Here's a bit of fun... at least I had fun making it.

I'm experimenting with making movies to show how I create illustrations. I figure if I ever do presentations, it'd make for an interesting mix in the digital slide show. There's no reason a digital slide show couldn't include movies these days. It's all done in iMovie, which I find is very fun to work with.

The music is a bit sappy, but that can change. I tried the 'Ken Burns Effect' on the still photos... that's always interesting.

I could imagine making movies about the rough sketches, the finish pencils, making changes, using InDesign... and more of a step by step process of how it'd all be done. I'll definitely need better lighting and a tripod. It's hard to paint with one hand and hold a camera with the other!

There's just something about watching an artist at work...

John Abbott Nezovitch

So, job all done. I spent yesterday (ugly, rainy day) all cozy and dry, working away at positioning the undersea creatures and their thought bubbles onto the background. I can't even imagine anymore doing this all on paper. Have I become lazy or what!:)

I hope someone else has something to post soon, even I am becoming bored with me:)

Chris

Aside from spending the past two weekends gutting our finished (but underwater) basement of all the rug, sub flooring, drywall and tons of junk hoarded over the past 30 years in the house and filling 2 dumpsters with it.... I am working on a poster for a government group aimed at kids and drugs.

It's a lot of fun, very cartoony and being done almost all in Photoshop.

I have the background done up, then positioned all the sea critters throughout it. Below is the rough, in b/w and there will be many, many thought bubbles coming from each creature.

Here are 2 of the same guys coloured.

The poster will be 8" by 24". It's a nice contract, nice people to work with (I know the designer well, we have worked together a lot) and restful really to go back to the simple cartoons for a bit of a break.

P.S. June... I got it:)

Chris

It is that time of year again, when the Children's Book Industry gather in Bologna, Italy,  to show and sell their new titles.

I am not going to attend this year's show,  having been for the last few years I decided to take a break.  But a friend is going along,  and kindly took a few of my sample cards to leave with clients... so who knows,  maybe something good will come of that!

I hope everyone here who has books at the fair hears news of good sales figures soon.

Jack has his own webite! Check out  www.JACKSTALENT.com

"Jack's Talent"

Coming in Summer 07

By Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Would love for you to take a look at their brand new website: TEXandSUGAR.com !! There are lots of games and links about music. Give the cowgirl wannabe who wrote the book some input!

Their new book will be officially published tomorrow!!!!!

It must be SPRING, it's finally warmer then -40 C with the windchill factor!!!

OK, so it's only 20C at the moment and there is no snow/ice melt happening as yet but the change in the temps does  give one hope that Spring is just around the corner.

Here's to Spring, my favorite season!!!

Chris

What do bloggers look like? Well, here is a limited edition set of four, as seen at the fabulous Whispering Pines Writer's Retreat last weekend. It's Ilene Richard, Barb Johansen Newman, Sharon Lane Holm, and Moi, Liz Goulet Dubois. Collect 'em all! Anyone else have any recent sightings?

Hi - Here is the cover of Jack's Talent out in July. I know- It looks nothing like the dummy.  Jack will have his own website: jackstalent.com. I hope to have it up in the spring...I need a buzz. Maryann

After looking at Chris's great dummy- I say: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! Send it.  And send it to many publishers. I love the premise that sometime you have to brake the rules.  I posted this awful sketch. It is the cover to my dummy. This book sold and will be out this year. What I am pointing out...You're dummy is more than ready! PS- My images here are never clear- what am I doing wrong?....Maryann

While some of our members are off in NYC having a great ol time, getting up to heaven knows what mischief, others are holed up under a blanket of snow in a frozen waste land plugging away.

Pretty soon they will be back and hopefully have lots of news and loads of fun photo's to post in regards to their SCBWI conference weekend.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd put up a few page samples of a story I have worked on.  I have shelved it many times but seem to be drawn back to it over and over. I have reworked the art, going from my more traditional watery acrylic, brush to paper, to a very cartoony digital finish.

I wonder how many barely started,  half finished, finished manuscripts writers have in their studios at any given time?  When one book does get published, how many others exist on their shelves, or deep in a drawer.

I still have no idea what I will do with it, it may once again be shoved into it's cozy dark spot on the shelf. These 3 spreads are from the middle of the book, just for fun.

Chris

I just made it back from my second day wandering the aisles to and fro at the Seattle mid-winter ALA conference. And let me tell you... there are a gazillion books and almost as many publishers out there.

I'll just let some of the pictures speak for themselves... but take note of some very special books very special books by some of the uber-talented artiste's on this blog!

Not only does the cover of the new Sterling catalogue feature the art from 'Tex & Sugar' by Barbara Johansen Newman... but they had a big blow up of the book on the canvas awning over their booth! Awesome...

And I just luv the FULL PAGE spread in the Little Brown catalogue that features Janee Trasler's wonderful characters from 'Ghost Eats it All'. That's an amazing compliment to the artistry I think, to just do a two page spread of the characters.

Anyhow, what a once in a lifetime opportunity to dive into the ocean of book publishing. And I understand the summertime event is 4 times bigger!!!

