so pleased today to also note the launch of Christine Kornacki’s illustrated new book THE FIRST CHRISTMAS NIGHT written by Keith Christopher and published by Ideals Children’s Books ((a Guideposts company). Her lush finished oils are amazing!

And thought I’d mention that Stacey Schuett’s newly illustrated HANUKKAH IN ALASKA written by Barbara Brown and published by Henry Holt is also newly launched.

Priscilla Burris’s newest HEIDI HECKELBECK series book   “and the Christmas Surprise” is out now as well from Little Simon…a MOST popular series indeed.  Written by Wanda Coven.

and why not mention a couple of other nice mentions in PW I missed before! Aug. 19 edition of the magazine noted DON’T SNEEZE AT THE WEDDING by Pamela Mayer, and illustrated by our Martha Aviles!  both “find broad appeal and comedy in each of their vividly imagined vignettes.”  This book is just launched in Sept.

The Aug. 26th edition nicely reviewed THE INVISIBLE BOY written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by our Patrice Barton for Knopf.  These two “understand classroom dynamics (Baron is especially good at portraying how children gauge the attitude of their peers and act accordingly) and wisely refrain from lecturing readers….”  Wow. It launches in Oct.      congratulations all! most exciting! 

Because I was at the dentist for 2 hrs this morning…this RULE seemed appropriate!

EXCITING that this new book from Little Simon/Simon Spotlight is hitting the stores today!!   ISABELLE AND ISABELLA’S LITTLE BOOK OF RULES  illustrated by our own Priscilla Burris!  Sure you saw and read about how one of them dropped the book in a parking lot and it was rescued by an employee and the news got a hold of it…then Little Simon jumped on it!  We’re ever so glad….. READ and enjoy!

I was just catching up with my HORN BOOK reading…love that magazine…. and noticed that Melissa Iwai has a nice review in the Sept Oct edition for TRUCK STOP, written by Anne Rockwell from Viking.  It’s a lovely story about noticing and caring, but is a must for any young truck lover!   “Iwai’s mixed-media collage art uses texture, bright colors, and a variety of perspectives to draw readers in.” It’s an honor to get a review in Horn Book.  Book deserves it….. Hope you’ll check it out.

Melissa’s also been busy doing signings…one today at Books of Wonder in fact! (NYC…favorite book store!)  And these will include the new full length board book of B IS FOR BULLDOZER written by June Sobel from Houghtin Mifflin Harcourt.  It’s been a trade book since 2003 but this is new….lovely to see new editions keeping a good book in print longer.  Again, for the truck loving child it’s such fun!

And if you haven’t yet visited Melissa Iwai’s blog THE HUNGRY ARTIST you are missing good food and insider artist tips….yummmm…..

Callie Grant, illus. by Jeremy Tugeau. Graham Blanchard (Spring Arbor, dist.), $8.99 (24p) ISBN 978-0-9854090-4-3

PW review in Sept 16th 2013 edition, page 59!! that’s my son and artist Jeremy and his model GEORGE, a grandson! 

A boy introduces the idea of spirituality in this upbeat, rhyming board book. Though his outward appearance—“two eyes, two ears,/ one mouth, one nose”—is what the boy sees in the mirror, he embraces the belief that “something else,” even more important, grows inside him. He describes his heart, mind, strength, and soul as “all these parts of me that you can’t hold or hear or touch or see,” and offers examples of how they play a part in his life. In one of several inaugural titles for young children from Grant (including Mud Puddle Hunting Day and a pair of board books in the Knowing My God series), the brief text is inspired by Mark 12:30 and serves as a jumping off point for exploration of an often difficult-to-grasp concept. Tugeau’s sunny scenes of common family and childhood activities provide a sense of realistic accessibility for readers. Ages 3–6. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 09/13/2013 | Release date: 10/01/2013 | Details & Permalink

….I was happily driving into NYC from CT for a number of looked-forward-to appointments with publishers that day Sept. 11th, 2001 - several off Hudson.  The day was brilliant and clear.  I remember thinking I was having a ‘good hair day’ and had plenty of cash in my wallet, gas in my car for the drive and just felt like signing aloud.  So I turned on the radio about 8:45…..   and the world changed forever.

