Friday night was opening night for our 2013 Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Southern Breeze (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi) Gallery Show hosted at the Decatur Library by the Georgia Center for the Book during the Decatur Arts Festival opening ArtWalk. We had ten artists showing their work in this year's show: Prescott Hill; Jill Dubin; Yours truly, Elizabeth Dulemba; Laura Freeman; Mark Braught; Laura Knorr (Braught); Bill Mayer; Susan Nees; and Sarah Frances Hardy.
     Many of the artists and their spouses were in attendance for opening night. (Click to see larger.) From the left is: Scott Nees; Susan Nees; Lisa Michaels - wife to Prescott Hill; Laura Freeman; me; Joe Davich of the Georgia Center for the Book; Bill Mayer; Amy Schimler; Lee Mayer, Mark Braught; and my hubbie Stan.

Each art piece was accompanied by its corresponding book title and it came together beautifully...




     Our opening night was a blast, catered by Badda Bing. We did a sketch challenge - each illustrator draws a few lines adding to an illustration that ends up being... well, that's anybody's guess!

When we finished with the challenge, two young attendees decided to do their own challenge... so cute.


I tried to do a better job with photos this year—so here are the illustrators with their work...
Amy Schimler...

Bill Mayer (who apparently always takes photos like this...)
Laura Freeman...

Mark Braught... (Unfortunately, his wife Laura couldn't make it to pose with her pieces...)

Prescott with his wife, Lisa...

Susan, celebrating her first time in the show...

And me, who apparently can't stay still long enough for her picture to be taken...

Not that I was the only goof that night...

     Afterwards we went to Colbeh Persian restaurant for a fun-filled fall apart. What a great time! Peeps, good art, good food, and general mayhem - what could be better?
     The intent of the show is to impart the idea that book art is art and that the children's books you enjoy are indeed works of art—performance art, which is not fully realized until being enjoyed by a reader.
     And while opening night is a blast - the real treasure is after we leave and the show is enjoyed by thousands of library patrons as they wander through. Stan and I went back the next day and were privy to some of the wonderful comments and interest in just the short time we were there.
     We're so grateful to the Decatur Library and the Georgia Center for the Book—the library is the perfect place to host our show!

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SCBWI picked up on our idea of Video Studio Tours (great ideas seem to float through the universe like that), and they've made some official SCBWI videos I think you'll find educational. They are:

Paul Schmid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxeUr4Nv2Sc&feature=youtu.be

Julie Paschkis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt9V4ZycTRY&feature=youtu.be

Mike Cressy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joxIcMrn3JM

Kathleen Kemly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aNhhOaEN_I

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Today kicks of the 94th annual Children's Book Week, May 13-19, hosted by the Children's Book Council. The lovely poster is illustrated by Brian Selznick and is free to schools and libraries. CLICK HERE for more information!

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The next Sketch-Book Event is scheduled for Saturday, May 4 at 10:00am. This time out we'll have live models. . . horses! Our next location will take place at the Little Creek Farm Conservancy. This is a free event. Make sure you RSVP to michael at austinillustration dot com.

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On March 9th, 13 Breezer illustrators (and one writer) visited the fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta, on our second Artists’ Date. We brought sketchbooks and cameras, and spent two luxurious hours soaking in the atmosphere. The historic Fox Theater was originally built as a Shriner’s temple in the late 1920s and the interior is described as a masterpiece of trompe l’oeil. There are false balconies, beams, and tents, as well as ornate grillwork, lamps, phone booths, closets, and doors. No item, even the most practical, has been left unadorned. It was truly a feast for the eyes. We visited different areas within the auditorium, as well as the lobbies, restrooms, back hallway, and the Egyptian Ballroom. Afterwards at lunch in a nearby restaurant, the illustrators passed around their sketchbooks – sharing the morning’s inspirations. Below are some sketches from the day. Can't wait for the next Artists' Date!

– Lisa Lowe Stauffer

Jan Clifton Watford also did a nice write up on her blog - CLICK HERE TO READ.

Heather Ozee's sketches:


Jan Clifton Watford's sketches:


Leighanne Schneider's sketches:

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More on our wonderful 2013 Illustrators' Day...

