The Unicorns Are Coming!

Book four of Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist is passed in and ready to be born Spring of 2011. Book three will be out on shelves this October.



And, how lucky am I to be able to draw unicorns for a living?

Thirsty Dance Moves

Who drank all my beer? HOLY MOLY...

THIS GUY! I have now watched this 10 times.



One might even say, he's in a virtual insanity:

Dueling Banjo Pigs!

Banjo Pigs from Kelly Murphy on Vimeo.

This is a quick cut out animation I created for Dueling Banjo Pigs, a project started as a showdown between friends Guy Francis and fellow illustrator Stacy Curtis. Now, other illustrators have joined the fun with banjo pigs of their own!

Check them out at:
banjopigs.blogspot.com

Coming Soon!

These dudes will be movin'!

Northanger Finish

A blend of line work and tonal painting. The scan I made is more on the poor side, but working mono-chromatically always makes me happy! If only I can reduce the glare on the flatbed scanner. Oh well, another battle for another day.

Ask The Alchemist

Finished up the painting of the alchemist. I kept alot of the linework underneath, just to try something a bit different with my mixed media.

And let's all take a second to remember, it was these talented alchemists that gave us the invention of those fine hoppy carbonated beverages I like to call mothers milk. The rest of you call it BEER.

Oh Non!

Here's my submission for the eyewitness report of the battle with the toad vs the science fair robot! Mac Burnett and Dan Santat teamed up on this amazing picture book entitled, Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed The World), and now have asked other illustrators to create their eyewitness report of the scene.

For mine... I saw it was a rebirth of a nation... one without evil robots and corrupt minded dogs! Give us freedom! Ok, looking at Delacroix kind of helped, too.

I can't wait to see what others came up with! They will be at Gallery Nucleus in August. Click here to find out more.

Eye Witness Reports!
Gallery Nucleus
210 East Main St, Alhambra CA 91801
August 14, 2010 - August 17, 2010
Opening Aug 14, 7:00PM - 11:00PM

Winter In July

Something funny happens in the studio every summer. The season teasin' game begins. I typically receive work that is for winter publication... which obviously involves... WINTER SCENES. Now, this is fine and good, with it being my favorite of all seasons, but it's just plain mean to have me painting cute woodland creatures frolicking in wonderful cold snow when the daily temperature of the studio is between 95 and 105 degrees! Thank my lucky snowflakes the new apartment has a very capable A/C unit. Curses to National Grid Electric for now owning my payment for these projects.

And here's one of my favorite snow critters:

Hahaha, you mean WONDERLAND! Gets me everytime.

Nate Fludd, Broceliande Style

The timing of working on Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist 4 was impeccable. I was able to re-read the manuscript while flying to France, and not to spoil the story before it's released... but I was mere miles from where R.L. LaFevers set the story.

Ms. LaFevers has set a fire in me with Nathaniel's adventures. Because of her throughout description of the lands and cultures, I now HAVE to visit all of these places. She describes them so alluringly! As I finish up book four, I am drooling to find out what happens next!

Info about previous Nathaniel Fludd books can be found here and here.

And without further ado... a cover teaser!

Referrence In Real Life

Another spot I was able to visit was the city of Carcassonne. It's a fortified french town just near the border between Spain and France. First signs of settlement in this region have been dated to about 3500 BC, but the hill site of Carsac – a Celtic place-name that has been retained at other sites in the south – became an important trading place in the 6th century BC. Carcassonne's defenses were strengthened by successive owners. In the 5th century, the Visigoth's extended the Roman defenses and for many years after Carcassonne Castle proved impenetrable to invaders.

Carcassonne France came under control of the French crown in 1247. King Louis IX (St. Louis) and his successor Philip III further strengthened the fortifications of Carcassonne Castle and built the "new town" outside the defenses. English troops laid siege to the city during the Hundred Years War, but once again in Carcassonne history, the fortifications proved impenetrable. For the next several centuries of Carcassonne history, the fortified walls were allowed to fall into disrepair. In the mid-19th century, the French government proposed demolishing the walls. A popular uproar saved Carcassonne Castle and the architect and historian Eugene Viollet-le-Duc was commissioned to restore the medieval fortifications. (Viollet-le-Duc also restored the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.)

To say I was flabbergasted is a bit of and understatement. The place is amazing! True enough, there are some obviously newer parts to the building and shops located inside the walls, but it's fabrication is done with historical preciseness, you can almost imagine what it was like in the 13th century... minus the leprosy, rotting meats, and lack of modern plumbing.

Boni Ashburn's two books, Hush, Little Dragon and Over At The Castle were heavily inspired by cities like this!!

Alchemist!

While I was visiting Beaune, France I went to the Hôtel-Dieu. The Hôtel-Dieu was founded on 4 August 1443, when Burgundy was ruled by Duke Philip the Good. The Hundred Years War had recently been brought to a close by the signing of the Treaty of Arras in 1435. Massacres, however, continued with marauding bands ("écorcheurs") still roaming the countryside, pillaging and destroying, provoking misery and famine. The majority of the people of Beaune were declared destitute.

Nicolas Rolin, the Duke's Chancellor, and his wife Guigone de Salins, reacted by deciding to create a hospital and refuge for the poor. The Hospices de Beaune received the first patient on 1 January 1452. Elderly, disabled and sick people, with orphans, women about to give birth and the destitute have all been uninterruptedly welcomed for treatment and refuge, from the Middle Ages until today.


Over the centuries, the hospital radiated outwards, grouping with similar establishments in the surrounding villages of Pommard, Nolay, Meursault. Many donations - farms, property, woods, works of art and of course vineyards - were made to it, by grateful families and generous benefactors. The institution is one of the best and oldest example of historical, philanthropic, and wine-producing heritage, and has become linked with the economic and cultural life of Burgundy.

Wow, NO COMMENT on the current state of the U.S. Healthcare system!

Anyways, it was very fun because it tied into one of my projects. I am to design a cover involving an alchemist mixing powders. A visit to the Hôtel-Dieu's pharamacie was amazingly handy!

Le Studio Mobile

I've been puttering along on a an assortment of projects, whilst I've moved the studio to France for a month. Sounds fun, which it is... but also limiting. I finagled my way to be working on only black and white projects, since I've had difficulty finding the right aerosols and turps to work on my oils over here. So, hopefully, I can keep posting a few of the things that have crossed the ol' desk, but I think it is time to show some good ol' fashioned photos!

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