The #%#^%&&* is shutting down its building tomorrow because of the snow forecast and so we’re canceling our Master Class on Coping with Rejection. Nothing personal! We swear! We’ll let you know if we’re able to reschedule.
I don't know why this made me chuckle but it really did.
Master Class on Coping with Rejection -- cancelled -- so take that!!!!
(and enjoy shoveling the snow while you are at it.)
Oh, dear.
Hee hee... no work tomorrow...
(so I can write and illustrate to my heart's content or content whatever
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Cardinals Rule!
I have an affinity for cardinals. And I am blessed to have a tree in front of my kitchen window/Mac where cardinals flock to in the cold months. As I write, there is one hopping all about that branch. So temporarily I lose sight of my writing, blog browsing, googling etc... And when they sing I am a goner.
My start in the art world began in second grade when I decided to paint every bird I could think of... on my dad's dry cleaning cardboard shirt inserts. I think I did about one-hundred of them.
I have this desire to write and illustrate with collage a picture book entirely about the birds I love because I think I would be in euphoria just conceiving it. Maybe it will be about me painting birds and what it meant to me.
Sounds quiet right now but that is alright.
But the little guy on this blog is ready to star (or co-star) in a book.
Or maybe it will go someplace else entirely...
My start in the art world began in second grade when I decided to paint every bird I could think of... on my dad's dry cleaning cardboard shirt inserts. I think I did about one-hundred of them.
I have this desire to write and illustrate with collage a picture book entirely about the birds I love because I think I would be in euphoria just conceiving it. Maybe it will be about me painting birds and what it meant to me.
Sounds quiet right now but that is alright.
But the little guy on this blog is ready to star (or co-star) in a book.
Or maybe it will go someplace else entirely...
Monday, February 1, 2010
How Holly Hobbie helps me
I love Holly Hobbie's Toot and Puddle series.
And while I clamber down and write my first draft of my new pb manuscript I stare not only at my samples for this book, but I nestle with Toot and Puddle.
Not only is Ms. Hobbie a funny and dry illustrator with a brave voice, she has a great way with language and word sounds in her sentences. Her sentences roll of the tongue. So I examine them in my own writing... my own way.
(First get your premise down to a few sentences and establish your set-up and have a few hooks. Put in a bad guy who is not so bad intentionally and make your boy mc a hero.)
Erk... Back to Holly... and what is really cool is that she is not young. But she is still going strong....
and she doesn't get talked about that much IMHO. Huh?
Love you Holly. You rock! And you delight your readers.
And while I clamber down and write my first draft of my new pb manuscript I stare not only at my samples for this book, but I nestle with Toot and Puddle.
Not only is Ms. Hobbie a funny and dry illustrator with a brave voice, she has a great way with language and word sounds in her sentences. Her sentences roll of the tongue. So I examine them in my own writing... my own way.
(First get your premise down to a few sentences and establish your set-up and have a few hooks. Put in a bad guy who is not so bad intentionally and make your boy mc a hero.)
Erk... Back to Holly... and what is really cool is that she is not young. But she is still going strong....
and she doesn't get talked about that much IMHO. Huh?
Love you Holly. You rock! And you delight your readers.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Rewrite: Projects and Goals for 2010
1: Humorous, heartfelt heroine character book dummy (and rough drafts of three others) and samples - dummy, samples on submission
2: Funny and beautiful little gargoyle book dummy and samples -- my hope is to make this a truly gorgeously illustrated book
3: Edgy, funny, animal unlikely friendship dummy and samples -- my hope is to be able to raise the stakes
4: Biography of multiculturalist and early Pan-American Idol dummy and samples (full of action and adventure) -- my hope is to find a pubisher who is as fascinated as I am about the subject because he is a bit obscure
5: Parody and continuation of classic pig tale dummy -- this one has funky art which is a great part in the storytelling
6: Funny Flamingo thumbnail, text and samples -- I love the language but the story is too familiar, so I am going for a new premise all together because I love the art and language and I know I can do it in time
7: Fractured nursery rhymes with established theme -- text and art samples-- I love the art and premise and hope to pull this off
8: Text and art samples for giraffe story -- meh
9: Brewing concept book idea and art -- too early to tell
And what I really want to start is a robot story with which I have neat samples... have to look at all the robot stories and set mine apart -- starting the new draft
Gotta a nice portfolio of work both art and writing bearing a few bumps to smoothen.
