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If you’ve spent a little time on this site, you probably know that I LOVE CRAFT BOOKS! I’m not sure if this is because if I’m one of those daft people for whom information goes in one ear and out the other and I actually need to read 800 craft books to “get it”, or if I just like hearing the same things over and over again.

Of course, I jest.

In actuality, I like to read so many craft books because different authors discuss the same concepts differently. I like to get multiple perspectives. Every book you write is different, and some concepts apply more to one project than another. There is no “bible” for craft books (in my opinion). I think you need a library. A library that’s ever-expanding! And yes, it’s possible I’m a little obsessed.

I thought I’d share the favorites in my current library, so you can add to yours!

Ingrid’s Top 10 Craft Books:

(as of right now, and in no particular order)

1. From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler

2. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (Eighth Edition) by Janet Burroway

3. Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principals of Screenwriting by Robert Mckee

4. The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller by John Truby

5. The Art of Fiction  by John Gardner

6. Aspects of the Novel  by E.M. Forster

7. A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver

8. Words Overflown by Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight Edited by David Jauss

9. Alone, With All that Could Happen by David Jauss

10. Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for Those Who Love Books and  For Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose

I’d love to hear what some of your favorite craft books are too. So, please share!

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erica sharp creates patterns designs and illustrations using cut japanese papers. erica also likes to combine hand drawn, mixed media and digital elements in her work. erica's mother is japanese and she lived in japan as a child which gave her an interest in washi papers. now based in london erica creates fashion and children's illustrations, paper products, patterns and teaches art and design

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valentine's day is fast approaching and one place to find something stylish and original is the thimblepress by kristen ley's etsy shop. here i have picked out some of their beautiful prints and a whole selection of valentine's cards.

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more beautiful valentine's cards next with a selection by illustrator stacie swift. they are available from stacie's etsy shop online or from selected retailers incluing the london graphic centre and east end prints. my favourite is the one above which prefectly captures the trend for painterly flowers, hand drawn text, and fashionable blue.

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Link: Jonathan Willard's blog

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I'm anxiously awaiting a figure drawing book to arrive in the mail. I'm diving back into my fine art roots. I have started gessoing some boards... although that didn't run as "smooth" as I'd hoped. They apparently didn't like drying in the cold and left a lot of crackle affects on my gesso. (Which to some may be ideal, but I'd prefer it smooth for now.)   However I believe if the drawing is exceptional  the painting and values even better then who cares for now. I'm only starting.   Tonight I thought I'd throw out a quick sketch to get me in the groove.....

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The 22nd Annual James Jones First Novel Fellowship

will be awarded to an American author of a first fiction novel-in-progress, in 2013, by the James Jones Literary Society. Novellas and collections of closely linked short stories may also be considered for the competition.

The award is intended to honor the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into modern culture exemplified by the late James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity and other prose narratives of distinction. Jones himself was the recipient of aid from many supporters as a young writer and his family, friends, and admirers have established this award of $10,000 to continue the tradition in his name. Two runner up awards of $750 each will also be given by the Jones Literary Society.

Eligibility: The competition is open to United States citizens who have not previously published a novel. Manuscripts may be submitted for publication simultaneously, but the Society must be notified of acceptance elsewhere. Officers of the James Jones Society are not eligible for the award.

Entry Fee: A $25 check/money order, payable to Wilkes University, NOT to James Jones First Novel Fellowship, must accompany each entry.  For online submissions add a $3.00 processing fee.

Manuscript Guidelines: A two-page (maximum) outline of the entire novel and the first 50 pages of the novel-in-progress are to be submitted.

The manuscript must be typed and double-spaced; outline may be single-spaced. Entrants submitting via snail mail should include their name, address, telephone number and e-mail address (if available) on the title page, but nowhere else on the manuscript. For those entrants submitting online, name, address, telephone number and e-mail address should NOT appear anywhere on the manuscript.  Pages should be numbered.