I kept driving toward the city in tears….finally being stopped just as they closed the  bridge leading over to Manhattan from its north eastern tip.  The sound of all the alarms and ER vehicles still bring a chill to me remembering.  Odd how in times of great fear and disbelief we still tend to move forward….even toward danger.  Human nature to keep going, one foot in front of the other, trying to make sense, trying to help, trying to survive.

We honor all those lost this day 12 years ago and the even more who’s lives were forever changed …which includes practically all of us.  God bless this great country….we WILL continue to move forward trying to make sense, trying to help, trying to survive…with dignity and hope.

from Priscilla Burris

Here is a link for an interesting interview with Michelle Henninger, one of our newer artists…. thought it might be of interest.

http://www.blastfurnacepress.com/2013/08/artist-focus-interview-with-michelle.html

(doesn’t seem to be live… but hopefully you can get to it.)

ALSO wanted to mention that Nina Mata, another new artist is getting married this weekend! and all the CAT artists wish them the very, very best and much love and happiness!
our feelings:

from cat artist Priscilla Burris

Priscilla Burris was just VERY involved as usual in the Annual SCBWI Aug LA Conference…she is on the board of this marvelous organization and does SO much for the illustration community!   Her exciting new book illustrating THE RULES written by young Isabella and Isabel from Little Simon will be launching soon. Watch for it.

borrowed from PW on-line…. this an announcement of our artist Priscilla Burris and her work on THE RULES BOOK~ for Little Simon,  fast and furious and oh so adorable.  Great story all around…and the PERFECT illustrator!

Just about done so watch for it in late FALL????  kudos Little Simon and Priscilla!

Home > Children’s > Book News

Lost and Bound: A Misplaced Notebook Finds a Publisher

By Sue Corbett |

May 23, 2013

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Cousins Isabella Thorsden (l.), and Isabelle Busath.

 

Earlier this year, Lisa Rao, an editor at Simon & Schuster, saw a segment on Good Morning America moments before she walked into an editorial meeting.

 

“I had my iPad and pulled up the clip and told them, ‘You have to watch this,’ ” Rao recalled about a story that involved a Walmart employee in suburban Sacramento, Calif., who found a spiral-bound notebook that contained 157 rules handwritten in a childlike scrawl. The book had nothing in it to identify the owner; Raymond Flores, a Walmart associate charged with corralling shopping carts, had found it in the parking lot. But he flipped through it and decided it could not have been discarded intentionally after reading rule no. 154: “Protect this rule book.”

So Flores, 20, posted a photo of the book on his Facebook page, hoping to reunite book and author. No luck. Then he contacted the local Fox TV affiliate. That story got picked up nationally.

Article continues below.

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By the time Rao and the rest of the S&S editorial team watched the GMA report, one thing was abundantly clear. “Our publisher, Valerie [Garfield], said immediately: ‘We must find the owner!’ ” And when Rao did, she offered the – co-authors, it turns out – a contract. And this October Simon & Schuster will publish Isabelle and Isabella’s Book of Rules, a jacketed hardcover in a “gifty” trim size, written by Isabelle Busath, age 10, and Isabella Thordsen, age 8, with illustrations by Priscilla Burris.

 

“The minute I saw the handwriting and heard all the hysterical and the sweet rules these two had written, I knew I wanted to publish it,” Rao said. “ ‘Don’t bite the dentist?’ How could you not want to publish that?”

Isabelle and Isabella created the rule book last Christmas break as an attempt to teach their younger siblings the ropes. “They had been coloring with crayons and one of the younger kids wrote on Isabelle, so one of the rules became ‘Don’t color on PEOPLE,’ ” Rao noted. “They had the sweetest of intentions.”

 

The text will be recreated pages from the girls’ journal in their own handwriting and original spelling. “We felt like it made it even more sincere if we kept their misspellings,” Rao said. “One of the rules is something like, ‘If you want something, don’t wine.’ Who would want to take that out?” Rao did edit out a few duplicates. The girls had taken turns making entries and both thought “Don’t waste paper” was a good rule to live by.

