Slumberland Studio: The Art of Courtney Autumn Martin

An American Hero

2012-01-16T20:34:00.003-05:00

‎"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK portrait created last year for Scholastic's Famous American's Edu project.

Welcome 2012

2012-01-12T13:41:00.001-05:00

Christmas and New Year's made for a VERY relaxing time away from the studio, and spending LOTS of time with my family made it one of the nicest holidays in years. Adam and I stayed four days at my parents house for Christmas and it felt like being a kid again. It was magical!

Even though the break allowed for many days away from my desk, I did make some time to wrap up open projects. I finally finished with the IRA (Independent Read-Alouds) Card project (shown here).

I also submitted sketches for the National Geographic edu project of The North Wind and The Sun---I haven't yet received feed back on these but I'm hoping they'll get approved.

Other than those things I worked on some personal projects including a painting for my mom (still in progress) as well as digitally archiving my family's home videos from my childhood (also still in progress). This painting is my first ever water-soluble oil painting. In the past I've had adverse reactions to the fumes/solvents of conventional oils and have shied away from using them. But this kind hasn't made my glands swell at all and paints just like regular oil. It's awesome!

And yesterday I had the interesting and unexpected job of working as a "pick-up artist" for a fellow Tugeau 2 illustrator. (In fact, my favorite Tugeau 2 illustrator.) She was under an unmanageable time crunch and needed to hand off the project to a different illustrator for the final color. So I responded to the request and got paid (a flat fee with no commission---which means my agent didn't take a cut!) to color some charming illustrations drawn by Gaia Bordicchia. It was honestly very fun, relaxing, and helpful to understanding another artist's visual thinking (even if I was not using her exact style). In all, it was a worthwhile exercise. Deadlines can get crazy in the educational market---especially when projects get delayed and overlap with other projects. And the benefit of having an agent is that there's probably someone who can help in a worst-case scenario. I hope that I did her work justice, even though stylistically it's become a bit of a Gaia-Courtney hybrid. I'm sure it feels uneasy to pass on your sketch to another artist but I hope it helped her in the end--I do so very much admire her beautiful work.

In unrelated, non-art news, it seems my battle with the assumed Lyme-disease is likely far from over. After 4 months off of antibiotics, my symptoms have made a comeback. And while the body pain is virtually non existent compared to how it felt last year, the headaches have been hitting me pretty hard. I don't know what the future has in store but I'm hoping to work through it--for as long as it is in my power to do so. There's just no point in having a prolonged pity party about something that isn't going to go away anytime soon. My only choice is whether I want to sit on the couch in my pajamas every day wasting my life or to say FORGET THAT and get back to work. So I've chosen the latter.

I'm trying to keep my head up and continue to hope that there exists a time in future Courtney's life when Lyme disease is not a part of it...

Merry Christmas from Slumberland Studio!

2011-12-19T17:07:00.004-05:00

Christmas is coming...

2011-12-16T21:43:00.001-05:00

It's going to be a busy week for me as I attempt to complete all my current freelance obligations before Christmas. I really want to be able to take some time off to enjoy the week between the 24th to January 2nd with my husband who will be on vacation from his job at 38 Studios.

That means completing 3 illustrations, five sketches, and one optional promo piece all within the next 8 days.

Not sure if it can be done, but I'm sure as heck going to try. Luckily I have until January 6th to wrap up this Rabbit and Coyote tale which is more than enough time for work and play.

I finished up this one today:

And this Christmas promo is on the back burner (hopefully to get picked up again on Sunday).
I may go with a different image based on how much time I have to get it done.

Bizznizz

2011-12-01T12:29:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I spent a few hours solidifying the new font change to my website and then jumped into printing up some newly branded postcards and business cards. I really like the process of creating a visual identity for my "brand" but I find it challenging to get it right. Because I have three distinct artistic sides to myself (children's illustration, painting, and abstract doodles) it's tough to try to wrangle them all together in a way that both acknowledges these different sides and still ties them to me as a single individual.

Business Card (front & back)

Post Card (front & back)

Now that SlumberlandStudio.com has officially become a children's illustration portfolio ONLY, I've created a second similarly branded website, CourtneyAutumnMartin.com, to show all the artistic things I do. From that site you can branch off into the two previously mentioned sites as well as DoodlePaintings.com. Here's a peek:

Rabbit & Coyote Sketches

2011-11-30T20:30:00.001-05:00

I've had a nice, relaxing break from freelance work over the last few weeks and am looking forward to getting back into things. My next project is another educational job---this time it's four images from the Pueblo tale of Rabbit and Coyote.

They'll be printed as large cards that the teacher holds up while reading the story to first graders. I'm still waiting for approval on these but hopefully I'll hear back soon.

In the meantime, I've made some aesthetic changes to my website---new logo and stuff, and I'm hard at work on some christmas presents for my family.

Also on deck for the next few days will be some festive holiday sketches for new Tugeau2 agency promos...

Til next time!

HAPPY ENDING

2011-11-08T21:12:00.003-05:00

I'm so glad to have finally finished this edu project! After two marathon days rushing to meet the deadline, I'm ready for either a relaxing break from freelance work altogether or the next project---whatever comes first is just fine with me. :)

An ArtFULL Weekend

2011-11-07T12:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday (Sunday, November 6th) was a pretty GREAT day, I gotta say. Not only was it the anniversary of the day Adam and I started our relationship 6 years ago, but it was also my grandmother's birthday, a day of setting the clocks back, AND a beautiful day for a trip to Amherst and Northampton!

Adam and I drove up/over to the Western Mass with my sister Brittany and her boyfriend Matt, and met up with our friend Bonnie at The Eric Carle Picture Book Museum. As always, we had our fun in the book shop but the highlight of the museum was hands down the showcase of Barbara McClintock's amazingly beautiful pen and ink drawings from 1988's now out of print The Heartaches of a French Cat.

One of the most affecting aspects of the showcase was seeing five different color variations of the spread shown below. Each of the iterations' color and value differed greatly and impacted the readability of the scene. The final artwork was clearly an improvement over the first four approaches. And although I don't have the others versions to show you, it's worth mentioning just to serve as a reminder that it's unrealistic to assume that even highly experienced and skilled illustrators get everything right in the first pass. Time for revisions, tweaking, and experimenting needs to be allotted. Practice definitely makes perfect.

Also on exhibit was the work of Jules Feiffer. It was nice to see some of his earlier work on display including those from The Phantom Tollbooth. I'm finding it difficult to say many good things about the entire show simply because I'm rather torn about it. I get that the success of his work hinges on capturing the simplicity of the gesture. I get that there is an energetic immediacy to the way his drawings are created. I get that it must take a lot of control to appear so loose. And I like that.

That being said, I just can't seem to embrace some of his later work. His black ink line work is still going strong but his color is generally messy, ugly, and sometimes right out of the tube. The value in his black and white paintings is muddy. I feel like I'm missing some key element to appreciating his work.

I honestly respect every human being's right to create whatever art they please, in whatever manner they please. Art rules are arbitrary and can be broken successfully any time. But what I don't quite grasp is why we revere certain pieces of art or their creators. Why we put some artwork on pedestals. Everyone likes what they like, and I'm all for that. I know what I like, though I can't always articulate WHY I like what I like. But if, on occasion, I also know what I don't like, I hope that doesn't make me a terrible person or a disrespectful artist or worse---a shallow, ignorant art critic. Because really, who am I to judge? I'm no one. I know nothing.

I must also remind myself that I am subjectively evaluating these images out of context. I have not read all of Jules Feiffer's books and thus don't have the story to affect my encounter with the artwork alone.

But all I keep thinking in the dark corner of my mind is that realistically, if I or any one of my classmates at RISD had brought in a final illustration that looked like this, I doubt it would have made it through the critique unscathed. And yet here it is, nicely framed and hanging on a wall in a museum, making me feel bad for not seeing the genius of it.

Ok. On to the next part of the day!

The Opening Reception for R. Michelson's 22nd Annual Children's Illustration in Northampton.

We were all very excited to see work by some of our favorite illustrators, and we were not disappointed. Highlights for me included seeing the beautiful oil paintings of Kadir Nelson and Rebecca Guay in person.

Kadir Nelson's technique and skill is eye popping, and seeing it reproduced in his books is nothing compared to seeing the actual paintings. Oil paint just glows right of the paper. Both his bold, bright colors and more subtle, limited paletts are beautiful, as is his thin to thick application of the paint. His use of lights and darks and profile/silhouetted shapes are very effective in creating interesting compostions.

Rebecca Guay's work is beautiful and elegant and romantic. I love the looseness of her pencil drawing that peeks through the final layers of paint. I love the glow of her whites and her color palette--particularly her use of turquoise/blues/greens. Her stylization of faces is also one of my favorite things about her. Her people are always beautiful or handsome. She is perfectly suited for the types of stories and books and art she is hired to create---there is drama, grace, fantasy, magic, mythic and fable-like qualities to all that she does. And what she does, she does very well.

A few images from her graphic novel collaboration with Jane Yolen were on display and were some of my favorites from the evening.

My favorite piece from the entire day had to be her large oil painting of Cupid and Psyche. Photos simply can't do it justice. GORGEOUS.

Both Rebecca and Kadir's work really makes me itch to use oil paint. In my opinion I find it easier to handle than acrylic, and there's no doubt about the richness and blend-ability of the medium. Unfortunately the type of work I do is so fast paced I'd never be able to pull it off professionally. I can start painting things in oil just for myself but in in my past experiences I've reacted with swollen throat glands when using it for long periods of time. Hmmm.

I was hoping to see some original paintings from Tony Diterlizzi on display but was disappointed to find that only a few prints of his were hanging. Sadface! They're still great, but I want to see the real thing.

Luckily there was plenty to see besides! Here are a few snippets of the other pieces I enjoyed:

Tomie dePaola

(this is not the image I wanted to post but I can't find the right one).

Mo Willems

Jarret Krosoczka

John Bemelmans Marciano

Wendall Minor

Scott Fischer

Ron Mazellan

Neil Waldman

(his hatchet cover was beautiful. Wish I had a shot of just the art.)

Ruth Sanderson

Jon J. Muth

The show was worth the 90 minute drive, and I'm glad we were able to make the trip. I feel very fortunate that such a strong illustration community is relatively close by. It's great to see people of all ages there to support these talented artists, and it was super inspiring to see their work in person.

