THE BLOG
Blog Tour: Writing Process
Shawna Tenney invited me to participate in a blog tour about my writing process. This should have been posted a week or so ago but here goes. First I introduce Shawna.
Shawna Tenney graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from Brigham Young University and started illustrating as a freelance illustrator a year later. Since then, she has created artwork for 18 books along with children’s magazines, charities, educational materials, religious materials and theater playbills. Her primary medium of choice now is digital. Lately her focus has been writing and illustrating her own stories.
Besides the process of making art, She enjoys being involved in the art community and has been running a monthly local illustration critique group. She is a volunteer at SCBWI and also enjoys teaching kids art and visiting children at local schools to talk about being an illustrator.
Shawna lives in Utah with her two very artistic little girls and a very sweet and supportive graphic designer husband. shawnajctenney.com
Now about my process.
1. What am I working on?
A Picture Book. I am always working on a picture book. I love combining the pictures with the words. It is a journey that bounces back and forth from idea to book dummy to revisions of words and pictures.
A watercolor painting. One or two watercolor paintings bubble around in my brain. The paintings are fun to work on because you use your whole arm to put paint and water on the paper. It is a good break from the picture book puzzle. I just sent an entry to be juried for the National Watercolor Society’s International Exhibit. There’s always another painting to paint. It seems to be a good combination, the picture books and the watercolor paintings, because both projects need to be put aside to view with a fresh pair of eyes. The picture book is like a puzzle that finally comes together in a book dummy. I work on it until I feel confident about sending it to my agent. I am currently working on a Halloween picture book.
2. How does my work differ from others of this genre?
I work with brushes, paint and paper. I love having a physical copy of my illustrations when I’m done. A lot of illustrators use the computer. The computer is a useful tool that I use for book dummy’s and checking out values but when I’m doing the final illustrations, I use the watercolors. I also use my sketch book as a tool where I can record ideas with words and sketches.
3. Why do I write what I do?
The ideas for picture books seem to come flying out of the atmosphere and I catch them with a great deal of excitement and quickly get them down on paper. That is the initial idea. Then the work comes. I capture that excitement and put it down on paper. Sometimes the words come first. Sometimes the pictures. I work on what current idea has come flying at me. There are a ton of ideas out there.
4. How does my writing (illustrating) process work?
When the mornings go the way I want them to, they start with some contemplation, some physical activity of some sort to keep my heart beating and then a walk up the six stairs to the studio. When I’m working on an illustration project with a deadline, I schedule out how much I will do in a day so the finished illustrations will arrive on time. When I’m working on my own projects, I work on a story board and move to the book dummy. I usually have several book dummies by the time I arrive at the final one. While I am working on projects I’m also collecting sketches and ideas to use on future picture books and paintings.
Well, there is my process and here is my finished character study. Now let me introduce you to my friend Susan Detwiler. She is the SCBWI Illustrator Coordinator for MD/DE/WV and a great illustrator. Her new book is coming out in September.
Susan grew up in Maryland and was educated at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where she and her husband and two sons now live. Besides books for children, her illustrations have been used for advertising, merchandise, and greeting cards.
Paintings Off to Capitol Reef
15″x22″ watercolor
These two paintings are on their way down to Gallery 24 in Torrey, Utah. One of the prizes for the Grand Prize winner in the 1st Annual Arts and the Park Light on the Reef was the chance to display three paintings down at the gallery. If you are in the area, stop by and take a look.
Three ways to Get out of the Studio
One: The Utah Watercolor Society Small Works Show is hanging up at the Logan Fine Art Gallery. The opening was last Friday. It is one of the finest small works show the watercolor society has hung. You can see it until the end of July along with some other fine art in Logan.