If a manuscript is selected for the final round, the author will be asked to send another copy of the originally submitted first 50 pages plus pages 51-100. Submissions will be acknowledged only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped postcard. No manuscripts will be returned.
Failure to comply with manuscript guidelines may disqualify entries.

For a copy of the press release on the winners, please submit a SASE (to the address listed in the next paragraph) marked “Winners 2013 Contest.” The press release will be available in late Fall 2013.

Entries can be mailed via SNAILMAIL or our ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM.  Hard Copy entries should be sent to the James Jones First Novel Fellowship, c/o M.A./M.F.A. in Creative Writing, Wilkes University, 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766, and postmarked no later than March 1, 2013. ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM entries should be sent to jamesjones.submishmash.com/submit.  ELECTRONIC ENTRIES should be sent no later than midnight, March 1, 2013.

The winner will be notified in September 2013. The first-prize winner must accept the award at the James Jones Literary Society Conference held each fall, usually in early November. Transportation funding will be provided. An excerpt from the winning manuscript will be published in Provincetown Arts (July 2014.)

Good Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: authors and illustrators, awards, Contests, opportunity, Places to sumit, submissions, writing Tagged: James Jones From Here to Eternity, Ten Thousand Dollar Prize, Wilkes University

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space alphabet by Irene Zacks, pictures by Peter P. Plasencia

images via Wardomatic on Flickr

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Juan Gimenez , born in Mendoza, Argentina, is one of my favorite illustrators.  He has mastered a style that is a beautiful blend of futurism and rococo.  I especially enjoy his illustrations for the comic series "The Metabarons".

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Recently, I sat down in front of my computer and Skyped with two great podcasts. If you're interested in the business side of children's books and have some time to spare (and aren't sick of hearing me yap away), give them a listen!

I chatted with fellow graphic novelists Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd on their fantastic kids' comics podcast, Kids' Comics Revolution!. Here, I delve into the business of visiting schools and libraries. My wife Gina and I put a lot of care into this programming, so it was cool to be able to share some of our practices.

Give that a listen here:



And I talked about life in art school and breaking into the kid lit market with Jeffery Yan over at RISD Voice. You can hop on over to that podcast by following this link. It's a great podcast that covers a wide variety of artistic disciplines.

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A rare day-off for Lincoln's Birthday, the big kids all gone to friends' houses, and a little sunshine on the front patio means that my littlest can have fun playing out front while mom updates things on the laptop.

Spring flowers have already arrived.

Anyway, didn't I say I might just tweak the painting a little?  Well, that wasn't exactly true.  When it came down to it, I think I tweaked it a lot.  Of course, it may not look different but, with a little close observation, one might notice differences.  Frankly, I became frustrated with the 2 flowers on the right - they became rather muddled by overworking with to many colors - I even completely painted out the bottom one and started over.

I think it's done - but I'm still not happy with the leaf - I'll just tweak it a little...

Light was an interesting challenge as I had a changing light source (a south-facing window) to my left which caused moving shadows and a secondary interior light overhead/right which created shadows of its own.  I realized that I was giving conflicting information with cast shadows of the flower petals on both sides of the vase/creamer, but I liked the shapes and decided to keep them.  And that's what was truly liberating about this project compared with the first one which was much more dependent on observation.  For this one, I gave myself permission to use more artistic license and mostly responded to what was happening on the paper.  Besides liking the shapes of some of the shadows, I also liked the orange from the flowers reflected on the porcelain surface - it wasn't nearly as pronounced in real life, but I liked it in the painting.

I still have dreams of one do doing a "quick" little still life that captures its essence with a minimum of strokes... (sigh)

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A rare day-off for Lincoln's Birthday, the big kids all gone to friends' houses, and a little sunshine on the front patio means that my littlest can have fun playing out front while mom updates things on the laptop.

Spring flowers have already arrived.

