Love American Musical Geniuses and Prodigies:

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https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/exhibition/eric-carle-animals-and-friends

Starting September 13, 2015 and ending January 3, 2016.


ERIC CARLE!!!!!!


Woo hooo....one of my favorite illustrators and collage artists!!

Can't wait!!

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It helps to read other picture book biographies when writing your own. Especially when they are similar in subject matter but not identical. And this one I am studying is wonderful, I think because the mc is not super well known (at least I think not) but what he did is amazing and has so much kid appeal (which is what matters most).

Am getting there with mine and hope to be done soon.

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"You don't give up till you get what you want...and if you don't get what you want, you know you have never given up...which is as good is getting what you want." Quote by unknown artist who never got published :)

This gloomy weather is almost over and I am feeling a bit more charged up and ready to tackle the pb biography again after the great feedback and encouragement I received a few weeks ago at the illustrator mentorship. And to tweak the pig dummy and adjust color issues.

And new samples and a smaller portfolio in the works.


And and and....


perhaps work on an art show

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In a few weeks I will be attending the final installment of Evolution Resolution for Illustrators at the Theological Seminary in beautiful Princeton, NJ. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. This event comprises five meetings spread out over one year.  This final meeting is coming up in early March.

The nice thing for me is not only meeting an agent and AD but getting feedback from everyone there.
Two groups get turns with both the AD and agent, as well. We set goals and set out to accomplish them. Mine was finishing a dummy... which I did! I am also bringing new art pieces (hopefully six) and getting dummy feedback. Perhaps even another dummy I've done.

Looking forward to seeing my cohorts!

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Well, it is Super Bowl for 2.5 hours and then DOWNTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But something BIG has to happen in this episode because things have been too quiet.

Methinks Lord Gillingham is up to something...........can't wait to find out... Read the rest of this post

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When the weather is dreary
it's time to query!


My feeble attempt at rhyme................. Read the rest of this post

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I tried so hard to get tickets for the "Lion King" for Broadway's "Two for One Ticket Week" this week but it was sold out.

But as a happily ever after, I got tickets to "Kinky Boots" at the Al Hirshfeld Theater. It was great... especially "Lola". Loved it!

The unexpected bonus (not ever having been to the Hirshfeld Theater...where have I been?) was seeing the Hirshfeld illustrations and explaining the "Ninas" to my daughter. I grew up with Hirshfeld and Nina. An inspiration to my illustration love.

Yes, he is indeed the "Line King" and I am not.....

What say you, Sir Elton?

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The dummy is done. Now to shrink it and scan it and send it out.

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Getting there and confident. Can't wait to finish the dummy and send it off..... a little bit more.
Showing it to critique group this weekend for feedback.....................yes!!

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Addressing a hundred or so postcards of a pb biography project I am working on... to send to publishers, and trying so hard to think of the perfect surprise ending of a dummy I plan to submit to agents hopefully by September end. This is the hardest part of the project. Some Pixar writers say you should know this up-front (the ending), but as an illustrator I am not so sure......we'll see. But it really has to be unexpected yet tie in to story to make it linger and effective.

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Going to the Jersey Shore tomorrow. Love the Jersey Shore. May get some visual ideas for my pb dummy....... Read the rest of this post

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to get back to this project again. And hopefully have it dummied (and critiqued) by September sometime.

I love this project. I just have to finish it....... and send to agent

and I've got all summer. No excuses.







Still afloat.... unlike what is about to happen to this guy

Thank you SCBWI NJ Conference 2014 for the kick-in-the-pants I needed!

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Life, new career and training, kids and colleges, planning vacations and house projects are great but..........

My new postcards have arrived..............yummy!! And that is even betterer.

Now to get the website updated (be patient... be patient... we're getting there.)

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Today and this weekend I:


1) address, stamp and mail about 100 new postcards. Yay!!

2) Complete a few illustrations and hopefully start one more.

3) Start a new dummy which I will bring to the next illustrator event in a few weeks -- and finish over the course of  a few months... yes a few months.

4) Check with webmaster on putting up new art and taking some down.

And tomorrow is Valentine's Day so...

eat your heart out.

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It has a great cast of characters who are real and relatable. And I empathize with them. (and great actors!)

But it also has new and under done yet everyday story lines. I have not seen them before. They are not cliched or hokey or boring. They don't fade into the vast pool of true but unnoticed stuff.

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I know I posted this image on this blog years ago but I saw it again on Facebook recently.... and it is still funny (if not gross).

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Getting all excited. Making lots and lots of new art to put on my website. Out with the old and in with the new!

Stay tuned........... Read the rest of this post

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If you love Tom and Jerry as much as I love Tom and Jerry you'll love this.

Too funny!  Take a listen.

Courtesy of the Proms 2013 at the Royal Albert Hall:


http://www.cartoonbrew.com/cartoon-culture/tom-and-jerry-music-performed-like-youve-never-heard-before-88757.html

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The NY Metro Illustrator Boot Camp on Character Creation was fabulous. This is the first one I attended for this chapter but I felt at home as soon as I walked in.

My sketches were critiqued by an art director and she asked that I continue to develop more expressions and stated that my poses were good. Also, I began some color studies in class and will finish them
soon. I really learned about the Schwartz and Wade book line. They are definitely aimed at the bookstore and library market. Perhaps I will submit my pb biography to them down the road when it is ready.

My portfolio crit with Harper AD went well. She seemed to like the pieces that everyone likes. She also pointed out a few that need tweaking. She loved a new one I did that belongs in my fractured food project. Perhaps that will be my next postcard?

Lastly, we all were blessed to hear Peter McCarty's speech on how he comes up with characters. He is so funny and real and so are his characters. He really identifies with them on both a child and grown up level. And they are so true to life.

He said he often takes a year to finish the art. And it shows. Exquisite.

I love these workshops because you always come away with new ideas, ways of looking at things and of course, improvement.

Looking forward to the next one.

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And two more. Can't wait to see what the Art Director says. I'm sure she will suggest a lot of changes.

I decided to do an urban/contemporary version of Hansel and Gretl, and to make the witch a funny baker and the mother a bad cook.

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Yay!!  I finished six sketches for the Illustrating Characters Bootcamp which takes place in NYC in mid July. Here are four of them and the other two I will post once I scan them:

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Why is it that on the most beautiful days of the year I am up in my studio working? And why is that when there is next to no humidity and no need for an air conditioner I work more quickly and effectively. I just knocked out three sketches and character studies. And am pleased.
And because I am on a tight deadline that suits me just fine. Now I've got the modern witch to create and a few more sketches of the children. Happy... but wish I were outside.

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Got my assignment last night for my next illustrator day project. Looks super fun and challenging. The cool thing is that I am picking Hansel and Gretel characters to reinvent. What is really funny tho, is that yesterday I listened to the opera on the radio and got all sentimental. Having lived in Munich as a child this story was a staple in my library.

I actually had the record album as a very young child and the cover terrified me... but the music enthralled me. The story actually terrified me until I became 6/7.

Then I accompanied my family for a day in Central Park (my young stomping ground) and the Upper West Side humming Humperdinck all the way.

Anyhoo... back to character creation...sketching, sketching, sketching.  Perhaps I'll lighten the story up a bit.  And make it funny? Watch out witch!!!

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