Two: This is the group of illustrators that attended the illustrator’s mini workshop at the Writers & Illustrators for Young Readers Conference that I taught in Sandy on Tuesday. It was a great group and fun to get to know them and share some ideas with them. We discussed the design behind the story board and character design. There was a lot of creative energy in the room. The conference is open to the public on Thursday June 12th at 2:15 for the plenary session with Cheri Earl “Cold, Hard Readings and Critiques” in the auditorium and then the keynote address will be given by James Dashner “Writing Commercial Fiction” after James there will be a book signing for those who want there books signed by the faculty of the conference.
Three: The published writers and illustrators in Utah were invited to a pot luck get together at the Kings English Book store last night. Since the weather had turned wet and cold and snowy in the mountains the pot luck was moved inside where all authors and illustrators should be, in the middle of some great children’s books. It was great to get to see old friends and meet new ones.
Utah Watercolor Society
Logan Fine Arts Gallery
Writer & Illustrators for Young Readers
The Kings English Book Store
Watercolor meets Red Rock and Navaho Sandstone
I was one of 30 watercolor artists from the Utah Watercolor Society who were invited to participate in the first annual Arts and the Park Light on the Reef at Capitol Reef National Park.
The first day and first painting was a short afternoon hike up Capitol Gorge.
The second day, second painting was a short hike up Sunrise Point off of the Gooseneck Road. Dave and I found a good spot and then he took off to explore and take a hike in the National Park.
There were two kinds of gnats, the ones that randomly fly into your eyeballs and die and the ones that bite. Both kinds were out in force.
After a morning of gnats and painting, it was nice to have the help of a pack horse.
Third day, third painting was no hike, painting one hop skip and jump from the van but an early start to catch the light.
This is how I looked when I met the car load of ladies from China and the bus load of people from France and the people from Germany and the Netherlands and several random bikers.
After three days of painting, the watercolors were framed. Morning light at Navaho Dome was framed thanks to Ray Conrad, one of the artists showing at Gallery 42 in Torrey. He took a screw out of one of his paintings to give to me so I could attach the wire to the back of my frame. The kit was missing one screw. (Note to self, next time bring extra framing hardware.)
With so many amazing artists, I was thrilled that the painting received the blue ribbon. A big thanks to the Entrada Institute, Capitol Reef National Park, Robber’s Roost and Utah Watercolor Society who made this weekend so special for all.
Utah Watercolor Society, Entrada Institute, Capitol Reef National Park, Robber’s Roost, and Torrey, Utah
Enjoying the Ride
Sometimes things get so busy that you forget to enjoy the ride. I was able to take a watercolor workshop from John Salminen and his wife Kathy with the Utah Watercolor Society. It was an intense workshop. We spent the week working on a city scape and learned a ton of great information. I don’t take many workshops and so when I do, I am hoping it will be a good one and I was not disappointed. John and his wife were great teachers. Here is the watercolor that I worked on during the week.
So when you are busy and involved in great things that have you running one way and then another, don’t forget to enjoy the ride. That’s what I’m doing today and I hope you enjoy your ride too.
Utah Watercolor Society John Salminen
Plein Air Painting vs The Bus
I recently went down to Scottsdale, Arizona to the Western Federation of Watercolors Societies Show where I received signature status.
This is the fine group of ladies from Utah that made the trip down to Scottsdale for the show.
This is the painting that made it into the show.
To get signature status, you need to be juried into four Western Fed Shows.
One of the highlights of the trip was meeting Grace Haverty. She did a workshop on sketching for anyone that wanted to attend. We traveled from the hotel to downtown Scottsdale. Grace always carries a sketch book bag in her car so she’s ready to sketch at a moments notice.
I set up my paints and paper and started sketching a street in Scottsdale and was about half way through my painting when the scene changed.
You expect the light to change with clouds or wind but this time a big bus pulled up right in front of me and parked. A group of young interns slowly got off the bus. One intern said sorry as they spread out into the streets. I was worried that the bus had found a good parking spot for ever but luckily he pulled off and I could finish.
After the workshop we ate lunch with Grace and she invited the Utah group to her studio to take a look at her paintings. I guess our group was crazy enough to stick around til the afternoon when it turned into a downpour, another hazard of plein air painting.