 

Once reunited with their book, the cousins immediately added rules they had thought of since they’d lost it. Rao says the published book will contain about 200 rules. Will one of the new ones be, “Let your mom check Facebook whenever she wants?” (Stories about Flores’s quest to find the book’s owner eventually appeared in Isabelle’s mother’s Facebook feed, which is how the book finally found its way back to its authors.) Or “Don’t trust the rule book with just anybody?” (After her pen exploded, Isabelle gave the book to a friend to hold while she went to wash her hands. The friend accidentally dropped it getting into the car in the Walmart parking lot.)

Maybe it will even include the one rule the girls let somebody else write in their book – their new hero, Raymond Flores. His rule was simple: “Stay in school.”

Last Friday I had the opportunity to do a CAREER DAY talk…well 6, 15 min talks… to 6 groups of about 25 first and second graders at one of my grandson’s schools here in Williamsburg VA(Matoaka Elementary). (that’s my Coady with dark hair in left corner.) It was a hoot to do, and I was so impressed with how interested they were!  Could they, at this tender age, be interested in the difference between a ‘job’ and a ‘career?’  and my industry particularly? They seemed to get it!  wow….

One question has haunted me since.  A cute little 2nd grader asked me just at the end “why do we have to have books?”    GULP

Now in the minute I had left to answer that on going industry question, I couldn’t even ask what she meant by that. Was she asking why Books rather than iPad’s etc? or why we have to make, distribute and sell Books of any kind…and why do they ‘have’ to read them?  I had to answer fast as the exit bell rang…. and jumped in with - ”both books and electronics are equally as viable and wonderful and fun! But do you prefer to cuddle up in bed with your iPad? or a book?”  the class yelled out “BOOKS!”

I don’t know if I assumed her question correctly, thus the ‘haunting’.  What a question!  I suspect we might have a future editor or maybe techie there!  Now you think on that question too…. love to hear what you might have answered in a quick half a minute.

And now as to OUR “Career Days” at BEA… I’m missing it this year due to conflicts but I’ll be watching, reading and listening to any and all coming out about that weekend.  If YOU are there, please write my email ([email protected]) and share!  I’ll write about it….

A wonderful truck book for boys and girls is being released this week…DO take a look and enjoy.  I’ve ‘borrowed’ the blurb from Melissa Iwai’s blog here…about the book and author and, for some, a surprising fact about the collaboration process.  Congratulations Melissa and Anne ….it’s a most fun result of a growing friendship!

I’m thrilled to announce the release of TRUCK STOP, written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by moi!!  The official Viking pub date is this Thursday, but we are kicking off our blog tour today.  TRUCK STOP is a fun picture book for young kids that celebrates all the different trucks and their drivers who gather for breakfast every day at the young narrator’s family’s truck stop diner.

When I first was offered the manuscript in 2011, I was so excited to see it was written by Anne.  I’ve been a big fan for a long time.  She`s written over 100 children’s books for all ages, on topics ranging from boats, history, mythology, to the first day of school, bugs, to the seasons.  Go check out her collection of books here!  Needless to say, I didn’t need much time to think it over and said “yes” to my editor immediately.

Most people don’t realize it, but usually the author and illustrator don’t meet or collaborate at all on the book.  Exceptions are made, of course, if they are married, related, or perhaps have worked together in the past.  So it was such a pleasure last week when I finally had the opportunity to meet Anne in person.  We had been corresponding via Facebook  for the past year after I turned the artwork in (yes, it takes a year for a book to be printed!)

It’s spring! Time of renewal and creativity everywhere. Then WHY am I in a ‘brain fog?
Well there are lots of reasons probably…from lack of sleep (!?), to allergies, to ‘it’s still cold in VA!’ to …who knows! I just read a fun newsletter piece about just this from Simone Kaplan… check her out at [email protected] . Loved her honesty in admitting she has ‘brain fog’ too, so here I am joining her honesty.

And it’s good to admit it when it hits. Use it! Take a break and step back from your projects…writing, illustrating, personal, whatever! If you are having trouble being clear, focused, concise and creatively fresh, don’t try so hard! Step away from the project if possible…maybe for a few weeks or more, and take a new look later. We only want to send out OUR BEST always. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. You can also ruin a good reputation by passing on unfinished or inferior work. Sometimes a deadline requires a ‘finish’…then you have to gut it out. But a step back of a few hours…take a walk, work out in gym or garden… might make all the difference in clearing the brain fog and letting the creativity break through! When are we and our work ‘finished?’ Well probably when the book is published! or the conference talk given! or time has run OUT! But we hope to feel that it’s THE BEST we can do with the situation… the plot is tight, the characters are real and credible and YOURS ALONE, and you’ve added something evocative and provocative to the world. Big order…not really. It’s just breaking through ‘the fog’ and seeing the day and its unique promise! enjoy the possibilities!…..

