Are You On Amazon Yet?

Yay! Amazon finally posted the cover for "Are You Scared Yet?: Haunted Houses" on Amazon! It's really fun to see both our names on a cover together. I hope it's the first of many.

It's being released this coming July. Check it out HERE!

Lovebirds

Using a moment to play around with wintergreen transfers, watercolor, and oils, these little lovebirds came to life. This is a fun technique in which I can keep my line structure, but also add translucent color. I will certainly be using on a project coming up this summer! This will be a fun gift for a dear friend upcoming nuptials.

Playing With Color

Now, if you've ever talked with me in depth if I ever plan on going "digital", you'll know the response. Sometimes, people assume that I have little experience with the medium, and mayhaps that is the reason why. Honestly... I find the pleasure of mixing my paints, layering the translucency, and then ultimately having the treat of keeping the original painting are only some reasons why I am a stickler for traditional media. BUT! And we all have big buts, using programs to help change my color palettes or easily changing small issues is priceless. For instance, my cover painting for Zahir was a bit too on the dark side, and needed that all important "shelf-pop".

Before

I was also able to dramatically change some of the framing elements, and add more of an emanating glow from the planet in the background.




I will save the final chosen image for a later post. So, I may stand by my brushes till the day I die, but I am very thankful for the easiness of what the digital realm has created.

Monsters Are Dunzo!

I can now successfully say that "Sleeping Monsters" is officially done! I have just completed the cover, after a few sketch revision stages. I am pretty excited, as always, to have a picture book sent off into the hands of the crew that makes the book officially come alive. Candlewick is located close by, so I took the ceremonious car ride to drop off all of the art. I've only shipped two books via FedEx, and my heart was in my nose the whole night it was traveling. Not a comfortable feeling!



Typically when painting for such long hours, I do what I was taught not to do. I watch ALOT of movies. Actually... scratch that. I listen to a lot of movies. Here's a shortlsit of what
Things watched during this books creation:

Prison Break 1, Prison Break 2, IT Crowd 1, IT Crowd 2, Arrested Development 1, This American Life (at least 20 recordings), Fargo, The Wire 3, The Office (UK edition), Children of Paradise, Paulie, Noises Off!, Mystic River, Network, Pepe le Moko, Raise the Red Lantern, The Wrestler, Kikujiro, The Fountain, Le Quai des Brumes, The Greatest Show on Earth, Mincorcosms, Little Dorrit, The Big Lebowski, a recap of Lost season 1, Helvetica, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Reign of Fire, Driving Miss Daisy, Julie and Julia, Deadliest Catch Season 2, Awakenings, One Crazy Summer, The Right Stuff... and you know what, I will stop right there. It's getting a little silly.

Thank goodness for Netflix!

Desert Drawings

Sorry this another quick post, but got another sketch approved and on it's way to being a finish. This is a new chapter novel I am really excited to work on. I get to research Saharan villages, some of which are swallowed by the sands. More to come on this!

Northanger Abbey sketch

Now that my picture book is done, it's like a flood of deadlines are being met. I am super excited. It's like a cork was pulled! I was contacted by a British publisher to do a title page for Northanger Abbey. I near screamed. A Jane Austen novel? What a dream come true! Now onto all the other deadlines, since I will be relocating the ol' studio to France for the month of June. Mush, mush, mush!

Mother's Day Present

A quick sketch for my mum.
She's into the pretty ladies... not the monsters and creepy girls so much.

Books of Wonder: May 16th, 2010

It's the May Book Extraganza!

I've been invited to come talk and sign at the amazing Books of Wonder in New York again. This time, it's Bonie Ashburn's Over At The Castle that will be featured. If you are in town, please stop by and say hello! Here are the details:

When:
Sunday, May 16th

Time:
1-3pm

Where:
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 989-3270
www.booksofwonder.com

Who:
Kate Feiffer - But I Wanted a Baby Brother
Diane Goode - But I Wanted a Baby Brother
Maya Gottfried - Our Farm
KELLY MURPHY - Over at the Castle
Sherry North - Because I am Your Daddy
Wendy Popp - Where the Sunrise Begins
Gail Silver - Anh’s Anger
Christine Kromer - Anh’s Anger