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Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I am not sure how to start this post. I thought about it while flying back and had some ideas. I should have written it then. Live and learn.
So what do I write about?
The conference?
My experiences?
What I've learned?
The people?
Geez, I could write about all of that for days.
Okay, lets give it a shot. No promises that this will not be a rambling mess since the jet lag has really hit me hard today. Note to myself: I need more than 3 hours sleep before I return home. I blame the kid in the room above mine for bouncing a damn ball. Hurray for hotel security. Hopefully they did not have to rough up him or her too bad. Maybe the ball went to the big dog park in the sky.
See, I told you that rambling was a possibility. Let me try to start this again.
Deep breath.
Exhale.
Now begin.
The day after returning home is filled with dirty laundry, puffy red eyes, a million thoughts, and a lifetime of new memories. The SCBWI LA Conference was my first national conference in over three years and my first one in LA. I've heard many stories about how great it was. Better than New York? C'mon, really? I don't think it is fair to compare them. I've love them both for different reasons. Some people think the weather is better for the LA shindig. Myself being a cold weather person, could argue for the cold streets of New York. I might be the only one arguing this point. I do live in Maine so what do you expect. The West coast was not as warm as I thought it would be. As a bonus, I did not return home with a sunburn.
Why am I talking about the weather?
See, ramblings.
Was this conference's experience something new and special? Yes, it was. I will not go into depth on the speakers and breakout sessions. I will give high praises to Dan Santat, Mem Fox, Molly Idle, and Kwame Alexander (that is how you give a speech!). Their workshops and keynotes were topnotch, well worth the trip alone. If you get a chance to see them or attend a workshop, please do so, You will not be disappointed. Just hearing Dan talk about his dedication to the art of creating books, Mem reading to everyone, Molly's poetic approach to visual character movement, Adam Rex moving from books to movies, and Kwame saying we all are going to experience great things, was enough to fill 100 notebooks.
This conference was special for a different reason.
For the first time, I really got a feeling where I am in my children's book career. No longer new at this, maybe not a seasoned veteran, but major strides have been made in the three years. I have a book out that I wrote and illustrated which I am very proud of. No one would have guessed that three years ago. There are many who work so hard to do this and will never experience the feeling of their own book. Everyone should have that joy at least once.
Now I am illustrating books for big publishers and earn a living from doing so. Again, I wish everyone who wants to do this could make a living doing so. Oh god, did this come across as bragging? I hope not. If so, I am sorry.
While talking with Danielle, we discussed that I have more stories to tell and need to get them out. Hopefully on the printed page, with pictures I would have never thought while attending my first conference that I would be writing as well as illustrating. It is a new territory for me to explore and learn. And so exciting! It is a new passion that holds hands with the illustration part of the process. That is what the conference can do. It can introduce you to new things and take you down paths that one has never explored or never thought of exploring. It is not about just being published, money, fame, etc., it is about finding another undiscovered voice. Your true voice, passion, and desires. The other things may come, but if not, and your are happy doing something you love, you already won.
Making strides.
Reaching goals.
Moving beyond boundaries.
Take in what you've learned, who you have talk to, listen to what is being said, mix it up in a beaker, and see what happens. Maybe when you attend your next conference, you can see the strides that were made.
I would like to end this post with some gushing about Danielle for a moment. It is really important to have people in your corner, helping you move along the path you desire. It is more of a like two like minded people with a common goal than a client/agent relationship. I was so excited to get to meet Danielle and the rest of Red Fox (hi Karen and Abi) in person. I cannot speak highly enough on how wonderful and welcoming they have been to me. You feel like you have known each other for a long time. Thank you for having me as part of the team.
The dryer just dinged, so it is time to fold some laundry while thinking of new story ideas.
*Please forgive any typos and grammatical errors. It is hard to type with puffy eyes.
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I just realized that it has been three months since my last post. Where did that time go? It seems like a few days ago we had over three feet of snow on the ground here in Maine. Now it is sunny and warm. The windows are open and a breeze comes drifting in, teasing me to go outside.
During this three month absence, a few things have happened. Danielle Smith (Red Fox Literary), my new agent, and I have been doing a focused mailing of a promo booklet that we put together. We have sent out around a 100 of them. Danielle is such a treat to work with and I look forward doing a ton of books with her. I am one lucky person.
The other BIG THING is that my book Faraway Friends (Sky Pony Press) has been launched into to the universe. This is my first book that I wrote and illustrated. So now I have the title of "author" added to my name. This is a bit surreal.
"I did not earn this title." I tell myself every day.
"One book does make an author." Is another one that crosses my mind. It is like one nail does not make a house.
"Is the book good enough for me to earn the right to use 'author'." I dunno.
"Am I sham?" Probably.
I reached out to a well-known author and asked her for an opinion. Her response was eye opening but warm. I was told to "Embrace it. Grow into the title. We are giving names at birth that become part of us, I should feel the same way with 'author'."
This made me smile. I am learning to feel comfortable with "author/illustrator" being attached to my name.
It is still a bit surreal.
