Working on a Book, Dummy

New Book Dummy Study

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Study for Book Dummy

 

People ask, “What are you working on now?” I say I’m working on a book dummy. That always makes them pause. It’s very important where you put the comma. Here are a couple of studies for my new book dummy that I’m working on. One of the most exciting and satisfying times in a book is arranging the story board and working on the book dummy. It is hard to pull yourself out of the studio to do other things. You get to pull things out of your imagination and get them down on paper.

 

Portfolio Piece

Last Week at the Boise SCBWI and Idaho Reading Association Conference

Boise House

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week was the Boise SCBWI and Idaho Reading Association Conference. I pulled up Friday to the Boise House.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rooms were beautiful. I had the upstairs room across the hall from Karl Jones, the editor from Penguin Young Readers. He warned me not to hit my head on the slanted ceiling. I told him I would be careful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Sara Megibow, the literary agent with Nelson Literary, arrived, Neysa Jensen the regional advisor of SCBWI Utah/Southern Idaho walked us down to the Fork Restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked right through the Boise Capital Building. Neysa wrote the poem that was put to music when the building was renovated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the picture of the capital dome. At Fork Restaurant, we were treated to home made potato chips and fried asparagus, mmmmmmmmm.

Rediscovered Book Store

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across the street was Rediscovered Books.

Ann Osterlund, Sherry Meidell and Miriam Forster

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Osterlund, Miriam Forster and I signed books and met some lovely people who were going to attend the conference the next day. It was a fun signing.

 

 

 

 

 

After the signing, we walked back to the Boise House where I went upstairs and hit my head on the slanted ceiling.

Boise House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The morning of the conference, I was greeted with sunshine through this beautiful stained glass window

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and deer eating breakfast next door.

Sara Megibow, Ann Osterlund, Sherry Meidell and Karl Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s one last picture before we head to the conference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and to rival the stained glass window, here are Karl’s shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a nice group at the conference.

Kristiana Gregory and Gloria Skurzynski

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sat with Kristiana Gregory and Gloria Skurzynski, both Golden Kite winners. I did a quick sketch of Gloria.

Gloria Skurzynski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gloria told me to watch for a mystery coming soon from Gloria and her daughter Alane Ferguson at mysteryscenemag.com.

Neysa Jensen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neysa introduced the conference and

Sherry Dismuke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sherry Dismuke started us out with a feather activity.

Karl Jones

Karl Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karl Jones gave a keynote on “Allowing Yourself to Be Creative – and Where That Might Take You”. Here is Karl from my sketch book.

Sara Megibow

Sara Megibow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sara Megibow talked about “Your Publishing Options”. I didn’t get a chance to see Miriam Forster and Anne Osterlund because I was presenting “A day in the Life of a Children’s Book Illustrator or When I Woke Up This Morning, I Never Thought I’d End Up Here”. It was a great conference and a wonderful opportunity to meet people who create children’s books and people who love to read them (and look at the pictures).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presenting at Boise State

 

I’m getting ready to present at the Boise State SCBWI Conference. The first presentation will be “A Day in the Life of a Children’s Book Illustrator” or When I woke up this morning, I never dreamed I would end up here. The second presentation will be “Taking Notes on Life” Never leave home with out your sketch book. There will be a book signing Friday night at Rediscovered Books  in Boise. The sketch is from the sketch book I took to Kenya.

How do you get ready to present? You can see how at http://youtu.be/HFa71sO1MS 

Cloud Bluster

Zions Plein Air Sherry Meidell

It is hard to capture a moment of time outside when the wind is blowing the clouds into ever changing formations. Sun shine……cloud………sunshine…….cloud and the occasional hand full of dust blown on the canvas. Still it is so much fun to try and capture that moment.

You learn things that you can’t learn painting from a photograph. The colors that your eye can see are very different from what the camera sees. You get to chat with the random stranger that ventures up to check out your painting. I met a girl from South Dakota who was going to pick up her friend in Las Vegas. She wondered if it was worth her time to take the shuttle up the canyon. I told her it was worth it and mentioned a few hikes that she could check out in the time she had. She told me the first few lines of my painting were beautiful. You can tell already? I asked.  She said yes, the process was beautiful. All of this goes into the painting. The wind blowing in your eyes, the South Dakota girl, the heat of the sun on your back and the chill you feel when the clouds cover the sun. The bits of plant matter you have to pick off the painting with tweezers, they all add to the painting.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Light at the end of the tunnel

When you are walking through a dark tunnel, it is nice to have a hand to hold. It helps you to make it through to where you can see again. If you want to find out more about writing and illustrating for children, it is best to go to the experts. There is a great conference filled with experts to hold your hand and give you some great information to make it through the dark to the light at the end of the tunnel. It is also a great way to network with others in the field. The conference is “Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers” June 17-21, 2013 Early bird pricing ends April 30th and you can get another $5 off the early bird price for joining SCBWI.