ART makes me HAPPY.

Also, I REALLY wish that we lived in Amherst or Northampton. It's such an awesome place!

Sigh. Maybe someday.....

The Special Meal

2011-11-03T21:19:00.006-04:00

Howdy!

I've been scrambling to finish my current educational project in time for the November 9th due date. There are a total of 12 images and I was given only 19 days to complete them. Factoring in my part-time job and the fact that I also have a life, I'm cutting it a bit close but I've been trying to plow through them faster than I ever have done before.

I've got four more to finish, and four days in which to finish them.

OOF.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Edu work may be the bread and butter of the children's illustration industry as well as the sole contributor to all of my work at the moment, but just because I DO it doesn't mean I LIKE it.

It's difficult to be satisfied with your work when you have to work so quickly. It might pay the bills but it makes you feel badly about yourself and your capabilities as an artist.

Anyway, at least with this project I'm trying to have some fun with color and I'm experimenting with a sketchier, less refined style that allows me to work faster. There are always positives to every job but after this one I may need a break from larger educational projects.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-31T21:09:00.000-04:00

From Doodles to Dollars...

2011-10-29T20:28:00.001-04:00

I haven't had much in the way of spare time recently (who does, really?) but I find that when I have a great deal of work to do, I am also at my most productive. What I mean to say is that by having multiple projects going at once, be it freelance work, my own work, or my part time job, I am able to accomplish so much more. I can spend some time on one thing and then when I lose focus or get bored I can take a break and work on something else until I'm eager to get back to the other thing.

Recently I've really started taking my DoodlePaintings more seriously and have not only been producing more and more frequently but I have also begun working on their presentation. They have their own website, their own business card, and a shop on Etsy. I'm not sure whether I'll ever actually sell any online but matting them and putting them all in cellophane bags makes it seem so much more realistic. One day I hope to be able to sell them at art shows and craft fairs and that sort of thing, but in the meantime at least they're ready to go!

By the Light of the Witchy Moon

2011-10-25T21:04:00.001-04:00

Even though I have way to much work to get done between now and November 9th, I really wanted to make a Halloween themed illustration, because I LOVE HALLOWEEN. This composition is inspired/appropriated by vintage '30s Halloween imagery that I absolutely adore. But the cat eyed glasses and kitten with goggles are all mine.

Here's the accompanying poem that I also lifted from a vintage postcard:

When the world

is wrapped in slumber,

And the moon is sailing high,

If you peep between the curtains

You’ll see witches riding by.

I hope I get the chance to finish this before Halloween.

The Waiting Game

2011-10-18T13:23:00.000-04:00

Did I mention I have a love-hate-relationship with that waiting period in between submitting sketches and receiving feedback? On one hand, it means I can do whatever I want with my time guilt-free, but on the other hand it means the project is left hanging over my head---causing tiny amounts of stress until I finally finish the work.

Such has been the last three weeks. Originally I anticipated getting feedback for my current project within a week. But it's now WEEKS later and I have no idea when I'm going to hear back which stinks. As a freelancer, you don't get paid until the job is done and now we're almost a month behind schedule. I just can't seem to make any money at this! Grrrr.

Anyway, here is a sampling of the sketches for the current gig.

There Are Days

2011-10-02T16:32:00.000-04:00

Here is the finished image that I recently completed for McGraw-Hill. It will be accompanied by a sweet little poem (that's what the white space is for). I'm guessing it is for inclusion in some kind of reading text book but it's generally a mystery where some of these educational images will end up once I hand them in. Unless it's specially for some kind of leveled reader book I tend to have no clue what their purpose truly is.

Sadly, I did not have as much fun or freedom with this as I originally thought I would, mostly because of the many constraints of the pre-made layout. It's tricky to get inventive when there needs to be so much space left for text and other graphic boxes that will be added in later. Ho hum.

I also quite dislike the colors I used in this---sure, they are bright and kid-friendly, but there's no color harmony... And once again the whole thing feels stiff and confined. Gosh I wish I could unlock some kind of expressive style/movement in my work...

But I'll try to focus on the positives here: the image serves its purpose, and the client likes it, so that's that. I'm trying my best to detach myself emotionally from these one-off educational jobs because I know they aren't the kind of art I want to be making, they really are just jobs. I'm VERY grateful to have work, but I'm not deeply invested in them. And that's OK. I'm not trying to change the world here, I'm just trying to make a living.

Someday maybe I'll be the kind of illustrator I hope to be. And maybe someday I'll get the kind of work that inspires me on a deeper, more personal level. But until then, I'm glad to get whatever pays the bills.

Moving On

2011-09-26T14:48:00.006-04:00

Finally wrapped the last remaining images for Two Years Vacation last week. Now I'm on to the next educational project and working on the sketches as I type this. It's always feast or famine in children's illustration, isn't it?!!

Also on deck for this week is finishing up the final artwork for the sketch below, as well as beginning a shiny new part-time design job on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to getting out of the house a couple days a week and returning to job where I can flex my design muscles a bit.

That's all for now! Must get back to sketching. And...dah dah dahhhhhh: it's my 27th birthday! Wowzers!

Hi Ho Cheerio--Two More To Go!

2011-09-20T21:21:00.002-04:00

Finished up two more illustrations and all seven spots from "Two Years Vacation," which means just two more to go!

I've been watching a ton of Netflix lately while I work. Somehow my attention span is lengthened when I have a film playing in the background. I also seem to be on some kind of British period piece kick, plowing through Downton Abbey, Wuthering Heights, Vanity Fair, Dean Spanley (SO GOOD!), Moll Flanders, and Daniel Deronda this week. I should probably lighten things up before I appropriate an English accent permanently!

My favorite quote from all that I've watched lately hails from Dean Spanley:

"There's no point to regretting things that have gone to the trouble of happening."

Illustration Friday: Mesmerizing

2011-09-16T13:19:00.001-04:00

An old one, but I thought this might suit this week's theme. :)

Chugging Along...

2011-09-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

I've got a bit of a cold taking hold over me today but I stuck it out and managed to finish up a couple more images from Two Years Vacation. Only four more and a few spots to go!

Follow The Elephant

2011-09-11T21:59:00.002-04:00

I just completed this lesson opener illustration for a reprinting of The Magician's Elephant in a McGraw-Hill textbook. It was honestly one of the most enjoyable freelance jobs I have ever had the privilege to do. The Magician's Elephant is one of my top four books of all time, superbly written by Kate DiCamillo, beautifully designed by Candlewick Press, and perfectly illustrated by Yoko Tanaka.

Can't say mine compares, but I sure loved making it.

"You must follow the elephant," said the fortune teller. "She will lead you there."

Busy Bees Go Buzz

2011-09-09T18:34:00.000-04:00

Last week I had a minor setback with Hurricane Irene which left us without power for a few days, after which (once the power returned) I discovered that my hard drive went KAPUT!

Faced with the prospect of 1.) Losing every one of my files (including some of my unfinished artwork), and 2.) potentially needing an entirely new computer, I had a bit of a panic attack. BUT luck shined its pretty face upon me and after spending four hours and $400 at the Mac Genius Bar I had all my files transferred to my back up drive, a brand new 2TB external drive so this never happens again, and a new internal hard drive installed a few days later.

So now that I'm back in business I'm desperately trying to catch up. I spent some time on my husband's computer while mine was convalescing but PC's just are not the same. Now all I have to do is work out a way to get my hands on the Adobe Suite since I was unable to transfer them from my last hard drive (I got them from my previous employer so I don't own the disks to re-install). Oh boy. For now I have a PS trial.

I've just finished up this illustration which is for a lesson opener for a story in a McGraw-Hill book. I also finished up another image from Two Years Vacation a few days ago. Only 7 more to go! ;)

Doodle Me This

2011-08-21T21:06:00.001-04:00

Spent my Sunday afternoon doodling away at my mother-in-law's while watching "Magic Beyond Words," the Lifetime movie about J.K. Rowling. At least I made those two hours worthwhile.

Here's "Houdini." This original is available to purchase in my Etsy store.

Best Day Ever!

2011-08-18T23:15:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe not the best day EVER, but it was pretty great overall. Another super productive day. I managed to squeaky clean the entire house while at the same time tending to an unexpected assignment. I received an email from my agent this morning asking if I could step in for another artist and complete a rush job (sketch needed by tomorrow) for an illustration for McGraw-Hill. I quickly looked at the specs and couldn't believe they were asking for a full-page illustration to accompany (presumably a textbook re-printing) of Kate Dicamillo's The Magician's Elephant---one of my FAVORITE books...EVER!

I immediately replied saying YES YES YES I will gladly take on the rush job (one of the best assignments I've gotten to date, even if I wasn't the original choice illustrator). And I quickly got to work sketching out the image to the specs they requested. They were pretty concrete on what they wanted (falling elephant, red tent, fortune teller combined whimsically) so I gave it my best shot while adhering to their vision. It may not be how I would have approached it given free reign but I made do.

Personally I feel both honored and completely nervous to have the opportunity to make an image that will accompany this story, even if it is just in an educational textbook or wherever it's going to end up. The published book is perfect in every way, including the beautiful emotive and atmospheric illustrations by Yoko Tanaka. But I'll gladly take the chance anyway. :D

PRODUCTIVITY! Also, ETSY!

2011-08-18T22:53:00.000-04:00

It's amazing that some whole days are spent wasting EVERY minute while others can be so productive! Yesterday I awoke with the overwhelming desire to begin multiple doodle paintings simultaneously in an attempt to curb the extreme inactivity that has permeated most of my summer. It's interesting that when I have no work to do I end up doing NOTHING with my free time, but when I have a full plate I'm totally focused. Taking a break from illustrating and spending the day doodling worked in my favor. I started five separate smallish pieces, and finished two by the end of the night. All original doodle paintings, including these, are now available on my Etsy shop!

Two Years Vacation Sketches

2011-08-16T21:39:00.000-04:00

Actually did some work today. I've been struggling to get into a productive mode lately but remarkably managed to focus for a few hours this afternoon and got something accomplished. I'm approaching these by creating loose value compositions first which I will then use to create the final images in black and white. Once fully rendered I plan to colorize them. It's my hope that by solidifying my values initially I will putz around less when it comes to the color, thus shaving off a bit of time on a project that isn't paying a ton.