"When you're writing a book, with people in it as opposed to animals, it is no good having people who are ordinary, because they are not going to interest your readers at all. Every writer in the world has to use the characters that have something interesting about them, and this is even more true in children's books." ~ Roald Dahl
"I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done." ~ Steven Wright
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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2015 has started off with a bang. Two weeks ago, I signed with Danielle Smith at Red Fox Literary. I am still buzzing with excitement and full of energy from this news. Am I dreaming? No one better pinch me!
After the opening "Hi Russ", I knew she was the person I wanted to help guide my career into the direction I envision it. Sometimes you just know. Danielle and I connected right away. She got me, and I, her. Her warmth, humor, and knowledge was everything, and then some, that I heard about her.
Where do I sign?
We chatted for an hour before she asked me if I wanted to be part of her team. I told her since she was at the top of my list, I would need about a half of second to decide.
"Yes!"
"Great! Welcome to Red Fox Literary."
Sound the trumpets! Happy dance time!
We have hit the ground revising my latest picture book dummy. Plus she had me send her some of my story ideas to sort through. 34. Yep, I sent her 34 story ideas. It was the War and Peace of a story list. I kept typing and typing until I was tired. I went back and counted. 34. Not all of them are zingers (thanks Primus) but I figured I would see which ideas, if any, she liked. After review, we have selected a few to get rolling which include some picture books, a chapter book, and a graphic novel. My evenings are going to be filled with "story time" for quite a while. I am looking forward to working with Danielle on these ideas and seeing if any of them land a home. This is going to be a fun journey, and one I hope lasts for many years.
I am very lucky and grateful.
I need to thank a few folks for helping me get to this next phase. They were very important in getting my work in front of Danielle and the folks at Red Fox. Thank you Jennifer Bower, Julie Falatko, and Marty Kelley for being such wonderful friends and making the introductions. I cannot express how touched I am by your support and words of encouragement, but more importantly, for being such great friends.
I would like to say thank you to my former agent, Jodell Sadler, for her help in getting me to this point in my career. Our working relationship may have ended, but our friendship will continue onward.
And now, it is "story time". I am still smiling.
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." ~ Walt Disney
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It is a bright shiny new year. Full of hope and future happiness, yet unblemished or worn to a nub. Many people have resolutions that they try to follow while others set goals. I am one of those goal oriented folks. I have the usual "write two new picture books plus a chapter book", "work more traditionally", "start developing a school visit song and dance", blah-blah-blah, just like many others in my field. I will not bore you with a long list of those goals but instead I want to talk about "today". I very rarely dwell on the past but do try to learn from it while focusing on the future. So I tend to forget about the now and today. So I will make a list of for today.
Today ...
... I will hum a tune.
... I will take a long shower and get dressed in real clothes. (Freelancers rarely shower or put on clean clothes every day. Pajamas, sweats, or even a robe are our clothes of choice.)
... I will cheer with the excitement when hearing great things that is happening to those that I know, want to know, or just think they are great, inspiring people.
... I will write something no matter what it is, good or bad.
... I will turn off the electronic world and pick up my banjo.
... I will open my sketchbook with pencil/pen in hand and let the lines explore the page.
... I will stay positive.
... I will appreciate the people in my life.
... I will smile, laugh, and be silly.
... I will stop what I am doing to look out the window for a few minutes.
... I will accept a compliment without shame.
... I will fight any self-deprecating thoughts.
... I will spend some time just for me.
... I will be not afraid of failure.
... I will love my family even more than I did yesterday.
And finally,
... I will be happy.
Today is the greatest
Day I've ever known
Can't live for tomorrow
Tomorrow's much too long
~Smashing Pumpkins
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, picture books, Marty Kelley, Teri Weidner, Debbie Ohi, Kelly Light, Mike Boldt, Russ Cox, Mike Curato, Faraway Friends, Jodell Sadler, A.J. Smith, Brina Lies, Sky Pony, Add a tag
My book is done. Well, at least my part. The last illustration was sent for Faraway Friends (Sky Pony April 2015). There are mixed emotions. Part of me is glad that it is out the door, like it has gone off to college, ready to begins a new journey. But another piece of me has the empty nest syndrome. I miss it. The studio is now quiet. Now what? What will I do with the spare time? I wonder how it is doing. Should I call? No, it needs its space. It is time for the publisher to finish nurturing it. Allowing the book to grow up and be ready to face the world.
Four years. It has taken four years to get to this point. It is hard to believe that this all started with a doodle and nudge from a friend. Thanks Debbie Ohi. Several wonderful critique partners (Laura, Sharon, Katia, and Teri) helped me form the shell of the story. My agent, Jodell Sadler, helped with the interior and flow. She also found a home for it. My critique group, The New England Critique Group Without A Name, offered wonderful feedback, advice, and insight to the artwork. There are my three muses, Lynn, Nate, and Alissa, would believed in the idea from the beginning and are my biggest cheerleaders and critics. And of course family and friends who helped with their support along the way.
The next few months will be spent on a new story book series. The first one is all dummied up and being submitted while the second and third story ideas are in the writing stages. I will miss Sheldon, Rubin, Jet, and Nova while they are away, growing up, and getting ready to graduate. We will have a reunion in the spring with school and library visits, book signings, and whatever else the publisher has in store for the 5 of us.
