reptiles and Pokemon, the beach and books.

Otters and patterns, bicycle rides and Playmobil.

Birds, the moon and sea turtles in the ocean.

Torn paper art and music, always there is music. Of course, this piece only touches on a fraction of what he knows and loves.

The finished B&W art. Graphite on bristol board 9 x 12.

Perfect Picture Book Friday

2011-12-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

I had intended to write a post for Perfect Picture Book Friday, but then fellow artist Hazel Mitchell posted a link on facebook and I spent a wonderful hour lost in a 2011 recap post over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Go on over and treat yourself to some gorgeous art and snippets of interviews with different illustrators. Cheers!

New Year, New Challenges

2011-12-26T19:22:00.000-05:00

What is it about the New Year that drives us to make plans? I think it's the temptation of a blank calendar just waiting for anything to happen, anything to be written in those tiny, perfect squares. A fresh start if you need one.

I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, all the pressure and stress seems unnecessary to me, but I am making a big commitment to my art in the upcoming year. I have a space in a local gallery/artisans shop to sell my prints, my website is up and running thanks to a very talented friend, I have been actively seeking representation with an illustrators agent, renewed my SCBWI membership and entered the Tomie de Paola contest. Whew! The holidays were a much needed break this year!

Moving into 2012, I am looking forward to several projects. The 12 x 12 in 2012 picture book writing challenge will get me writing on a regular basis, polishing up old ideas and spurring me to generate new ones. Even better, my 14yo son has decided to join me in this endeavor! He has quite a few ideas and having a critique partner right here at home will be a lot of fun. I love his writing, I'm sure his talent will inspire me to work even harder on my manuscripts.

A couple of my pieces in the gallery sold the week before Christmas and feedback from the buyer has given me some new ideas for a series of faerie pieces. I would like to get a few done and into the gallery over the next month. Every piece I paint is another piece for my portfolio.

As I am looking for an agent, I will be submitting to magazines and publishers. Developing a mailer will be a priority for me in the coming month and I have a few ideas for what I want to do there. This New Year will be a busy one for sure!

I would love to hear about your up and coming projects for 2012, anyone care to share their plans?

The Tomie dePaola Award Entry

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

The SCBWI Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award is given annually to an illustrator of promise, the text and the winner being chosen by Tomie himself. I found out about it a week before the due date and decided to go for it. How could I resist the idea of Tomie dePaola looking at my work? Winners will be announced on January 2nd and will receive $1000 for art supplies and a free ride to the winter SCBWI conference in New York City. Pretty Sweet! No matter what happens, I had fun painting my entry and gained a great portfolio piece.

So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey “Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny, and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?”“Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!” “How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey.“Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey.“Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles.“Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky.“Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny “I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken. “Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!”

What I Did Last Weekend

2011-12-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a very busy one in the studio! In addition to creating a piece for the SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award (which I will post about in more detail in a day or so), I have been working hard on a few pieces for a local artisans gallery that sells an eclectic mix of art, photography and crafts by Maine artists. David and I discovered the Full Circle Artisan's Gallery and Bead Emporium a couple of months after we moved here and I fell in love with the fantastic work displayed in Shannon's store. After my website was up and running I spoke with her about selling my work there and to my delight, she said yes!

I enjoy reading fantasy and science fiction, so I decided to paint what I love. It's a bit of a departure from my usual work and I had a lot of fun with these. I started off with some faeries.

And then moved on to dragons. My dragons aren't very fierce, more like giant, scaly, fire-breathing puppies. Helping friends find hidden treasure,

playing hide and seek,

and just having a good cuddle.

The last piece I had printed to sell is a pencil drawing I did about 10 months ago while we were still living in our RV, somewhere in Texas, I believe. These mice look like they're having a great time on their way to Cheesetown and it's a good thing they are since it doesn't look like they're going to get there in a hurry!

It feels good to be putting my art out into the world instead of keeping my ideas locked up in a sketchbook. The start of yet another adventure!

Artist Seeking Work

2011-12-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

Hire this artist!

The big question I have been struggling with off and on for the past year is whether or not to seek representation with an art agent. A good agent has contacts within the publishing industry, established relationships with editors and art directors, advertising space in major publications and will know where to send my work to be seen by editors and art directors that would be receptive to my style. A good agent will offer guidance in the confusing, competitive world that is children's book publishing. There are several publishers that have a standing policy of only reviewing work submitted through an agent. The flip side is that an agent also needs to be paid. Obviously! An art rep can charge anywhere from 25-33% commission per job and the artist usually provides 75% of the cost of any advertising.

An artist or writer can market themselves if they have and are willing to put the time into the effort. The Internet has opened up marketing and advertising to everyone and submission guidelines for publishers can be found on most websites. If not, the annual CHILDREN'S WRITER'S AND ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET is full of information and advice. Website templates are easy to use, printing mailers and business cards is less expensive and much easier to do now, it can even be managed from the comfort of home with the results shipped right to your door!