Two Years Vacation, Color

2011-08-04T09:08:00.000-04:00

Finished up the color art for the first image from "Two Years Vacation." Hopefully I'll be approved for the rest of the project and will get to do the other 7 illustrations for the Jules Verne story.

All Things Bright & Beautiful

2011-08-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

Walking on Sunshine

2011-07-29T00:15:00.002-04:00

Keep Looking Up

2011-07-28T17:15:00.000-04:00

It seems I haven't tired of clouds yet, so they continue to roll out.

Two Years Vacation by Jules Verne

2011-07-27T09:37:00.001-04:00

I'm just begining a project for a Korean Publisher, who is producing a series of stories for young students learning English. I was lucky to have been assigned a pretty cool classic story from Jules Verne. It's about a group of 15 school boys (ages 8-14) who get stranded on an island for two years. I haven't read the original text before but I did some research and was interested to find that it had been adapted into a full-length Japanese anime film as well as a television series. Apparently it's a popular story there.

The first step in this process was to select one of the eight images in the story to illustrate as a sketch, which is what you see here. (My original comp was horizontal before I remembered it was a half-page spec and needed to be vertical.)

Once this sketch is approved I'll be asked to do the color final, and if that gets approved I can move on to do the rest of the story. I'm hoping they approve my work because I'd really like to do the rest. It's a decently interesting project though the pay is excruciatingly small. Having been a pretty dry summer thus far I'm content to work for just about anything. Someday I sincerely hope to be able to sustain myself a more than the current situation allows.

Thankfully I have a wonderful husband with a solid career, or I'd likely already be back at whatever kind of full-time job I could find...

But for know, I'm just going to go with the flow a little longer.

All Around You

2011-07-27T09:18:00.000-04:00

Unobstructed View

2011-07-25T20:13:00.000-04:00

Another Day, Another Cloud

2011-07-25T12:36:00.001-04:00

Clouds Make Me Feel Spiritual

2011-07-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

I felt like painting clouds today. These are digital, but I'm itching to use real paint soon.

Griffin & Miette

2011-07-20T17:16:00.010-04:00

These are my furry babies in painted portrait form. I wanted them to hang on my wall, and now they are!

Words of Wisdom

2011-07-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

Expelliarmus! A Potter Party of Epic Proportions

2011-07-17T17:57:00.001-04:00

I threw a huge all-day Harry Potter Movie Marathon and went pretty crazy with the decor. I spent three days preparing, shopping, and gathering together every bit of HP related stuff I had around the house. I made a sizable spread of wizarding world inspired foodstuff, as well as drinks and my very own Honeydukes. I painted my own Hogwarts banner and made my own Platform 9 3/4 sign, as well as designed a sign for the popcorn and labeled every food & drink in HP themed text. My sister Brittany baked Hagrid's cake, and I even forayed into some kitchen magic myself with homemade Pumpkin Pasties (DELICIOUS!), Butterbeer, and Pumpkin Juice. We had ourselves quite a feast! And for dinner I heated up some classic chicken pies and roasted potatoes in the tradition of Mrs. Weasley. NOM NOM NOM.

It was amazingly fun, and my sisters, husband, and brother-in-law all dressed up for it. We crammed in as much of all the films as we could and then headed to Providence for the 10:30 showing of Deathly Hallows Part 2. The theater wasn't very crowded but we did get some shouts of approval on our costumes and some guys even took a photo with us. I love Harry Potter fans!

The film was beyond perfect, and emotionally difficult for me to get through, quite honestly. I've had Post-Potter-Depression since but am now fully functioning again. Overall, this weekend was one of the best of my life. Chock full of sister time, friend time, epic films, engaging fantasy, and a passion for something that only those who embrace J.K.'s books will ever fully understand. I feel privileged and thankful that I am part of the Hogwarts generation, it has made me a person who understands how to truly enjoy things that make me happy.

THE MENU:

Beverages:
Butterbeer
Pumpkin Juice
Polyjuice Potion
Felix Felicis

Snacks:
McGonagall's Transfigured Corn Kernels
Professor Sprout's Greenhouse Platters
Gregorivich's Edible Wands
Gillyweed Dip
Fleur's Fromage & Gâteaux Secs
Pumpkin Pasties
Dragon Egg Salad Sandwiches
Rock Cakes

Main Course: Mrs. Weasley's Meat Pies & Roasted Potatoes

Sweets:
Hagrid's Cake 
Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans
Puking Pastilles
Nosebleed Nougat 
U-No-Poo
Chocolate Frogs
Acid Pops
Fizzing Whizbees
Fainting Fancies
Drooble's Best Blowing Gum

Words of Wisdom

2011-07-12T09:41:00.002-04:00

What Makes A Great Story

2011-07-08T16:19:00.001-04:00

I really liked what Emma Watson had to say about the appeal of Harry Potter. Food for thought when I finally approach writing my own stories...

"It's just the most complete escapism. Which is what great stories are -- that you just can completely lose yourself in another world. And what I really love and what I think that people really love and why the stories are so enduring and why they touch so many people is because the characters are so, so real and flawed, and inspiring, and lovable -- completely lovable." -Emma Watson

Words of Wisdom

2011-07-07T17:39:00.002-04:00

Taken from my sketchbook, a thought to remind myself that the only true way I'll fail as an artist is when I neglect the reasons why I became one in the first place. I often get hung up on not being good enough or not being smart enough. But there are infinite roads to success. At the end of the day, the only way I'll get there is if I remove myself entirely from the equation. Being an illustrator is not about ME. It's about telling a story. Serving whatever project in the ways best suited to it. It's about creating something beyond myself. I can't guarantee anyone will like my work. But I believe that if I make art with love and enthusiasm and dedication, it will show through and reach an audience (no matter how small).

If I concentrate on doing things for worthy reasons, I remember that it's not about me at all. And that takes the pressure off just enough to get going.

Words of Wisdom

2011-07-06T23:42:00.002-04:00

Here's Looking At Me, Looking at You

2011-06-30T23:02:00.001-04:00

Illustration Friday: Midsummer Night

2011-06-24T12:04:00.003-04:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Midsummer Night" so I'm re-posting my "Bug Summer" illustration from last year. It seemed a good fit!

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Poster

2011-06-17T17:38:00.004-04:00

I finally finished painting my original poster for Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows! It's been a thoroughly enjoyable labor of love over the past couple weeks, and I am just about ready to move onto something new!

But I hope I never forget how fun passion projects are---doing whatever I want makes me feel so FREE.

To view a larger version, click here: VIEW LARGER

Words from my Creative Hero, JK Rowling

2011-06-16T12:38:00.001-04:00

Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most trans-formative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.
-J.K. Rowling, Harvard Commencement Speech, 2008

Original Character Promo

2011-06-13T19:58:00.001-04:00

Tugeau 2 is sending out a promo email this week on the theme "original characters" so we were encouraged to participate and come up with some new work just for this. I've been talking with my agent about experimenting with style variants that will allow me to work simpler and faster--two words that are the bane of my artistic existence. Try as I might, I can't seem to NOT over complicate illustrations.

So my goal for this promo was to work looser and faster. While I did succeed in trying something new, I failed miserably at working quickly. This thing STILL took me all day long. Oh well. Maybe someday I'll be able to get on paper what is in my head in under 8 hours!

Here's "That's What Friends are For."

Little Red Riding Hood: Classic Record-a-Story

2011-06-11T11:45:00.001-04:00

EDIT: The book is now available for purchase through Amazon.com: click here to buy Little Red Riding Hood Record-A-Story

My complimentary copies of Little Red Riding Hood have just arrived from Publications International!

It's always fun to see the final product and for the most part I'm very pleased with how it turned out. The cover is satisfyingly squishy and has some embossed elements around the animals which is fun.

On the downside, the overall color and brightness didn't come out as I had hoped. My original cover illustration was much brighter/lighter than it appears in the printed version. I think it has something more to do with the way the cover is printed specifically because the interiors don't look as bad. If only they could send me print samples for approval before they actually go to print! Oh well.

BUT I was absolutely flabbergasted in a BAD way when I saw the front cover the first time. I immediately noticed that SOMEONE who is not me had added in blindingly white teeth to Little Red's smile! My original illustration did not show teeth at all--and I for one think she looks better without them. I am trying very hard not to get upset about it. It's not that I am mad that they decided she needed teeth, I am mad that they did not have the courtesy to ASK ME to adjust my own artwork. I would have done a much better job integrating the teeth into my original art than whoever did the edit.

I'm not sure that I have any recourse in dealing with it at this point, besides making them aware that I am extremely displeased that it was never brought to my attention. How frustrating to have my work tweaked by someone else without my permission! THANKFULLY it is not an end of the world situation and is for all intents and purposes a very minor thing---but it just makes me feel powerless and unconsidered.

Which is truly a shame because as far as publishers go, Publications International has been a pleasure to work with, always paying on time and always very communicative with what they want from their artists. I do hope to work with them again, but next time I will make sure to add into my CONTRACT that only I am allowed to adjust my own artwork!

GRUMBLE.

Loving A.R.T: Abolishing Restrictive Thinking

2011-06-10T21:19:00.002-04:00

Through middle school and high school it seemed as though most of my Friday nights were spent happily shut inside of my bedroom drawing to my heart's content. Sometimes I was alone, sometimes one or both of my sisters would join me with whatever respective activity they were doing. Those hours upon hours of drawing portraits of my celebrity dream boys or favorite movie fan art were some of my fondest past times. Back then, it was all about creating. Making something that I didn't have. If I saw a photograph I liked, I drew it, no questions asked.

And even as a full grown adult in my mid twenties, nothing makes me happier than to merely render art from photographic sources. I may be an illustrator now, but my self-taught background is in drawing from concrete sources rather than from my imagination. Tragically, somewhere along the way of becoming an illustrator I lost the ability to make art just for myself. For my own pleasure. For the mere sake of making something I wanted to look at. I used to ask "What do I want to hang on my wall today?" and then I'd draw it. But now I am plagued by questions like "What SHOULD I draw?" "What is worth drawing?" and before I know it everything that isn't some kind of imaginative illustration for my portfolio feels like it would be a waste of time to create. The not knowing WHAT to make often results in not making anything.

But why should I confine myself to art that fits certain criteria? ANYTHING can be art! Making something is better than making NOTHING.

If nothing else, drawing is great practice and can only help me as an artist.

