Finishing up Gotts and Exploring my Next Victims

Love American Musical Geniuses and Prodigies:

Look Who Is Coming to the Montclair Art Museum!!!!!

https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/exhibition/eric-carle-animals-and-friends

Starting September 13, 2015 and ending January 3, 2016.


ERIC CARLE!!!!!!


Woo hooo....one of my favorite illustrators and collage artists!!

Can't wait!!

Working on a PB Biography

It helps to read other picture book biographies when writing your own. Especially when they are similar in subject matter but not identical. And this one I am studying is wonderful, I think because the mc is not super well known (at least I think not) but what he did is amazing and has so much kid appeal (which is what matters most).

Am getting there with mine and hope to be done soon.

"You don't give up till you get what you want...and if you don't get what you want, you know you have never given up...which is as good is getting what you want." Quote by unknown artist who never got published :)

This gloomy weather is almost over and I am feeling a bit more charged up and ready to tackle the pb biography again after the great feedback and encouragement I received a few weeks ago at the illustrator mentorship. And to tweak the pig dummy and adjust color issues.

And new samples and a smaller portfolio in the works.


And and and....


perhaps work on an art show

Evolution Resolution for Illustrators

In a few weeks I will be attending the final installment of Evolution Resolution for Illustrators at the Theological Seminary in beautiful Princeton, NJ. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. This event comprises five meetings spread out over one year.  This final meeting is coming up in early March.

The nice thing for me is not only meeting an agent and AD but getting feedback from everyone there.
Two groups get turns with both the AD and agent, as well. We set goals and set out to accomplish them. Mine was finishing a dummy... which I did! I am also bringing new art pieces (hopefully six) and getting dummy feedback. Perhaps even another dummy I've done.

Looking forward to seeing my cohorts!

Super Bowl... Downton...Super Bowl...Downton...Super Bowl

Well, it is Super Bowl for 2.5 hours and then DOWNTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But something BIG has to happen in this episode because things have been too quiet.

Methinks Lord Gillingham is up to something...........can't wait to find out...

One good thing about a blizzard

When the weather is dreary
it's time to query!


My feeble attempt at rhyme.................

Al Hirshfeld, The Line King

I tried so hard to get tickets for the "Lion King" for Broadway's "Two for One Ticket Week" this week but it was sold out.

But as a happily ever after, I got tickets to "Kinky Boots" at the Al Hirshfeld Theater. It was great... especially "Lola". Loved it!

The unexpected bonus (not ever having been to the Hirshfeld Theater...where have I been?) was seeing the Hirshfeld illustrations and explaining the "Ninas" to my daughter. I grew up with Hirshfeld and Nina. An inspiration to my illustration love.

Yes, he is indeed the "Line King" and I am not.....

What say you, Sir Elton?

Done done done

The dummy is done. Now to shrink it and scan it and send it out.

Zee Dummeeee

Getting there and confident. Can't wait to finish the dummy and send it off..... a little bit more.
Showing it to critique group this weekend for feedback.....................yes!!

Progress

Addressing a hundred or so postcards of a pb biography project I am working on... to send to publishers, and trying so hard to think of the perfect surprise ending of a dummy I plan to submit to agents hopefully by September end. This is the hardest part of the project. Some Pixar writers say you should know this up-front (the ending), but as an illustrator I am not so sure......we'll see. But it really has to be unexpected yet tie in to story to make it linger and effective.

Coney Island Thrills

Can't believe that this is the first time I've visited Coney Island. Having lived in CT, NYC and now NJ foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

And this was the ride of a lifetime... kind of a calm ride up (and down) with a few bits of jarring tension tossed in for an unexpected thrill...  you have to ride in the colorful cars in the interior section to experience this. Otherwise the white cars are safe.

Not a boring Ferris Wheel!!

Thanks to Deno's Wonder Wheel

Jersey Shore

Going to the Jersey Shore tomorrow. Love the Jersey Shore. May get some visual ideas for my pb dummy.......

So happy

to get back to this project again. And hopefully have it dummied (and critiqued) by September sometime.

I love this project. I just have to finish it....... and send to agent

and I've got all summer. No excuses.







Still afloat.... unlike what is about to happen to this guy

Thank you SCBWI NJ Conference 2014 for the kick-in-the-pants I needed!

When you get more free time you just get busier!

Life, new career and training, kids and colleges, planning vacations and house projects are great but..........

My new postcards have arrived..............yummy!! And that is even betterer.

Now to get the website updated (be patient... be patient... we're getting there.)

While the snow grows so does the progress...

Today and this weekend I:


1) address, stamp and mail about 100 new postcards. Yay!!

2) Complete a few illustrations and hopefully start one more.

3) Start a new dummy which I will bring to the next illustrator event in a few weeks -- and finish over the course of  a few months... yes a few months.

4) Check with webmaster on putting up new art and taking some down.

And tomorrow is Valentine's Day so...

eat your heart out.

FREAKS and GEEKS... and why this show is so great and it applies to anything published

It has a great cast of characters who are real and relatable. And I empathize with them. (and great actors!)

But it also has new and under done yet everyday story lines. I have not seen them before. They are not cliched or hokey or boring. They don't fade into the vast pool of true but unnoticed stuff.

I know I posted this image on this blog years ago but I saw it again on Facebook recently.... and it is still funny (if not gross).

Getting all excited. Making lots and lots of new art to put on my website. Out with the old and in with the new!

Stay tuned...........

If you love Tom and Jerry as much as I love Tom and Jerry you'll love this.

Too funny!  Take a listen.

Courtesy of the Proms 2013 at the Royal Albert Hall:


http://www.cartoonbrew.com/cartoon-culture/tom-and-jerry-music-performed-like-youve-never-heard-before-88757.html