Snacks came with all of this too (yes, still included in that £10), but they arrived a little too late. The damage had been done. Here's Blythe and Elena.
Welcome Back with Whisky!
It took 1.5 weeks to get over my jet-lag and general exhaustion after two years of intense MFA followed by six more intense weeks of teaching, but I'm feeling mostly back-to-normal finally. To celebrate, Stan, me and some friends booked a whisky tasting event at Jeremiah's Taproom. It was only £10, so we thought, 'What the hey!' and got four tickets, knowing we could find friends to join us. Indeed...
Snacks came with all of this too (yes, still included in that £10), but they arrived a little too late. The damage had been done. Here's Blythe and Elena.
Snacks came with all of this too (yes, still included in that £10), but they arrived a little too late. The damage had been done. Here's Blythe and Elena.
Friday Links List - 11 August 2017
From PW: Subway Stories - Books that made editors miss their stops
From Time via PW: The Surprising Function of the First Coloring Books
From The New York Times: Children's Authors Take On the Refugee Crisis
From The Guardian: One old minibus and 1,300 books: the mobile library for refugees in Greece
From SLJs Fuse #8 (Betsy Bird): What Color Is the Past? History, Diversity, and Books for Kids
From The British Museum: World Book Day: leafing through the pages of history
From Time via PW: The Surprising Function of the First Coloring Books
From The New York Times: Children's Authors Take On the Refugee Crisis
From The Guardian: One old minibus and 1,300 books: the mobile library for refugees in Greece
From SLJs Fuse #8 (Betsy Bird): What Color Is the Past? History, Diversity, and Books for Kids
From The British Museum: World Book Day: leafing through the pages of history
Laura Zarrin on illustrating the WALLACE AND GRACE series
Laura: With Wallace and Grace, it started with the characters. I worked hard to give them lots of personality. Animal characters are my favorite. There’s so much opportunity to play and push the limits with them. For the story, I like to sketch my first impressions in the margins on the first read through of the manuscript.
Laura: Palomino Blackwing pencils on Graphics 360 paper and painted in Clip Studio Pro and a little Photoshop. (Note from e: I love Palominos too!)
e: What do you think makes an illustration magical, what I call "Heart Art” - the sort that makes a reader want to come back to look again and again?Laura: For me, the characters’ interactions and reactions define the heart in a piece. It’s my favorite part of the process, the part I like to push the most.
e: Is there a unique or funny story behind the creation of this story?
Laura: Not really, but this project was a dream since I love illustrating animal characters and I fell in love with the story. I feel very lucky.
e: What was your path to publication?
Laura: My path has been long and convoluted. It started out with a bang with eight books, then I took ten years off when I had my boys. The road back has been much bumpier and grueling, but worth it. I’ve worked hard to update my style, improve my drawing skills, and to define what I want to say with my art. I enjoy self-promotion. I send out 4-5 postcards a year and email a smaller list regularly. Wallace and Grace came in the first day I was with an art rep. My editor for these books, Mary Kate Castellini with Bloomsbury, had my postcard, so I can honestly say postcards work.
e: What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a creator?
Laura: To push through the sound of crickets (quiet times). There are so many periods of burnout and self doubt followed by excitement and joy. It’s definitely a roller coaster ride. My favorite part of being a creator is the community I’ve become a part of. I’ve ‘met’ so many great, supportive and creative people through this work. I have many close creator friends who I’ve never met in person.
e:
Is there something in particular about this story you hope readers will take away with them, perhaps something that isn’t immediately obvious?Laura: That Wallace and Grace are friends first and foremost and that curiosity leads to great things.
e: What are you working on next or what would be your dream project?
Laura: I’m working on writing and illustrating my own stories. I love illustrating other writer’s stories and want to continue doing that, but to be able to create the whole project, to tell my own stories would be amazing.
e: Thanks Laura!
Glasgow!
So, the next stage of this adventure requires a new visa. This time we get to apply from within the UK - in Glasgow to be exact. So, we took the train over for the day, starting at Waverly Station, which is a ten minute walk from the flat.
The meeting was at the University of Glasgow.
Note: Thank you for the lovely emails and inquiries as to what I'm up to now. It's nice to know you guys are out there following along and sending support! That said, you'll just have to keep following to find out what happens next!
The meeting was at the University of Glasgow.
Note: Thank you for the lovely emails and inquiries as to what I'm up to now. It's nice to know you guys are out there following along and sending support! That said, you'll just have to keep following to find out what happens next!
Coloring Page Tuesday - Teacups
The original drawing for this one was done for my student, Fatima, who worked on a story about a Giant and tea this summer. Now, it's a coloring page for you too! CLICK HERE for more patriotic-themed coloring pages!
CLICK HERE to sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...
my debut novel, A BIRD ON WATER STREET - winner of over a dozen literary awards, including Georgia Author of the Year. Click the cover to learn more!When the birds return to Water Street, will anyone be left to hear them sing? A miner's strike allows green and growing things to return to the Red Hills, but that same strike may force residents to seek new homes and livelihoods elsewhere. Follow the story of Jack Hicks as he struggles to hold onto everything he loves most.
