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There is already much coverage of the SCBWI conference in various blogs that I won't be going into details with everything that happened. But I would like to share a few notes/quotes on the ones that made a big impression on me.

Illustrator Jerry Pinkney
"Every image is a portrait."

The first talk of the day at the Illustrators' intenstive. He mentioned that he saw a difference in his work when he really focused on picture books. His dedication to the craft is very apparent, especially when he said that while illustrating mongoose for a picture book, he listened to a tape of mongoose sounds. It made me realize I that I've been pretty scattered-brain lately, wanting to do different things with my art, etc., when my first love is the picture book and I still have alot to do, learn and work on. I immediately re-dedicated myself to making great picture books after his speech.

Holly McGhee, rep, Pippin Properties
"Working out of your comfort zone is essential in survival."

"Its not art if we are not in a new place."

"Never let complete ignorance get in your way."

"A simple suggestion opens the door."

A great talk about working out of your comfort zone. We all have them. Things that are out of my comfort zone: drawing different/dynamic perspective, and drawing people. I'll be working more on that.

Author/Illustrator David Wiesner
I've heard David Wiesner speak before at the Society of Illustrators. Each time I hear him speak, I get very inspired and want to go back to work right away, AND also think "Ok, why do I even bother?"

His work is incredibly amazing. I have a special fondness for the wordless picture book, so I am definitely a fan. I also saw his dedication to the craft when he showed 3-D models he had built for his book, Tuesday. He made clay models of the frogs and also a foam-core model of the clock tower that is on the cover, so he could try out different perspectives.

Author/Illustrator Tomie dePoala
What a treat to see Tomie de Poala in person! He gave some hints on making a portfolio:

-"Have I seen this before?" (your portfolio should be unique)
-"Is there too much in the portfolio?"
-Consistency in quality a must
-A portfolio is like an audition, a monologue to the art director
-Sequences are important

I was also thrilled to hear Illustrator Harry Bliss talk.....with new yorker cover after new yorker cover.....after new yorker cover. He also mentioned he won't be doing another children's book for a while. It sounds like they are pretty draining on him, he puts his blood, sweat and tears into making a great picture book. I have much respect for him.

I also enjoyed the luncheon keynote address with writer Carolyn Mackler. There were so much more but thats it for now...some food for thought!

I'm back from the SCBWI conference and had a wonderful time. Alot went on and I need some time to gather my thoughts, but two main things that came from the conference:

1. I can now see more clearly the next level I must reach and

2. Meeting some great illustrators...in person! (so many fellow bloggers/ Illustration Friday regulars!) I'm a bad blogger in that I didn't take much photos at all. This was the only one I have on the last day:
Left to right: Yours truly, Courtney Pippin-Mathur, Leeza Hernandez, Jennifer E. Morris (fellow Illustration for kids member!), "Lil" Kim Fleming(who came all the way from Australia!).

Also two other wonderful bloggers/IF-ers I met: Alicia Padron, Gina Perry and so many others. And a shout out to Ellen Crimi-Trent who couldn't make it at the last minute, I hope to meet you at the next conference!

I came away from this conference with alot of mixed emotions- inspired yet overwhelmed, recharged yet tired (2 and a half very long days!). I'll share some more details in another post. There is extensive coverage of the conference through Leeza's blog (who did live blogging, its true!), she did a wonderful job, so go check it out...(there is a picture of me making a really ugly "funny" face, I really should of just been normal!)

Happy New Year...and Stuff...

Well, after being out of the office for the better part of December (I was only actually here eight days out of the month) I'm back. While it was nice to be home to play with Murray, see my out-of-town friends who were in for the holidays, and do a little shopping, I'm happy to be at work today. I need my routine. It seems the more I have to do, the more I get done. When I'm able to sleep in and spend the day in my PJ's I tend to do both. During my time off, I watched a lot of reruns, wasted time on the Internet, occasionally napped, sporadically showered, and really didn't do much of anything. I couldn't even manage to read anything more challenging than InStyle magazine.

But that's all over with. Today I started to get and read through 09 CWIM articles. (I have a great lineup!) I've been working through a big stack of listings corrections for the book. I rescheduled my haircut because it interfered with a meeting (plan to chop off a lot, but may chicken out by Saturday). I got some material off to a freelancer. I checked in with the other editors. And I waded through a gigantic stack of snail mail (yes, we still get it). And now I blog.

