Adventures of Winston the Wonderhound

The newest chapter of the Adventures of Winston the Wonderhound are now showing on my alternate blog. The story is a kid friendly weekly series for the young and young at heart.

Celebrate

Celebrate just being together!

"I Like Gum" made the paper!

Hey everyone! Just sharing some good news here! We have a local "celebrity" author and illustrator, Tedd Arnold, who recently released one of his numerous wonderful books and so our local paper, The Leader, did quite a large article on him in yesterday's Sunday paper. And as part of the article, they also included a rather large side bar on my upcoming book as well! Woo hoo! The Leader also promised me a nice, large article on my book when it's released this fall as well. Anyway, just thought I would share! :) -Gina

The "Bunnie Papers"

I have begun to gather some "bunnie papers" for kids to color. There is a link on my webiste at: The Bunnie Papers

Go Green

Yes- I know this was actually the theme for March and it is nine days into April- but I finally got it done!!! yeah!
So stuck it up here for all to see.
The scene is showing the Flat Irons, rock outcrops above Boulder Colorado, near where I grew up.
It is very "earthy" and "granola-ish"-the new hippy- couldn't resist- but we all need to "go green" and recycle. We only have one planet and so much room and make way too much trash!

CELEBRATE ~ SPRING has SPRUNG....

With song and dance we celebrate. Sometimes the music doesn't quite match the mood.
©GingerNielson

Celebrate!

Celebrating God's provision...from my first picture book titled "Prayers For Children".
Happy Easter everyone!

Celebrate!

Great suggestion, Kathleen! As soon as I read that, this illo came to mind. This was one of the very first illustrations I'd ever done, way back when I was wondering and learning all about this business and hoping someday I might have some kind of CLUE what it's all about! I call it "Toy Parade" and it's entirely colored pencil. On a side note, I am now *celebrating* not only because I'm one hour into my 10 day long spring break (woo hoo!), but because I'm mailing out my 20+ paintings for my book to the publisher TONIGHT! Yup, she's done! 7 months of long hours and hard work but every single brush stroke was beyond worth it! So April is most certainly the month to CELEBRATE!! :) -Gina

APRIL CHALLENGE

The PICTURE BOOKIE GROUP monthly challenge for APRIL is

"CELEBRATE" suggested by Kathleen Rietz.

So let's get our characters ready to make each other happy!

Green

Here's my post for Green. I also posted this as an Illustration Friday theme this week.

I painted this in gouache several years ago for an e-book.

The Picture Bookies ShowCase ~ worth a visit!

Worth your time, is a visit to the Picture Bookies Showcase. If you love picture books and want to see some of the best work around, hop on over and have a look at the amazing

Gallery

of artwork.

I'm in the Bulletin!

Image in "The Bulletin"

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd share, after sending in a few images about 2 YEARS ago to the SCBWI Bulletin and having them accepted (and paid for way back when!), one of my images is FINALLY in the Bulletin this month! It's only on-line right now since they had some delays in publication for some reason, but should be arriving in our mailboxes mid-April. Woo hoo! I've been checking every month waiting to see if I'd EVER get in! Hey, every little bit of exposure counts! :)

-Gina

Review for If You Were a Parrot

I haven't posted in a while. . .really really really busy. . .and I have company. I just wanted to share a wonderful review of If You Were A Parrot. A book published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, written by Katherine Rawson, and illustrated by Me!

The review is done by Just One More Book! I love that website and I am proud and honored! They said the illustrations are beautiful and the book hilarious and they loved the format of the illustrations! YEAH!

If you have time check it out! Just One More Book!

GREEN!

Hey everyone! Knowing there was no way I would have time to create a brand new piece for "green"as I'm literally finishing the last few paintings of my book right now, this piece came to mind as an oldy but goody! I completed this one is way back when I was still using nothing but colored pencils (have switched over to oils now) and I call it "Teacup Torture." I did it for an SCBWI on-line contest a couple of years ago where the theme was something like show a child's experience at the fair. Well, all I could think of was my experience as a child when my poor father, who HATED amusement park rides, was forced to ride all of these crazy rides with me (as I was an only child) and he was just always on the verge of puking! I guess this would be sort of a "spin" on my interpretation of GREEN! :) -Gina

Picture-Bookies Group is Proud to Annouce

The Picture-Bookies Group is proud to announce a new blog specifically for showcasing our art and the art of other Picture Book Illustrators.