I am looking forward to that reunion in April.
I want to give a SHOUT OUT to friends who have books coming out or recently released. These books were written and illustrated by the person listed. I highly recommend that you add them to your bookshelf or gift list. Also support your local book store and purchase these books from them.
Always Twins (Holiday House) by Teri Weidner, release date Spring of 2015
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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The talented Gaia Cornwall invited me to partake in the Writing Process Blog Tour. Before I begin my ramble, lets learn a bit about Gaia.
Gaia Cornwall is an illustrator, surface designer, portrait artist, and picture book writer living in Providence, RI. She spends her days working from home, as her husband codes furiously in the next room, their rescue husky sleeps the day away, and their two feline supervisors keep them in line.
Gaia is an active member of SCBWI (recent faculty at the NESCBWI Conference), and currently is working on a picture book proposal that she wrote and illustrated, with several more on the way. She does design work and loves working with small, creative businesses.
And now about my writing process or as I like to call it, "stumbling about until something works":
1. What am I working on?
I am in the final illustration stages of my first book that I wrote and illustrated called Faraway Friends (Sky Pony 2015). The basic idea of the book is about a boy's friendship lost and found, usually right under his nose, after going on a space adventure while looking for the lost friend.
Being a child who moved from place-to-place due to my parents jobs, I was often left wondering how it felt to be on the other side of loosing a friend, especially from a little boy's point of view. Boys are often thought about as not having a deep sense of hurt when a friend moves away or any other sudden changes in their life. We often compensate that hurt by masking it with playing or making up some adventure where we find the answers that we are looking for whether they are true or not.
3. Why do I write what I do?
Our son was not a reader and it was a real struggle to get him to pick up a book. His mom and I thought that there was a lack of boy specific books in the market besides comic books. Comic books by the way, are what finally piqued his interest in reading and were a godsend in him turning that corner. So I am focusing on the boy's point of view of the world but also trying to pull in the girl readers as well. It is a delicate dance to do without really alienating either. If we can get boys reading more at an early age, or just to pick up a book instead of video games, it is a win-win for the parents and society.
4. How does my writing process work?
There is a Moleskine notebook that I keep with me at all times, except for the shower, that I use for story notes. From there, I actually start by sketching out a storyboard. This allows me to see the story unfold and the pacing right off the bat. I tend to get hung up on the wording so working this way tends to eliminate that snag and also allows me to use the words to fill in the gaps. Dan Yaccarino spoke of doing this method during a NESCBWI workshop a few years ago so I thought I would give it a try. I am trying to write a chapter book without visuals during breaks just to do a different method. My typing skills are limited so I am putting pen to paper for this one.
Have you had enough of ramblings? Okay, I am done. Thanks Gaia for asking me to join in the fun.
Here are the next lot of close buddies (and fellow artist rep'd by Jodell Sadler) who are lined up to tap dance, sing, make balloon animals, and chat about their writing process. Shawn Teeney (lounge singer and alligator wrestler), Greg Matusic (G Mat is his rap and street cred name), and THE Kevin Barry (award winner and yodeling machine).
Besides the process of making art, She enjoys being involved in the art community and has been running a monthly local illustration critique group. She is a volunteer at SCBWI and also enjoys teaching kids art and visiting children at local schools to talk about being an illustrator.
Shawna lives in Utah with her two very artistic little girls and a very sweet and supportive graphic designer husband. shawnajctenney.com
Greg is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). He also enjoys decaf coffee, The Clash and the game of baseball. Visit Greg online at matusic.com.
Kevin Barry is a writer, illustrator, and educator. He is grateful that the world of children's literature has afforded him the chance to wear all three hats at the same time, though his head is often very hot. When he is not feeding the hungry minds of 3rd graders, Kevin can be found sketching at the library, haunting the shelves of local bookstores, or binge watching television with his wife and cat. Kevin was the recipient of the 2014 R. Michelson Gallery Emerging Artist award and is honored (terrified) to have his work hanging in the same gallery as Dr. Seuss.
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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"The moment will arrive when you are comfortable with who you are, and what you are– bald or old or fat or poor, successful or struggling- when you don't feel the need to apologize for anything or to deny anything. To be comfortable in your own skin is the beginning of strength.” ~ Charles B. Handy
Instead of a NESCBWI conference wrap up, I would like to chat about something else. The conference was a big part of it.
I have never been comfortable in my own skin. During my childhood, I was never all that good at sports although I tried. Books smarts, meh, I did okay. I was the quiet kid in the back of the room with a pencil scribbling onto paper. Drawing my favorite characters from Famous Film Monsters magazine, comic books, movies, and cartoons. Not one of the popular kids which was fine with me. Just give me something to draw and I was happy. But I never felt like everyone else or that comfortable being the "art kid". I felt like an outsider because there were not that many "art kids" and if there were more than one, we were friends. Don't get me wrong, I had other friends but they never understood the love to draw or how I was searching for my "skin".
It seems I've spent half a century searching for my place in this world. Like a stray dog with a case of the mange, often chasing my own tail. Going round and round and round until I fall over dizzy, exhausted, and frustrated. Chasing this dream and then that dream but never finding my true passion. Everything changed this past weekend.