Image from Priscilla Burris who keeps clear always!

It’s finally spring and so much seems to suddenly happen! or need doing! or change in some way!  Love it and hate it.. but it’s never boring and slow like winter can be.

Bologna was sort of the big start of it all.  Word from clients is that it was as wonderful as always. (I went in ’04…how time flies!)  Some changes were seen generally around the world.  Middle grade and realistic fiction is “hot.”  Lightly illustrated middle grade…often stand-alones again, and more contemporary in feel… are wanted.  Some lessening in YA paranormal/dystopian stories and more “fang-free fiction.”  (love that expression! contributed to John Adams, of Adams Lit.)   Lots of interest in traditional, beautifully illustrated picture books it appears. Yipee!

In PW I keep reading about the changes in patterns for the public’s way of buying and finding books. Less the library or book store help this past year, and more Amazon and from word of mouth.  However, in general, over a third of parents seem to feel their kids actually have a “stong attachment to print books.” (Feb 25th)  I do hope this is true.  We need both to balance various needs and uses.

The Common Core State Standards, which has turned more ‘non-fiction,’  is always a big influence on publishers of course as they and schools find ways to incorporate the new mandate. Should bring more work to the ‘realistic’ artists I’d think, and those who love research and history of all styles.  Writers and artists can help by offering games,  crafts and such into their sites perhaps.  Working out ways the schools can get links to their free downloads…. to take the information and interactiveness further.

I read a quote somewhere recently (I DO notice….)  but can’t place who said it….want to share as it is SO true always.  Publishers want “writing that sings – art that expands on words – stories that inform developmentally.”   THAT is the ‘common core.’

Priscilla Burris

Just in time for a fresh Spring renewing!  When I was in NYC last, on the second day of Spring, I met with editorial director Jeannette Larson of HMH trade, among others.  She uttered a phrase that has just stayed with me ever since and I had to share it with you all here:  the look being sought for is generally “spare and fresh!”  And I totally got that concept!   I’ve noticed this with almost all my visits with clients…especially for the very young, and picture books.  Not only do they need strong characters, and a layered story that will be revisited many times, but they want a clean, new, approachable look in the style of art.  Less saturation of color often, less texture (though that can play an interesting part in even a’ spare’ approach.)    Negative space (or “white space”) plays an important role…and must be respected.  Buyers want to see energy and a more spontaneous line generally…but not messy or careless.  Control is there, but comfortably and with sense of movement that fits the story illustrated.

There is much interest now again in the non fiction market due to the Standard Core for schools moving in this direction for all ages.  Realistic, historic artists may again see more work possible….but also more unique, FUN styles, and those with humor, might see increased interest as the non-fiction is approached in a more ……     (continue below Patrice Barton’s spring ‘Spare and Fresh’ visual……)  …..accessible manner. But again the “spare and fresh” approach is a good montra….it allow the viewer to get ‘into’ the art, gleam much from it, and bring their own understanding and interpretation into the work viewed.  Less busy, but with all the important details…clear and understandable.  Rather like Spring itself….a fresh look at a world we thought we knew!

I just had to share this information for those of you anywhere around Brooklyn NY next month.  I think this event and the BATTLE OF THE ARTISTS sounds SO fun and a great time for all. VERY clever of the bookstore…might be something to try in your area!  Sure there are LOADS of talented children’s book artists in Brooklyn which helps! (and my daughter’s family I might mention, which as NOTHING to do with this event!)

April 11, 2013

Greenlight Bookstore celebrates Children’s Book Week May 13-19

Week of school visits topped off with bookstore party with Brooklyn

authors & illustrators

Greenlight Bookstore is proud to participate in the nearly

100-year-old tradition of Children’s Book Week, May 13-19, with a

week-long celebration of the children’s authors and illustrators of

Brooklyn.  Five local elementary schools have partnered with

Greenlight to host authors presenting books to their students – one on

each day of the week – and the week will culminate with a multi-author

book party at Greenlight on May 18.

