I was asked to do an interview with specific questions recently for the PEN AND INK BLOG, by artist and guest poster, Catherine Lee….they allowed me to share it here…. enjoy! I guess this is MY STORY…and a lucky, happy one it is, if I do say it myself!
 |
| Christina Tugeau |
by Catherine Lee
Edited by L. Fernandez
Christina Tugeau is an artist’s agent. She founded the Christina A. Tugeau Agency LLC in 1994.
Here’s a happy terrific woman that loves her agency adorned with a full set of wonderful artists. Perhaps we can all get inspired to love the job that we do. I hope you love the read.
1. Start Agency
I had been working for 3 ½ years with another agent in the industry, and when it became time for me to leave, I decided to start my own agency. I’d fallen in love with picture books and the people who make them! That was in March 1994. The first year I hustled a lot… but by end of the year I was making money and truly a rep! That’s when the ‘shaking nerves’ started for a time! I’d DONE it!
2. First Artist
Stacey Schuett was one of my first artists in the group…. She had done a bunch of books, and I just happened to catch her when she felt she could no longer rep herself well. My first blessing! I think the world of her as a person and an artist still! Over 18 years!! There are several still with me who came on early, but change is inevitable and not a bad thing for an artist or an agency at times.
3. ARTIST Qualities
There are several… but I have to NOTICE their style, and kno
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on 7/14/2012
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Oddly, we often find in hindsight that a ‘bad,’ or difficult situation can bring out a new or creative push that ultimately becomes very much a “good.” Actually a GIFT.
The book that doesn’t work out…and leaves you a summer to explore new ways of painting that later leads to several new books. The visit trip from hell in cold winter rains where you show up drenched and miserable but get a standing salute for showing up at all, and it’s memorable! The agent that rejects your work for the agency but has one golden ‘tid bit’ that resonates and sets you on YOUR path.
I had such an experience recently, which is why my blog has been silent for a bit. Back story: I’d been asked to co host an Artist Intensive day for the FL SCBWI group in Orlando June 15th. It was FABULOUS!, My buddy in this was the so talented, knowledgable and enthusiastic Laurent Linn, a S&S art director. (see photo below!) The group there is a very talented bunch of workers and we couldn’t have had a better time hopefully helping them along their individual paths. And the Disney Yacht Club was a bit of cool breeze paradise while there. Perfect! except I also picked up a bacterial lung infection that lead to over a month of pain, breathing and infection scares and serious recoup after probably two pneumonias with Asthmatic complications. I’m getting there now, and seeing the GOOD in the BAD again, so wanted to share. One night in hospital when there was no sleep to be found between horrific coughing bouts, I suddenly saw a “story” actually POP out of my head! and grabbed a pen and paper and wrote out the text for 15 spreads of a draft in one flourish! (ok, high level of steroids might have contributed!) And notes and characters for the illustrations! It was amazing, and after it was down on paper I actually did sleep a couple of hours. It was a story I’d been mulling sort of. I’m no picture book writer, and while an artist, not an illustrator. I SO admire my group and what they can do! So we’ll see if anything comes of it. But the FACT of it was so GOOD!
My point of course is to ALLOW these good moments to ‘free up’ in all your extraordinary, or ordinary, other moments. A lot of it is just being available for the inspiration to arrive. And we often just aren’t. My situation was unique (and I do NOT recommend it!) but something exciting might have been allowed to begin there that might never have otherwise. Good. I may not be able to pull this together to present officially to the industry, but it will happen as a personal project. I am pushed to give it a try. How can I not?
How can YOU not!
1 Comments on I’ve noticed….the Good in the Bad, last added: 7/14/2012
I just had to share this photo of the presentation of two incredible QUILTS that I humbly was a small part of (the ‘black cat napping’ square!) for two special new Mom’s of SCBWI National’s team, Sarah and Chelsea! BIG surprise for them….bet there were loads of happy tears!!! Linda R. Bernfeld and the energetic group from SCBWI Florida got the wonderful idea and put this together. They asked those of us who had been involved with their regional conferences over past couple of years to paint a square if we wished. WELL of course! Laurent Linn, from Simon and Schuster, and I were there this past June doing an artist intensive, and one of the ‘CAT artists’ and SCBWI Art Coordinator and board member, Priscilla Burris, was there last year for the same event. Others contributing squares were Paul Zelinsky, Mark Teague, Ethan Long, Pat Cummings, Linda Shurte, Brain Pinkney, Tomire dePauola, Leeza Hernandez, Dan Yaccarino, Marla Frazee and other talented people. Kimberly Lynn Strickler put the squares together into this wonderful result. What works of art they are… literally! So happy to have been a part of this kind and wonderful artist venture!