The blog is brand new and over the course of the next couple of days, you will see more and more illustrators posting their art to the blog.

It is currently by invitation only, as we feel our way around and see how things work.

There will be a weekly theme/topic to which all contributors of the blog may post an illustration.


The object is not to create new art, but to show off the artist skills with whatever artwork they have that fits the theme whether existing or new. The blog is to help promote Picture Book Illustrators.

There will be no comments on the blog as this is a Weekly Showcase.

There is a one illustration limit per theme.

This weeks theme is "Spring."

Come check out the new Picture-Bookies Showcase Blog.

http://picture-bookiesshowcase.blogspot.com/

If you would like to participate please let us know. You may mail any Picture-Bookie member at anytime.

Have a great day!
The Picture Bookies

Green

Hello everyone! My name is Kathleen Rietz. I am the newest member of Picture Bookies. Watch for my page to be added to their home site soon. Meanwhile, here is my contribution to "Green", the March topic on this blog.

Aside from being a children's book illustrator, I am also a designer. My digital scrapbook designs will soon be available for download on the web. Stay tuned for more info!

March Challenge ~ GREEN

Here is my contribution for GREEN. G is for GREEN.... and what green thing do I love most MR. FROGGE. Smart and Fast enough, he can catch a Shamrock in one quick flip of his sticky pink tongue.

©GingerNielson2007

March's Theme is "Green"

We're ready to start March off as a group, by illustrating the theme GREEN.

I Like Gum

I know everyone knows because of Ginger's lovely email, but I thought I'd share officially my good news: my very first children's book, "I Like Gum" will be hitting shelves this fall! And interestingly enough, pretty much the entire reason I got this lucky break was because of an on-line friend I'd made through another group I'm in. She was originally approached by the publisher to do this book but was too busy and recommended me. The publisher agreed to look at my work and the rest is history! So as if we didn't have reason enough to know the importance of these kinds of groups before, well, you just never know where the big break will come from! Even with all of the self-promotion I've done and continue to do, my first book literally fell right into my lap! THAT'S when you know it's meant to be! Thanks for all of the support, pb's! :) -Gina www.shenaniganbooks.com

THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE REVISITED

I'm obviously the tortoise...it seems like there's so much to do and it doesn't get done fast enough...but I always finish somehow. I finished this at midnight last night. I don't know how well I'll do with keeping up with the monthly challenges because I'm over my head with Trowbridge by itself, but I'll just have to take it a month at a time. I look forward to getting to know all of you better in Picture Bookies in the days ahead.

February Challenge - The Picture Maker

Since I was very little there were two things I loved most, creating art and being outside. . .okay maybe there were three things. I thought Steve Morey was pretty cute in his Cub Scout uniform in first grade. . .

Here I am seated under the biggest oak tree you have ever seen. Of course I have red hair. I always wanted red hair. I did try to dye my hair red and it just didn’t look good. Many of the kids I illustrate have red hair, thus I am living my dream of having red hair through my characters. They look much better in red hair than I do.

I have always loved fairies or should it be faeries, elves, gnomes and odd-looking almost sci-fi characters. I would love to do a book that had these type of characters. I am a lover of animals and I currently have two dogs and two cats. In this illustration you see Billy, my Tibetan Terrier and Lucy my cat.

I am holding a sketchpad and one of my favorite art tools, a mechanical pencil. I actually have kind of an obsession with mechanical pencils, and I own way to many.

I am wearing my favorite color as a child, red! I am also wearing one of my favorite pieces of clothing to put on a character, overalls. I do own some but they are cut off and I wear them in the summer. I am also wearing my favorite kind of shoes to put on a character, tennis shoes.

Last but certainly not least, you will notice a heart has been carved in the tree by my make-believe character and she has written her initials and the love of her life and my life too. . .Of course I used my initials when I was single since no child that age would be married.