Anyway, didn't I say I might just tweak the painting a little?  Well, that wasn't exactly true.  When it came down to it, I think I tweaked it a lot.  Of course, it may not look different but, with a little close observation, one might notice differences.  Frankly, I became frustrated with the 2 flowers on the right - they became rather muddled by overworking with to many colors - I even completely painted out the bottom one and started over.

I think it's done - but I'm still not happy with the leaf - I'll just tweak it a little...

Light was an interesting challenge as I had a changing light source (a south-facing window) to my left which caused moving shadows and a secondary interior light overhead/right which created shadows of its own.  I realized that I was giving conflicting information with cast shadows of the flower petals on both sides of the vase/creamer, but I liked the shapes and decided to keep them.  And that's what was truly liberating about this project compared with the first one which was much more dependent on observation.  For this one, I gave myself permission to use more artistic license and mostly responded to what was happening on the paper.  Besides liking the shapes of some of the shadows, I also liked the orange from the flowers reflected on the porcelain surface - it wasn't nearly as pronounced in real life, but I liked it in the painting.

I still have dreams of one do doing a "quick" little still life that captures its essence with a minimum of strokes... (sigh)

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Our friends at Short of the Week, an essential website about short-form filmmaking, have recognized five animated shorts for their annual Short of the Week Awards. They chose three winners amongst films that debuted online in 2012: The Eagleman Stag by Mikey Please, I’m Fine Thanks by Eammonn O’Neill and will by Eusong Lee. The two runner-ups were I, Pet Goat II by Louis Lefebvre and Ruin by Wes Ball.

All of the shorts can be viewed on ShortOfTheWeek.com. Their site also features a roundtable discussion about the future of animation with four of the five winners.

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If you are planning on being a vendor at an art fair or convention, here are some ideas to consider for a more worthwhile experience. Especially when sales are slow and your expectations have dropped to just wanting to break even,  consider that time is not wasted if you are actively engaged in marketing your brand. Considering the amount of time and money you spend preparing for the event, making products, buying supplies, displays and promo materials, setting up and tearing down, it is important to get the most out of your time. You are not always going to hit your sales goals. But you can always make contacts, build relationships and gain more subscribers to your mailing list.

Engage in Conversation.  When people come to your booth, say “hello, how are you doing” and try to engage in a conversation. People will be more likely to buy something from you if you are friendly and can chat them up. You can ask people questions about themselves, where they are from or what they like. You never know who you will meet or what you might learn and often times more talk will lead you to figure out what that person likes and you will have a better idea of what you can offer them for sale. I have made more sales this way.

Personally hand them your business card/promo card. If they seem interested in your work, hand them a business card. I have found people are more responsive when you personally hand them something rather than them having to pick it up themselves. When you hand it to them, mention a deal you are having in your booth or online store.

Get people to sign up for your mailing list. You should always ask people to sign up for your mailing list when they buy something from you. Even if someone doesn’t buy anything but shows a genuine interest in your work, let them know you have a mailing list sign-up and explain to them the benefits of being on your mailing list. Ex “You will get updates on my latest work” or “I frequently host giveaways and you have a chance to win free art”. The more people on your mailing list, the more people you can promote to on a regular basis.

Network with other vendors. I’m surprised more vendors don’t do this. Make sure to bring someone with you to the event so that you have a chance to leave your booth every once in while. Most likely, during the curse of the day, there will be down time–a time when sales are slow to non-existent. During that time is the perfect opportunity to leave your booth and socialize with other vendors. You never know who you will meet or what you will learn. I’ve made great friends and learned of new opportunities this way. Some of those vendors can also end up being your best customers and fans.

Connect with people after the event. If you followed my advice above, you probably met quite a few new creative people and taken their business cards. When you get home, follow them on twitter, friend them on Facebook or like their Facebook pages. If I especially made a connection with someone, I will send them a quick email letting them know how nice it was to meet them and give them link to my social networks so they can connect with me. Building relationships is key and will eventually lead to more opportunities and sales.

