Happy Fall!

Today is the first day of Fall!

Getting Ready...

I'm so excited---

The Inventor's Secret, What Thomas Edison Told Henry Ford will be born on September 8, which is very, very soon. And it really does feel like having a baby.

A year of research and work went into its creation. Then lots of waiting and waiting. And in just a little over a week, I'll hold it in my hands.

Preparations are underway. Events are lined up, postcards are printing and I have some lovely bookmarks and bookplates. Two designs for bookmarks... I just couldn't decide?

The Inventor's Secret Teaser Trailer

Here's a trailer teaser for The Inventor's Secret. It's a picture book that I illustrated,

 written by the very talented Suzanne Slade and published by Charlesbridge Publishing. 

Check out this short video for a sneak peek!!!!

I'll be posting more soon about the research and fun involved in doing this project.

Stay tuned...

It's a book birthday for Footer Davis Probably is Crazy!

Today is release day for a wonderful middle grade book written by Susan Vaught and illustrated by me.

I didn't do that fabulous cover, but I did do 11 interior spot illustrations.

This was a really fun project and also a bit of a challenge. One of the best parts of the job was that I got to work with Mr. Laurent Linn, art director extraordinaire at Simon & Schuster.

When Laurent wrote to ask me about taking on this project, he mentioned that this story deals with some very difficult issues that are not typically found in a middle grade novel.

 Mental illness, murder, gun rights, child abuse, physical handicaps, etc.. 

He then supplied a list of needed illustrations which included;

A severed foot

Footer wiping snake guts off the bird feeder

A scary clown guy holding a knife dripping blood

Me? illustrate this?

Ahhhhh, 

but the illustrations were to look like Footer, an eleven year old girl, had drawn them herself.  

The project was a lot of fun. I just fell in love with Footer and her friends. Susan has written a very clever mystery with characters who navigate through some very difficult challenges. It's done with humor, tenderness, and keeps you guessing until the very end.

I am thrilled to be even a small part of such a poignant, funny, well crafted story.

Happy Book Birthday, Footer Davis! 

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

A Book Giveaway! And Illustrating Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons

Nothing like sending people from one blog to another. 

But, Yesterday I posted at The Picturebook Builders Blog a little about the process of illustrating Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons. 

Annnnnnnnnnd--- There's A book giveaway!!!!!!!!

So 'pop' on over there (here www.PictureBookBuilders.com) and leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. 

Also, if you are a picture book lover, please add your name to our email list and you'll receive notice of new posts on the site. 

Have a terrific day, Mazel tov!

My Writing Process Blog Tour

Let's go on a Blog Tour!

Writer-Illustrator extraordinaire, Claudia McGehee has asked me to answer the four questions on the My Writing Process Blog Tour. I enjoy learning about other artists'  processes and am grateful for the opportunity to share a bit of mine here. 

Claudia is the illustrator of numerous award-winning books for children. Please visit her website here to see more of her beautiful work and read her answers to the blog tour.

http://claudiaillustration.blogspot.com

Here are my answers to the questions. Although I do write, illustrating has been keeping me busy as of late. So, I've slanted the questions a bit...

What am I working on?

I'd like to describe my most recent projects because it points out one of the things I love most about getting to be an illustrator--- the diversity of each project!

Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons by Alice B. McGinty (Charlesbridge) has just been released. The story centers around Rabbi Benjamin, but his adoring congregation as well. I think I had 19 characters in that story to keep track of? Oy Vey!

I just sent in the final art for The Inventor's Secret by Suzanne Slade (Charlesbridge) which is about the friendship between Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. This, obviously, was set in the late 1880's and early 1900's. It was wonderful to learn and research so much about these fascinating men and their inventions.

Last month I illustrated a middle grade book called Footer Davis Probably is Crazy, by Susan Vaught (Simon and Schuster) where I needed to do black and white drawings that looked as though 11 year old Footer Davis had drawn them for her journals and school projects.

Right now I am in the early sketch stage for Yaks Yak by Linda Sue Park (Clarion). It's a word play picture book with fun to draw animals---- a whole lot different than Rabbi's, 1800's inventors, or alien heads!


How does my work differ from others of it's genre?

I like to think just because it's mine. That as long as I'm trying to draw, or write, in a style that feels true to my own personality and subjective taste that it would be unique in that way.


Why do I do what I do?

I love creating characters. I love seeing them come to life on a page and having the art married to the text in such an inseparable way. 


What is my working process?

If I'm illustrating a picture book, I will often let myself have some time to just sketch out any and all crazy ideas that occur to me. I try not to think too hard about limitations and restrictions at the beginning. Then I'll do really rough thumbnails trying to incorporate as many of those ideas that might work. Sometimes I go right to loose sketches and lay them out in Illustrator. As soon as I have something decipherable and think that my ideas have been adequately translated, I'll share with the Art Director and/or Editor.

Thank you, Claudia, for choosing me to be part of the tour! Happy writing and illustrating everyone!

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!