The first time I went to the conference was to sit at the knee of Eve Bunting and learn about writing picture books from her. It gave me information that has been invaluable to  my career. You get to spend mornings for a week with your teacher and a small group, writing and critiquing your work. The afternoon is filled with numerous breakout sessions for you to choose from. I took illustration from Eric Roman and Kevin Hawkes. It is a great opportunity in our own back yard to have national editors and agents and writers and illustrators teach at this conference. You can check out who is teaching and which class you want to sign up for at www.wifyr.com

I will be teaching one of the breakout sessions in the afternoon on “Breathing Creativity”. See the complete line-up at http://www.wifyr.com

Out the Window

It is amazing what you can see right out your window.  Does anybody know what kind of woodpecker this is? How about the jumble of sticks in the last picture.

That is a magpie condo that is going in. They have been building it stick by stick for a month. You can’t tell where the door is but they disappear through it.

Looks like a pretty good shelter on a cold spring day.

It Took Her Breath Away

 

I traveled up to Bear River on Monday to do a demonstration for Beck Hartvigsen’s watercolor class. It was great to meet the ladies. We had time to finish two-thirds of the watercolor. When I got home, I finished the painting. This was a little lady, Becky and I saw in Zions National Park. The beauty of the canyon took her breath away and brought her close to tears.

Paula, Here’s Another Picture of Bailey

Mo Willems, Bailey and Sherry Meidell

Paula has been waiting and wondering what Bailey has been up to lately. He did join me for a picture with Mo Willems at the SCBWI New York Conference this year. Mo gave a great presentation on picture books. Bailey liked when Mo ran from one end of the auditorium to the other so that everyone could take pictures but Bailey forgot his camera.

I’m not sure if Bailey will make the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll but I’ll be there. Atelier AFA is having a show of my giclee’ prints. Come say hi and grab a treat, March 15th, this Friday night, 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 234 South 200 East, Salt Lake City. Don’t forget if you park at a meter, you have to pay until 8 p.m. See you there.

 

The Inversion had lifted and it was a Beautiful, Fresh aired, Salt Lake Winter Day.

Driving Martha

Martha Rago, the art director from Harper Collins Children’s came out from New York for the Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustrator’s Conference. The inversion had lifted and it was a beautiful fresh aired, Salt Lake winter day. I picked Martha up at the airport and gave her a ride to Little America.

 

 

 

Room with a View

 

 

She wanted a room with a view so we got her a great room on the second floor.

 

 

 

 

 

Biting Winter Air

 

She got plenty of fresh air and exercise. Every time she wanted a bit of breakfast or a cup of coffee she could just dash across the parking lot to the lobby.

Black Diamond Runs

 

 

 

 

 

She hadn’t been skiing for 8 years so I took her up on some great hills.

 

 

 

 

 

Joy of Skiing

 

She must have enjoyed it because you could not wipe the smile off her face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh from the Ranch

 

She had plenty of time to prepare for her presentation while she waited in the parking lot of the Sons of the Utah Pioneer Building as a huge snow storm blew in. The lady that was going to open the doors for us, took her daughter to the hospital at 3 a.m. with an allergic reaction to a spider bite. She had been bitten while spending time at their ranch.

 

 

The Intensive

 

Martha’s presentation and intensive were very informative. She showed with pictures, or illustrator speak, what and why great art works in books and and what grabs her as an art director. She loves picture books and cares deeply for the art and how the books are made. Participants in the intensive were able to get some first hand critiques. We also heard from Mark and Caralyn Buehner. Mark showed us his great illustrations and talked about the art of picture books. He talked about a match made in heaven and snowmen that move at night. Caralyn talked about the art of writing picture books. Caralyn said to remember your audience, the children. The illustrators that attended, left with a great deal of helpful information. It was a great day to network with other illustrators, get inspired and informed.

Off to the Airport

 

I drove Martha back to the Salt Lake Airport with a full moon shining in an early morning dark sky. She was off to New York. Some where back in New York, I feel like I have a new skiing buddy. Any time she wants to hit the blue green squares, I’m in.