     That's a quote—and tip—I take to heart from illustrator Will Terry, who spoke recently at the SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators’ Day during Springmingle in February. It has taken many years of yearning and indecision before finally pursuing a career in illustration, and I can thank such encouragement from others for my commitment to stay the course.
     It was an eye-opening and rewarding experience to be able to show my portfolio to the distinguished professionals and to view those of fellow illustrators in attendance at the conference. I took away lots to think about regarding career directions as well as how my work may develop. The illustrious speakers and the officers and volunteers of Southern Breeze deserve a hearty and appreciative thank you for producing such an information-packed event. This was the first SCBWI conference I have attended, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting several members of Southern Breeze. I look forward to seeing them again at future conferences and events!
     While I did not have the pleasure of knowing Liz Conrad in her lifetime, what I have learned is that “never quit” can be used to describe her tenacity for life in the face of great adversity. One can but admire and want to emulate the courage and work ethic that enabled her to pursue her greatest passion throughout all her days. As a graduate student on a budget, I was very fortunate to attend the 2013 Springmingle weekend on the scholarship made possible by the family and friends of Liz Conrad. It is a privilege and a great honor. Thank you so much for your generosity!

– Denise Plauché

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Go beyond the internet for your artistic research, escape creative isolation and explore new environments to keep fresh. Regardless if you’re an SCBWI writer or illustrator, you’re invited to visit the world of Ali Baba and Aladdin at the historic Fox Theatre for the next Southern Breeze Sketch-Book Event. 

The theme book for this outing is The Arabian Nights. Inside the opulent Atlanta theatre, Scheherazade’s tales of fearsome Jinni, ravenous Ghouls, flying carpets and magic wishes challenge your creativity.

And if that wasn’t enough, we’ve planned several optional challenges designed to have participants approach their sketches and stories from a new perspective. We’ve also developed imagination prompts to help fuel your creativity.

So don’t wait to see and hear about how others were inspired by this rare opportunity. Join us for the next Sketch-Book Event at the Fox Theater in Atlanta on Saturday, March 9 at 10:00am. There are a limited number of slots available, so make sure you RSVP to michael@austinillustration.com. Note that there is a $5 guide fee for this event.

Afterwards, we plan to go for lunch at Baraonda.

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This was our first year to combine our SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators' Day with our annual Springmingle conference and I have to admit, it was a complete success! The Century Marriott is lovely, a definite notch up on the woosie scale. Our speakers were fantastic: Chad Beckerman, Abrams Creative Director; Dianne Hess, Scholastic Executive Editor; Mark Braught, Illustrator Mentor; and Will Terry, who wowed everybody's socks off with his insightful presentation!

     Chad definitely sold me on Instagram. Apparently he finds artists there sometimes. How's that for a new and innovative way to search for talent?

     Will gave us a quick history of how the business has changed over the last decade or so, and where he believes it's going. Truly - he is an entertaining and great speaker. I wish I could fly to Utah and take his class. His talk was one of the best I've ever heard.
     Dianne went over illustration advertising postcards and websites, giving us a peek into what jumps out to a publisher - invaluable! As was the portfolio reviews session.
     At only 2 minutes per portfolio, it goes quickly, but everybody's work gets seen, and the commentary is a learning experience for everybody.

     The results of Mark's mentoring project were also outstanding! The 12 folks who signed up early enough to work with Mark definitely ended up with some new portfolio pieces! (Click the photo to see it larger.)
     I have to say, the quality level of the portfolios shown during Illustrators' Day gets better and better every year. Along with our Scholarship Winner, Denise Plauché, we had Lori Nichols who has won two runner-ups at the SCBWI National conference portfolio shows, and Heather Lund, the SCAD student who provided our wonderful signage (above).
     The Cocktail Party (sign by Brian Prince) was a hit as well. As I expected, the visitor list was small for our first year, but I have a feeling word is going to spread about this one. (I kept getting emails from folks saying "I want to come!") It was such a great opportunity to mingle and talk shop. All while admiring attendee portfolios and the example portfolios Stuart Shapiro brought from Binders Art Supply to show attendees the sort of options they have.
     Thanks again to Binders for generously hosting the Cocktail Party. I think it was definitely worth their time, as well as ours. I look forward to this becoming an Atlanta industry event! (CLICK HERE to put yourself on the invite list for next year!)
     Be looking for announcements about next year's Illustrators' Day in November or December of this year. This has become an event you don't want to miss!

PS - If you took some great photos of Illustrators' Day, please email them to me at elizabeth at dulemba dot com and I'll include them in this post!