So there you have it. All my favorite things nature, art, cats, dogs, fairies, elves, odd characters, mechanical pencils, and my hubby. . .

Sherry

The Island of Misfit Toys

When I heard of the February Challenge of recreating ourselves as a Children's Literature character- I knew right away what that would be.
Do you remember the Christmas movie- Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer- stop gap animation before computer generated anything, about the reindeer that didn't fit in, who met the elf who wanted to be a dentist- and at the end, they come to the "island of misfit toys" where there is a train with square wheels, a bird that swims and a jack in the box named Charlie! All watched over by a kindly king lion- and Rudolph leaves with the promise that Santa will come and find homes for them all.
Well growing up- due to many reason- my parents divorce, having a learning disability- and I always seemed to of seen the world a little differently then everyone else. I saw myself as a misfit- and then....
I went to college on the western slope of Colorado- and met other "misfits" , fell into the rhythm and flow of a slower pace of life, and found a country boy to fall in love with- I found a home!
This was fast and no second drafts- got a new box of really cool markers and did this while watching "Bat Man Begins"- good movie

Kitten Crusader

Hello everyone! While on a mini vacation this week to Long Island, I found time to create my picture book character for this month's challenge: I am the Kitten Crusader, triumphing over evil to defend helpless kittens in less fortunate situations and relocate them to a better, brighter future once and for all. :P Silly, I know! Basically, I'm a big cat fan and have been known a time or two to do some kitten relocating for some homeless little angels, one I've kept for seven years now. This was actually pretty fun and got me away from the kind of thing I'm used to. It's nice to get outside of that box once in a while! :)

-Gina

FEBRUARY CHALLENGE ~ the SNOWQUEEN

I love snow.... and one of my favorite tales.... even though it is a bit dark, is the SnowQueen. If I were to reinvent myself as a character, I think that for this month she is the one I would choose. Like Amy, I wish I could have spent many more hours on this and I will save it to work on later, but for now, here is my entry.

©GingerNielson2007

I do intend to do more work on this, because the subject interests me so. This additional sketch is one I will be working from. I really want to do a closer view of the faces, and include frosty highlights on the Snowqueen's face and hands. The image I am working on is rather large, this is just a thumbnail of the 15" x 12" piece I would like to complete. It was hard for me to give up the Caribou and other elements I wanted to add.....in fact a future version will include the caribou, sled dogs, and arctic birds...oh, then it will have to be much larger, about 24"X 18"...

February Challenge entry-Hope

Here is my entry for this month's challenge to re-create ourself as a favorite storybook character. I created Hope from the story of Pandora's Box. I did this character because I find her uplifting and inspiring, and great fun to imagine. I played this character in a play when I was in 5th or 6th grade. I had many more ideas to add, but figured I'd better get it posted and not yield to procrastination/perfectionism.

The Picture Bookies Website ~

Hop on over to the

PICTURE BOOKIES website

to read the latest interviews of our talented crew. You will be amazed, intrigued, and motivated by the various workplaces, and illustrating styles of the artists. What motivates You? Why not let us and everyone else know with your comments.

Welcome New Member - Rebecca A. Sweet

We are excited to announce another new member to our wonderful group Rebecca A Sweet.

Rebecca lives in in Georgia with her daughter. She has been a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for a little over a year, and has attended local conferences with the SCBWI Southern Breeze Region.

Rebecca has had short stories published in the children's magazine market. She has been an artist for many years and has sold her paintings to the public. She is now on a new journey and reaching for the stars. She will be unveiling her website soon. Her art is wonderful and we are excited to have her join our group!

Welcome Rebecca, we're glad your here!

Picture Bookies Challenge for February

Here is the Challenge for the Picture Bookies for February.... not much left of February is there:

Recreate yourself as a storybook character. Along with your illustration include one or two lines about who you are ,what you are up to, and maybe share why you chose the character you did. Post your illustrations here when you are ready. And maybe on your personal blog as well. Your character does not have to be human!