It took presenting a workshop on sketchbooks with my talented, hard working, and incredibly brilliant copresenter, Renee Kurilla Zulawnik, for me to realize that I have finally found the home for me. I want to be a part of the book world until I can no longer hold a pencil or until my tired old bones decide to move on to another adventure.
What was about this weekend that did this? The people. It was that simple. It is the people that I've known for a while and the new folks that I met. They support you as you struggle to be seen and/or heard, cheer for your success, hurt with you from disappointment, and rally you when you are down. We cheered as one for Kevin Barry, Marlo Garnsworthy, and Renee when they won their well deserved awards for their artwork and portfolios. We felt for those who struggling to get noticed or are too shy. We welcome you. Write and/or draw, you are one of the "art kids"
I questioned myself for about two weeks before our workshop. Did I have anything really to offer? Will I let Renee down? Would I look like a fool? Well, maybe I did but in a very fun, costume wearing way. But something happened during the presentation, I felt at home. It was okay. I am okay. Our fiends where there for support and to listen. The feedback after our workshop was phenomenal. Renee and I were thrilled, elated, and numb. I think we were a tad shocked too. We did it! As the above quote says "... the beginning of strength." A couple of "art kids" were approved by a room full of "art kids".
The book world is a family and the conferences are a homecoming. I am so lucky to be part of it. It took 4 plus years of going to conferences, listening, learning, shaking off some shyness and not standing in the back of the room, trying to hide. I know, it is hard for someone 6'5" to hide but I did try. Yes, this is the world I want to live in. To be with the other kids who never had a real place in the world. To be welcomed, loved, and made to feel at home. Comfortable of being who we are. Liking this skin that covers our pain, happiness, struggles, and creativity but no longer hiders it.
This "art kid" has become comfortable in his skin.
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Dreams do come true. How do I know? Well, let me tell you. After working on a picture book idea for two and a half years, countless revisions, rewrites, sketches, character studies, etc. my little story is going to be published. Faraway Friends, published by Sky Pony Press, will hit the book shelves in April of 2015! It all seems so surreal.
This journey started with a simple sketch. This one in fact. It was a quick doodle I did out of the blue. No real rhyme nor reason, just pencil to paper. Debbie Ohi saw the sketch and said I needed to write a story for it. Me? Write a story? You must be kidding. I cannot write a complete sentence much less a story. A few more folks started saying the same thing,"Write the damn story!" One even threatened to write it if I did not. "Okay! Okay! Okay! I will give it a shot." So I sat down one evening and started writing. No sense of direction or structure. After a few hours, I had something down on paper. I read it to my wife. She basically said that it wasn't very good. Hmmm, I guess I better get a clue on the basics of writing a story.
After chatting with many people who are real writers, Ann Whitford Paul's Writing Picture Books came up many times. So I bought a copy.
And begin to read it.
Study it.
Learn it.
Get it.
I saw my errors. And there were MANY!
With new paper in hand, I rewrote the story and shelved it for a few days.
Read it aloud.
Edit. Edit. Edit.
Shelved it again for a few weeks.
Read it again.
Edit. Edit. Edit.
Now it was ready for fresh eyes. I asked some writing friends and a few illustrators to critique the story. They were a tremendous help. Their fresh eyes saw fresh mistakes. Another round of edits.
This lump of clay was starting to take shape.
I was ready for the dummy phase.
Sketch. Erase. Sketch. Erase. Curse. Rip up. Fresh paper. Curse again.
Rinse. Repeat.
I looked up from my drawing table a few months later and had a dummy. It was then that I went back to the words and saw more flaws and mistakes.
Read it aloud. Read it to my wife.
Edit. Edit. Edit.
Shelved it again for a few weeks.
A-ha! Epiphany!
What I learned at this point was that my method to doing my own stories was to work out the visuals first and the let the words flow, pulling it all together. You can teach an old dog a new trick.
What happened next was the extra-locomotive in the train. Pushing, gaining steam in this little engine that could. I landed an agent.
Jodell Sadler was a godsend. She worked with me on the wording and flow of the dummy. We did several variations of the story and layout.
Again, time to:
Edit. Edit. Edit.
Sketch. Erase. Sketch. Erase.
Rinse. Repeat.
Faraway Friends was shown to our newly formed critique group. Lots of good feedback and comments. I then knew the dummy were ready.
The dummy was sent out into the world with no training wheels. It wobbled here and there with some rejections, but then it gathered its balance. Picking up speed. One publisher was interested. And then another called.
What?!?
This is crazy!
A contract was sent. It was from Sky Pony Press. Julie Matysik, the editor, wanted it on their list for 2015.
Signed.
Sealed.
Now it is time to deliver.
It is easy to toss in the towel and give up. It is part of human nature. But sometimes you must have faith in what you are doing, you don't stop believing (cue Journey now).
The journey is not over (every pun intended). It really has just begun (do not cue The Carpenters). The past two and a half years were the qualifying races before the main event. Now it is a race to the finish. September will be here in a heartbeat.
The silly doodle that leapt onto the paper one evening will now be printed, bound, and hopefully read to a child. Dreams do come true.
