.jpg?picon=573)
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 11/29/2014
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 3/25/2013
It's getting to be that time when work I did a year ago can finally come out of the closet! It's a bit of a bummer that the rules for posting freelance illustration are either after publication (in the educational industry who ever really knows when that is??) or one year from submitting the final art. Since I did this back in January of last year it ought to be quite safe to post now. These are from the folktale "Rabbit & Coyote," which features an overly self-assured coyote and some tricksy rabbits.
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 11/30/2011
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 5/13/2011
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 4/20/2011
Hi guys! I just wrapped illustrating a short story for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Story Town series. The story is about a girl who is self-conscious about her hearing aid but through new friendships and basketball she gains the confidence to be herself. :)
I've never illustrated kids playing basketball before, so that was new! Here are the 6 finished pieces:
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 2/18/2011
Here I was, jumping to conclusions thinking I was done---and then Scholastic requested two more portraits. I went ahead and threw together Mr. Thomas Edison and Mr. Jackie Robinson. I'm glad they added these great American figures and I was happy to end the project on a good note once and for all.
In other news, this break from illustration work is as well-timed as I could have ever hoped. Yesterday my husband officially took a new job at 38 Studios, which means we will be moving from our cozy little Somerville apartment to an as yet undiscovered new home outside of Providence, RI.
Although moving amidst all this other health stuff may get a bit overwhelming, I couldn't be happier. This is our chance to move closer to our families and settle down in a place where we can someday start our own. Plus, I kind of love packing and the idea of moving to a new space is pretty exciting to me.
The next couple months are bound to be interesting!
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 2/10/2011
That's a wrap! I finished up the last two remaining portraits and have officially cleared the deck of any paid work for the time being.
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 2/8/2011
It sure has been an interesting couple of weeks. After months of constant back pain, and sporadic hip, groin, knee, and neck pain, my symptoms took a turn for the less-than-ideal. Congestion, headache, head pressure, extreme fatigue, muscle twitching, loss of concentration and fogginess in my short term memory all decided to join me on my journey to Diagnosis Alley.
So, duh duh duh: While it still has not been officially proven one way or another, I'm starting long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme Disease since all my symptoms appear to correspond. Whether it's Lyme or not, something definitely is not normal with my body and hopefully I can be evaluated further and get to the bottom of it all before too long...
Oh, and just to keep things fun, I've also acquired extreme elbow pain in my right arm, making it very difficult to do much of anything (least of all illustration work). So I'm doing what I can to power through the last of the Scholastic portraits but have begrudgingly pulled myself out of the second half of the project. It's simply too risky to commit to work I may not be able to deliver in the coming weeks.
With a little luck, lots of optimism, and a strong dose of doxycycline, I should see some improvement in the next few days. That is, if it actually IS Lyme disease...and if not, who knows!
Whatever happens, I'm going to try to make the best out of this health dilemma. I'm sure there are many lessons to be learned from enduring whatever the next few months have in store for me. I may not be in control over what is happening, but at least I can control how I deal with it all, right?
Think good thoughts, Courtney...
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 2/2/2011
I have a seven year-old sister. And I'm always keeping an eye out for books like this. Especially books that feature children from different backgrounds, as I don't want her to grow up thinking everyone is the same.
(Her school is amazingly lacking in diversity)
I can't wait to see this on shelves. I think the imagery tells a lot of the story, which is good for younger readers.
Thanks kindly for the comment Nathanielle.
I think this short story is appearing in a reading text book or something like that made available to schools but not the general public. But I agree that it has a great message and I'm glad students have stories that acknowledge and celebrate differences between kids in their text books--even if the point of the story is to improve reading and vocabulary skills.
I was fortunate to grow up in a very diverse school system in central Connecticut and it's very important to me that my children have a similar experience someday.
It makes me understand all the more why educational publishers insist on representing different ethnicities and cultures in every illustrated story featuring school children.