Welcome to the Picture-Bookies, Gina Pfleegor

The

Picture Bookies

are pleased to welcome Gina Pfleegor to our membership. Gina is a talented artist and teacher who will soon have her first picture book published. Her complete 'bio' can be viewed on her website

Gina Pfleegor Illustration

We are delighted that Gina and her ever growing cast of 'characters' have joined the Picture Bookies.

New Member Annoucement - Bron Smith

The Picture-Bookies is proud and truly honored to to announce the addition of Bron Smith to our membership. He is truly a gifted artist and a gentleman.

Bron has worn many hats. . .literally. He is famous for his Trowbridge Chronicles Blog as well as his fun maps, health capsules which appear daily in newspapers at home and abroad.

He has a vast nutritional knowledge and was featured on of "Honey, We're Killing the Kids", a TLC show about family nutrition.

He had his own series, called Kids on Safari. The series was shot at various wild animal parks around California. He had his own after school kids show, called Captain Seatac. You should ask him about the parrot. . .

He has a wonderful school visits program which involves going to schools with his big easel and doing fast draw performances. He has even been known to draw from behind the easel. . .I would love to see that! He is a wonderful entertainer and has many many return school visits!

He is in the process of writing a extensive health book which is titled, 75 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Drugs. He is 13,000 words into it and 10,000 or so to go. . .

He is generous with his time and knowledge. Check out both his website and his blog. Be prepared to stay while. . .it's very entertaining! And if you are ever interested in what he's up to check this out:

http://www.bronsmith.com/blogpage.html

Welcome aboard Bron!

My "Old and New"

Okay- someone had the bright idea for a challenge- oh, yeah that was me!! And this it January 31st and have I got my "challenge up"- well I am now!
I do have to say that just scrolling down I am so impressed with the unique styles of everyone else- wow- how cool to be "attached to this group!"

My "Out with the Old and In with the new"- is not new- it is a Easter card I did when I just started to do fabric collage- it has "Walmart" arylic felt on it- have since discovered it will disintegrate in about a year in the sun!
But looking through my portfolio- I thought- what better true example of out with the old law of sin and death and in with the new law of Christ sacrifice and God's grace!
Our "Old Self" no longer has control of us when we become a "New Creation" in Christ- when we invite Him into our hearts and our lives!!! The ultimate renewal!!

Guess What!?!

All during the year illustrators and artists have the opportunity to enter the

FLAX ART AND DESIGN

catalog cover contest. Your entries are viewed and if selected as a finalist you receive a wonderful gift certificate for items in the catalog. If your finalist entry is subsequently chosen for an actual cover you receive the honor of the cover and a HUGE gift certificate for items in the catalog. What makes this so special for an artist is the great stuff in the catalog. For artists and illustrators and even kids interested in art this catalog has wonderful items to offer. There are also unusual and unique gifts.


And WHY am I telling you all this? Because my artwork will be featured on the next cover *:) It is due in homes in about 3 weeks, and I can't wait to get my complimentary copies! (and order some wonderful art materials and gifts)

If you want to enter the contest, just type "cover contest" in the search window at the top left of the website for Flax Art and you'll find the rules. Or click

HERE.