I’m very happy to share another amazing visual interview from Kathy Temean and her Writing and Illustrating Blog….check out all she does… and enjoy! NINA MATA http://kathytemean.wordpress.com
Illustrator Saturday – Nina Mata
This week I have the pleasure of introducing you to Nina Mata. You may recognize her first piece of art, since it is one that she sent in to be shown off with the other February Illustrations. Nina has been drawing for as long as she can remember. In 1996, she attended the High School of Art & Design where she concentrated in Commercial Arts minored in cheerleading, film, and boys. In 2004, she switched from Fine Arts and majored in Illustration at The Fashion Institute of Technology.
Since then she has been freelancing full-time in illustration and graphic design working with a variety of cliente. She currently is a 2D concept artist for a social gaming company. Nina says, “I love and truly enjoy what I do!” She specializes in character development, illustrating for the children’s market, editorial illustrations, children’s books illustration.
Here’s Nina: The Process
My process has changed over the course of 2 years, and it continues to change as I hone in my style, for example I have completely transitioned to digital from conceptual sketches to final works (though on occasions I will go back to a basic paper and pencil). Although my technique is constantly changing and ever evolving, there are certain steps that remain the same.
I usually start out with a few rough sketches, study the place, person, and or setting, and figure out the best way to execute the layout. I love close up shots of my characters I think the face can express so much more than the body sometimes. After I get a general idea of how I might want the finish to look like I start tightening up my sketch. Now days it’s been a lot easier for me to manipulate my sketches exactly how I want them (without wasting paper) since I can work with many different layers on Photoshop. If the work is for a client I’ll tighten up the entire sketch, but for my promotional pieces and personal work I’ll usually just sketch out the main subject and let it “tell me” about its background, it’s much more fun that way.
After the sketches are laid out how I want them, I’ll move on to coloring. Since I work digitally I usually set up a layer strictly for my color palette to save a little time looking for colors. I like to bring in my training as a traditional artist in adjacent with my digital work by first doing an under painting, especially with the skin tones, I’ll usually paint it a layer of under tone (cool purple) on top of the actual skin color.
Once I have a general rough coloring in place I would add a layer of texture on top to add a little body and a sense of hand painted look about it. Sometimes, I’ll add the texture in the beginning so I know how saturated to keep the color palette.
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on 3/28/2012
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Well, it’s been a mild early spring for the most part…in most places. Not sure March is going out like a lamb, but it’s been a nice month generally! It makes me think of our changing market…. not what we expect all the time. Lets look at our market a bit…and project how artists can be part of it better.
At the winter SCBWI conference I hear there were mixed feelings, lots of questions and not many answers. But have there ever been? I can read articles from 20 years ago that sound like they were written today. Jean Feiwel mentioned that the publishing ‘lists’ sized down in children’s…but also that they were maybe ‘publishing more effectively’. I think it was Barbara Marcus who said “this is a best seller business,” which upset many, but how is that different from the past? Publishers have to have best sellers to PAY for all the mid lists books they want to do too. It is a Balancing Act. Always has been. It was also shared that “digital sales are supplementing print – not cannibalizing it.” That can’t be a surprise can it? It’s another way to get reading material into the hands and minds of our children. Not bad. Challenging maybe, but not bad. E books and apps are a bit of a moving target however…changing as I write, but that’s an adventure in itself, isn’t it?
