Happy Chanukah!

Happy Chanukah!

I'm not Jewish, but I absolutely loved learning about the Jewish holidays, customs, and traditions while working on Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons. The art director at Charlesbridge Publishing, Whitney Leader-Picone, is Jewish and was gracious enough to share her knowledge, passion, and personal stories with me.

Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons, written by Alice B. McGinty, was released in August and received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly. 

In the back are yummy recipes passed down from Alice's very own family members (now disguised as those of the Goldwassers and Muchnicks)!

Celebrate with Rabbi Benjamin and his loving congretion!

Happy Chanukah, everyone!!!!

(Rabbi B is available online, 

but please consider supporting your local bookstore if possible.)

"tis the Season

Here we go!!!!

xo

Happy Birthday, Rabbi Benjamin!!!!!!!

Wa---hooooo!!!!!!

Today is Publication day for Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons!

Written by Alice McGinty and published by Charlesbridge Publishing.

 I got to meet Alice on board a Mississippi Riverboat Cruise at a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrator's conference about a year ago. I couldn't stay too long at the conference because I was working hard to finish the illustrations for this book.

I know all of us involved in this loving picture book are very excited today!

Welcome, welcome, Rabbi B! 

Happy Birthday to you!!!!

xoxo

Beginning, Middle, End, Beginning...

Beginning, middle, end. The parts of a story. 

I like to think that the story of illustrating a picture book has a beginning, a middle, an end, and then another beginning?

I've just sent Charlesbridge Publishing the final artwork for "The Inventor's Secret". A longer than average picture book by author Suzanne Slade.  It's a lovely non-fiction story about the friendship between two amazing inventors, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford.

I packed up the final artwork, a year and one month from accepting the project. I took some pictures along the way of the process. Care to take a stroll?

There is lots and lots of research to do on both ends of the book. The author finds the story, seeks out the facts, and the illustrator needs to show them to the reader. And that opens up its own can of worms.

My studio sprouts piles, like the weeds growing in my untended garden.

I looked to my own collections for inspiration. Old tintypes and antique photos...

Gears and old watch parts (Thanks, Stacia!).

And I even took a field trip--- to a car museum. 

Don't I look happy to be there? This is my first ever car museum selfie!

 the middle... 

sketches approved, 

beginning to paint... 

picking palettes.

The piles turn into landslides and messes.

And at the end...

There is a pile of watercolor paper with paintings on them. 

It's a big pile, a very big pile.

And the artwork is--- 

done?

The End?

Nope-- In several months (Fall 2015), I'll get to post "The Inventor's Secret's" new beginning---

as a picture book!

May Day

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

xo

Happy Earth Day!

It's a beautiful day here today! 

Enjoy!!!!!

Taxidermy, Editors, Art Directors, Writers, and Illustrators

The SCBWI-Iowa conference was often held at The Lodge, in Bettendorf, Iowa. Enthusiastic children's book illustrators and writers from the midwest, as well as authors, illustrators, editors, and art directors flown in (usually from New York) to Iowa for the Regional SCBWI conference would find themselves in a theme hotel surrounded by incredible medieval furnishings.

(SCBWI= The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)

It certainly was different to attend book sales in a Bavarian street, share some night time beverages beside a life-sized black bear, and meander through gaslit halls.

I took just a few pictures yesterday at the conference as it will be the last time I get to see those umpteen taxidermy deer heads on the walls. 

Make way for a new hotel. The theme will most likely be modern, not Bavarian. And although I found the portrait in my room that one year just a little creepy (hung a towel over it), I think I might actually miss the humor and quirkiness--- 

just a bit?

Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons

Taaaa... Daaaaa...

Here's the cover for "Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons". 

Written by Alice B. McGinty and published by Charlesbridge Publishing. 

It's now available for pre-order and will be in hand in August!

Night and Day

One of the most wonderful things about being an illustrator is that each project is so different, and for an infinite number of reasons.

I have been working on a non-fiction picture book about Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. While the first round of sketches are with the publisher for review and fact-checking, I have been working on my own project. 

It's a dummy of a picture book that I wrote. 

How fun to go from "make Henry look more like the real Henry", to putting neckties on pigs just because I want to!

Or a crown on a frog?

I hope you find joy in what you do. 

Today and everyday!

Decisions, decisions...

I'm working on color roughs for a picture book.

It's set in the late 1800's to early 1900's. So, it seems a perfect time to incorporate some borders.

But, I need to figure out how much line I want to use. I need to think about it now, 

because this will have to stay consistent throughout the book.

So I try some different amounts.

Thank heavens for scanners.

And printers.

I think I want to keep it as painterly and hand-done looking as possible.

Homage to those beautiful postcards and scrapbooks of days gone by.

What do you think?

Decisions, decisions…