Belated Intro

Hello,
I'm finally getting my intro up here.
Who are you?
Amy Moreno, children's illustrator/author. I'm a wife and mom of three busy kids, juggling the joys of family life with the challenge of creating art for the children's market. I studied commercial art in Boston years back, and have been working as an illustrator for the past 15 years or so. (As a wife and mother, creative time waxes and wanes according to family events)
What did you spend most of your time as a kid doing?
I had a wonderful childhood. My parents allowed us much freedom, while maintaining a protective watch somehow. I rode my banana seat bike around the neighborhood with my twin. We invented stories in the woods of battles, swam, took family trips to Maine in our big station wagon, romped on pretend horses, played in our play-house, played with our barbie-dolls, built roads in the dirt for matchbox cars, ice-skated on a home-made ice rink in the winters, played hide and seek, kick the can in neighborhood groups, went sledding down ramps in our backyard in the winter, enjoyed school immensely, and read, drew and imagined.
Were your artist interests encouraged?
Very much so. My parents were brave and generous in their encouragement to my twin and I. Both of us had ability in art, (although my twin has always had much more natural ability than I)
At the age of 11 or so, my mother brought us to drawing classes, and later oil painting classes. We did well, and loved it. My mom had a continual supply of paper, crayons, paints, books, music, thread, fabric, doo-dads to use in creating anything. My Mom attended music school and is very gifted in music and art, giving us a rich heritage. She would bring us to concerts, museums, art events and many places that enriched our minds, hearts and imaginations. We took part in plays and musical events, and piano, cello and viola lessons. I am extremely grateful and blessed. My Dad also has been an eternal source of encouragement and inspiration to follow our dreams, even when they have seemed unconventional and impractical.
I know I have made it when....
I recieve handwritten notes or emails from children saying that they enjoyed my art or writing. I'll know it when someone small asks me how to become an artist or writer, and I can encourage them in any way to pursue their dreams.
A Good Day is....one where I can sit at my drawing table and create images that I like. I enjoy researching my illustrations online and at the library. I appreciate long periods of uninterrupted quiet, or quiet music, (those of you with busy families know that these are rare) I usually work best in the morning when my kids are in school. I also enjoy days of writing short stories, silly rhymes or inspirational material.
What is the next "thing" you would like to accomplish in your illustrations?
I am working on learning more about how to use color in a more effective way in oil painting. I'm studying Bernie Fuch's work, and working on learning to use values and lower chroma so that my color gets more refined for oil painting. I desire to continue to use bright colors, but need to understand them better than I do now. I also want to draw more daily.
What'cha working on now?
I am creating illustrations for a marvelous manuscript by a Belgian children's writer. It is a fantastic project. I wish I could show some of the sketches or art, but will have to wait until it is out.

The Picture Bookies Challenge ~ January

My entry for the monthly Picture Bookies Challenge represents a total changing of the guard, from old to new.
Sometimes it is just like this that we reluctantly let go of the past, with a brief look over our shoulder as we move on to make way.

Ginger*:)

January Monthly Challenge -

"Out with the Old in with the New!"

Thanks Julia I had a great time! I posted it on my blog for Illustration Friday! Also posted a fictional story to go with it, just so it would work for Illustration Friday. The inspiration and meaning behind the piece is a totally different than the story I posted for IF.

To me it had to be a kid thing. . .meaning it had to work for my portfolio. Okay this is gonna get deep.

I want to get faster at creating, drawing, painting. I want my art to burst with creativity. But there is something inside me that holds me back. Something that feels prickly and strange, like the plant on the left of the illustration. I don't have black hair, but I do have a orange cat. The girl represents me holding on to the past pricklies and crossing the crevasse to the other side of freedom and fun creativity. I am getting there, feeling less and less troubled by those pricklies and stronger each waking day.

The kitty represents the warm fuzzys in my life and I am taking those with me to the other side of fun, laughter, and freedom to create without fear.

Thanks to the Picture-Bookies endless support, I am on the road to being the best illustrator I can be! We have only been a group a short while, but boy have we grown!

Thanks Guys!

INTRODUCTIONS ~

Who Are You? --- Ginger Nielson ---
A daughter, sister, mother, a wife, a grandmother, teacher, and illustrator.
All that is stuffed into a 5' 6 1/2" average (read" a bit plump") frame that comes
complete with a very big smile and an outstretched helping hand. ( I used to be taller, I am certain of that, but then I was 20.)

What did you spend most of your time as a kid doing?
My time was pretty much divided up between the outdoors and indoors. Outside was playtime and sports with my friends, inside was painting and drawing or studying hard to keep up with my classmates. I was always among the youngest in my class and we moved a lot. So making new friends was a large part of every school year.
I was fascinated by paper doll clothes and would spend hours creating entire wardrobes that I drew and painted for my paper dolls.

When I was really young my best friend had a giant doll. It was as big as we were, and I always wanted to play with that doll. I rarely got the chance. But as a grown woman I spent 5 years making and selling great big soft sculpture dolls that I made to order for boys and girls and grown ups. Those 'Adoptadollies' number about 1000 and are in many homes all over the globe today.