Established in 1919, Children&apos;s Book Week is the longest-running

national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative

events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes —

wherever young readers and books connect.  Children&apos;s Book Week is

administered by the literacy organization Every Child A Reader, and

sponsored by The Children’s Book Council, the national nonprofit trade

association for children&apos;s book publishers.  Greenlight is

participating in Children’s Book Week for the first time this year.

“When we saw the incredible list of authors and illustrators who have

expressed willingness to participate in Children’s Book Week events in

our area, we just thought ‘We have to do something big!’” says

Greenlight Bookstore co-owner and events coordinator Jessica Stockton

Bagnulo. “There’s a tremendous amount of talent in Brooklyn, and we

got excited about bringing children’s book creators and readers

together. And this gives us a unique chance to partner with our local

schools, who bring books into students’ lives every day.”

The schools participating in Greenlight’s program of events include

both local Fort Greene schools and those in other Brooklyn

neighborhoods; some host author events regularly, while others rarely

have authors visit their students.  Greenlight worked with school

administrators to pair authors with the age groups and interests of

their students, and hopes the Children’s Book Week events will serve

as a model for bringing more authors to area schools in future.

For the Children’s Book Week Party on Saturday May 18, Greenlight will

offer 15% off on all children’s books all day long.  To highlight the

talents of multiple great children’s book illustrators, the store will

host two rounds of Artist Battles, at 11 AM and 3 PM.  Artists will

take turns creating drawings of subjects determined by the audience of

kids, showing off their different styles – the audience can pick their

favorites!  Afterward all illustrators will be available to sign books

and chat with young readers.  Greenlight will also offer bookmarks,

stickers, and other book-related giveaways to partygoers.

Participating authors include winners of the Ezra Jack Keats Award,

the New York Times Best Illustrated Award, ALA-ALSC Notables, the

Parents’ Choice Award, Newbery Honor Awards, Coretta Scott King Award

and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, as well as many New York Times

bestsellers.

Authors scheduled for school visits include Ambre Anderson

(Qualities), Michael Buckley (The Sisters Grimm, NERDS), Gilbert Ford

(12 Days of New York), Tad Hills (Duck & Goose, How Rocket Learned to

Read), Fiona Robinson (What Animals Really Like), Jacqueline Woodson

(Each Kindness), and Dan Yaccarino (Doug Unplugged).  Featured

illustrators for the bookstore party on May 18 include Selina Alko (B

is for Brooklyn), Sophie Blackall (Ivy & Bean, The Mighty Lalouche),

Melissa Guion (Baby Penguins Everywhere), Melissa Iwai (Hush, Little

Monster), Betsy Lewin (Click, Clack, Moo), George O’Connor (The

Olympians series), Sergio Ruzzier (Bear & Bee), and Paul O. Zelinsky

(Z is for Moose).

Greenlight Bookstore’s Children’s Book Week Schedule:

Monday May 13: Fiona Robinson and Jacqueline Woodson visit Arts and

Letters (Fort Greene)

Tuesday, May 14: Dan Yaccarino visits Greene Hill School (Fort Greene

/ Clinton Hill)

Wednesday, May 15: Michael Buckley and Ambre Anderson visit PS 11 /

Purvis J. Behan Elementary (Fort Greene)

Thursday, May 16: Tad Hills visits The Co-Op School’s Brevoort Place

Elementary School (Clinton Hill / Bedford Stuyvesant)

Friday, May 17: Gilbert Ford visits Leadership Prep Ocean Hill (East New York)

Saturday, May 18: Children’s Book Week party at Greenlight Bookstore!

11 AM Illustrator Art Battles:

Melissa Guion

Sergio Ruzzier

Sophie Blackall

Melissa Iwai **********husband Denis is wrote HUSH LITTLE MONSTER

3 PM Illustrator Art Battles:

Selina Alko

George O’Connor

Betsy Lewin

Paul O. Zelinsky

A book signing with all authors will follow each Battle.

For more information, contact:

Greenlight Bookstore

www.greenlightbookstore.com

Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, events coordinator / co-owner:

[email protected]

(718) 246-0200

Children’s Book Week

www.bookweekonline.com/

Nicole Deming, communications manager:

[email protected]

we’ve shared with you before one of our artists Priscilla Burris’s wonderful truly heart felt young characters and their special worlds.  Well one of them Heidi Heckelbeck is a most popular little girl as it turns out!