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"The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege." ~ Charles Kuralt
After getting through the holidays and a busy start to 2014, it dawned on me that I have not posted an update on my blog in three months. The last post was about our trip to Italy. Since then, a lot has happened professionally and in my personal life. I thought about writing about those events but it is a new year so time start fresh. As I started writing for this post, I had to rush to Tennessee last week for my uncle's funeral. His death has made me realize what is the most important thing in life, family. The few days that I was there, we laughed, hugged, told stories, remembered, visited, and let bygones be bygones. It has been ages since we were all together. I missed my other two uncle's funerals, my wife told me I needed to get down there this time and it would be good for me to be around everyone. "You need good dose of Tennessee!" is what she said. Since moving to Maine, or Southern Canada as some family members refer to Maine, it has been harder for my wife and I to get back to our childhood homes to visit. As we get older, the importance of family reunions, visits, and special events such as weddings and graduations is magnified. We need to enjoy each others company and discard any past drama or spats. None of us will know when the phone will ring with not-so-happy news. Or when we will be subject of such news. I will miss my Uncle Eddie. He was a good person with a kind heart and would do anything for you without asking for anything in return. His last good deed was to bring us all together to celebrate his life and our family.
I tried keeping this blog for more of my professional news and events with a sprinkle of personal stuff. For 2014 and beyond, I want add more personal events and general thoughts. Some will have photos while others will be just words or musings. Thanks for following the past few years and I hope you stick around a bit longer.
Russ
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38-Just about every bathroom has a bidet. Now my wife wants one in our bathroom.
39-Every McDonalds was packed. I guess you can eat only so much fine food before craving some grease.
41-Sparkling or still water is served with every meal.
43-The people drive like madmen and would give New Yorkers a run for their money. I enjoyed it!
44-Italian are stunningly beautiful, especially the older women.
45-Italian men have a classy dress style that I wish I could pull off. Maybe I could if I wore clothing that did not have a band name on the front or Levi's on the tag.
46-Lots of bands play Bologna. Radiohead and the Damned just played there.
48-I was the palest person in the whole country.
49-You do not see billboards.
50-Phone and electrical lines are buried.
52-Walking up the hill to San Luca in Bologna is quite a hike. We saw people jogging it and thought they were nuts.
53-Coming down the hill was a breeze!
55- I am glad my wife kept a journal, because I would forget a lot of the trip.
56-Celebrating 25 years of marriage in Italy with the amazing and wonderful Lynn was the best part of the whole trip.
Ciao!
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Geez, I just realized that it has been almost two months since I last posted. Where has the summer gone? Here in Maine, we have begun our preparation for winter with the stacking of firewood, getting the snowblower ready, putting gardens to bed, watching the leaves start to fall, and the bringing out the warmer clothes from their hibernation. I am ready for the cooler air but my wife has not embraced the coming cold. Of course she wears a sweater during the summer.
In the last few months, a lot of things have happened here in Otis Land. I started doing illustration work for A&E which has been a blast. My good friend, Ilene Block, is the creative director there so that is my "in". I also in the final stages of a new book with Islandport Press. We are working together on Lynn Plourde's new Christmas book. Once it is in print production, I can reveal more. During this chaos, I managed to just finish up the fifth installment for an ongoing app with Nine22 Media. There is talk of book project after the new year. I also squeezed a quick illustration for Peter Reynolds Dot Day and was on the Celebri-Dot page. Check out the blog and see the other wonderful illustrations that were submitted. Katie Davis has listed us on her blog as well.
Freddy the Frogcaster, written by Janice Dean (Yes, Janice Dean of Fox News Weather fame), was with Regnery Kids. The story revolves around a little frog with the ability to forecast the weather. He can much better than the local weather celebrity. The book also has some basic weather terms in the back so it doubles as an educational book. Recently it was featured on the Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee. Amazon has it available for purchase. Below is how the book and characters came to life.
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As summer flies by and the heat stifles us here in Maine, I ventured down into the coolness of the basement to post an update. Maine is not known for its 90 + degree weather so I think most of us are looking forward to fall. Dare I say it? Maybe even some snow would be good right now. I know, I know, too soon but it would feel good.
Since my last post, I have been keeping busy with many different projects. Currently on my "to do" list is a children's puzzle, a book for Islandport Press, some characters for A&E, the 5th installment for an ongoing app series, plus many other goodies. Plus I have another book waiting for me when the madness ends. While working on these fun-filled projects, I am still writing my own stories, trying to get them to a point to where my agent can submit to various publishing houses. We are close with one of them so fingers crossed when it is finally sent out the door. I am excited, nervous, anxious, scared, and just about every other emotion one can think of. The feeling is almost like sending your grown children out into the world. Almost.
Here are some current images from my sketchbook. I am still trying to find some time to work in it late in the evenings or as a morning warmup. Many of the above sketches were created while on vacation. Yeah, I squeezed a vacation into the past month. And I know, is it vacation if you draw and paint the whole time. For artist, it is the perfect time to do so.