Were your artistic pursuits encouraged?
Very much so. My parents were very supportive and often framed my work and my sister's. It seemed to us, as children, that we were true artists if our work was framed. Some of those early paintings still hang in my mom's mountain top cabin in Vt. ( I have to give credit to my brother as well... he was the one with the musical talent.)
My teachers all through school were always challenging me and encouraging me and often gave me special projects involving my art and/or writing that would be used in school productions and functions. Even the criticism that was part of the package helped to prepare me for my current career.

I know I have made it when...
When my book, MY BOOK, that I write and illustrate is on the bookshelves of children and asked for night after night to have it read to them. And when that book goes with them as adults and they read it to their children night after night. Sweet!

A Good Day is....
A good day for me is a day with some balance. Exercise, painting, time with my loved ones and friends, service to others, being outdoors, and having time to read are all the ingredients that could blend into a good day. And in the near future those days will be shared with a wonderful new puppy. Oh, one more little item. And this could go for any struggling illustrator. A Good Day is the day that the return SASE does not contain a rejection letter.

What is the next "THING" you want to accomplish with your illustrating?
My goal is to create in my paintings all those images that flood my imagination each day. To have the "idea" translated into the painted image as I see it in my mind can be incredibly elusive. Some days I can nail it. Some days I just frustrate myself. But each day I do get a little bit closer.

What'cha working on?
Right now I am illustrating a wonderful picture book. When it is a "finished" book I will be sure to hold it up high, jump up and down a bit and let you all know about it. Illustrating books for children, is a dream come true for me.


So, Amy..... time for your turn!~

Introductions

Hey Julia this is fun!

Here are my answers!

Who are you?

My name is Sherry L Rogers and I am a wife, a mother of two wonderful children, and an illustrator for the children’s lit market. I have illustrated one board book titled Counting Little Geckos, published in June 2005. I have also illustrated two picture books. One titled If You Were A Parrot Published August 2006 and Burro’s Tortillas due out June 2007! I am also an aspiring children’s author. And soon I will be signing soon to illustrate my third picture book, and fourth children’s book, which will be announced at a later date.

What did you spend most of your time as a kid doing?

I spent a lot of time drawing, coloring in coloring books, painting with watercolor paints. Cutting designs and objects out of colored construction paper and gluing them together to make pictures. I loved glitter and sequins and applied them to every surface I was allowed. I loved that thick white paste with that yellow stick in it. Some kids actually ate the stuff! Fingers worked better for spreading the glue that the stick did.

I painted a lot of paint by numbers too! I cutout and played with paper dolls. . .I suppose that dates me. . .hmm. . . My sister, friends and I also put on plays for the kids in the neighborhood and actually charged! I played a lot of board games with my sister and brother.

Learned to sew and got my own machine at 8, and have sewed up a storm ever since.

Were your artistic pursuits encouraged?

Well gosh after writing the stuff above I guess so. I am not sure I was ever encouraged to pursue it as a career, but my Mom always kept us supplied with materials to create. She loved to create too and still does. She makes her own cards!.

"I know I have made it when..."

When my parents don’t have to worry about money!

"A good day is...
Spending time socializing, playing games or watching movies with family and/or friends. Working in my yard and hanging out with my dogs! Spending time at Borders Bookstore. Sending e-mail to my Picture Bookie Friends!!! Sketching, drawing and painting!

What is the Next "Thing" you want to accomplish with your illustrating?

Well I want my style to be faster. . .maybe change. And make more dynamic and exciting art! I want to be able to do many books in one year!

What'cha working on?

I am working on two books I have written. One has a dummy, but want to start from scratch on the drawings. . .maybe. we’ll see. The other I am doing character sketches on and re-working the text.

And last but not least, the sketch for this months challenge! Which is coming out totally different than I had thought it would.

Waiting to hear from Sylvan what my next book will be. . .

