Picture Bookies Showcase

Good news for illustrators of children's books! Picture Bookies Showcase is now accepting submissions of illustrations to post on their blog. This is a great way for illustrators to get some web exposure and there is no cost. See Sherry Rogers' blog for all the details and get those illos out there!

The blog is sponsered by a small group of children's book illustrators:

• Ginger Nielson
• Sherry L Rogers
• Amy Cullings Moreno
• Kathleen Rietz
• Paige Keiser
• Bron Smith
• Kristi Valiant
• Gina Pfleegor

IF - Pale

They met under the pale moon kite.

8.5 x 11

pastel on paper

This is a project I'm participating in with Westside Illustrators (SCBWI) in Santa Monica. The challenge was to create an illustration from three words randomly selected.

These are the words I was assigned:
SPACESHIP - SEA LIFE - URBAN

"Can Fish Fly?"
8.5 x 11
pastel on paper

This was my first version using Sea Life, Spaceship, and Urban. But half way thru adding the color, I thought, "Why didn't I make the characters cats instead of children?". So I had to try ... while I was at it I simplified the image and made it more whimsical.

IF - Contained

Max's excitement could not be contained - wind or no wind.

It was just a little homemade kite made from a couple of plastic grocery bags and two wooden skewers. Though it had been breezy that morning, fate would have it, there was not a wisp of wind that afternoon, but Max was in love. He ran around the huge field like a wild stallion set free, towing his kite behind him. Wish I'd had my camera, but this will have to do.

I highly recommend these kite plans from an Austrailian website, MyBestKite.com. I stumbled across them while looking for inspiration for an illustration I'm working o that included kites.

A Kite For Kids - The MBK Tiny Tots Diamond

Kassidy's Kite
decorated with permanent markers

The instructions looked so easy I had to try it. We let the grandkids decorate them with markers and helped them assemble the kites. It didn't take too long and they were amazingly easy to fly. We had no wind to speak of that afternoon, so the kids ran with them in tow & had a blast. Plus they were tuckered out that evening! Later we did have a chance to fly the kites with wind and they're very easy to fly... no skill required. Hope you can try them out!

CLICK HERE FOR KITE INSTRUCTIONS

PS: This is my first attempt at finishing a drawing in Photo Shop rather than pastels like I usually do... I enjoyed the process, but have quite a lot to learn to get the vibrant rich colors I like so much.

IF - Resolve

Let's resolve to take more time to
smell the flowers in 2009.

"Tickled"
pastel on paper
8 x 10

Some "smell the flowers" moments from 2008 for me are:

• Reading a story to a child.

• Sighting a pair of Blue Birds in our back yard for the first time in 25 years of living here.

• Soaking up the sights & sounds & smells of the California Coastal Redwoods, taking a million pictures as if I could capture some of it's grandeur in my little Canon.

• Receiving a long distance "Happy Birthday song" on my voice mail from a grandchild. That was August - I still can't delete it :)

• A summer evening walk by the beach with my one and only.

• Spending the afternoon at the Discovery Science Center with the grandchildren and watching them explore with wonder and excitement. Spending the evening collapsed on the couch!
  

• Waking up early one December morn to find a fresh cut Christmas tree adorned with lights that my husband had set up during the night to surprise me.

• Playing Secret Santa and "Kris Kringling" a friend with a six year old.
  

• Serving (at least) 20 cups of hot cocoa to my 2 year old granddaughter made in her Elmo kitchen. She drank every last make believe drop, then we made some more for Elmo.

• A big pot of soup on a cold rainy day.

I'd love to hear about your "smell the flowers"
moments in 2008.
Your comments are always welcome!

Appreciation for Children's Books 7 Illustration is Thriving

This is the 7th year that I've been involved with the Chemers Gallery Children's Book Illustration Show in Tustin, CA. I have to say, the enthusiasm of our community is amazing! Visitors came from all over LA and Orange County. It's always a popular event, in fact we have customers ask as early as July if we've chosen the illustrators for the December show yet. I look forward to this event too. The illustrations are new, exciting and inspiring every year. It's always such a pleasure to meet the artists and observe as they happily meet their peers & fans and how they admire one another's original artwork with awe. Art buyers eagerly anticipate this time of year too, and are tickled to find treasured illustrations that speak to them and become part of their collections.

Melissa Sweet signing for a delighted fan (photo by yours truly)
Beth Krommes, Holly Meade, Elisa Kleven & Zachary Pullen were also present

At the opening Saturday, I couldn't help but notice, more than ever, what a grand celebration this event is for so many different kinds of people. It is a celebration of the craft of storytelling through illustration, a celebration of children's literature, a celebration of the love of reading, learning, and exploring our world. It is a celebration that is enjoyed by children and their parents and/or grandparents, together. Educators, librarians, children's book enthusiasts, art collectors, artists and writers all love viewing the original art, reading the stories, and listening to the artists as they share their insights. And, of course, giant piles of big, fat delicious cookies and Ronald McDonald magic tricks help add to the fun too!

Ronald McDonald entertaining visitors. (photo by Jennifer Geisert)

The impression I come away with is that even with all the razzle-dazzle of modern media, a love and appreciation for a good old fashioned "hold in your hand" children's book, and hand drawn illustrations are alive and well!

More about the Show

More pictures

IF - Similar

I met these three pals while experimenting with black lines on a not so long plane flight.

IF - Balloon

Sometimes a person's just gotta doodle. This little guy reappeared from childhood memories.

Nap Time
graphite

Maybe one day I'll finish him in color. If I do, he'll be powder blue with a little fuzz missing.