So in the midst of all the self-inflicted pressure to create something worth creating, I decided to say SCREW IT and go back to my roots and make a self-indulgent piece for the heck of it.

I've wanted to make a Harry Potter movie poster for Deathly Hallows because I was disappointed by the posters I've seen so far. So I started collecting the few images I could from the film and composed my own poster, compositionaly inspired by the iconic Sorcerer's Stone poster created by Drew Struzan.

What I realized once I got going was just how HAPPY it made me to make fan art. Because I love Harry Potter, I love drawing, I love movie posters, I love Drew Struzan, and I love the freedom and autonomy that being able to DRAW grants me. If something I want does not exist, I can MAKE it MYSELF!

And there's even more to the silver lining: I know that even though I am creating this to satisfy my own desires, it WILL inevitably be enjoyed by other Harry Potter fans, which makes me feel really good. All I had to do was allow myself to do it.

Sooooo anyway. Here's the pencil version. I'm in the middle of digitally painting the final colored version, which will take a couple more days. I. AM. ESSITED.

Summertime Swing

2011-05-16T16:39:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but I'm just about ready for summer. One month to go!

Here is a piece I made for my agent's promo email she's sending out this week. The theme was boys + spring/summer activity.

I've always wanted a tire swing.

Sana, Sana

2011-05-13T15:22:00.001-04:00

I just finished this illustration for Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt to accompany a Spanish rhyme to be included in materials for their educational program.

The rhyme is said to have magical healing power. Parents gently rub or tap their fingers over a cut, bruise, or other injury in a circular motion, repeating the rhyme, and the injured child quickly feels better. "Sana" means heal.

Sana, Sana
Sana, sana,
carita de rana,
Si no sanas hoy,
sanarás mañana.

Heal, Heal
Heal, Heal,
My little frog face.
If you don't heal today,
you'll heal tomorrow.

Doodles Du Jour

2011-05-10T13:25:00.001-04:00

I'm going to attempt to make something more of my doodle paintings, which means amassing enough of them to actually be able to sell originals and prints at art fairs and that sort of thing someday. To reach this goal, I'm going to try to always have a doodle painting in progress so that I can chip away at it amidst other illustration work. This week I completed two new works which I'm pretty happy with.

Here is A Drop in Time

And You Are a Tourist.

You might recall that I name each doodle is after a song that I was either listening to while creating the doodle or one that I feel represents the feeling of the finished piece. It's one of my favorite parts of the process.

All my doodles can be purchased as prints through DeviantArt.com, and originals can be purchased on an individual basis via emailing me at: courtney@slumberlandstudio.com.

Kyna's Quest Mock Cover

2011-05-05T13:26:00.000-04:00

Decided to continue the fun I was having and expand into a mock book cover for this imaginary story.
I wish I could design books all day. Or write them.

Kyna's Quest

2011-05-04T22:53:00.003-04:00

Here's the finished portfolio piece. I can't believe it, but it only took me one day and I actually had fun making it. Refreshing. Plus it has my favorite colors AND a castle.

As always, I get to thinking about some sort of accompanying story whenever I make a random portfolio piece like this, and although I don't quite know what it is, I do know this Irish Princess's name is Kyna, and there's more to this horse than meets the eye. ;)

Promo Piece Sketch

2011-05-03T23:32:00.001-04:00

Just having some fun sketching a promo piece for a spot on my agent's 2012 Directory of Illustration ad. I started out with trying to make something "girly" and "whimsical," and got this. I feel a story coming on...

New Work, New Client

2011-04-20T15:29:00.002-04:00

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:

Slumberland Studio's New Home

2011-04-13T15:04:00.005-04:00

Yippee! My husband and I and our two kitties successfully moved this past Saturday. With the help of our families, we were unpacked and completely set up within 24 hours. We are super happy in our new place (a three-floor townhouse condo in small-town Slatersville, RI). We have over 2100 square feet (quite an upgrade from our last apartment which was about 1200), and the entire third floor finished basement level is our new studio and reading library.

Lucky for me I was set up in time to get right to work on Monday. I'm in the middle of the project I mentioned last time and working in this new studio is a really nice change. I feel so organized and ready to be productive!

Here is a peek at my process using the first of the final pieces for the short story about a girl with a hearing aid who plays basketball. More to come this week.

Aiming High

2011-04-06T21:49:00.005-04:00

I'm just begining a new project this week illustrating a short story for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Story Town educational program series. (In brief: it involves drawing lots of girls playing basketball). I'm always excited to work with new clients and I hope the project goes well. It's been a couple of months without working so I'm ready to get back in gear but I'm also out of artistic shape. I generally fatigue faster than before and my attention span is challenged but I have a new-found resolve not to let my health disrupt my work flow any further. I'm moving as slow as a turtle but there's nothing like a quick turnaround job from an educational publisher to keep me on my toes.

In other news--
I'm moving this Saturday and although I am about 99% pure excitement about it, there's still a bit of sadness in leaving my Somerville surrogate home of three years. Boston has been a great city for my husband and I and it will be bittersweet to close this first chapter of our lives together. So many great memories have happened since we've been here: new jobs, new friends, an engagement, a wedding, cats, and now a chance to follow my dream of being an artist. When we moved in together in 2008 we were such city noobs. And now just as we've got our city legs we're leaving for the middle of nowhere Rhode Island! LOL :P

But the new place has some SERIOUS space and I can NOT wait to get settled into our awesome new studio! BRING ON CHAPTER 2--'cause I'm ready to get to work!

Fairy Tale Treasury

2011-04-06T21:22:00.003-04:00

Yippee! The fairy tales treasury for which I illustrated the cover (I didn't do any interiors) is finally available! It's a nice collection of illustrated stories and the cover plays a song and lights up when you press it. It's published by Publications International and available to purchase for $15.95 through Amazon.com.

Growth Spurt

2011-03-31T17:59:00.004-04:00

Just a little something.

The Hunger Games Mock Cover Sketch

2011-03-16T21:22:00.010-04:00

'Nervous in The Light of Dawn'

2011-03-15T18:55:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. It's likely been the least creatively productive month in a very long time. And to be quite honest, I've really had my fill of deliberate time away from the studio especially now that I am feeling overall improvement during the day. So while I can should be making the most of that-- whether it's a few hours of casual sketching per day or whatever. Doing nothing every day is certainly not my idea of a good career move, and it's been a bit of an embarrassingly slippery slope towards laziness and subsequent creative depression as a result.

As a first step to getting my act together, I took some time to make a new doodle painting. It's the most intentionally expressive doodle I've done to date in that my current emotional state was the inspiration behind the color and composition. As always, I like to name my paintings based on a song title that I feel enhances and compliments the painting. In this instance the naming was an experience in itself. Almost the first song that I played from my library was EXACTLY how I felt while creating it, lyrically and melodically. I couldn't believe how well it aligned with everything I was thinking and feeling. Choosing it as the title was the extremely natural and satisfying--and even more serendipitous that I've had the song since 2008 but never actually played it before.

Are you familiar with the song, Nervous in The Light of Dawn by Leigh Nash? It's quite nice.

False Alarm--Sort of

2011-02-18T17:06:00.002-05:00

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!

The End is Merely the Beginning

2011-02-10T18:16:00.001-05:00

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.

Tomorrow begins Day 1 of my professional hiatus from my illustration work. I'm taking a leave of absence from my paying gigs but that doesn't mean I'll be away from my studio. Although I plan to spend the first few days catching up on some reading, I am looking forward to utilizing my time creatively to the fullest extent that my current health will allow.

As mentally and physically challenging as the constant body pain has been over the last half year, it's also giving me clarity and greater sense of purpose. Life can change quickly, unexpectedly, and with no real rhyme or reason. Now more than ever before, I see how precious and valuable my own time and life truly are. I think that if I can get through whatever the coming months have in store for me, I will inevitably be stronger and better for it. Maybe if I choose to see all this as a good thing, it will actually become a good thing. To me there can be no better time to FINALLY let go and make art that I want to make.

At the very least, I know crying and whining and wishing things were different has absolutely no effect on the outcome. Giving in to the negative thoughts and energies swirling around my own mind can not be allowed. When things get rough, the only thing that does anyone any good is simply doing good. Thinking positively seems to be the most logical thing to do right now. I'm hoping for the best because a positive mind is my best chance for making everyday a little easier to handle.

Deep breaths.
Here goes everything.

Pain, Pain, Go Away--I've Got Work to Do!

2011-02-08T17:10:00.004-05:00

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...

P.S. Did you know I live my life based on the wisdom and guidance of fortune cookies? Well, I do. Many of my most important life decisions were directly impacted by the timely receipt of a particularly compelling cookie message. The trick is that I ask it a relevant question, and it gives me an insightful response. This is the fortune I received when I asked the following:

How am I going to get through this overwhelming period of pain and uncertain health?

Not bad, not bad at all. :)

Anyhooo.
I did actually manage to work for a few hours today which felt good. Here are a couple more portraits with just two more to go.

Now I'm off to read and relax for the evening!

Strapping Lads

2011-02-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

I'm at the tail end of the first phase of the Famous American's project which has been ongoing in the background of my life for a couple of months. Just a few more portraits to go, and here are three that I hadn't posted yet.

Also, so as to better support the educational work I've been doing lately, I've added a section for it on my website which you can see here: Educational Portfolio.

Book Doppelganger: The Horrifying Discovery That Your Book Already Exists

2011-01-31T15:38:00.012-05:00

This Saturday, at approximately 7:23pm, a dream of mine was officially, irrevocably, and absolutely shattered: I discovered that that book I wrote already exists.

But my story doesn't start here. It starts in November of 2005.
I was a senior at The Rhode Island School of Design working on my final project in my children's book writing course. The task was to take four weeks to write an original story, layout the book dummy, and illustrate one or two final spreads from the story, all of which culminated in a final presentation to a panel of special guests from the publishing industry (our teacher was a children's agent from Boston so she used her connections to wrangle in a few notable people). It was an extremely important event in my life at that time, especially as former students had gotten book deals resulting from this particular class. A true optimist, I hoped with all my heart that my own book might make be selected and eventually published.

Having only about one month from start to finish, and many other classes to contend with, my manuscript was certainly no polished masterpiece. But for what it was, it was very special to me and very well received by my classmates and the panel of publishing insiders. I was given extremely encouraging feedback from the final critique and I left ELATED that my book had potential and that one day, after graduating, maybe I could really develop it into something worthy of the bookshelf.