So, why am I choosing to seek representation with an agent rather than promote myself? A couple of reasons. I find self promotion to be incredibly difficult. No further explanation needed there. I have three kids that do not go to school, so my time isn't as open as it would be if they were gone 8 hours a day. I simply do not have the hours needed to devote to both my art and my promotion. The time I do have would be better used working on my illustrations, creating and improving my art. The idea of compiling a list of editors, art directors and publishing houses is quite daunting. It is worth it to me at this point to seek a knowledgeable partner to get my illustration career off of the ground. The price of a commission fee is well worth it to me at this point in my life.

We'll see what happens as I begin submitting my work to different agencies!

I'm Committed

2011-12-04T07:46:00.001-05:00

Julie Hedlund over a Write Up My Life is hosting the 12x12 Picture Book challenge, a chance to connect with other aspiring writes and develop those ideas that are lurking in the background of the mind! The challenge is to write one complete children's book manuscript (first draft, not submission ready) for each month of 2012. Quite a challenge! I have several ideas I would like to take the time to develop from board books to picture books, including one that I have submitted in the past that could use some more tweaking. After keeping it in an envelope for 18 months, I can easily see what areas need work.

I'm using this as an opportunity to generate ideas for my portfolio and to bring me another step closer to my goal of having a picture book published. It will be a good mental exercise, refining the ideas that I have into full fledged manuscripts. I'll write here about my efforts throughout 2012 and if anyone wants to join in I would love to hear from you!

Step by Step

2011-11-30T08:16:00.001-05:00

On November 16, Homeschool Literature hosted a virtual release party for The Howling Vowels. I submitted the video from my previous post and this series of photographs describing the steps I use when creating one illustration. I have added a bit more information here.

Character sketches are where the book illustrations start. It's important for the characters to feel consistent, to be recognized as the same person in every image. Drawing one character several times, full body and portrait with different facial expressions, helps to achieve this consistency. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this Isabelle was actually the second version of the character, the first one was not approved. False starts are part of the process, it can take time to refine the illustrations to meet the publisher's or author's criteria.

A thumbnail is a quick sketch simply to get the initial ideas out of my head. Usually, no one but me sees this stage of the illustration. I jot notes on it in order to remember the details I want to bring in later when I move to the next stage of the image. I typically draw 6-12 thumbnails before I have an idea I want to work with. This part is always a lot of fun because the ideas are flying and anything goes.

Stage three in the process. This has quite a bit more detail than a thumbnail, but is still not close to being a completed drawing. A rough is the place to work out perspective, body language, background details and clothing. At this point, I am still making notes on ideas for the final piece. The rough is what I send to the publisher for design approval before starting the final image. The first attempt isn't always approved, it can take some time to create the image that the publisher desires.

All of the details of the image are complete! This stage takes the longest amount of time to finish. As I am working, I keep in mind this is the art that everyone who picks up the book will see. I check the final illustrations together to make sure that the feel and style of the art is consistent throughout the book. I enjoy working out the fine details of the final piece.

When I am working, I am rarely in a quiet space. It's hard to concentrate when everything is silent! I love to have my music playing, some favorite anime showing in the background, or NPR programs (especially Car Talk, Prairie Home Companion and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me). There are times when my husband or one of my boys join me in the studio to chat or work on their own projects.

Creating the Illustrations

2011-11-29T21:13:00.001-05:00

Here I am explaining the process of creating the illustrations for The Howling Vowels.

Filming this short video took quite a few takes between my nervous stumbling, kids running around and a geriatric, perpetually meowing cat. I think she's afraid of getting lost in the new house so she cries until someone answers her. A neurotic cat version of Marco Polo.

Enjoy the final cat-free video!

The Howling Vowels

2011-11-29T20:20:00.001-05:00

The Howling Vowels is my most recent illustration project, published November 3, 2011. I really enjoyed the characters that Leslie created. They all have such strong, interesting personalities and as soon as I started reading the manuscript I had a very clear image of who these kids were. They were a lot of fun to draw! My favorite is Isabelle, I just want to tuck her in my pocket. The version of her in the book is the second Isabelle, I still like the first one and I'll save her for another project.

This book is one that I would have loved as a young girl, one that I would have read multiple times. Alexa lived in New York City until her family decided to move to the little town of Sundog, MN. Alexa is ready for this new adventure, but still a little nervous about making friends and living in such a different environment. She comes to love her new life and the great group of friends she meets there. The story is sweet, it's refreshing to read a book about a family that loves one another and is supportive and kind. You can learn more about the author, Leslie Schultz, here. If you're intrigued and want to buy you own copy of this lovely book, this is the place to go.

Welcome!

2011-11-16T08:46:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Heather Newman Illustrations! I am a children's book illustrator living in Maine with my husband and three homeschooled sons. This will be my space to share my work, review favorite children's books and post links to other artists and authors in the world of children's book literature. Thanks for visiting!