Introductions

Recently I was "cybertagged by my dears friends and fellow picture-bookies- Ginger, Amy and Sherry- well to start of this blog- I can't think of a better way to do it- so I am cybertagging all of you again- seems to me, everyone I know had been tagged by the time I was "it" so HA! Sherry, Ginger and Amy- your all it now! Last one to get a pic up and answers the questions has to.......think of the next challenge!

Who are you?
My name is Julia Kelly, I am an emerging (hopefully) illustrator of fabric collage for the children's literature market and a writer focusing on the West.
What did you spend most of your time as a kid doing?
- putting pieces and parts together to make things for my dolls, or make dolls- kleenex boxes were a favorite- rubber bands, paper clips, those cardboard squares inside boxes of pantyhose! And thinking up stories, acting stories with my friends, writing stories down.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?-Not so much a specific time- rather I could not think of anything else I could do- art and kids- that is what I can do.
Were your artistic pursuits encouraged?
-Yes and no- I come from a family of independent people- so being who you are- was encouraged by example of everyone else "being who they were",but did my family see value in my art- never paid much attention to it- favorite come back to someone complementing me on my abilities was " Artistic!! Don't you mean Autistic!" Big Brother- don't you love them!
"I know I have made it when..."
-I have created a character like Winnie the Pooh, or Arthur or Olivia- that everyone knows their name- don't care if everyone knows my name!
"A good day is...
-When I am with my family- either on a cold winter night with the fire going and something good cooking in the kitchen, watching a movie or with my family hiking or biking, then going into Moab or Telluride- having dinner, strolling the streets with our dog, browsing the bookstores with a big cup of tea in hand.
What is the Next "Thing" you want to accomplish with your illustrating?
-To get paid for my illustrating!! Am a published writer- 2007, want to be a published illustrator!
What'cha working on?
I just did my first mass mailing- to 53 children's publishers, am building my online portfolios and am starting to sketch out a brochure to send to publishers.

A work in Progress... Progress at work...

I started this image a few days ago and it just kept nagging at me until I had to get up at 4:00 this morning and continue some work on it. It is only in the beginning stages, but I will share a bit here.
This is the original sketch cleaned up a bit in Painter IX.
I decided to add a bookshelf and library ladder.
This is just the first layer of the beginning color. Another layer will add texture and tone. And it will go on from there until I think I have a finished illustration. I plan to use this and others in a similar series to tell a wordless story.

New Years Resolution/Goals

I was inspired by friend and fellow Picture Bookie, Julia. Read a post on her blog about New Years Resolutions, made me feel like perhaps I needed to publicly claim my goals for 2007. I haven't made real written goals for years. Always broke them, so decided to stop writing them down. I think the reason I broke them was probably because they were personal goals. This year I will make personal and career goals.

1) Blog Daily

I love my blog and feel a need to do it daily now. I will make it my daily journal. Never really done a daily journal, but this will be the start of my day. What will I blog about? Well my current projects, current books I am reading, interesting finds on the net such as inspiring artists!

2) Write Daily

Now this is a real new one for me. I am not a writer per say. Always been more afraid of writing than I have illustrating. But I aspire to write. Actually I have written two books that need fine tuning, but I figure in order to become a good writer I need to write daily. . .my blog might be a start, but I would like to write stories.

3) Read books about something other than art

I read a lot, but usually it pertains to drawing or painting. I decided if I am going to write I need to read to be inspired. I believe that reading is left brained and art right. . .so I think I need more left brained things to get better at my right brained things. More on that in another post.

4) Sketch daily

I don’t mean detailed or fine sketches but fast and free. You will see them here! I think I might even try them in Photoshop! Oh how cool and scary is that?

5) Define a new style

Been struggling with this for years. I am getting there slowly. . .but not there yet

6) Truly let myself enjoy and relax and create for me!

I am usually so preoccupied with what others are going to think about my creations that the joy of the creating gets lost. I think most of this was brought on my years in graphic design/technical illustration, short tight deadlines. I am free of those days and have found a new freedom in the last six months of creating for me. Which I think will help me find my style.