Since then, I have picked up my manuscript from time to time and made some tweaks, but I always felt it could be better. I figured that when the time was right I would really take it seriously and do something with it. I was very confident that somehow, somewhere, sometime, it could realistically be published. I believed in it just enough to imagine that reality, but not enough to dedicate myself to it over the past 5 years.

Flash to May of 2009.

Reluctantly, I decided it was time to dust off my manuscript and take advantage of the fact that my contract with Abrams for Ballots For Belva REQUIRED me to submit any future manuscripts I might write to them before I could shop them around to other publishers. In an industry rife with anti-unsolicited submissions policies, it was too good an invitation NOT to at least try and get some feedback. So I sent it to my editor there and eagerly awaited a response. Something. Anything that might validate its potential. I didn't care if they published it, I just needed to know I wasn't crazy for thinking it was good. (Which I rarely feel towards my own work anyway).

A while later, I finally heard back from my editor, who had this to say about it:

"Thanks so much for your patience as we take a closer look at your manuscript. I thought it was a very clever concept, and your writing is lovely. I like books with a little bit of a secret, and this one definitely delivers on those secrets. And as always we love your art — these pieces have especially great details. In the end, though, I think the concept is not quite right for us. It’s on the esoteric side, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but just means it’s a little harder to grasp the central hook right away. We’d love to see something else from you, though, and to hopefully be able to work with you again in the future. We love your work!

You are free to submit this around elsewhere, and I really hope you’ll consider us again for your next idea, whatever that may be. I’m always happy to read your manuscripts."

Well, that was definitely a welcome response. SO WHAT if it wasn't right for them?! It might be right for someone else. And if I cared about it enough, maybe, just maybe, it was something worth caring about.

Flash back to this Saturday, January 29, 2011, 7:23 pm.
I'm standing in the children's book section of The Strand in NYC (18 MILES OF BOOKS!). I'm surrounded by thousands of books, floor to ceiling--

I don't know if you are a believer in fate, but I sure am.

There were so many kids books you could easily spend days in the children's section alone. But I only had about 45 minutes to peruse, which makes my story even more serendipitous.

Of all the thousands of books I could have picked up, one instantly caught my eye. The cover looked interesting though it wasn't until I started reading that my jaw dropped. The moment I turned the pages I had a very tight, deeply knotted feeling in my stomach and knew that a small part of my life would never be the same.

This book was not just "similar" to the book I wrote while in school, it was almost the EXACT same concept from cover to cover. It was as if I had bumped into my own doppelganger, as if I was staring at a strangely distorted but uncannily identical version of myself. My face in a funhouse mirror.

It was published in 2009.

I was struck with the earth-shattering realization that not only had someone beaten me to my own idea, but that apparently this idea was not even ORIGINAL. No longer UNIQUE. No longer MINE.

It's a tough feeling to have. Even now I am still in a bit of a state of shock with how much it has rattled my cage. I've shown the book to my husband, my parents, my sisters--- all of their jaws have dropped at the stunningly sameness of our ideas.

So the question is, what do I do now? What is this all about?

First off, I am undoubtedly in a strange and unexpected state of mourning for my own pride in an idea. I think that's a natural and expected reaction. Part of me wants to cry, part of me feels violated. Part of me wants to curl up in a ball and shout IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE ORIGINAL!!! I GIVE UP! And part of me worries that I'll never, ever, ever, ever, write my own book now.

So I let myself feel these things. But knowing that getting upset won't change anything, I pull myself back to rational thinking. And in doing so, I discover that I am actually extremely THANKFUL for this turn of events.

I am thankful because in some way, I am validated that everyone who ever told me that my book should be published was right. The concept WAS good enough. It was worthy to be brought into the world and it would engage children in every way that I hoped it would.

I am thankful that my doppelganger book was written so well, and that the illustrator did such a fantastic job. I am thankful that this concept was done right, even if I was not the one to do it.

I am thankful that I even found my doppelganger book. I am thankful that the universe knew I needed to find it. I am thankful that I found it before I poured my heart and soul into developing it anymore than I already have.

I am thankful that when I casually approached my editor at Abrams Books a few years ago with my manuscript, they passed on it. I am thankful that I've sat on it ever since instead of trying to shop around a book that already exists. I am thankful that I will never be an accidental copycat.

I am thankful that I can move on from something that has been lurking in the back of my mind, haunting me with its promise and potential.

Amongst mixed emotions and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no longer a place for this particular book in the publishing world now, I feel FREE. Free to start again. Free to find that story that can and WILL be all MINE.

Free to prove that I'm more than a one-trick pony.

Slow Going...Still Going

2011-01-26T11:15:00.004-05:00

I couldn't be more grateful for the inadvertent down time I've had lately. It's allowed me to slowly chisel away at the last of the famous American portraits for Scholastic and I am super lucky that the second half of the project (12 illustrated scenes featuring these people) doesn't get assigned until next week at the earliest.

Apart from that, I've been wrapping up some of the small educational spec jobs I've been doing for McGraw Hill. Some of it has been interesting, some of it has not. But it should be a nice little chunk of change when it's all over, which is great since (apart from the back and forth discrepancies in directions) I've barely noticed working on them over the last month.

This is are a couple examples of some of what I've been up to:
A museum interior in which students will draw Native American artifacts/art:

A 5th grader's explorer card and mock journal entry:

A Colonial furniture maker's shop:

And a wallet (the first pass and the revised art):

Thrilling, I know.

In other news....

The SCBWI conference is THIS weekend, and I can't wait to hear all the talks and presentations and take lots of notes so I can recap all the interesting highlights when I get back to my desk on Monday. It's going to be a long weekend, but at least I'll have my husband with me and my best friend Erica is kind enough to host us at her place in the city for three nights! I'm so lucky!

Yesterday I took some time to mat the artwork my husband and I will be putting in the Art Showcase. I really wanted to create a new piece for it, but this week has been the most challenging yet in terms of total body pain so I had to prioritize my stresses and opted to use one of the spreads from Red Riding Hood instead. Oh well....maybe next year!

That's all for now!

NO: A Word Not Often Heard in Freelancing

2011-01-12T13:53:00.001-05:00

Needless to say, life doesn't always go as planned. When I left my day job in June, I never could have foreseen that physical pain my body would be experiencing just eight months later. It's not getting any better, and may even be getting worse. But I refuse to give up. And although I have my bad days, overall I'm trying to stay positive and not let it affect my everyday life as much as it could.

I don't want to dwell on it, but rather acknowledge that it may even be a welcome challenge. I mean, come on. If I didn't have this back pain to contend with, life would be way too easy and I would feel super guilty about how perfect things are. Sounds crazy, but it's true.

In fact, all this may even be meant to help me focus more on my career. It makes sitting at my computer all day excruciating, BUT it also makes me realize that I need to be WAY pickier about how I spend my time everyday. I am beyond fortunate (right now) that I DO NOT rely on my job for a steady income, nor are our bills or rent dependent on how much I make with my illustration work. I imagine that this will change someday, but for the time being I should feel super lucky that I do not HAVE to take on projects if I don't WANT to.

That being said, why in the heck am I taking on projects that I do not want to do??

I AM A FREELANCER. I work for myself. No one depends on me. So why don't I feel like I have the freedom to pass up work?

Is it greed?

Gosh, with the low-paying jobs I've done recently it surely can't be that.

Nor do they offer challenging benefits to my career experience. Most of the educational work lately has been more like a math problem with so many constraints that only one answer is the right answer and anyone can figure it out, if they work at it long enough.

It's unbelievably frustrating to find yourself doing things you don't want to do when YOU are the person who put yourself in that situation to begin with.

So why do I do this to myself? I'm not supposed to owe anyone except myself right now. Why do I keep forgetting this?

Wouldn't my time be better spent working on my own projects, and moving my portfolio forward in the direction of the kind of artist I WANT to be? Heck, my time would better be spent reading than it would be working on some of the lame crap I've done lately.

I know why I've said yes to this work, and bottom line it's because I felt like I couldn't say no. Like it would look bad to my agent. Like I needed to prove to myself that I can do these meaningless jobs and make a quick buck.

But the bottom line is that I am not built with a switch that allows me to care less about one job over another. If I take on a crappy job, I'm going to work just as hard on it as I would an awesome job. No matter how long it takes me, no matter how stressed it makes me.

So if I can't change my work ethic, than perhaps I need to protect myself from my own proclivity for perfection. And that means that it's going to have to be ok for me to say NO to something that doesn't deserve my attention.

If someone else can do it, than get someone else to do it. Time is too precious. Don't waste it on art you don't want to make.

So Long, Wolf

2011-01-09T17:27:00.002-05:00

Here's the last spread of the Red Riding Hood book. I'm relieved to finally reach the finish line on this project, considering how much of a struggle it's been to work amidst all the back pain, holiday obligations, and other projects hovering around. I'll be sending these to the publisher for approval now, so apart from minor tweaks and adjustments, I should be able to say goodbye to Little Red very soon!

For now, it's on to the next project waiting in the wings.

Grandma Ain't No Fool

2011-01-07T21:07:00.001-05:00

In this very, very kid-friendly and entirely non-violent version of Red Riding Hood, Grandmother sees Wolf knocking at her door and, having no desire to become his mid-day snack, runs off to hide in a nearby closet. Too funny.

Anyway....one more spread to go! VERY EXCITED to be nearing the end of this project!

Flower Power

2011-01-05T19:49:00.003-05:00

Another day and another spread down! That leaves me with just two more spreads to go! Yippee!

Five down, three to go

2011-01-04T19:29:00.003-05:00

Probably my least favorite spread. Rather dull. But at least it's done!

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-03T16:24:00.003-05:00

Woah! I can not believe it's actually the year two thousand and eleven. Seriously??? This spring will mark 5 years out of art school. It's incredible how fast time flies, especially considering that so many dreams have already come true since graduating. (a published children's book, a two year stint at a design job, a wedding, a happy year of marriage, living with my own cats in my own apartment, leaving my job and becoming an illustrator, and working from home everyday!) Just...wow.

Anyway. I'm hoping this will be another great year filled with exciting opportunities and chances to expand, experiment, and evolve my work! At least the first work day of 2011 was productive. We'll see how the rest goes!

Here's the sixth spread from the Red Riding Hood book, completed out of order from the story.