Heidi won 1st place for fiction series at the New York Book Show!!!
They announced it last night at the event. Exciting!  WAY TUGEAU (ooops To Go!) Little Simon and Priscilla!  wow and wow!

The ‘CAT Artists’ are wishing you all a most springlike and sweet Easter Weekend….  ENJOY!

I’ve noticed that FUN is contagious!  One of my artists is a real wiz at doing constant and adorable ‘little ditties’…. little “moments” in a single image that tell a bigger story.  She can not stop herself…they jump out of her head at any time, and require her to draw them.  Or so she tells me!

Well I wish all of my artists did this…and it’s a wonderful promotional idea for all artists, thus my sharing this phenomena.  In fact, I was prompted because she has been offered a couple of book jobs lately (and other publishing interest as well) due to one or more of these ‘little ditties.’  And that pleases us no end!  The artist is Priscilla Burris and many of you know her…. if not through SCBWI, then through her blog and well, her ‘ditties!’  And yes, she is just like her loveable characters.  Priscilla hasn’t always done this, but in recent times she has been taken over it would seem….and it’s a good thing!  Think about it all…. let those characters and their stories OUT!  it’s spring…let them bloom.

CATugeau agency is very honored and pleased to announce the addition of our FIRST PHOTOGRAPHER ARTIST, Christopher Loren Ewers. Chris is a very narrative, provocative photographer experienced with other commercial markets and cinematography, and we hope he will be embraced by the YA market hungry for new and memorable looks.  Please enjoy a sample of his lovely work…. and see more at www.catugeau.com.  WELCOME CHRIS!

OH the question!  and topic of the panel I was part of at the Winter SCBWI Art Intensive on Feb. 1.  David Diaz moderated Jan Constantine, Author’s Guild, Brenda Bowen, now Lit (and art) rep at Sanford Greenburger Associates and myself in a series of questions about the reality of the biz we all love.  Of course being PART of the panel….I have no memory of what we actually said!!!!…so maybe you all who were there can write crits about us in ‘comments!’  LOL.

“Though a living cannot be made at art, art makes life worth living…. it brings LIFE to life.”  this is a quote from fine artist and illustrator John Sloan that I used in the panel.  He was actually talking about FINE ART here as he DID make most of his living with illustration, and so can you…it IS commercial.  But as we talked about it is quite hard in the children’s publishing market itself.  Possible…but hard, even when you are repped.  The assignments come oddly timed…one year you are turning down work, and the next twiddling your thumbs! (hopefully actually practicing practicing and growing.)  One really must diversify into various areas of the arts, and maybe have a ‘day job.’  Try to find one that is involved with art of course so it FEEDS you.  But financial insecurity can work actively against the ‘expression’ and good choices you DO need to make to make a career in this industry, like most industries!  It IS a business was an all over theme.

A couple of points that were mentioned was about Your First Impression… you only get one of those with publishers.  It’s a small market – long memories.  Another was that too high advances CAN actually hurt your career if the sales records aren’t good for the books…. not earning out.  Do consider this when negotiating.  Ask questions when reading contracts! Team playing is ever so important if you want to be part of an agency…what YOU do professionally does reflect on every other artist/writer in the group! Staying Fresh and updated with your samples is very important…work to make new and promote them often to AD’s and editors. Consistency of style is also VERY important. Be Brutally Honest with yourself when considering giving up your day job…have a five-year business plan of action.

I do hope we get some ‘comments’ as I’m curious about what ‘spoke’ to you all there too!  REMINDER:  order your THE BOOK from SCBWI….the guide to it ALL!  and I wrote/revised the Artist Guide part of it again.  Hope you find it helpful!

this visual of the ‘rep me’ is from my son and artist Jeremy Tugeau, and husband to rep Nicole Tugeau of Tugeau2….check her agency out as well!

Happily going over some notes I made while listening to the speakers at the conference… and want to share.  Didn’t make every speaker of course, but I’ll try to hit the ideas and quotes that spoke to me and I hope will speak to you! Highlights….