I create my coloring pages for teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents to enjoy for free with their children, but you can also purchase rights to an image for commercial use, please contact me. If you have questions about usage, please visit my Angel Policy page.
Card Design by Edwina:
Fringe 2017!
I made it back to Edinburgh - slowly. My flight out of Charlotte was delayed, which made me miss my connection to Edinburgh. So I was rerouted through Heathrow. But to be honest, I didn't really mind because I was so into the book I was reading - Draw The Line by Laurent Linn. I REALLY enjoyed it!
And I made it home just in time for FRINGE! I'm still jet-lagged, so we're not doing the whole hog just yet. Mostly, just dipping our toes in. We walked into the thick of the crowds and slowly meandered east down the Royal Mile. Remember when I told you about The Pitt? Well, the same guy who puts that together, arranged an "Edinburgh Cocktail Festival" just off the beaten track. It's in a spot that if you don't know to look, you'd never know it was there. Good for us and what a find!
The weather, while improving, is still a bit unpredictable, so our walk up the Royal Mile turned into tea in the Scottish Storytelling Centre as we dodged the rain drops, followed by a meandering walk home (sunny again). It was just the pace I was in the mood for and I can't wait to show visiting friends our Fringe find! It's also lovely to be able to return back to the flat, which is about one block away from Fringe craziness. Ahhhh, home!
And I made it home just in time for FRINGE! I'm still jet-lagged, so we're not doing the whole hog just yet. Mostly, just dipping our toes in. We walked into the thick of the crowds and slowly meandered east down the Royal Mile. Remember when I told you about The Pitt? Well, the same guy who puts that together, arranged an "Edinburgh Cocktail Festival" just off the beaten track. It's in a spot that if you don't know to look, you'd never know it was there. Good for us and what a find!
The weather, while improving, is still a bit unpredictable, so our walk up the Royal Mile turned into tea in the Scottish Storytelling Centre as we dodged the rain drops, followed by a meandering walk home (sunny again). It was just the pace I was in the mood for and I can't wait to show visiting friends our Fringe find! It's also lovely to be able to return back to the flat, which is about one block away from Fringe craziness. Ahhhh, home!
VIDEO: Storyline - Chris Pine reads CLARK THE SHARK
Oh yeah! Who doesn't want to watch Chris Pine read CLARK THE SHARK? (Well, who doesn't want to see Chris Pine read any book, really?) Click the image to watch at Storyline Online.
Hand-made Cards
Every summer at Hollins, I bring blank cards with me to the Francelia Butler Conference. While I listen to our students share their writing (and illustrating) accomplishments, I make custom drawings on the cards, which I give out to my students and friends who have shown me kindnesses. I try to get them scanned before I give them out, but always tend to miss a few. At any rate, here is this year's batch. Click the image to see it larger in a new window.
Friday Links List - 4 August 2017
From Kidlit Artists: Rejections - By Maple Lam
From SightSixtySix (thanks to PJ for the heads up): 13 Reasons Why Original Art in the Home is as Important as Bed
From Muddy Colors: Another World, Another Time (Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Tales is out today!)
From the Nerdy Book Club: Education is a Political Act (by Donalyn Miller)
From 100 Scope Notes at SLJ: The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children's Books of 2017
From PW: The Most Anticipated Children's and YA Books of Fall 2017
Also from PW: New Kids', YA Comics Initiatives at San Diego Comic-Con 2017
From LitHub: The History of the Bendable, Durable, Chewable, Board Book
From Muddy Colors: Some Pros and Cons to Working With a Rep
From Bored Panda: There's A Genius Street Artist Running Loose in New York, And Let's Hope Nobody Catches Him
From Brightly: That Feeling When You Re-Read Books from Childhood as an Adult
From Muddy Colors: Swiss Army iPad (with demos!) - very cool
From The Guardian: Up lit: the new book trend with kindness at its core
From SightSixtySix (thanks to PJ for the heads up): 13 Reasons Why Original Art in the Home is as Important as Bed
From Muddy Colors: Another World, Another Time (Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Tales is out today!)
From the Nerdy Book Club: Education is a Political Act (by Donalyn Miller)
From 100 Scope Notes at SLJ: The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children's Books of 2017
From PW: The Most Anticipated Children's and YA Books of Fall 2017
Also from PW: New Kids', YA Comics Initiatives at San Diego Comic-Con 2017
From LitHub: The History of the Bendable, Durable, Chewable, Board Book
From Muddy Colors: Some Pros and Cons to Working With a Rep
From Bored Panda: There's A Genius Street Artist Running Loose in New York, And Let's Hope Nobody Catches Him
From Brightly: That Feeling When You Re-Read Books from Childhood as an Adult
From Muddy Colors: Swiss Army iPad (with demos!) - very cool
From The Guardian: Up lit: the new book trend with kindness at its core
Laurie Wallmark's GRACE HOPPER, QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE
I love featuring underrepresented women in history, so just love Laurie Wallmark's new book GRACE HOPPER, QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE, illustrated by Katy Wu (Sterling Children's Books).
e: What is your creative process, can you walk us through it?