Speaking of said vacation, I did my annual trip to Monhegan Island with a group of artist. There was a group of about 25 artist, scattered among three houses. We had our usual 7 crazies at The Field House. It is a fun, very talented group who get along so well. After a long day of painting and drawing, we gather at various houses in the evening for dinner, drinks, and games plus a critique of the days work if we feel inclined. Clyde, the seagull, was back for his annual visit as well. We kept him well fed as he entertained us in the evenings with his song and dance. It was a very relaxing, peaceful week with no pressures of doing anything. Lots of naps did take place during the heat of the day and after lunch. The island is such a diverse place to walk and hike. You get a bit of everything from forests to cliffs to a village to peaceful areas of a cove. If you never been there, it should be on your must visit list, even for just a day.
Well it is time to get back into the work groove. Lynn and I are planning a trip to Italy in September which we are looking forward to seeing. It will be our 25th anniversary. Italy is the perfect place to celebrate it.
I will report back soon with an update, until then, enjoy this quote.
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Hello June, where did May go? I blinked and it was over. It was a crazy month filled with what seemed like non-stop action. The biggest event was our lovely daughter, Alissa, getting married. We are excited to welcome Andrew Aho to our family. It was a beautiful day for a wedding. The ceremony was held outdoors in Lancaster County Park in area along a river. I had the honor of walking her down the aisle, er, road. We shared a good cry before the walk, but that quickly turned into many laughs as we arrived to the altar. The ceremony with off without a hitch, well, almost, I forgot to give her away but quickly recovered. Freudian slip perhaps? Everyone went to the pavilion afterwards for the reception. Lots of food, fun, and laughter were enjoyed by all. The newlyweds we not planning on a honeymoon but everyone pitched in and gave them a trip to Atlanta for few days. Andrew's boss has a home there so he provided them with keys to the house and airline tickets. They will be living in the Lancaster area until October when the two of them will be heading to San Diego. Andrew is enlisting into the Navy with his sights set on becoming a Navy Seal. Alissa will go back to school for veterinary medicine. As they begin their new life together, Lynn and I are looking forward to seeing the new chapter unfold for the two of them.
Earlier in the month was the NESCBWI conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. I look forward to this conference every year as it is a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and learn from the various guest speakers. This year I focused on the writing side of the book creation process. The various workshops helped me gain a better understanding on how to write, especially for children. Some of the standout sessions were "Writing for Boys", "Writing in Verse", and "Creative Meditation". I also attended some workshops on school and library visits, another area I need help in. It is something I want, and need, to do more of so I can find a comfort level with doing a presentation. Many of my friends won awards or placed in the poster contest so there was some celebrating later in the evenings. This year I volunteered again as it is an excellent way to meet people and get your face out there. The goal for next year is to present a workshop or two.
Besides the marriage of our daughter, the other exciting news is that Major Manners won a Benjamin Franklin Gold Award for Best Children's Book Interior (design and illustration). The book also received a silver for the Children's Book Audio category. The publisher, Outhouse Ink, had me come to New York fir the ceremony. I had a great time hanging out with Beth and Mike Hofer. They are wonderful people and I am so happy for them getting the awards. We are already talking about the sequel so stay tuned!
While in New York, I attended BEA (Book Expo of America). It was an opportunity to see all of the publishers in one place and meet a few folks. I also got a chance to say "hi" to folks I've only chatted with through emails. I may try to attend again next year with an additional trip to the ALA.
As far as my projects, I am in the midst of reworking my picture book. Before heading out on my break, I sent the latest version to my agent. We chatted about some additional tweaks but we are getting closer. I also began work on a new story which could be a combination of an early chapter book with a graphic novel. The first draft is done so it is soon time to really write the story. In the meantime, I am working on two new picture book ideas. We would like to have a couple of the stories ready in case there is some interest from publishers. With all if this, I am working on a picture book for Islandport Press plus an app and several other illustration projects. Busy times here in the studio.
That should get us caught up for the time being. I am looking forward to what June may bring but it will tough, almost impossible, to top May.
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Hello everyone! Just a quick post announcing that my new website is now online. I kept it clean and simple, trying to keep the emphasis on the artwork. My other goal was to keep the two styles that I have in their on sections. You can view the new site here.
The New England SCBWI Conference is in a few days so I still need to get a few other elements in place before I head out the door. If you are going to be at the conference, make sure to say "hi".
"I write for what's left of the eight-year-old still rattling around inside my head." ~ Chris Van Allsburg
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Fellow illustrator buddy and Mainer, Hazel Mitchell asked me to participate in a blog tour. Hazel and I have known each other for a while. We usually travel together to conferences, book events, etc and are Pixel Shavings members. Hazel has several books out or coming out this year including One Word Pearl (Mackinac Island Press, an imprint of Charlesbridge). You can read more of Hazel's book adventures at http://hazelmitchell.blogspot.com
So now it is my turn to answer a few questions.
1) What is the working title of your next book?
Merry Moosey Christmas written by Lynn Plourde.
2) Where did the book idea come from for the book?
Lynn is a well known author of many children's books and quite the character so who knows where she gets these fun ideas.
3) What genre does your book fall into?
A holiday picture book.