I’ll start with the most WONDERFUL opening talk from artist SHAUN TAN. at 8:35 Friday morning of the Artist Intensive.  What a way to wake up….truly the ‘WAY TUGEAU!”  It was about “Developing a Personal Style.”  His overall point was that your personal style needs to be free and encouraged to just ‘emerge.’  He talked about how drawing and painting at a very young gave him his ‘source of power,’  and how it was wonderful to work and not worry about how it was ‘received.’  He reminded all that ART is a distortion of reality…it’s NOT literal but more theatrical and manipulated.  How you do this grows into your style. It’s often good to let the viewer SEE this manipulation…be aware of the painting. The Deep Style that is or will become you is not so much how you draw or paint, but how you THINK.  That approach will change as the story and image changes, and your personal style can be ‘found’ at the intersection of where all the work meets.  (love that!)

You don’t choose a personality for yourself or a style really.  They evolve and happen from the interests of the day-to-day realities.  One way to teach yourself to know and appreciate others styles however is the age-old practice of copying master artists to LEARN from the effort…HOW and WHY it was done a certain way.  He likes to divide work into two parts…the ‘public’, known part, and the ‘private’ exploring, developing part.  Good to “think of yourself as a train station that ideas pass through.” (!)  Allow the dream to ‘bubble up’. The deep style just comes… it’s a conversation with yourself. “Swing with the current.”  Style often turns out to be ”what you do in an emergency” which he quoted from someone else…and isn’t that a truth!

Well that’s a touch of one talk I just HAD to share…wonderful.  Check out Shaun Tan’s work up…interesting talent and personality.

More tomorrow from others there at the WINTER SCBWI CONFERENCE 2013!

I am most honored to be part of the Friday Feb. 1st Artist Intensive for the SCBWI Winter Conference (Grand Hyatt 42nd) this coming weekend!  Our panel discussion is “WHEN DO I QUITE MY DAY JOB?” and I’m looking forward to the subject and opportunity to share the basics (and not so basic) to the business of being an Illustrator.  Brenda Bowen (editor, now Lit Agent, and writer) and Jan Constantine (general counsel for The Authors Guild) and I (20 year artist agent) will be moderated by David Diaz.

The SCBWI conferences are always so very inspirational and done so professionally and with such care for the market and those who participate in it, that it’s always a joy to be part of and/or attend.  I’ll also be one of the judges for the Art Show which is a wonderful part of these events.  Sat. and Sun are full of other talks and sessions for writers and illustrators (or both) and an almost overwhelming opportunity to get an ‘insiders’ look at the children’s book industry. And you meet and chat with so many interesting people!

If you are planning to be there, please make yourself known to me.  And if not this year, do try to attend in LA,CA (Aug.) or NYC (Feb) at some point…invaluable!  See you there!

(“CAT”artist Melissa Iwai’s got the right idea about books!)

I like to start a new year by going over the ‘visiting notes’ I take while showing off my portfolio of 30+ artists at publishing houses during the previous year.  Great reminders of who liked whom, and I usually find tons of industry ‘insider’ comments that help me focus for the new year.  So I thought I’d share some with you this Jan. … not in any order, and without credits to ‘protect the innocent’, but here you go!

“You can only debut once!”      or first impressions might be the last impressions!  This goes for portfolio presentation, but also for your working experience with a client…don’t blow it!

“more idiosyncratic, quirky characters!”

“one look at the character and you know you want to go for the whole ride….”

“style consistency SO important…”

“crisp edges”

“writers (artist/writers) often mistake a good TOPIC for a good STORY.”

“no Quiet picture books….”   ” need apparent hook…”

“Go for the ‘Promotional Moment’ “    holiday, events, seasons etc.

“ Too high advances can end up being PLANNED FAILURE!”  a book doesn’t earn out the advance and it’s a black mark on your lasting record.  (ie…career management)

“Core Standard (educational) will be more Non Fiction going forward.”

“Passion is not the same as stamina“…. don’t overl-book yourself each year!

happy creating!                                                                   image from Jason Wolff

from CAT artist Priscilla Burris with one of her so special visual moments……  we all wish you all many of these enjoyable, loveable, shared, cozy moments in your future!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL !

No matter what the year seems to bring to us all, this time of year will bring LIGHT and HOPE and JOY to grab.  Thank your ‘higher power’ and rejoice!