May Day

May this May Day bring you happy surprises and exciting new beginnings.

xo

A Gorey Friday the 13th

I looked over at my drawing board just now, and this is what I saw.

For many years I've been collecting antique photos. 

So, naturally, when I'm looking for inspiration for an upcoming picture book set in Victorian times I get to revisit my 'old' friends. 

Of course I need to take a stroll through the world of Edward Gorey, because no one captures the quirkiness of those times like he did! 

In the above picture you'll see a bit of a frontispiece that he did for Amphigorey Again. The copy inside the scroll reads,

"Frivolity, at the edge of a Moral Swamp hears Hymn Singing in the Distance and dons the Galoshes of Remorse."

  

Happy Friday the 13th! 

Wishing all of you an inspired day!

Illustrated Me

I just hung my "illustrated me" doorknob hanger on the door to my studio.

This week, fellow illustrator Claudia McGehee and I did a presentation at the Iowa City Public Library. We spoke about what it's like to be freelance illustrators and did this craft with the kids. 

There were an awful lot of talented young illustrators in attendance!

This is Oliver, our big poodle. He wasn't at the Library, but he's often in my studio. 

Celebrating Birthdays

My talented friend and fellow illustrator, Claudia McGehee, posted the artwork on her blog that she created for her daughter's birth announcement in honor of her birthday in October. I wanted to give Claudia props, because I'm totally copying her thoughtful idea.

Here's the artwork I did for my little girl's birth announcement (although you can see by her size and weight that she has never really been "little"!). I scanned this from a printed piece. I know the original lives in a drawer somewhere as a cut-up, glued down, dog-eared hodge-podge of pre-computer typesetting.

 

Today my daughter turns 17--- 

Happy Birthday to my lovely girl!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Quiet Time

Today a dear friend gave me a dear gift.

 This beautiful, old picture book. 

 The muted hues and mis-proportioned characters made me feel nostalgic. 

These were the days of quiet picture books.

When it was okay for the story and the pictures to just be simply sweet, honest and heartfelt.

 

In this book there are no dynamic typefaces.

No sub-plot.

Not even much of a plot.

It's simply about things that fall down.... 

 

 because things do.

Teenager

Happy Birthday to Will.

My baby is a teenager today.

I did a post a while back when I first started my blog. I thought it relevant and am re-posting again on this wonderful day...

Tiny, precious, baby feet. 

I know they grow up. 

I know they get taller and that they out-grow their cribs--- out-grow their clothes.

I know that strings sprout from their ears and carry tuneless music to their souls.

I know that things that used to matter don't and things that never mattered do.

I get all that. 

They grow up. 

They become bigger. 

They morph into teenagers.

But I wasn't prepared for the feet.

The big grown up feet that appeared literally overnight.

The feet that stole away the cute little piggy toes.

The man feet that will carry my tiny baby into his future.... 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Happy Birthday, Will--- We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sweet (usually) Sixteen

She's turning 16 this weekend. A beautiful young woman. Smart, headstrong, confident, a force to be reckoned with.

Happy, happy birthday Eliza! 

We love you.

xoxoxoxo

There's an App for That!

copyright 2010 Jennifer Black Reinhardt, first published by Carus Publishing for Ladybug Magazine

There's an app for everything, isn't there? 

copyright 2010 Jennifer Black Reinhardt, first published by Carus Publishing for Ladybug Magazine

And now there's even one for my portfolio. 

copyright 2010 Jennifer Black Reinhardt, first published by Carus Publishing for Ladybug Magazine

Carus Publishing selected some artwork of mine for their first ever Ipod/Itunes/Iphone app.

copyright 2010 Jennifer Black Reinhardt, first published by Carus Publishing for Ladybug Magazine

If you have kids (or even if you don't) go ahead and download it---- It's free! and it's right here--- Ladybug's Bookshelf. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!