New Art samples up soon! Who Said Red?
This should keep me busy for a while
2: Funny and beautiful little gargoyle book dummy and samples -- my hope is to make this a truly gorgeously illustrated book
3: Edgy, funny, animal unlikely friendship dummy and samples -- my hope is to be able to raise the stakes
4: Biography of multiculturalist and early Pan-American Idol dummy and samples (full of action and adventure) -- my hope is to find a pubisher who is as fascinated as I am about the subject because he is a bit obscure
5: Parody and continuation of classic pig tale dummy -- this one has funky art which is a great part in the storytelling
6: Funny Flamingo thumbnail, text and samples -- I love the language but the story is too familiar, so I am going for a new premise all together because I love the art and language and I know I can do it in time
7: Fractured nursery rhymes with established theme -- text and art samples-- I love the art and premise and hope to pull this off
8: Text and art samples for giraffe story -- meh
9: Brewing concept book idea and art -- too early to tell
And what I really want to start is a robot story with which I have neat samples... have to look at all the robot stories and set mine apart -- starting the new draft
Gotta a nice portfolio of work both art and writing bearing a few bumps to smoothen.
New Art samples up soon! Who Said Red?
This should keep me busy for a while
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Self-discovery
When I posted my bio on my illustrator website I mentioned how writing and illustration was a road to self-discovery and I meant it. Through the many years I have been pursuing publication I have thought long and hard about what exactly I WANT and LOVE to write. And a few days ago I read a thread on "The Blue" about a situation/decision. The question posed was would you (pretending you were an editor) pick premise over writing assuming one was weak and other strong. And one writer answered how hard it would be to do so because writing has to fit the book and that writing entails many things those being character development, plotting, voice/language/dialogue/pacing/structure/world building etc. (I'll add rhythm). I felt like a glowing coconut conked my head open.
And that premise doesn't always have to be original to make a book strong if the writing works well for the book. (Altho great premises can help.)
In terms of writing all of these things should matter and be apparent in the finished piece. But one of them stuck out for me as something I really l think I am GOOD at and LOVE and that is World Building... but... in my illustration. I love characters and characterization and things happening in a social world. I love places and different settings and movement from one spot to another. I love reactions and responses.
I love main character development, as well. Fun as fun can be.
Plotting is harder, tho, for me. But challenge is good. Yes, challenge is GOOD. And the plot IS the challenge and problem solving. But I think I am getting better at it and am not afraid of it anymore. Actually, when it works I get a "high" from it.
But language I always wonder about. I like it. But will you, my children and adult readers? Will it work for this book? This is my insecurity... and maybe stupid one. I've always been quiet but when I write I can sometimes reveal my own insecurities.
I wonder how many writers are good at all four things. I wonder how many writers would say three of the above come naturally.
I wonder what other writers and illustrators recognize any of these as challenges as they create picture books and novels.
And when I look at big character picture books (my favorite to create) I will try harder to meet all of the above and give them my all.
I've discovered what I like to create, what I think I am good at, what to look and strive for. The four doorways: Character, Plot, Language and World.
And that premise doesn't always have to be original to make a book strong if the writing works well for the book. (Altho great premises can help.)
In terms of writing all of these things should matter and be apparent in the finished piece. But one of them stuck out for me as something I really l think I am GOOD at and LOVE and that is World Building... but... in my illustration. I love characters and characterization and things happening in a social world. I love places and different settings and movement from one spot to another. I love reactions and responses.