The headlines early this year were “Loses widen;” “Sales fall in 2011;” McGraw Hill fires 800 people.” etc. BUT I just read in PW that sales are looking better so far this past quarter overall…especially in children’ books. NICE. But I still see the hesitancy and ‘tightness’ of the children’s book industry. Optimistic but still very very careful. Publishers are focusing their lists and looking for writers and illustrators who can HELP them get where they think they want to be. OK, where that is might be a mystery to many of us, but we CAN help. I advise artists to do their very best always…in whatever style they WANT to do. I read this somewhere…. (sorry) writers and artists need to ‘tell the story ONLY they can tell.’ Do something ONLY you can do. Touch the heart and soul and make the reader laugh! Publishers are FOCUSING and tightening…you need to do the same. Understand who YOU are and what YOU have to contribute and SHOW, don’t TELL. Give yourself permission to push your creativity and your characters. Make both interesting and approachable.
So March turns into Spring for real and another quarter of industry surprises. Good…that’s what it’s all about! Take from that what you need….. and from CAT artist Priscilla Burris an image that SHOWS that:
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on 5/1/2012
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on 5/14/2012
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on 9/21/2011
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Last night I had the privilege of presenting, at a Norfolk VA library,to a group of FINE ARTISTS from the Chesapeake area, I spoke about my business (children’s book publishing and repping illustrators to that industry) and a bit about ART in general, and the Business of art in particular. I totally enjoyed myself and hope I gave the group some helpful information, motivation and entertainment as well.
What I couldn’t help notice and feel while speaking to the group was how fun it was to be speaking to FINE art again. I am a fine artist myself. I would have been in that field now had I not gotten so sick with asthma 25 years ago (from the oils and turp.) Today I do paint when I can and always enjoy it…watercolor mostly now. But my days are full of illustration and illustrators…many of whom ARE fine artists of course as well.
We are SO blessed. Art, whether painting, writing, music, dancing, acting, is a part of the you that is YOU. It can not help but to well up… bubble to the surface almost in spite of us sometimes. Creativity refuses NOT to be, doesn’t it? Being creative is a personal gift…but isn’t it wonderful how it seems to want to be shared! We need to give it out…give it away. Sometimes thankfully for compensation, but we feel the deep drive to be brave and give it to others to enjoy – to think about. It hit me again last night what a true gift it is to have that bubble in us! Let’s just let it come to the surface….. as much as possible! The world can use it……
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on 10/10/2011
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…in either case, it’s time to get cozy and ready. AND enjoy these fun visuals!
from first Cheryl Kirk Noll…. and our ground hog from Nancy Hayashi……
As we live life, create our art, ride our bikes….we are always trying to find and hold balance. But I forgot to mention the NEEDED HELMET (and other pads in strategic places maybe!) It’s just plain foolish to go on the roads without the protection of a helmet. OH, sure…we all did it as kids back in the dark ages. But would I today? absolutely not.
The same is true of protecting yourself from loss of balance in the industry too. As I mentioned in the earlier post, if you were afraid of falling off the bike, you’d never got on! So climb on, but take care of the inevitable. When the balance is lost, take steps to get it back. Get back on the bike for starters! Don’t let a dry spell keep you from creating. Pick a new ‘route’ or find a friend to journey with. Get a new bike, or tires, or water bottle (style, tool, or color of paint) Don’t be thin-skinned about comments, advice and crits! That’s what the helmet is for. Don’t cry over a skinned knee = lost assignment. Take the knocks as it makes you a better, more knowledgeable rider. Don’t forget to save money in the good times to tide you over in the lean. That imbalance in ‘weather’ is also inevitable.
NOW, I received so many cute samples of art with bikes when I did my agency ‘call out’ I just had to share them…so here you are! enjoy and jump on the bike!
from Stacey Schuett and then from Kelly Kennedy below,
above from Roger Motzkus and below from Ana Ochoa!
a tiny down hill from Melissa Iwai
This ‘How to Ride’ from Susan Drawbaugh….. and don’t we all wish we understood that book! But here’s to the RIDE of a life time….. balanced and fun!
1 Comments on more BALANCING acts….., last added: 2/27/2012
0 Comments on A time for OLD CLOTHES!!! as of 5/22/2012 1:13:00 PM
have a great one!
Good one!! Thank you!
And your son’s illustration is adorable!!!
it’s always good to know the truth… and thanks for liking Jeremy’s work! he IS good!