7) Exercise Daily and harder

I am feeling a bit like I need to be in better shape. I am feeling a bit soft and out of shape. For years I was really involved in hard exercise. Road my bike 10 miles a day during the week and 30 miles a day on the weekends. Did 45 minute sessions of aerobics, lifted weights etc. Got out of that habit about 5 years ago to do some health issues. Those issues have gotten better and I am back into the mode of health and exercise. YEAH!

8) Enjoy Life and Family More

I am one of those people who love to laugh, sing and skip down the hall. I have been known to get a little silly even in public. My family and friends don't mind my silliness. . .so if anyone else minds. . .ah that's okay. . .By my picture you would probably never guess that I am a silly sort. Anyway I feel a need to really focus on making everyday the best day I have ever lived. Be silly more often. I think a lot of times we get so caught up in daily chores and problems we don’t even look at our family members as we speak and carry on with them. We need to really focus on their faces and their beings. Look at them when we talk to them. . .make them real and be in the moment.

8) Sleep Less

I don’t really need to make a goal for this. I pretty much have insomnia most nights. Recently I was watching PBS, and a man by the name of Dr Wayne W. Dyer was a guest. He mentioned waking in the middle of the night. I do that so often. . .usually between 2:30 and 4:00am. I usually lay in bed and fight the alertness, which only frustrates me. Anyway he said don’t fight it, get up and be productive. I have so much I want to achieve personally (physically) and career (find a style, get faster and create more.) I just can’t see that I can do that, if I don’t start following Dr Dyers advice.

Most people feel it would be a bad idea to get less sleep. . .but I feel my body likes that time of day and I can always take a 20 minute nap in the afternoon. I think naps are under rated here in America!

Okay I think that is enough goals for now. If I think of more. . .well you know I write them here!

Monthly Challenge

Monthly Challenge

The Picture Bookies will be starting to have a monthly Challenge.

Julia suggested the monthly challenge and she has come up with a wonderful first challenge! "Out with the Old and in with the New."

Illustration Friday - Buzz!

This post isn't linked to Illustration Friday. But thought it would be fun to post it here as well as on my personal blog.

Happy NEW Year!!!

Can't you just hear the buzz! Poor pumpkin is feeling so left out. But little does he know it is just gossip and he is far better off not knowing!

A Really Nice Moment

I found out yesterday that the book store here in town ordered more copies of the book I just illustrated for the Parent Brigade Co. 'Zubie the Lightning Bug, I Want to Remember Your Thoughts' is half story and half parent - child journal. You could call it a "journey," actually, as it contains provocative questions to ask your child with enough space to write down the answer in the child's own words, revisit the pages in coming years and add to the answers. Currently it is available at many bookstores, and online at Amazon. Yesterday a woman came up to me after church and asked me to sign her "copies...yes copies with an 's'.
That has to be one of the BIG DEALS in an illustrator's life.

Burro's Tortillas Is Finished!!

I finished all the illustrations for Burro's Tortillas this weekend! I am so excited! I just love this book! I am so much more at ease with my art now!! Thank GOD!! I will be mailing out the art and two DVDs tomorrow!! YEAH!!! Thank you Sylvan Dell Publishing for giving me the opportunity to do such a great book. Thank you Terri Fields for writing this wonderful book!!

Sherry - - -

It Only Takes A Spark!

We seem to think all "Great Things" happen with "Great Effort", but not always! Less then a year ago, a few illustrators kept on chatting, after the illustrator group they had met on disbanded. Chatting led to a formation of an official illustrator group- Christian Illustrators For Kids- with a lot of emails passed around- talk of illustrating, our faith , and of course our families- cause because these are the things that are near and dear to our hearts and brought us together as friends.

Then another idea was sparked- a joint website- to band together and be a mightier force on the world wide web- so Picture Bookies was created-and showcases the art of Amy Cullings Mereno, Sherry Rogers, Ginger Nielson and Julia Kelly.

Which led to the creation of the Picture Bookies webring- to connect all of our individual websites with the Picture Bookie website.

Now we have the opportunity to add more illustrators to the Picture Bookie webring- and have created this Blog- a place to show our art, make more connections, and talk more- of the things we hold near and dear to our hearts! Welcome!