Laurie: When I lie in bed at night, unable to fall asleep, I allow my mind to wander about the many possibilities for my stories—scenes, characters, plot, etc. This lets me consider different options before committing any of them to paper. As I get closer to an overall structure for the story, I’ll make notes. Since I’m writing these in the dark, they’re often indecipherable, but they’re usually good enough to jog my memory. This stage of my creative process takes a long time. After that, I make an outline, even for picture books.
Laurie: When I started writing about Grace Hopper, very few people knew who she was. Just as the book was about to go to press, President Obama announced Grace was going to receive the National Medal of Freedom. I sent my editor a “stop the presses” email at 7:00 in the morning. I was on tenterhooks until she got to the office, not knowing if it was too late to include this very important piece of information in the book. Luckily, we could add it to her timeline. If the announcement had been even a week later, it would have been too late to make the change.
Laurie: I’ve known my editor at Sterling, Meredith Mundy, for many years and respect her abilities. Because of this, I chose to have her critique my manuscript at a NJ SCBWI Annual Conference. Meredith loved the story, but wanted me to make some revisions before she presented it to the acquisitions committee. I was, of course, happy to do so. My agent, Liza Fleissig, was also at the conference, so they were able to begin the business side of things. Once the manuscript was acquired, it went through several more rounds of revision.
Laurie: For me, the most challenging part of writing is facing that empty computer screen. I need to learn how to turn off my inner editor and let the words, good or bad, flow out. I’m much better at revising than at doing the initial creation.
Laurie: I want to children, both girls and boys, to realize it’s possible for anyone to have a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), regardless of sex, race, physical or mental challenges, etc. Picture book biographies which show the diversity of people in STEM will help children understand this.
What are you working on next or what would be your dream project?
Laurie: I can’t yet give you the specifics, but it’s another woman in STEM, this time a mathematician.
e: Fantastic Laurie - I look forward to it! :)
e: What is your creative process, can you walk us through it?
Laurie: When I lie in bed at night, unable to fall asleep, I allow my mind to wander about the many possibilities for my stories—scenes, characters, plot, etc. This lets me consider different options before committing any of them to paper. As I get closer to an overall structure for the story, I’ll make notes. Since I’m writing these in the dark, they’re often indecipherable, but they’re usually good enough to jog my memory. This stage of my creative process takes a long time. After that, I make an outline, even for picture books.
Laurie: When I started writing about Grace Hopper, very few people knew who she was. Just as the book was about to go to press, President Obama announced Grace was going to receive the National Medal of Freedom. I sent my editor a “stop the presses” email at 7:00 in the morning. I was on tenterhooks until she got to the office, not knowing if it was too late to include this very important piece of information in the book. Luckily, we could add it to her timeline. If the announcement had been even a week later, it would have been too late to make the change.
Laurie: I’ve known my editor at Sterling, Meredith Mundy, for many years and respect her abilities. Because of this, I chose to have her critique my manuscript at a NJ SCBWI Annual Conference. Meredith loved the story, but wanted me to make some revisions before she presented it to the acquisitions committee. I was, of course, happy to do so. My agent, Liza Fleissig, was also at the conference, so they were able to begin the business side of things. Once the manuscript was acquired, it went through several more rounds of revision.
Laurie: For me, the most challenging part of writing is facing that empty computer screen. I need to learn how to turn off my inner editor and let the words, good or bad, flow out. I’m much better at revising than at doing the initial creation.
Laurie: I want to children, both girls and boys, to realize it’s possible for anyone to have a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), regardless of sex, race, physical or mental challenges, etc. Picture book biographies which show the diversity of people in STEM will help children understand this.
What are you working on next or what would be your dream project?Laurie: I can’t yet give you the specifics, but it’s another woman in STEM, this time a mathematician.
e: Fantastic Laurie - I look forward to it! :)
My New Studio!
I'm back in Scotland with a book to illustrate but no real formal studio space to do it in! So, I've claimed a corner of the bedroom...
Coloring Page Tuesday - Curled Up Kitties
CLICK HERE to sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...
my debut novel, A BIRD ON WATER STREET - winner of over a dozen literary awards, including Georgia Author of the Year. Click the cover to learn more!When the birds return to Water Street, will anyone be left to hear them sing? A miner's strike allows green and growing things to return to the Red Hills, but that same strike may force residents to seek new homes and livelihoods elsewhere. Follow the story of Jack Hicks as he struggles to hold onto everything he loves most.
I create my coloring pages for teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents to enjoy for free with their children, but you can also purchase rights to an image for commercial use, please contact me. If you have questions about usage, please visit my Angel Policy page.
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