I love main character development, as well. Fun as fun can be.
Plotting is harder, tho, for me. But challenge is good. Yes, challenge is GOOD. And the plot IS the challenge and problem solving. But I think I am getting better at it and am not afraid of it anymore. Actually, when it works I get a "high" from it.
But language I always wonder about. I like it. But will you, my children and adult readers? Will it work for this book? This is my insecurity... and maybe stupid one. I've always been quiet but when I write I can sometimes reveal my own insecurities.
I wonder how many writers are good at all four things. I wonder how many writers would say three of the above come naturally.
I wonder what other writers and illustrators recognize any of these as challenges as they create picture books and novels.
And when I look at big character picture books (my favorite to create) I will try harder to meet all of the above and give them my all.
I've discovered what I like to create, what I think I am good at, what to look and strive for. The four doorways: Character, Plot, Language and World.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Spending a day at the Met
and what a wonderful day it was.
Yesterday was a return trip to another one of my favorite places, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Every time I go there I come away with new insight on a few art works. Because the trouble is that the museum is so vast you almost have to focus on a select few rooms, art pieces and/or periods. You can only take so much in at one time. It can be overwhelming.
We, all five of us spent the entire day there. But the main reason for going this time was Charlotte's insistence on being our personal educator of Baroque Flemish/Dutch art -- her first Art History course at University. And she knows her stuff, apparently. And she LOVES it to death.
I never appreciated this group as much as I do now knowing what they were really after. They were after reaching the mind and soul of their subjects. Getting into their heads. They were after the "right now, right at this very moment."
(I kept insisting that it was all about the light source (optics), the geometrics, the multiple rooms. But that apparently is not the most important discovery these masters contributed.)
Rembrandt -- It is also about what you emphasize and what you choose to leave out. And getting into the mind.
What really made my day tho, was what my husband said about a latter day famous Dutch painter's (van Gogh's) work, a painting featuring a man, his young son and his wife tending an overgrown garden. He remarked on the storytelling, the fact that it pulled you in and found a spot in his mind, the right here and now. He remarked on how the subjects felt about tending the garden, how the garden had a life of its own and how van Gogh used his own imagination to bring the painting to life.
Yesterday was a return trip to another one of my favorite places, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Every time I go there I come away with new insight on a few art works. Because the trouble is that the museum is so vast you almost have to focus on a select few rooms, art pieces and/or periods. You can only take so much in at one time. It can be overwhelming.
We, all five of us spent the entire day there. But the main reason for going this time was Charlotte's insistence on being our personal educator of Baroque Flemish/Dutch art -- her first Art History course at University. And she knows her stuff, apparently. And she LOVES it to death.
I never appreciated this group as much as I do now knowing what they were really after. They were after reaching the mind and soul of their subjects. Getting into their heads. They were after the "right now, right at this very moment."
(I kept insisting that it was all about the light source (optics), the geometrics, the multiple rooms. But that apparently is not the most important discovery these masters contributed.)
Rembrandt -- It is also about what you emphasize and what you choose to leave out. And getting into the mind.
What really made my day tho, was what my husband said about a latter day famous Dutch painter's (van Gogh's) work, a painting featuring a man, his young son and his wife tending an overgrown garden. He remarked on the storytelling, the fact that it pulled you in and found a spot in his mind, the right here and now. He remarked on how the subjects felt about tending the garden, how the garden had a life of its own and how van Gogh used his own imagination to bring the painting to life.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Deserts wanted to teacher holiday luncheon:
Oh, I'll bring these!!!!!!!!!
Dried fruitcakes
Evaporated Christmas pudding
Sun Baked Trifle
Fried Ice Cream
(PTA Newsletter Headlines can be funny... or not)
Dried fruitcakes
Evaporated Christmas pudding
Sun Baked Trifle
Fried Ice Cream
(PTA Newsletter Headlines can be funny... or not)
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