RRH Spreads 1 & 2

2010-12-23T12:31:00.003-05:00

Yay! I finished the first two of seven double page interior spreads for the Red Riding Hood book. Only five more to go!

This publisher is VERY particular in the layout and compositions of each piece (they literally sent me very specific sketches for each page!), thus there's been very little room for my own imagination. That being said, to enjoy working within these creative limitations, I've shifted my focus to stylistic elements like texture, color, pattern, spacial value contrast, and my stylization of people.

So while I do not see this project as particularly challenging of my compositional storytelling abilities, with any project there is still much that can be learned in terms of style and technique. And practice for the sake of practice is always advantageous to the development of my work. It's been a nice experience so far, and I'm having a good time-- which is the most important part----right??

Little Red

2010-12-20T23:22:00.003-05:00

Finally finished the cover art for the Red Riding Hood story book I'm working on. One of the more enjoyable pieces I've worked on so far....not sure why exactly--maybe it's just because it was virtually hassle free. I'm awaiting feedback from the publisher but hopefully there won't be too many major tweaks.

Now it's on to the remaining seven double page spreads...due in the second week of January. RALLY!

It's a Brick-HOOOOOOUSE!

2010-12-17T23:09:00.001-05:00

Voila! Here is the shiny new final art for the cover of a classic children's stories treasury for Publications International. I worked with them on a Fairy Tale treasury cover back in 2009 and I'm thrilled to work with them again. Hoping they like it as much as I enjoyed painting it. I think I used all my favorite colors in this one.

PHEW.
I've got a ton going on right now so it feels great to be able to finally check something off my freelance-to do list. Next week it's back to work on Red Riding Hood, American portraits, and some new educational projects.

I haven't been this busy with art since RISD. Feels kinda good...

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2010-12-13T09:30:00.001-05:00

Even amidst all the work I have on my plate at the moment, I took some time last week to make a little something for my mom's surprise 50th birthday party this past Saturday (her real birthday is the 31st). I didn't know exactly what I wanted to give her, but I spent a while reading quotes about mothers and came across one that I found particularly compelling. It inspired the accompanying drawing, a symbolic illustration meant to represent my mom and I.

When I was little I simply could not have imagined myself ever growing up and moving away from her. Now at 26, I live with my husband two hours from my parents (too far for my liking but hopefully this will change in the near future). But no matter how far I may live from my mom, I know that part of me will always be right there by her side. She's my best friend, and I am so thankful to have her in my life.

Makin' History and the Importance of Good Posture

2010-12-06T18:50:00.003-05:00

Hi all--Happy December! I can't believe how fast November went. Time flies when you're loving life!
I'm finally getting back in the swing of the famous Americans project I'm working on. Below should be the last of the pencil portraits. Once they get some color treatment I'll be moving on to the second portion of the project which will feature each historical figure in a respective illustrated scene from their life.

In the mean time, I'm still plugging away at the Red Riding Hood book and am trying to stay on schedule so I can get the finals done in 5 weeks time. The cover is still in progress but here is a sneak peak:

While I work on that, I'm also continuing to work on the three little pigs cover I started a few months ago which is due in January.

So big YAY for even having multiple projects to balance--I'm really truly thankful to have some work to keep me going through the start of winter. :)

* * * * *
In other news, life working at a desk all day has been taking a bit of a toll on me the last few months (way to go Courtney and your terrible posture!!) What began as lower back pain in August has since evolved into mid and upper back, neck, and most recently, tremendous hip pain. It has been debilitating at times, making it difficult to stand up straight, walk any decent length, and even get a decent night's sleep. Going to the chiropractor hasn't done much yet---but I'm working on it. I've even gone so far as to purchase a brand new ($4,000!?!?!?!) Tempur-Pedic mattress in hopes that the extra back support will alleviate the symptoms over time. Thankfully the anti-inflammatory medicine is working some magic right now or I wouldn't be typing any of this.

The point of me mentioning this is not to share my personal problems with you all, but to bring awareness to the harmful effects of non-ergonomic sitting/work habits and the importance of practicing good posture, especially for artists who, like me, either sit at a drafting table or computer all day. I'm only 26 but everything is catching up with me now. I'm wishing I could go back to the days when I felt no pain at all, and I'm kicking myself for not appreciating how good I had it then. Life can change so quickly...but I'm staying positive, taking responsibility, and hoping for the best.

"I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act." -Buddha

Keeping Busy

2010-11-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

Phew. After several months without any professional projects to keep me busy, I now find myself smack in the middle of two great but very different illustration jobs; one, a retelling of Red Riding Hood, the other an educational project on 13 famous Americans.

Going back and forth between the two is proving not only enjoyable but quite welcome stimulation. I work on one for a bit, then a bit on the other, which is keeping me well-paced and my attention span fully intact. I think it's rather ideal to have at least two projects at any given moment, assuming of course that the deadlines are manageable enough to keep your sanity. It's also great exercise for the brain to go between two types of creative tasks.

For the first time since leaving my job in June, I'm finally feeling purposeful again. Doing work for oneself has its positives, but I personally feel much more fulfilled when working for someone else, knowing the challenges (aka the needs of the assignment) and coming up with the solutions (aka the art) is what makes being an illustrator so fun to me. If I can keep myself going with a few great projects a year, I will be a very happy person indeed.

KidBook Nook Update

2010-11-11T17:11:00.000-05:00

Read my review of The Chiru of High Tibet by Jacqueline Briggs Martin on my kidlit review blog: KidBookNook.com.

An inspiring and beautifully illustrated book about the Tibetan Chiru and their struggle for survival.

KidBook Nook Update

2010-11-08T12:03:00.000-05:00

Read my review of Palazzo Inverso by D.B. Johnson on my kidlit review blog: KidBookNook.com

A beautiful, M.C. Escher-inspired picture book with an innovative storytelling twist. Very unique!

KidBook Nook Update

2010-11-05T16:20:00.001-04:00

Read my review of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins on my kidlit review blog: KidBookNook.com

This series has quickly taken its place high atop the list of my favorite young adult books. So well-written and so addictive! Don't miss them.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T11:18:00.000-04:00

From Story to Book in 10 Easy Steps

2010-10-29T13:54:00.013-04:00

Surprisingly, many authors new to the publishing industry who approach me about illustrating their book don't know the first thing about how the publishing process actually works. In attempts to demystify these things a bit, I've put together this quick 10-step list of how a story (essentially) becomes a published picture book.

1. Author writes a story.
2. Author probably gets a literary agent* (many publishers don't accept unsolicited or unagented manuscripts).
3. Author or author's agent submits manuscript to appropriate publishing companies (one at a time--publishers don't like it when they aren't looking at a manuscript exclusively).
4. Editor at publishing company reads the manuscript.
5. If both the editor and the editorial director like the manuscript, it goes into an acquisitions meeting where its sales and marketing potential is discussed. (If the publisher is interested enough, the editor might request revisions to the manuscript prior to the acquisitions meeting. If not, it gets rejected and returned to the author or agent to be sent to the next publisher.)
6. The publisher will then either turn down or approve the manuscript and offer the author a contract.
7. The manuscript will then be finalized by the author and editors, and move into the book development stage.
8. The editor and art director will select an appropriate illustrator.
9. The illustrator will have a pre-determined length of time to complete the book art. (Usually 4 months to a year for a 32-page picture book, less under unusual circumstances).
10. The art department finalizes the look and layout of the book, and it goes to print.

From start to finish, this process can take months if not years before seeing the finished book on the self at the bookstore.

*In the case that the author and illustrator are the same person, the illustrator does not always need to have a separate literary specific agent to submit their picture book. If an illustrator has previously been published, that publisher may automatically wish to see any of that illustrators future manuscripts. Publishers know and welcome the benefit of the same author/illustrator combination. Not only is it easier to work with one person than two, it also typically results in a very cohesive story and successful final product.

For more information including the author's role in children's publishing, visit my page: Courtney's Guide to Publishing.

For a list of informative children's publishing links, visit my Publishing Resources Page.

The New & Improved SlumberlandStudio.com

2010-10-25T23:37:00.005-04:00

I'm tremendously excited to announce that my website, Slumberland Studio, has undergone some reconstructive surgery and is looking all the better for it! Thanks entirely to my fabulously smart and supportive husband who helped me code and optimize its functionality. What would I do without him?!?!?

All of the links to the right will bring you to the corresponding pages of my site, making for an easy transition from blog to portfolio. (This pleases me greatly!)

I'm looking forward to developing some fun content overtime and segueing into more consistent site updates. Now that I have the new site, I want to fill it with new work! It's a great motivational tool ;)

Well, that's all for now! I hope you enjoy the new look!

The new & improved SlumberlandStudio.com!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

Jeepers, it's been a while since I posted on here. Shame on me for neglecting my art with a trip to San Francisco, a week being sick, redesigning my website, reading almost all 3 Hunger Games books in a few days, and generally procrastinating in the form of cleaning and organizing my apartment from top to bottom. Not that those aren't all decent ways to spend my time, but it does clearly leave little time for creative endeavors.

Which brings me to today's piece, an illustration I created as part of the Halloween-themed promotion my agent will be sending out on Monday. I had every intention of participating in the promo but somehow I just couldn't find an angle that really appealed to me. Halloween is one of my favorite times, because it's just so inherently bizarre. And I love Halloween imagery but tried to stop myself from creating what could easily become some piece of Halloween stock art. I may now go ahead and do one of those pieces as well, but for the promo I wanted to at least attempt to create a more particular scene.

Lately I've really been unsatisfied with my process. I'm definitely working both too quickly and yet not fast enough. Giving myself only one day for idea and execution should be beneficial in that it forces me to work less preciously on my art. But at the same time, I keep over-working my illustrations. Freshness and spontaneity continue to elude me. Part of me wishes this piece was just the sketch and the real one could be repainted based on it--maybe even with traditional media. I miss painting for real. Digital has its place but lately it just hasn't been fulfilling my enjoyment of creating...

Anyway, here's "Pirate Loot," kid-Courtney's idea of the best part about Halloween: THE CANDY! I remember how exciting it was to feel that pillow case get heavier and heavier throughout the night. Imagine if I could have gone to every house in my town! Oh the amazing, delicious, bizareness of a holiday that encourages taking candy from strangers!

