THE BLOG
Character Studies
There are advantages to being an illustrator when you create a picture book. I took a class from the writer Barbara Williams years ago. She wrote “Albert’s Toothache”. This was published with two different illustrators. The link will take you to the Kay Chorao edition. Bea gave me a stuffed turtle to celebrate the second publishing. She was an amazing writer and mentor. She helped us long after the class with a critique group that nurtured our creative spirits. She was a great lady and became a great friend. Because of her class, I came from the creation of a picture book, thinking you started with the words.
Later on I took a workshop from Eric Rohmann, the illustrator and creator of the picture book, “My Friend Rabbit” and many others. He created picture books starting with the pictures and working to the words. My work has now evolved where the book becomes a living, growing process. I work back and forth between the words and the illustrations, bouncing back and forth and changing both as the book evolves. The book dummy becomes a process for the perfecting of the story and goes through many stages. With each stage, the book evolves and grows until it reaches the place where it can be sent out into the world to find a home.
Here are a couple of character studies from the book I’m creating now. I’m getting to know the character and just what makes him interesting, emotionally and visually.
Time at Snowbird
Some of the joys of plein air painting are bugs in your paints, sudden gusts of wind that blow your board into your face and your hat towards the river and the every changing light. There is also a feeling that you get in your painting that seems to come from the great outdoors itself. I spent a couple of days painting up at Snowbird. I met some ladies from DC that were up at the Bird for a mathematics conference. They were putting mathematical equations to everything while I was putting paint to paper.
Working on a Book, Dummy
People ask, “What are you working on now?” I say I’m working on a book dummy. That always makes them pause. It’s very important where you put the comma. Here are a couple of studies for my new book dummy that I’m working on. One of the most exciting and satisfying times in a book is arranging the story board and working on the book dummy. It is hard to pull yourself out of the studio to do other things. You get to pull things out of your imagination and get them down on paper.
Last Week at the Boise SCBWI and Idaho Reading Association Conference
Last week was the Boise SCBWI and Idaho Reading Association Conference. I pulled up Friday to the Boise House.
The rooms were beautiful. I had the upstairs room across the hall from Karl Jones, the editor from Penguin Young Readers. He warned me not to hit my head on the slanted ceiling. I told him I would be careful.
When Sara Megibow, the literary agent with Nelson Literary, arrived, Neysa Jensen the regional advisor of SCBWI Utah/Southern Idaho walked us down to the Fork Restaurant.
We walked right through the Boise Capital Building. Neysa wrote the poem that was put to music when the building was renovated.
This is the picture of the capital dome. At Fork Restaurant, we were treated to home made potato chips and fried asparagus, mmmmmmmmm.
Across the street was Rediscovered Books.
Anne Osterlund, Miriam Forster and I signed books and met some lovely people who were going to attend the conference the next day. It was a fun signing.
After the signing, we walked back to the Boise House where I went upstairs and hit my head on the slanted ceiling.
The morning of the conference, I was greeted with sunshine through this beautiful stained glass window
and deer eating breakfast next door.
Here’s one last picture before we head to the conference
and to rival the stained glass window, here are Karl’s shoes.
There was a nice group at the conference.
I sat with Kristiana Gregory and Gloria Skurzynski, both Golden Kite winners. I did a quick sketch of Gloria.
Gloria told me to watch for a mystery coming soon from Gloria and her daughter Alane Ferguson at mysteryscenemag.com.
Neysa introduced the conference and
Sherry Dismuke started us out with a feather activity.
Karl Jones gave a keynote on “Allowing Yourself to Be Creative – and Where That Might Take You”. Here is Karl from my sketch book.
Sara Megibow talked about “Your Publishing Options”. I didn’t get a chance to see Miriam Forster and Anne Osterlund because I was presenting “A day in the Life of a Children’s Book Illustrator or When I Woke Up This Morning, I Never Thought I’d End Up Here”. It was a great conference and a wonderful opportunity to meet people who create children’s books and people who love to read them (and look at the pictures).
Presenting at Boise State
I’m getting ready to present at the Boise State SCBWI Conference. The first presentation will be “A Day in the Life of a Children’s Book Illustrator” or When I woke up this morning, I never dreamed I would end up here. The second presentation will be “Taking Notes on Life” Never leave home with out your sketch book. There will be a book signing Friday night at Rediscovered Books in Boise. The sketch is from the sketch book I took to Kenya.
How do you get ready to present? You can see how at http://youtu.be/HFa71sO1MS