There is more to do at a convention or art show besides making sales. If you consider sales to be the only important and valid payoff to get out of a show, you will be missing out on the greatest opportunity for building a fan base and creating lasting benefits for your business. Your time is important so make it count.

The post 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Art Vending Experience appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

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I got a lovely email from a 10 year old reader of Magic Hoofbeats, who is also a horse-drawer like me. I sent her an email with an attachment of this horse drawing.

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Here is the poster I designed for the Princeton Children’s Book Festival using characters from my upcoming release SUPER HAIR-O and the Barber of Doom.

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I hesitated posting this photo of me from the 80s. I had some concerns that you would feel inadequate in the presence of male beauty at this level. Don’t worry, dudes. I’ll post a list of my personal care tips later.

Ladies, please resist the urge to lick your screen.

But check out that t-shirt. Hawt! This was back in the days of iron-on transfer t-shirt shops. Remember those?

Jenni and I grew up in Phoenix and spent a lot of time at Metrocenter mall. I used to drag my parents to this t-shirt shop in “The Alley” where they made t-shirts to order while you waited. I love the smell of heated plastic in the morning. Smells like victory.

I’m still drooling over this memory.

They had rows and rows of record-like racks where you sifted through designs. When you found one you wanted, you’d take it to the counter, choose a t-shirt color, and they pressed it for you right there. Simple concept, magical to a geek like me.

I think this Elvis shirt was likely one of the more “normal” designs I chose. During one very special visit I picked out my design and handed it to my mom, who got an unmistakably uncomfortable look on her face. “Are you sure you want this one? Do you even know what it means?”

I assured her that yes, I knew what I wanted. By some miracle, she eventually steered me towards something else (the alternative would have been to scream “FIRE!” and run us all out of there). The shirt I originally chose read:

BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN

I stand behind my choice to this day. These days, I could make that shirt for myself anytime I want. Hmm. I smell an experiment coming on.

I still think that kind of t-shirt shop needs to resurface. Heck, maybe we’ll open it up. And I’ll be watching out for the weird kid with the questionable taste in design. I’ll hand him an application.

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Oh wow, the first 80 pages of Unlucky Charms are online.  Link

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catalogue cover by Sterling Hundley

Crayon drawing of Scrat which appears in the exhibit.

I am taking part in what sounds like a terrific show at the Delaware Art Museum called State of the Art, Illustration 100 Years after Howard Pyle. I say it sounds terrific because I haven't actually seen it yet, due to the blizzard named Nemo (thank you, Pixar) which slammed the northeast on the night of the opening. The show is described below by, David Apatoff, the curator of the exhibit and a collector and connoisseur of Illustration, past and present.

In the century following Pyle’s 1911 death, American illustration has diversified into a creative empire that includes a wide range of exciting art forms. From animated feature movies and computer images to graphic novels and conceptual art, America’s storytelling artists use the latest technologies and the newest media to tell an ever-richer blend of stories to ever-broader audiences. 
For this exciting contemporary exhibition, Guest Curator David Apatoff, illustration scholar and author of biographies on Robert Fawcett and Albert Dorne, highlights the following eight artists: story illustrator Bernie Fuchs; graphic designer Milton Glaser; MADcaricaturist and comic artist Mort Drucker; The New Yorker cover artist and character designer for animated films, Peter de Sève; editorial artist John Cuneo; painter and book artist Phil Hale; painter and magazine illustrator Sterling Hundley; and Pixar production designer Ralph Eggleston.

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I did a couple of presentations at Neverending Stories Bookstore in Franklin, Pa on Saturday. My friend Kyla filmed one of them. In case you weren’t there, now you can enjoy watching me paint Finnegan the New York City police horse.

Here’s the link.

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I did a couple of presentations at Neverending Stories Bookstore in Franklin, Pa on Saturday. My friend Kyla filmed one of them. In case you weren’t there, now you can enjoy watching me paint Finnegan the New York City police horse.

Here’s the link.

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