KidBook Nook

2010-09-29T09:19:00.005-04:00

Hi guys,

I wanted to let you all know that I've started a new blog exclusively for my reviews of children's books. "KidBook Nook" will highlight a broad range of the best books for children with brief but thorough breakdowns of each book's story, writing, illustrations, and value not only to children, but to the adults who read them, too.

Up until now I've been posting my reviews periodically on this blog, but it's been decided that I will relocate my previously posted "I Love KidLit" reviews and no longer post them on this (my art) blog. My husband Adam and I will be running the new book blog together, sharing our thoughts on the books we admire. I'm looking forward to producing content more frequently and treating blogging as a more serious endeavor.

As an illustrator, I'm generally very selective of the books I purchase for my library, but I am also highly critical of the writing and overall presentation of the books. So I like to think that I have relatively high standards and that the books I own are those worth sharing. Whether you love books as much as I do, or want to provide yourself (or your children) with high quality book experiences, I hope you'll join me in the conversation!

Courtney & Adam's KidBook Nook Blog: www.kidbooknook.com

Eric Carle Museum

2010-09-27T14:54:00.007-04:00

This weekend was my "golden" birthday as I turned 26 years old on the 26th of September. My husband and I kicked off the celebration with a trip to Amherst MA for our second Eric Carle Museum visit.

We were able to FINALLY see the stellar Lisbeth Zwerger exhibit which ended on Sunday. I have always admired her work and own several of her books, but I was more than impressed with how absolutely precious her work is in person. And after seeing them I feel that none of her books have adequately captured the subtleties in color and tone of her work. It was a treasure to see them in real life, in all their wonderful whimsy.

These were a few of my favorites in person:

After we took our time in the exhibit, we made our way into the gift shop, chock full of everybook you could want. We knew we were going to go a little crazy with our purchases, but it's not everyday you see so many high caliber children's books in one place. And, as it was my birthday after all, we shopped til we dropped and have no buyer's remorse whatsoever. We see our book collection as an investment not only in a library that inspires us to create and pursue our dreams, but one that will eventually and inevitably influence our children as well. And that we can not put a price on.

And the icing on the cake was that at 1pm there was a brief lecture given by Maria Tatar, professor of folklore and mythology at Harvard. I'm still in the middle of reading her fascinating book, Enchanted Hunters, so her talk "Little Red Riding Hood from Fireside to Kindle" couldn't have been more perfectly timed. It was an interesting examination of the iterations and permutations of the fairy tale and it's place in our culture. After the talk ended, we made our way back to the book shop to buy her other books and were also able to get them signed.

Trunk full of literary loot, we left the museum grinning ear to ear. Books sure do make us happy.

Family Pet

2010-09-27T09:25:00.002-04:00

This piece was created for the prompt "Family Pet," intended to be a simple vignette featuring a cat-hugging girl. The cat shown here is actually my cat Griffin, a lovable little muffin I rescued from the humane society last November. He's brought a lot of happiness to my husband and I, so I thought him to be the perfect character for this piece.

This illustration has inspired a full story to go along with it, which is just in the begining stages at this point. But writing it should keep me busy for a while. I'm excited. It's the first story idea I've had in a long time, and I think it may have potential. :)

I Love Kidlit: Flotsam

2010-09-22T20:29:00.005-04:00

I recently took a couple of days to archive all of the books my husband and I have accumulated over the past 5 years. Having a library that is growing exponentially is great, but it can be problematic now that we've reached the point of not actually knowing what books we already own. I'm using Librarything.com (our user name is MartinPeckBooks) and so far I love it. It's very easy to sort, search, browse, categorize, add wishlist books, share our library, and I can even export the whole library as a spreadsheet. It was quite an undertaking to record all 1175+ books but it really needed to happen. Having all of our books cataloged is a tremendous asset---I'm thrilled to have finally done it!
Ok. So back to the matter at hand. Today's installment of I Love Kidlit. I've selected Flotsam, the Caldecott winning instant classic from David Wiesner. A genius of the wordless narrative, Wiesner's picturebooks capture and indulge in the pure fantastic capabilities of illustration. His proclivity for telling rich stories within stories comes from a superior level of the creative mind I myself can only dream of.

Not to mention this book is full of so many things that I love. Old cameras, vintage photographs, traveling back in time. A story that starts in reality and quickly transforms into a journey through whimsical tableaus of the impossible, only to come back right where we started and full of potential for countless more untold stories. It's everything you could hope for out of a purely pictorial voyage. I know that it's definitely a book I would have embraced as a child, likely spinning my own drawings and imaginings from where his left off. That is a magical quality that I wish more books had. To feel as if the book goes on even after the cover is closed.

As always, Wiesner's images are beautifully executed, and fish and animals landscapes and artifacts are clearly his strength. As I love his work, I do think his people and faces fall a bit short of perfection. His child faces tend to be a bit wonky, his bodies and expressions a bit stiff. To me, it seems as if he's much more interested in drawing everything else.

But overall, I think that we could all aspire to be as imaginative and well crafted as Mr. Wiesner. Although I've never done much in the way of sequential wordless imagery, this book makes me want to try it. There's so much to learn and this book is a great piece of inspiration.

Enchanted Reading Part 1.

2010-09-10T10:14:00.005-04:00

I recently began reading Maria Tatar's "Enchanted Hunters" a facinating examination of the power of stories in childhood. I'm only about 1/3 of the way through but already feel my understanding of children's literature getting sharper.

So much of what Tatar covers in this book would seem obvious and yet it boggles my mind that no one has yet put it in such well crafted, straightforward, and comprehensive way as she does here. She discuss the evolution from familial hearth-oriented storytelling to bedtime reading to children, which on its own is an interesting topic. She makes many interesting points that in modern times, bedtime reading is essentially a conflict zone between parent and child (parent wanting child to go to sleep, child roused by the stories being told), rather than the sweet, nostalgic and idealized vision we have of story time being a period of quality bonding between parent and child. Beyond that, she also examines the irony between the origin of bedtime stories (many intended to frighten the child into obedience, i.e. The Sandman) and the modern genre of bedtime picture books aimed at lulling a child to sleep (in a word, BORING!).

She goes on to stress that many children will passively endure stories that end with "and now it's time for bed," but that what children really crave are stories of adventure, beauty, intrigue, and peril. It's so obvious to me now. Bedtime books exist because parents WILL buy them, NOT because children actually want to read them. This is the case for many genres of children's books. Up until now I had been feeling overwhelmed at the vastness of the field of kidlit, but now it's more apparent to me that within kidlit is an entire sub section of "adult kidlit", books supposedly aimed at children but actually created out of a nostaligia of an adult perspective on childhood, rather than one sincerely intended for childhood appeal.

This is the key to everything to me. I do NOT want to be a poser of a children's illustrator. I want to aspire to connect directly with children rather than some IDEA of what children should like. Think about it: as children, we are captivated by stories that give us that perfect balance of both beauty AND horror (traditional fairy tales, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, etc). I for one can absolutely remember the types of books I couldn't get enough of: ANYTHING by R.L. Stine!

I plowed through the Goosebump Series all through elementary school. I could not satiate my desire to live in a world where children were constantly at the mercy of their own courage to face dark and terrible things without the aid of adults. To little Courtney, that was as far from reality as it got! I was so close to my family and knew they'd always be there to save me, that the very thought of being alone drew me to those types of stories. I could escape into the pages of R.L. Stine and live in a world that horrified and mesmerized me, all from the comfort and safety of the living room couch.

Even as a child I remember being so THANKFUL that Mr. Stine was AWESOME enough to write those books for us kids---it was like he was saying to us. "Hey, you might be kids, but I know you can handle it." I respected him for respecting us. I didn't want boring, dumbed-down, cutesy and condescending stories---I wanted risk, and the promise that there was no promise of a happy ending. Because even at a young age, I knew that was the harshness of life.

Those early reading experiences were fundamental to me. They really allowed me to escape and become part of worlds unlike my own. And now as an adult, I must NEVER forget that. As an illustrator (and maybe even author someday) I will not let myself forget WHO I am really making my work for. If I go too far in the way of nostalgia I am almost guaranteed to fail in the ways I care most about.

Imagine a world where the authors of our beloved stories didn't give children enough credit. A world where Red Riding Hood faces a fluffy bunny and Voldemort is as threatening as a ladybug. The potency of childhood stories hinges on the tension of radiant good challenged by ultimate evil. To have one, you must have the other. Children feel that truth deep down and connect to stories that allow them to explore that theme time and time again.

Reading is a magical experience for us as adults because it allows us to escape into a life and world somehow different from our own. Imagine then, how doubly powerful that same escape can be for a child who is inherently powerless in their own world on a daily basis. It is thus that much MORE of a necessity for a young mind to experience strong stories that engage their imagination and indulge their fantasy and fascination with the dark and light.

Caring For Turtles

2010-09-08T20:57:00.008-04:00

Call me crazy but all this creative freedom lately has been scaring me to the point of unproductivity. That is to say approaching illustration saying "what do I want to draw?" has made me stop drawing altogether. I can't stay focused on one thing because I don't know if it's what I SHOULD be doing or if it's just a temporary whim.

So what I decided to do instead was tackle the deep fears haunting me everyday. Fear of having to draw something I actually DON'T want to draw.

I have always avoided illustrating typical children's book subject matters like kids and school. Real life topics like that just don't get my heart pumping. So that's exactly what I made myself work on these past two days. Originally prompted with a "Back to School" theme from my agent, what began as a couple kids on a bus became this.

I discovered a lot about myself in this process:

1. No subject is scary as long as you can find an angle that provides personal enjoyment. Whether it's the actual subject or just the color palette I choose to work with, there can always be some element that can be fun.

2. Working with a chalk brush in photoshop is helpful for me to crisp edges, simplify shapes and colors, and hone in on my emerging style. Don't neglect this brush again, Courtney!

3. I don't have to feel stupid for not knowing how a piece is going to turn out at the begining. My art is an evolving process and as long as I get to the finish at some point, I should just enjoy the magical ride of creativity along the way.

4. When creating work on my own initiative, I inevitably create some small sliver of a story in my mind to go along with the image. I am a storyteller somewhere deep down, I just haven't unlocked it yet. Writing my story ideas could lead me to good things. I need to stop being afraid to be a writer, because singular images alone will never satisfy me...

Stargazer

2010-08-31T10:09:00.004-04:00

Well, It took me much longer than expected yet again. But at least it's done! Shown with and without proposed text.

