I was out thrifting for books and had a banner day. There's no way of predicating these things, you just enjoy it when it happens. Among my treasure trove of vintage children's books are several grade school language textbooks with fab illustrations .
My apologies for the long absence on my blog, updates will be more frequent from here on out. I'm really excited to announce I will be contributing to the EDWARD SCISSORHANDS 20TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE show at Gallery Nucleus this Saturday. This will be my time exhibiting at an art show, so a special thanks to Sebastien Mesnard for asking me to be a part of the show. He put together an awesome BLOG showcasing the pieces that will be at the show. Hope everyone (in the LA area) can make it out, I'm sure it's going to be loads of fun!
Emerging Leader in the eBook and Print On Demand Markets
Interviewed by DIANNE OCHILTREE, www.ochiltreebooks.com
The back story: Telemachus Press is today’s equivalent of the classic ‘private press publisher’. Their attention to detail has earned the company its reputation for quality and value. Telemachus Press authors and illustrators can bring out-of-print titles or original work to the marketplace in all formats at once: eBook, paperback and hardback. Recently, I sat down with Claudia Jackson, founder and partner of Telemachus Press, to find out more about the company, its products and the creative community it serves.
Q: Why did you decide to establish Telemachus Press?
I’m neither a writer nor do I have any desire to become an author of popular books for the masses! I gave that up many years ago after writing and publishing several software training manuals (before they widely existed). Since then, I’ve spent many years as a computer consultant specializing in desktop publishing and printing. Recently, I found myself in a strange predicament where I had to publish a book for a friend. OK, it was my husband, Steven H. Jackson, who wrote a murder mystery titled, “Death of a Cure.” It was a tough decision that we jointly made. (Do you wait for a literary agent to sell your book to a publisher or should you publish it yourself?) I already had the background, the skill set and the software – all of the tools to get the job done. What I lacked at that time, however, was a working knowledge of the process that takes a completed manuscript and turn it into a novel or non-fiction work. Countless days and nights were spent reading, researching, studying opinions (everybody has one) and comparing the various options available.
There are many publication services on the Internet and they continue to grow in number every day. Costs can be high, complicated and very confusing. Many of the business models employed by these author services companies were anything but transparent value propositions. To be honest, there was a lot of “bait and switch” leading the author to pay and pay without any upfront, full disclosure. Be all that as it may, it doesn’t take long before the brain is overloaded with everybody’s advice, not to mention having to weed through a multitude of Internet scams. It proved to be a long and frustrating experience, not unlike the experiences read about in blogs and forums as other authors travel down this same road.
Not being one to sit around and wait for things to happen, I woke up one day and decided to not only publish this book, but to go all the way and start a publishing company focused on providing all the technical publishing services a self-published author needed in a simple and fair model.
Telemachus Press has come a long way since that first book. We have expanded our resources and continue to build an excellent network of people who not only care about the job, but care about it getting done professionally. Our references are our most important asset! At Telemachus Press, you will have someone to actually talk to, and, more importantly, someone who will not only care about the finished product, but take responsibility for it as well.
We are an advocate for you, the author!
Q: What makes your publishing company different from the many other publishers in today’s marketplace?
Full transparency to the author. We are a work-for-hire
Here's another piece for my portfolio - I love creating a piece out of nothing. I started with photo reference of lizards and went from there.
…but life has not. Sorry for lack of activity here. I'm working on a few paintings right now, and should have something in the next couple of weeks.
Just posting this sketch I did today because it had a nice flow to it, and I think she's cute.
It's Sheriff Woody and his new best friend, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.
don't forget to visit the josh pincus is crying blog
Experimenting with watercolour..
Shhh! Spring is here! Maybe, if we don't say it out loud, Spring will stay! It has been a LONG Winter and it seems at least for the moment that warm weather is here at last! Here are a few photos I took in my yard, today.
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117944948?refcatid=31
Photo above was snapped in the hallway of Disney Feature Animation (in the “Hat Building”). It’s a full-length mural, painted on the wall, I suppose to inspire the production staff to think 60s style… and, for the record, Disney never released any film in “Deluxe Color” which was owned, then, by 20th Century-Fox. Disney of course, had a long term deal with Technicolor™ (though they did strike an occasional Eastman Color print on rare occasions), but I digress…
Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation |
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| Green and Yellow, oil on gessoed ragboard, 8 x 10 inches, 2011 |
Bottled is this week's prompt at Illustration Friday. I love this little brown bottle which once held a nutritional supplement we were giving my son with autism when he was younger, and I use it over and over again in my work. I think it signifies a simpler time, when we were full of hope and energy. Still have lots of hope, but less energy! ;-) The coreopsis blossom and nasturtium leaves were from my late autumn garden. They lasted a long time in my chilly studio. The apple on the left only went into the compost bin a month or two ago...very long-lasting! This recently completed piece is on the invitation card for my upcoming show:
Nancy Bea Miller: recent workMay 4-29, 2011
Artists' House Galley
57 North 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PAReceptions:
First Friday:
May 6, 5 - 8:30pm
Sunday,
May 8, 1 - 4pm
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. They have that wonderful retro look. (For information about Aliki, 
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Tried to leave a comment earlier, but obviously pressed the wrong button. Your day will have been manic but how satisfying to reach this stage. You - and your PA - must be very excited.
So welll done, and I love it all.
Anne x
Congratulations on finishing. This drawing is beautiful! I also love her slippers.
What a lovely cosy illustration! Congratulations on a marvellous job! How long before it will hit the shops?