Illustration Friday: Opposites

Attract!
This is from "Simon Bigfoot" again.

Book Signing at Barnes & Noble - Edgewood!

     Update! I've scheduled a book signing/storytime at the Barnes and Noble Edgewood location (just south of Little 5 Points, Atlanta) for September 9th. The CRM there sounds like a huge supporter of children's books and storytime, so I'm looking forward to a really fun event! Of course, I'll share more details as we get closer to the date, so SIGN UP for my newsletter!
     In fact, Fall is starting to look really exciting, kicking off with the Decatur Book Festival September 1-3, Barnes & Noble, the ImagineIt! Children's Museum of Atlanta, and the SCBWI - Southern Breeze Fall Conference. *whew* I'm glad I'm having a nice quiet summer, I'll be ready for all the excitement. You can see my entire SCHEDULE HERE.

Glitter Girl at Barnes & Noble!!

     I'm so excited! This is almost as big as when my book was first published. For those who don't follow the children's book industry, there are so many hurdles it's ridiculous. Getting published is the biggest hurdle, of course. After that is the crazy adventure of distribution. While independent book stores (like my favorite, A Little Shop of Stories) are often big supporters of local author/illustrators, it's the big chains that can literally make or break a book. Unlike what you may think, they don't carry everything that gets published, far from it. They have buyers who choose books for their stores or regions who pretty much dictate what will be a successful book. So, to have your book carried by a major chain is a HUGE, BIG deal!
     You can imagine how happy I was to discover that "Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese" was prominently featured at a local Barnes & Noble (Perimeter Mall, Atlanta). Stan and I went up for lunch, and sure enough, there it was, on their main display wall! I spoke with the CRM (community relations manager) who asked me to sign all their copies and add "signed copy" stickers to the covers. We are scheduling a book signing for this Fall during a storytime event. Keep an eye out for my newsletter for more information!
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Illustration Friday: Sacrifice

Okay, well. There was a hiccup on the theme and I actually like the new theme better - in fact, something new came to mind. Shocking, I know. So I've started working on this little dittie. I've got it to the flat color stage - but have a long way to go with the rendering.

New: Well, I received enough nice comments (from illustrator friends) that it is finished the way it is and makes a great educational art piece. Hm. I need a new trade piece to send out. I guess this isn't it. But I do like this - so I've added it to my educational illustration section on my website.

Illustration Friday: Aging . . . well

Just a silly one this week. This is the goal right? As we get older we get richer? Right? Right?

Illustration Friday: Skyline

I don't know if this will ever be used or not, but it's a scene from the mid-grade fiction novel I'm currently writing. The setting is based on a real town called Copperhill, Tennessee. The mining practices there were so bad for so long, the entire region was completely denuded. The astronauts on the space shuttle mentioned being able to see three man-made things from space: the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids in Egypt, and the landscape of Copperhill, TN. If you'd like to learn more, click here:
Copper Basin History.
In this scene, the mother is checking the weather for wind. The sulfuric acid fumes in the air were so bad, that the wind could eat a pair of drying stockings in a matter of hours.

A Little Shop of Stories One Year Anniversary!

My favorite bookstore just celebrated its one year anniversary! I'm so happy for Diane, Dave, Terra and the whole crew. They got a fantastic write up in Publisher's Weekly. Stan and I attended their anniversary party and had a great time. They had a bluegrass band and a wonderful storyteller from August House Publishers, Rob Cleveland. A huge crowd showed up to celebrate what has become one of the favorite spots in town!

July - Illustrator of the Month!

Wippee! I've been named the July "Illustrator of the Month" at the childrensillustrators.com website! I pay to list my portfolio on this site, but not for this honor! I look forward to seeing what kind of feedback and exposure I get from this.
So happy . . .