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Hi Illustrators, We need a volunteer to write a 250-word wrap up of this year's Illustrators' Day and Cocktail Party! Is that YOU???? Just shoot me an email at elizabeth at dulemba dot com. Thanks! e

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As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend is our SCBWI - Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Southern Breeze region (Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi) Spring conference.
     Along with our speakers for Illustrators' Day, we also have Nikki Grimes (poet), Jill Corcoran (agent), Katherine Jacobs (editor), Carmen Deedy (author), and Beck McDowell (author). Wowsa!
     And here is yet another wonderful poster for the event created by Heather Lund, SCAD Atlanta student.

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Today we're off to the Century Marriott Hotel to host our 2013 SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators' Day! This is the first year we will be coinciding with Springmingle, our weekend-long regional conference. So, needless to say, it's going to be a crazy, but FUN, weekend!
     We have an exciting line-up: Chad Beckerman, Creative Director at Abrams Books for Young Readers and Amulet; Dianne Hess, Executive Editor at Scholastic and Blue Sky Press; Will Terry, illustrator and innovator; and Mark Braught, illustrator and mentor. CLICK HERE to see the entire line-up and schedule.
     Even better - this year we're hosting an ILlustrators' Day Cocktail Party to take place at the end of our sessions - hosted by Binders Art Supply! Local Art Directors are welcome to stop by to view our attendee portfolios. (If you'd like an invite, just email elizabeth at dulemba dot com.) We're still building our invite list, so it will be small this year, but we hope this will catch on quickly.
     We also got some help this year from students at SCAD Atlanta who did our awesome signage. How sweet are these?
     Be looking for a wrap-up of the event soon!

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Hi all! Welcome to our next installment of the Southern Breeze Illustrators' Video Tours. Today, we are getting a peek inside (and outside!) the working studio of the wonderful award winning author/illustrator Sarah Campbell.

Here's her website for more information about Sarah and her books . . . AND she has some great news about another book on the horizon.

Enjoy!!!




Sarah's Studio from richard campbell on Vimeo.

Scroll down and check out our other Southern Breeze tours!

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This year's winner of the Liz Conrad Scholarship Fund is Denise Plauché! Denise will receive free tuition to both Illustrators' Day AND Springmingle.
     We had several amazing submissions this year to sort through - there is no shortage of talent in our Southern Breeze region! So if you didn't win this year, please try again next year!
     Of the three pieces Denise submitted, this one will be her featured piece during the award ceremony:

CLICK HERE to see more of Denise's beautiful work!

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You’re invited to step into the setting of these tales and awaken your imagination as Southern Breeze illustrators make a visit to the beautifully outlandish, opulent, and grandiose Atlanta monument, the Fox Theatre, for our next Sketch/Book Event. Bring your sketchbook, camera and your preferred illustration tools for this rare opportunity as we enter the mosque-like structure, complete with minarets, onion domes, and an interior décor even more lavish than its façade, seeking new sources of inspiration. The Arabian courtyard backdrop of the auditorium just may be just the exotic inspiration you’ve been seeking to unlock your own collection of tales, written or illustrated.

When: Saturday, March 9, 2013

Time: 10:00 am ‘til noon — we’ll all go for lunch afterwards at Baraonda .

Where: We’ll meet at the Fox Theatre arcade.
The address is 660 Peachtree Street, NE
The Fox Theatre does not own or operate parking facilities; however, a number of pay parking lots surround the Fox Theatre. For specific information see the Fox Directions/parking and MARTA page on their website at www.foxtheatre.org.

RSVP:
The number of participants is limited, so be sure to RSVP as soon as possible to michael@austinillustration.com
There is a $5 guide fee.

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This came through our Illustrator Coordinator message board today and I thought some of you might be interested...

Subject: 1st Nami Island International Illustration Concours

Hello,
   This is Meriel from Nami Island International Illustration Concours office
   I just would like to let you know *1**st** Nami Island International Illustration Concours (NiiiC)*.
   *Nami Island* (South Korea) is the official sponsor of *Hans Christian Andersen Awards* and enthusiastic supporter for children’s literature.
   Also, Nami Island has been working closely with International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). For the first time,
   Nami Island holds children’s book illustration competition to encourage creativity, imagination and inspiration of the world’s illustrators.
   Nami Island will promote winners and winning works globally and publish those works if they haven’t been published.
   Also, works of winners will be exhibited during the festival in Nami Island and in Seoul in Korea, and more benefits will be given to winners.
   If you are or know someone as enthusiastic illustrator as Nami Island is, please participate in the concours or spread the words!
   Please refer to the attached file that is for NiiiC
   The following is NiiiC's official website : *www.nambookfestival.com*
Kind regards,
Meriel Lee
Nami Island International Illustration Concours Secretariat
Phone: +82 2753 1246

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Winners and their work has been announced at http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Tomie-dePaola-Award. Go check it out!

The Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award, is given annually to an illustrator of promise chosen by Tomie himself. The award consists full tuition, transportation and accommodations to the New York Winter Conference held in Manhattan. The winning piece of art will be featured at the annual winter conference in New York.

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Hello Illustrators,

Just a reminder that the Liz Conrad Scholarship Fund is now open for submissions. One lucky applicant will win free tuition to both Illustrators' Day and Springmingle! Visit http://sbillustrators.blogspot.com/p/scholarship.html for more details and the application form.

Registration is also open for our 2013 Illustrators' Day on February 22nd - the Friday before Springmingle (this is a new date from previous years). Visit http://sbillustrators.blogspot.com/p/illustrators-day.html to see the impressive line-up of speakers and follow the link to register.

Hope to see you there!
e
Elizabeth O. Dulemba
Children's Book Author/Illustrator
http://dulemba.com

Illustrator Coordinator for the
SCBWI Southern Breeze region
serving Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi
http://www.southern-breeze.org/
http://sbillustrators.blogspot.com/

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Hi all! First off, I hope everyone had a blast at the Sketch Crawl on Saturday. I can't wait to hear about it, and maybe see some pictures . . . anyone? anyone?

Next, I'd like to welcome all of you to my workspace through this short video tour of my studio. It's a bit lived-in and cluttered, but it's mine.

Enjoy!!






To see our first video of the fabulously organized Elizabeth Dulemba's workspace, click here. Stay tuned--we're making these tours a regular feature on our Southern Breeze Illustrator's Corner!

Sarah Frances

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Hi, Artsy Breezers!

Elizabeth said it was all right to share a little printmaking demo on my new art blog today.  A teacher had asked me for permission to post a few pictures in a Powerpoint about relief prints for her fourth graders.  I figured it was time I did a little how-to as well.

Here's the link - http://artsyletters.com/?p=113

Hope everyone is having a creative start to fall - Robyn

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After overwhelming positive response to our first Sketch-Book Event at Oakland Cemetery, we have decided to continue with the mayhem!  We can’t wait to let you in on the eclectic list of sites and featured books we’ve got planned to help ignite your imagination.  Relax!  We don’t want you to have to choose between us, trick-or-treating, turkey and Santa, so we’ve decided to dodge hectic holiday plans and schedule the next event in early 2013.  We’ll begin posting details on the next event soon, so keep checking back!  We look forward to seeing you again at the next Sketch-Book Event. . . now go bake something. . . it’s fall, for cryin’ out loud!

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Our winners were announced at the recent 2012 wik (writing and illustrating for kids) conferences in Birmingham, Alabama. This year's theme was "PJ tried and tried..." and the judge was Executive Art Director Deborah Kaplan of Penguin Young Readers. Congratulations to the winners!!

FIRST PLACE WINNER - Beth Rommel
"PJ tried and tried to make friends with the horses."

The judge said, "This illustration is beautifully distinctive and tells a story without having read the words. The playful use of mixed pattern and color and of positive and negative visual space make it wonderfully appealing."

SECOND PLACE WINNER - Judith Barber
"PJ tried and tried but could never seem to fit in."

The judge said, "Nicely rendered with a whimsical lively style. The animals are expressive and humorous."

HONORABLE MENTION - Kristen Applebee
"PJ tried and tried but couldn't think of anything fun to do. Summer Stinks!"

The judge said, "This illustrator accomplished a lot without words! A great way to handle a complicated scene with good use of foreground/background and a lot of expressive children and pets!"

HONORABLE MENTION - Laurie Sikorowski
"PJ tried and tried to be perfect, then stopped and became perfectly herself instead."

The judge said, "I loved the text here! And what that can bring to the imagination. The illustration is an interesting combination of paint and collage."

CONGRATULATIONS to all!

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Hi all!! Welcome to our third Southern Breeze studio tour featuring the lovely and talented Kristen Applebee (AKA one of the winners of the recent Southern Breeze Illustrator Contest!!)

Enjoy!

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Illustrators' Day has moved to February 22nd - butting up against Springmingle this year. CLICK HERE for details and to go register.

Also, submissions are now open for the Liz Conrad Scholarship Fund. One winner will be chosen to attend both Illustrators' Day and Springmingle for FREE. CLICK HERE for details about that!

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We're kicking off the New Year with our fourth studio tour from the super talented author/illustrator Alison Hertz whose debut picture book Flap was released in November of 2012.  Check out her website here.

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