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
John Goodman or Larry The Cable Guy would be good for Moosey.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Since we are still in the middle of developing the artwork, I cannot reveal anything at this moment.
6) Who is publishing your book?
Islandport Press
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Lynn had the manuscript written, so Melissa Kim, the editor, contacted me about illustrating the story. We did a series of character studies and just finished up a storyboard within the past month. The final art will be due in November.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Maybe a holiday version of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.
9) Who or what inspired you to write and/or illustrate this book?
Since Islandport Press is a Maine publisher and Lynn is a Maine-based author, I really wanted to do something close to home and with my fellow Maine-ahs.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
Lynn's constant action in the story and hopefully the artwork will catch and eye or two. Plus it will make a wonderful Christmas gift.
Merry Moosey Christmas will be available the fall of 2014.
Check back soon for another author illustrator to link to in this blog tour....
Russ
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It is shameful that I have neglected my blog for this long. I am sure many of you have moved on and forgotten about it as well. Extra time has been very limited and tends to get away from me. Not that it has been all work and no play, that is not the case but some things are put on hold until those precious moments open up. This afternoon was an open moment.
I must first congratulate many of my friends who either have books coming out soon or they are already in the bookstores. Their success is very inspiring and I am very happy for each of them. Some of the folks are Kelly Light, Debbie Ohi, Fred Koehler, Courtney Pippin-Mathur, Mike Curato, and many others. It is a pleasure to say "I know them." Be sure to check out the books they have illustrated and/or wrote. You will be hearing from them for years to come.
As for my world, I am reworking my Faraway Friends story as per notes from my agent and critique partners. We have changed the ending and are adding more humorous elements to entice boys to read it. Once the wording is finalized, I will start working on new sketches for the dummy. The overall character's look and feel will change as well. I know, I know, this will be the 4th round of character sketches but I do want them just right. This first attempt has lead me to begin working on a few other stories including one that is going to be an early chapter book. Writing is so new to me and a vast learning experience. In May, I will be at the NESCBWI conference and signed up for lots of writing workshops. Looking forward to improving that skill. I tip my hat to those who write on a regular basis. Blocking out time for writing is something I must do a better job of scheduling. As of now, I spend my Friday evenings at the library. It gets me away from my studio and allows me to focus. You cannot beat the reference material that one is surrounded with.
Islandport Press and I are teaming up to do a holiday book that will be out in 2014. The very funny and talented Lynn Plourde wrote the story. All I can say is that I will be wearing moose antlers during book signings.
The book I illustrated for Capstone should be out in June. Once it is printed, I can share more details. We had a blast putting it together and I hope that shows in the final product.
Amongst the other paying gigs, I found time to do a new promo piece. This was from an older sketch that was worked up into a full drawing and color added via Photoshop. I was working in Painter 12 but have decided to go back to Photoshop at least for the watercolor look. It does a better job of giving you that traditional look. You can see the steps that I did in rendering the sketch. At the very end, I put an overlay of tan to pull it all together. This will be used on my next postcard. Now I have to do something for the back.
My wife and I will be heading to Pennsylvania in May after the conference. Our daughter is getting married. Her husband to be, Andrew, is a great guy and we are excited to have him join our family. He has no idea what he is getting into with this motley crew.
Well, that is it for the moment. Thanks for reading this far and sticking around. Until next time, I leave you with this.
"You can't do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh." ~ John Singer Sargent
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Sorry for the delay in positing anything but there has been a lot going on here. It looks like I can cross number 7 off my "10 Goals for 2013" list. I happy to announce that I now have an agent and joined Sadler-Cavarette Children's Literary. I am very excited about getting on the ground floor of this new agency. We have been chatting for the last few weeks and now everything fell into place. Posting my sketches and doodles is what caught their eye so I can say that social networking does work. They are going to help me develop my story ideas as well as my illustration style. So it is now time to roll up my sleeves and really get to work. This year is off to a great start.
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With the new year, I was thinking about writing about some accomplishments that happened in 2012 but thought, "I should focus on today, tomorrow, and beyond." Not that I am not proud or happy with 2012, in fact it succeeded my expectations, but as a personal goal, I needed to list what I am working towards. It will be interesting to see at this time next year, what was accomplished. The list is in no particular order except for number 1, that is a must. So here is the list:
10-Get better at the banjo. My banjo is quite pissed at me for neglecting it. Time to make amends.
9-Find more personal time to relax and recharge. Very obvious.
8-Write, write, write, and write some more. My journal is filling up with story ideas, I just need to actually write them.
7- Find an agent to help me in developing my stories and to build a long term relationship.
6-Improve my skills. I've already signed up for some fine art courses (alla prima painting, color theory and mixing, and portraiture) this winter so they should help with number 5.
5-Do more traditional pieces. This is for my fine art and book work.
4-Read more of the classics.
3-Take the next step. I am not sure exactly what this is, but I felt that if I wrote it down and looked at this list once in a while, it may become clearer.
2-Get out of my comfort zone. Go to more author/illustrator lectures and book signing, do school visits, teach a class, give a lecture, and do a Pecha Kucha in Portland. They have asked me several times to do one so I need to get off my ass and do it.
