My advice to all illustrators: find your tribe. A tribe, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, can be defined as “a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest.” As illustrators, we are a lonely bunch of people. We wrestle in isolation with our visions, attempting (most of the time in vain) to harness … Read More
An exciting week – The 2013 Tomie dePaola award presented by SCBWI was announced and my entry was given an honorable mention by Tomie himself! Alice Ratterree’s cut out silhouette stood out. I liked that she secretly added a pair of scissors on one side and a profile of Mark Twain on the other…(more) • … Read More
My entry for the 2013 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award. Papercutting is an art form that has been practiced for centuries in many different cultures throughout the world. Being a bit biased, I am particularly drawn to the Southern American heritage of artform of silhouette. A few months ago we discovered this Carew Rice paper cut: Rice, … Read More
This past weekend, SCBWI Carolinas celebrated their 20th annual conference in Charlotte, NC. I love returning to the well. Inspiring keynotes and energizing breakouts filled our time for three whole days! Illustrators arrived early on Friday for an intensive session with the charming illustrator Priscilla Burris. We were given an assignment ahead of time which was: Characters … Read More
The Petite Painting Project travelled last week. For seven days I was out of my usual creative space with two small children in tow. It was almost next to impossible, but I did it. The posting slowed, but I kept coming back to the paper each day and here’s what I learned. If I don’t … Read More
I have a new favorite book: Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty. Saying that this is my favorite book right now does not do justice to the experience I’ve had with this book, particularly at the timing of when I read it, which happened to be last weekend. Isn’t that a large … Read More
So this is the SCBWI National conference. Just so you get the picture. I get off the plane, head for the super shuttle and who is sitting next to me? Deborah Underwood, author of The Quiet Book. This sweet, gentle comforting book that has soothed me in the evenings as much as (or maybe more … Read More
Acres of time yesterday in the air and on the runway (hooray for meeting up serendipitously with Melinda Beavers en route at the airport in Albuquerque) – and some minor scrambling landing a room for an extra night – grateful for Debbie Ohi and Bonnie Adamson who kept me company while I was working through that! … Read More