Here are some random things I'd like to mention in my first post of 2008:

• Judging from their website, the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference in New York (February 8-10) does not seem to be sold out, so if you're thinking about going, hurry and make your reservations. If you attend, I'd love to hear about your experience at the event and post it on my blog. Email me at [email protected] after the conference.
• The CWIM newsletter will be emailed the second Friday of each month in 2008. If you're not a subscriber, click here to sign up. I'll continue to interview new authors for the recurring Debut Author of the Month feature which is also included on this blog.
• Be sure to visit my blog throughout January and February--as I get updates from editors and agents, I'll share important changes here (starting as soon at this week).

First - my writing and all around talented pal Christy Evers has invited me to share my books at her Chick Fil A Kids Night on September 21st 5 - 9. Come join us and eat more chikin!

Second - Registration is open for the SCBWI Carolinas 15th Annual Fall Conference. This is an extraordinary chapter and we are hosting an extraordinary event Sept 28 - 3oth in Durham NC.


Featured speakers include:
LIN OLIVER, a Co-Founder of SCBWI and a sensational speaker, is joining us for the weekend and will kick off the conference with an Opening Talk on Saturday morning. Lin will also lead a workshop on dialogue.
Julie Strauss-Gabel, Dutton Children’s Books, Sr. Editor (just announced Assistant Editorial Director)
Caitlyn Dlouhy, Simon and Schuster, Associate Editorial Director
Joy Neaves, Front Street Books, Sr. Editor
Molly O’Neill, HarperCollins, School and Library Marketing Associate (just announced moving to editorial side!)
Carole Boston Weatherford, author of many books, but most recently, MOSES, a Caldecott Honor Book, New York Times Best Seller List
Frances O’Roark Dowell, author of Chicken Boy, Dovey Coe, and Where I’d Like to Be, among other middle grade novels

Special Events include:
*Friday Editors’ Evening. This new and exciting addition to our fall conference will allow attendees to meet and mingle with all of the guest speakers on Friday evening while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, and then listen to Julie Strauss-Gabel, Joy Neaves, and Caitlyn Dloughy talk about what they think makes a good book, and why, plus read from their favorite book or work-in-progress.
*The Saturday Night Crystal Ball. All conference attendees are invited to get together for two-hours of a light dinner buffet and lots more, to help celebrate our 15th anniversary.

...and much, much more!
Download registration form here.

I had a chance to meet Wendy Mass (author of my favorite book of 2006, JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE) in person last month at Michigan Reading Association (and I am finally having time to write about it)! (This conference is a GREAT one if you ever get a chance to go. Lots and lots of great speakers--professional and children's authors.) What a treat! We met before her session and then I was able to hear her to as part of a Young Authors' Day. She spoke to a group of student authors and their families at a great event sponsored by the conference.

It is always great to meet an author who you like even better after you meet them and hear them talk. If Wendy has an official fan club, I am pretty sure that I can now qualify for president.

Wendy talked about her journey as an author and shared lots of the writing that had been published in her life. Her goal is to publish a new kind of writing each year. I was amazed that even as her success as a children's book author, she seems to be sticking with this goal--How many different ways can I be published? She has greeting cards, short stories, advertisements, articles and more. Her newest publication is a behind the scenes look at C.S. Lewis. I wasn't aware of Wendy's two books in the series TWICE UPON A TIME. I read the first few pages of each and I'm sure they'll be a hit in my classroom. They are on my "to read soon" pile.

My favorite of her publications was one that she read aloud to the group-- "The Fear of Flying," an article in a Society of Children's Book Writer's newsletter. She talked about the need for authors to fly to do author appearances. It was an article I could certainly related to since I hated to fly for so long.

In September, Wendy has a new book coming out called HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL. This book clearly calls to me. What a title!

She is currently working on a new book.

Wendy's talk was great. If you want to learn more about her and her work, here are some sites that have interviews:

Little Willow
TeensReadToo
KidsReads

And these have reviews:
Bookshelves of Doom (A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE)
Children's Literature Book Club (JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE)
Big A little a (JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE)

And here is her MySpace page.