John Nez

Hmmm- looming deadlines, illnesses, a floor that's more laundry than rug. Feeling creative yet? It's not easy! Being creative under the gun must be one of the hardest aspects of freelancing. My best line of defense against Freelance Stress (besides a hearty dose of Nervine, that is) is to have my studio and projects as organized as possible, including updated calendars, corkboards, and folders. It's never a perfect system, but somehow keeping things in visual order keeps me from wigging out. What do YOU do to keep stress out of the studio??

Liz Goulet Dubois

Well, after almost a year since I have had any real work I had almost become resided to the fact that it was all over. I was intending on becoming a house wife once more, minus any kids to take care of... but... BORING!!!!!

Yesterday I was in the Children's Library when a book cover caught my eye. It was a new picture book published by Dutton and what drew me to it was... the image was a CARTOON!

The Illustrations were all cartoons, just like the sort I used to do before I completely bought the line from almost every publisher I ever sent my samples to that they do not USE cartoons.

So, with nothing to lose I have decided to revisit my roots and try again to submit in the style I was born doing. I think this might be my first cartoon promo in 7 years, not sure if this will go out or not yet but at least I'm not bored anymore:)

Chris

I will use only the freshest brand of Wax Paper.

I will spend more time painting on canvas and think BIG.

I will work harder to avoid all nagging details and keep after my dreams.

I will paint my way through the forgotten back roads of the West, driving a 1947 Ford. I will sleep in the back seat and eat at picturesque diners.

I will search looking for landscapes to capture on canvas in simple shapes with no more than 3 simple colors.

I will spend two weeks in a moss covered woods, watching owls... I will keep a campfire going day and night.

I will spend more time living in the past and only occasionally drift into the present.

I will wear plaid shirts or blue cotton shirts for weeks on end.

I will unplug my telephone and look for wooded property in the country... with a view.

I will visit Paris and London dressed in corduroy and visit out of the way museums and cafes.

I will move into a houseboat with a mysterious, attractive foreigner who speaks only dutch.

I will finally get a new futon frame to put in the basement and toss out the old couch!

With Best Wishes, from Sharon.

I'm trying to post by myself. Hopefully I'll become more computer literate this year. Wish me luck. No pressure on Christmas day!!!

On this lovely, springlike Christmas Eve, I wish you all the best for today, tomorrow...and beyond into 2007- may all of the visions of contracts dancing in your heads come true! Virtual cookies for all, and to all a good night!

Liz Goulet Dubois

A simple recipe:
Peanut butter smeared onto pine cones, then rolled into a mixture of cracked corn and sunflower seeds. I have these hanging in my backyard as my Christmas gift to birds and squirrels.

Snowless in Boston this Christmas Eve.... June, do you have these lovely cardinals in the UK? At this time of the year these male cardinals flitter about in my backyard shrubbery and add a flash of color to the bleakness. Wishing everyone Season's Greetings!

Shennen

For you . . . us . . . everyone.

My best,
kevan

For those of you who have snow... I shall think of you with 'slight' envy as here in Bristol UK it is foggy, grey and damp.

Light snowfall brings special magic at Christmastime, though heavy snowfall can be troublesome! So I wish you all 'light flurries of special magic' for the festive season!

Whatever you celebrate, enjoy the good company and warmth of family and friends.

June

Have a nice quiet holiday everyone!

Janet Montecalvo

It's coming, ready or not:)

This past Sat,  two of my  daughters put on a Christmas party that beat all. They worked together on it, hosting it at my oldest girls home. Her 4 children, especially the littlest ones, were all crazy excited and my daughter in law, my 2 son's in law, my son and my daughter Erin's mother in law and sister in law joined us. Great food but the best part were the games. My Grandson Brandon and I were a team and we beat the PANTS off everyone else.... and isn't that really what Christmas is all about:)

OK, so maybe the game about naming Christmas songs wasn't fair to Lee and Candice (mom and sister in law of daughter Erin) as they are Jewish but..... hey, Brandon and I still came in second on answering the Adam Sandler movie questions, and that in the dreidle song, it's made of clay. That Lee just beat us to the buzzer:) This in law team also got the name of the song, "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire", when Brandon and I had drawn a blank! They were just showing off:)

Lots of good food, drinks, fun and noise and seriously, in my opinion,  that IS what holidays are about. Bringing us all closer and etching memories that get you through the tough times.

So, Happy Holidays to all of my friends here, wether you sing the dreidle song or CROAOF, it's all about the love!!!

This holiday greeting is an oldy but a goody.

Chris

Well it is December 16, and I have finally joined this group. It definately takes me a while to get my act
together. Thank-you Barbara for sending the invite to me again. I promise I will try to contribute what I can, and when I can.
I also wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday Season, and my we all get fantastic jobs in the New Year!
Ilene

I guess I don't have too many Christmas images in my repetoire (although I do have plenty of old ones that I don't like too much!). So here are some kids that reminded me of what I will be doing next week- my annual office cookie swap! There's nothing more fun than taking home 10 pounds of miscellaneous cookies! Every year I do the decorated cut-out sugar cookies. I have to make a whole mess of them...like 80! It's my favorite kind, though, because I can use some of my cookie cutter collection. I always do trees, snowmen, the holly leaf, etc. But every year I like to throw in some unexpected ones too- the Enchanted Christmas Goldfish, The Decked-Out Dolphin, and maybe the Magical Holiday Bunny. We'll see!

Liz Goulet Dubois