Cover Sketch

2010-08-23T22:24:00.003-04:00

The sketch for a quick piece I'm hoping to have done for tomorrow...It's an imaginary bookcover illustration for my imaginary middle grade fantasy novel...

Bug Summer

2010-08-20T22:47:00.002-04:00

I finally finished this piece I've been working on for over a week. I really can not justify taking so long on one illustration...I'm soooo slowwwww. Working digitally should really go faster and I know it was because of a lack of focus on my part. But anyway...this illustration was for the prompt "Having Summer Fun." I decided to to a piece inspired by my childhood with my sisters, both of whom have always been my best friends. I even incorporated the puppy version of one of our family dogs and the house I grew up in. Oh, the memories.

I Love Kidlit: Old Coyote

2010-08-17T12:49:00.006-04:00

It's been a busy week for me (my husband had a week and a half off in between starting a new job) so I've basically been on vacation as well. I've neglected my blog but I decided to jump on to post a brief installment about another of my favorite books.

Today's feature is Old Coyote illustrated by Max Grafe. This is a perfect example of one of my favorite types of picturebooks---elegant, sophisticated, and emotionally compelling.

Max Grafe's work is often printmaking related, an influence that comes through in his mixed media illustrations that recall the unexpected textures inherent in mono prints. The subdued color palette and simple compositions add a sensitivity to what is ultimately a story about the harmonic cycle of life and death. It's a heavy theme here given delicate lightness and grace. The writing is poetic and dignified and the whole book experience is perfectly paced, quietly moving from begining to end. But beware...it may leave you a bit bleary eyed...in a good way.

I Love Kidlit: The Arrival

2010-08-05T18:04:00.004-04:00

Today's installment is Shaun Tan's masterpiece of graphic narrative, The Arrival.

Side story:
I first stumbled across this book back in October of 2007, while browsing the book kiosk in Boston's South Station. It was the morning and I was waiting for one of my friends to come into town. What struck me first was the binding; brown with a beautiful worn typeface. It had so much character. Everything about it was calling out to me. I picked it up and leafed through the pages. Instantly, I was speechless. I was in love. I knew I had found something special. It HAD to be mine. But I was torn: I didn't want to lug it around with me all day while I roamed the city. So I reluctantly decided to wait until my return to the station that afternoon to purchase it. All day long I thought about this book. I worried that someone would snatch it up in my absence. When I got back to South Station later that day I prayed it would still be there. Lucky for me, it was! And I purchased it straight away.

It quickly became my absolute all-time favorite picture book. Ever. It's brilliant in every way. I could go on and on about my love for the main character's metaphorical immigrant experience. I could gush for days about the beauty of the soft sepia toned illustrations. But instead I'll just say that it is a touching, unique yet universal story that truly succeeds in allowing understanding and empathy for an experience everyone can identify with in on some scale. We truly become one with the character, seeing a strange and magical world through the eyes of a stranger. It is a satisfying and mystifying experience.

The inherent bizarreness, confusion, and magic of entering an unfamiliar world lies intricately and meticulously detailed within these pages. An obvious labor of love on the part of Tan, who is one of the geniuses of contemporary picturebooks. His work never fail to challenge the audience to participate in the story. He challenges the limits of "children's" books and offers complex yet approachable ideas that I believe strengthen young readers visual literacy.

If you haven't held this book in your hands, go do it. I dare you not to love it as much as I do.

I Love Kidlit: The Serpent Came to Gloucester

2010-08-02T16:32:00.000-04:00

Today's selection is M.T. Anderson's lyrical masterpiece, The Serpent Came to Gloucester, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. The book narrates the 1817 instance of a reported sea serpent spotted of the coast of Massachusetts from the eyes of a local boy. I adore the poetic song like refrains that set a mysterious and haunting tone, complemented perfectly by illustrations inspired by 19th century maritime paintings. Ibatoulline succeeds in creating a beautiful and believable environment while still retaining a warmth that makes this world inviting and his characters friendly. It has a realistic feel but his people are just stylized enough to make them relatable. And even under the threat of a massive beast lurking in the water, he manages to keep us feeling safe. He is truly a master of his craft. It serves to remind me how to successfully draw from historical references to inform and inspire a befitting look and feel to a story.

From a design/visual standpoint, this is one of my top three children's books of all time. Beautiful pictures, intriguing story, good use of pacing the between single and double page spreads, elegant and unobtrusive typeface and spacing, integrated endpapers--the entire package is a work of art. Candlewick Press truly delivers standout picturebooks. One of my favorite touches is that removing the dust jacket reveals the hidden cover made to look like a distressed old book. I love little surprises like that.

This is everything I admire in well-told and well-crafted kidlit.

I Love KidLit: The Sea Chest

2010-07-30T16:19:00.014-04:00

Greetings!

I'm happy to be sharing the very first post in my new I Love KidLit series, an ongoing blog thread in which I will be highlighting one children's book per day from my personal collection. (Based on the current size of my picture book library alone, I can easily do this for almost two years without repeats---and between my husband and I our collection is only getting bigger. )

Admittedly, the reasons for starting this project are predominantly self-satisfying (for one, I really need to catalog all our books!). But more importantly, if I want to be a good book illustrator, I need to do my analytic research! I really want to start articulating why I like the books I like in terms of both story and illustrative qualities, and what makes these books such enjoyable experiences. It is my hope that by discussing these books not only will I better understand my favorite art form, but I'll be able to share what I love with others who love kidlit too.

So, without further ado, I've selected Toni Buzzeo's THE SEA CHEST, illustrated by Mary GrandPré as today's I Love KidLit installment.

I'm so pleased to begin with this book, it is one of my absolute favorites. Although it is not rare for me to cry at picture books, it's generally a sign of a strong story when I do, and this one in particular really strikes me. The combination of poetic writing and emotive, painterly images gets me every time. The story-within-a story is simple: While waiting for a "stranger" to arrive, an old woman recalls to her great-grandniece her childhood spent living on an isolated lighthouse island with only her parents. A storm hits, a ship sinks, and an orphaned baby is discovered in a chest washed up on the rocks. The baby girl is taken in, instantly becoming family, and growing to fulfill the roll of the narrator's little sister as they spend their childhood together on the island. As adults they move to the mainland and live nearby to each other, each having their own full life.

The writing is truly lyrical, straightforward, and simple. Never telling too much--just enough to follow the story and allows the reader to imagine the unwritten parts of these characters lives. And it is what remains unwritten that makes this story so meaningful to me. It is essentially about friendship, love, and loss between sisters, an idea very close to my heart. And without giving away everything, the book is about life, death, and life again, and really comes full circle in it's appreciation of that truth.

Mary GrandPré is one of my favorite illustrators. Her characterizations are sensitively simplified and allow for a certain amount of universal appeal. Her use of material is expressive, filled with a quiet energy that brings her scenes to life. Her color palette exudes an underlying sense of comfort and warmth. I love her work because somehow I always feel safe in her world of color and form. All of these visual sensibilities complement the beautifully abstract tenderness of the story.

Picturebooks like these remind me why I love this medium so much. Yes, it is literature for children, but its beautiful sophistication and simple truth transcend and redefine what that really means.

Banjo Pig!

2010-07-29T22:08:00.003-04:00

I decided to take a brief detour from yesterday's project and spend today working on piece for Guy Francis' Banjo Pig blog, where over 150 artists have submitted their own variations on this playful theme.

Not only was it fun to create, but I used it as a way to focus my style down to a younger audience using more simplified and expressive shapes- a healthy challenge for me.

Well....that's all folks!

Fresh Perspective

2010-07-23T22:16:00.006-04:00

As of today it has been about five and a half weeks since I left my full time job to focus on illustration. And although I am all right with what I have been doing since I left, today more than any day I was feeling more overwhelmed than ever before. There's so much I want to accomplish but now that I have so much time to do it, the unlimited daily freedom is actually taking a toll. I've had difficulty staying focused and no matter how many lists I write or attempts I make to organize and plan out my day, my attention span wanders continuously.

The first half of my day was spent turning in circles, spinning my wheels, starting one thing only to abandon it for some other fleeting attempt at something else. I was ready to throw in the towel altogether and embrace utter non-productivity. But then I stopped. Turned around, and kicked myself in the butt (metaphorically speaking).

A long while back I purchased a slew of books I hoped would provide understanding and inspiration when I eventually made the transition to illustrator. Only now, months later, did I finally decide to actually read one of them. And it was the best decision I made since I quit my job. I walked over to my little shelf of books about illustrating children's books and selected a couple to read. I gathered a notebook, pencil, glass of water, and settled into the chair on the back deck (afterall, why read inside on a nice, cloudy summer day?).

I began with The Art of Reading. The book as a whole is quite interesting. A celebration of children's literature in which some of the most well-know contemporary illustrators talk about books that inspired them when they were children. Included with each illustrator's blurb is an illustration inspired by their selected book from their childhood. It was enjoyable to see these visual reinterpretations--but what really moved me was not the art but what the artists had to say...

As I read I found myself jotting down numerous quotes from the illustrators, most of which pertained to why they were illustrators to begin with. They spoke about the magic of books, the importance of inspiring imagination through illustrations, the passion they had for living and breathing the art of storytelling.

It was while reading this book that I realized my own complete lack of focus lately was not due to a lack of interest in what I am doing, but a lack of passionate perspective as to WHY I am doing it. I need to remind myself why I'm in this field. At the end of the day, it's not about filling my portfolio with random self-satisfying images--it's about loving the art of creating a full story.

True satisfaction can and will only come when my artwork becomes what it's intended to be: part of a book, a "complete world between two covers." Beyond that, it is a priveledge to illustrate for children because our pictures have the inherent ability to "serve as a gateway to the world of books." It is through picture books that we first begin to read. First visually, then with written language. And every book has the potential to impact a reader, to make them remember it long after they've left it's pages.

THAT is the world I must remind myself that I love. That is where my passion truly is. I enjoy illustrating individual images but I love sequential book art more than anything else. And while I do not fancy myself an author just yet, I need to find the storyteller within myself or I am doomed to fail in this industry.

In summary, I feel both rejuvenated and terrified. I don't yet know who I am as an illustrator or how to get where I know I want to be. But I'll take comfort in the fact that so long as I do and make things with love, passion, and the proper perspective, I can be happy.

There is no right way, only the right reason.