Children's Book Week

Happy Earth Day!

It's a beautiful day here today! 

Enjoy!!!!!

Tidings of Joy

My wish for all of you this holiday is that your hearts overflow with joy and happiness.

That you are smothered by the warmth and comfort of family and friends.

And that the coming New Year brings you peace and love.

Happy New Year!!!!

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. 

Voices in my head...

The illustration above is one that I did for a calendar a while back. Recently, an art director pointed to the watercolor on the dog's back and said, "You know what?... this is... act-tualllly... a raaaaather... sophisticated... little... illustration?"
The surprised tone of her voice inferred that I had mistakenly made something good. And, that nothing else she had seen of my work had been blessed by the same naive error.

And now, even though time has passed, each time I paint the spot on the dog's back in the book that I'm currently illustrating I hear that voice. "You know what???...."

Here's a big hug to all of us who hear voices in our heads. I hope that we all continue working happily until the good words are shouting waaaayyy louder than the whispers of snarky critics and reviewers!

Read Aloud Day

Read Aloud Day is today---

Hope you can take a moment to get lost in a book!

Silly Little Things

I bought these funny little pins at Artifacts years ago. 

I didn't know why I bought them. 

And I don't know why I kept them. 

But when I was drawing a pincushion this morning, look who appeared? Suddenly they were there without me even meaning to put them there--- without me even seeing them.

It's a snowy, blowy day here today--- 

I'm keeping warm, and drawing inspiration from silly, little things ;-)

A Very, Merry Christmas!

Merry,

Merry

Christmas!

&

A

Happy,

Happy

New

Year!

xo

Boo!

 

Happy Halloween, to all!

The Elephant in the Room

Here's to the proverbial elephant in the room. 

I found him appropriate to feature on my blog as I apologize for being away for a while. I'm sure it's the same as for many of you--- I find myself in the chaotic throws of summertime. Pulled this way and that as I mourn the loss of my peaceful work-from-home weekdays.

This is a piece that will be going out on my latest promo. It is from an assignment given to us by an art director at a recent SCBWI conference. It is from an excerpt from Kate DiCamillo's, THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT. It was really fascinating to see how other illustrators saw the same scenario.

So here's a big shout out to all of you who love your families and kids dearly, but who also suffer the loss of spontaneous creative expression.

Happy, happy summer!

Spring Hare

 

This wonderful Spring air, has inspired this Spring hare.

He hopped out of here today on my latest promotional mailer.

   

Happy Spring, everyone--- enjoy!

Leaping!

I like to think there's something a little special about today?

Hope it's wonderful!

 

Wishes...

Wishing each of you a peaceful, 

loving, 

very, 

very, 

Happy New Year!

A Little Ho Ho Ho-ing

 I promised you, in an earlier post, that I'd give you a sneak peek at what's on my art board. I'm hoping to have some fabric made for a holiday project that I'm working on. How cool is it that you can make your own fabric? Check out Spoonflower for amazing ideas and inspiration.

 

I have some big plans for gift wrap sheets and (hopefully) some gift tags which will be available at www.JBReinhardt.etsy.com, but not tooooooo soon!

I don't like it that stores start to sneak holiday sparkle in so early. Back-to-School immediately morphs into Halloween and Christmas Season nips at Halloween's heels--- basically snubbing its nose at poor, overlooked Thanksgiving. Usually by mid-November I am forced into a brain-washed-panic that I don't have all my shopping completed, wrapped, and shipped. Catalogs are delivered to my door over a month before Christmas, trying to consol me by stating that, "It's not too late to still recieve your order in time!". 

I guess I'm really not much better, am I? Well, I can promise you that none of this will be in my shop that soon!

Reborn

Big news! I have an all-new web page design thanks to the fabulously talented Ken at Rain Shadow Web Design! He is both brilliant and PATIENT. 

I began by saying... "I want it very simple".

"Easy". 

"Just artwork". 

"And here's some old wallpaper that you might want to use for the background". 

"And I'm going to send you some artwork for the homepage--- maybe some frames". 

"And a cat... 

or two... 

 or three...". 

Ahhhhhh thank you, Ken. I love it. It makes me smile! Hope it does you, too. Please check it out at

at JBReinhardt.com

Joy To The World!

And Joy to you!

I wish you peace and happiness this holiday season and lots of laughs, love, hugs, and pleasant surprises in the New Year!

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit here!

Smile

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."---- Oscar Wilde

These little critters make me smile. 

I'm loving the silly snail that randomly ended up front and center. These tug at my memories. They look so familiar, but I don't know why? It must have been something from when I was really, really little. I'll keep trying to listen to what they're saying to me, and smiling at the silly snail.