1- Take my darling wife to Italy for our 25th anniversary. We have chatted about doing this for a long time so 2013 is the year to make it happen.
We shall see how the year plays out. My sleeves are rolled up and pencils are sharpened, lets go!
Cheers to 2013!
"Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties." ~ Helen Keller
Blog: Illustration, animation and general thoughts from the merry land of Otis. (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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No long and winded blog post for you to endure and have to fidget through. I just want to wish you "Happy Holidays"! May it be a season of sharing happiness and love to the people in your life.
Since the Mayan shindig was a bust, I will see you in 2013! Thanks for reading this past year.
Russ and Otis
PS Light a special candle on the holiday you celebrate for those who we lost this year, especially this past Friday. Hug those special people in your life real tight.
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"The art trade brings with it certain prejudices ... particularly ideas that painting is a gift -— well yes, a gift, but not as they make it appear; one must reach out and take it (and that taking is a difficult thing), not wait until it manifests itself of its own accord. ... one learns by doing. One becomes a painter by painting. If one wants to become a painter, if one has passion, if one feels what you feel, then one can do it, but this can go hand in hand with difficulty, worries, disappointments, times of melancholy, of powerlessness and all that." ~ Vincent Van Gogh
For this post, there will be no photos, sketches, or any support images. Only a chat about why we, as artist and people in general, seek validation from our peers and question our abilities. Before we go further, I am not writing this for a pat on the back or some accolades, just to get this weight off of my shoulders. What started this self doubt, is that I have been experimenting with my style and learning new techniques, trying to improve but questioning my abilities along the way. One would think that after being an illustrator for such a long time, those thoughts would never creep into one's brain. But they do. I think why this happens is that we are striving for a perfection that we may never achieve. No matter how many times people tell us otherwise, we see the imperfections in our work. After a while, those thoughts add up and self doubt rears its questioning head. "Am I good enough? Will anyone want me to work on their book or projects? If so, why? Will my peers like the artwork?" The over thinking begins to fester and grow.
One reason why this may happen is that we can look too much at the work and accomplished of others, especially those we admire. Yes, we should look around and absorb the creations by other artists but too much of a good thing can be damaging. We all have said, "I wish I could (insert one or more of the following: paint, draw, write, photograph, etc.) like (fill in the blank)." The thing is we will never be able to create like those people. We don't think, hold a pencil or brush, mix a color, etc. like that person or persons. We can loose ourselves by thinking like that instead of seeing what we do and how we create. Each of us are special and offer our own voice.
Trying to be perfect can hinder the message, especially in picture books. It is not about the technique but the character(s) and story but about getting that emotion across. Our very own perfection will come out naturally. This was a hard one for me to ingest. I wanted every line, stroke, color choice, background element, etc. perfect, loosing the message and the characters personality but just as importantly, the fun of what I do.
What snapped me out of this funk, I was having a conversation with a dear friend and fellow artist who told me to look at what I have done just this year. Several new book projects, some awards, a gallery show, a piece shown at the R. Michelson Galleries, and a my first picture book dummy ready for submission. I am not one to look back, always forward, but having done so, I missed enjoying those accomplishments. She also told me to stop fidgeting with my artwork, let it alone, it is good enough, instead concentrate on my writing. She sees stories in my doodles, sketches, etc. that need to be developed and brought to life. My wife has been saying this for years but sometimes you need that smack down from a fellow artist for it to sink in. Thanks Kelly and Lynn, I now get it.
With a bit of reflection, and new found energy, I am thrown aside this "over-thinking-self-doubt-attaining-perfection syndrome." Story ideas have begun to flood my head and it is time to get them down onto paper. As much as I want to, I have not gone back and proofread this post so it stands as is with any grammar, puncheon, and typos. I must be on my way to a full recovery.
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I know I am running a bit behind on my postings but I am doing a quick pre-thanksgiving post about last week. It all started with a trip to Northampton, Massachusetts to the R. Michelson Galleries for the 23rd Annual Children's Book Exhibit. There were many top-notch illustrators, authors, editors, etc., there for the event. Many of them are household names. I was literally "hanging" with Dr. Seuss since my Mother Goose piece was on display. It won three awards last spring and one of them was for it to be displayed at the gallery. What an honor! Everyone at the gallery was so wonderful and supportive. I did not feel too much like a little fish in a big pond. It helped that many of my friends showed up for the show. A big thank you to all of them.
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Oh, if all this is not enough, I am doing a Schoolism Painter class with Ryan Woodward. I felt like I needed a jump start with the software. This is a great class for anyone who wants to learn Painter and pick up a few techniques along the way. The above image are a few samples from the course. I still need to finish it up before it expires. I promise you that I do sleep from time-to-time.
Well that is it for this posting. I do hope to have some things to show very soon and maybe a few more announcements so please hang in there.
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RUSS. So much good news. I am SO EXCITED. I knew some of this good news, but not nearly all of it. I love Lynn Plourde (GO MAINE!). YAY. Also I thought you were 17 years old like me so I don't get how you can have a kid getting married. But we'll hash that out at the next meetup. Mostly I want to say YAY at all your good news!
Congrats at all your good news, Russ! Hope you know how inspiring you are. Antje