DOTTY!

Mr. Chad Beckerman, my designer/art director at Abrams (also responsible for designing the sensational "Wimpy Kid" books, among many others) has just posted on his blog about the makings of DOTTY, picture book in progress. Go here to check out some of my preliminary sketches, behind the scenes with the author, Erica Perl, and of course some very official webchat sketch meeting snapshots...oh dear. As you can see from the post it took months of painstaking research and careful study on the merits of imaginary friends. Final art is in progress, stop back soon to sneak a peek! (Above is the final character color study)

"It's not smart to be mean to a reptile"-Cornelia

Here is Cornelia, very angered by an off-screen bully, Jason, who happens to be taunting her pet snake, Corny, during Show-and-Tell. She's pretty miffed. I wished there were boots like that in real world, so I just painted them onto her. Actually, my designer at Scholastic remarked that she owns a pair just like that and was wearing them the day she brought the first cover to the meeting! So I carried them over from book 1. This is the cover art for book 2 concerning the Corny and Cornelia capers, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, published by Scholastic, 2010.

Happy Friday ♥

Up Close and Purrrrrrrsonal

Life is giant and and busy and happening all at once over here.. and there is all the book work in between too. Wish I could post what I've been painting! In the meantime look at this kitty...

Capucine the Great!

Here is a sample I recently finished for a book that never made it off the ground (click to enlarge). The authorless tale would have starred the brilliant Capucine. Capucine is a real girl, living in France. Her adventures have been caught on tape by her mother (who has also lovingly subtitled them into English!) The movie "Fooling the Toothfairy" (the subject of my sample) concerns "La Petite Souris (the French toothfairy, or "The Little Mouse!) and Capu's schemes to score an under-the-pillow "cadeau". Sadly, the project was cut short, but I believe Capucine has only just begun! Already an overseas Vimeo phenomenon, she is only 4 and has started her own little Edurelief fund for education in Mongolia. Be sure to check out her awesome fund boutique ♥



Most importantly, I am indebted to Miss Capucine for her charm. When I was sent the assignment, and "met" Capucine, I fell in love! She is a real kid, with honest-to-goodness bedhead and a snaggly smile and grand plans, the kind that good stories write themselves around. In what can at times be a market populated by contrived children's characters, Capucine was a little ray of sun for me. Maybe someday she'll have a book. So merci to Capu for your sunshine, and merci beaucoup to her mother, Anne, for capturing it! Make sure you watch all of her videos. I highly recommend, "Once Upon a Time"...but beware the "crocodeeeeeel" and the "hippopotame" (which, by the way, you can buy on a t-shirt at her boutique!)

Maud Monday

It's a Monday night, and I haven't posted in quite some time. Well, I'm in a bit of a tussle with a headcold (I thought I had properly won last week, but it's back for round 2, so I'm back to the Airborne!) but nonetheless life has been productive somehow, even with frequent escapes into all this unbelievable sunshine in Boston.

In the middle of what is now my final lap on my Candlewick book (due out in 2010!) I had a spare moment to doodle, and here is Maud. Isn't Maud such a funny old name? I love it, it looks like the color mauve in my mind, and it tastes like raspberry ice-cream (the cold medicine is definitely getting to me!)


Maud's meandering soundtrack:

Philip Glass on Pandora (what a station!)
Claude Debussy: "Claire de Lune"
Ennio Morricone +Yo-Yo Ma: "Main Theme From Marco Polo"
The Most Serene Republic: "The Men Who Live Upstairs"
Rachel's: "Rhine & Courtesan"

♥

On How To Be Lovely!

I've received permission to tell a secret! One of the projects I've been working on is a biographical picture book about the beautiful life of a beautiful lady. She was a legend of classic film, an icon in women's fashion (working with her friend, designer Hubert de Givenchy), and also an open-hearted humanitarian devoting the later years of her life to the work she would do with UNICEF. Her namesake Children's Fund intiatives continue today.

The book publishes in 2010 (Balzer & Bray/ Harper Collins) with words by Margaret Cardillo. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Much more to come!

So...guess who?

Cokie's Mirror

Quick character piece, still working on her palette, playing around, wishing "muffs" would come back in fashion. SIGH. Back to the books!

If you're interested, Cokie's soundtrack: "Lost Language" by Monade, "Clarion Union Hall" by The High Llamas (this song's love at first listen) ♥

Artifaktori

Oh, hello! I am here on a rainy night in my very small apartment with my very small cat, hoping you are cozy somewhere too. I am a little sad I can't share any new art with you just yet, most of it is secret still.


So here are photographs of two inspiring finds from the local vintage shop called Artifaktori in Davis Square. A pair of navy leather 1971 kitten-heeled Naturalizer pumps which almost fit perfectly with band-aids, and a nameless, ownerless, very magical looking suitcase that takes me on a trip with it every time I glance at it. It just about yelled at me to bring it home from its position on the sidewalk as I passed it leaving the dentist's office. Old things just make me wonder of them, "WHERE have you been, and WHAT have you seen?"


And of course little Serif is in there trying to steal the scene. Kate thinks he is a pharaoh spirit housed in a feline body...I think he is a little goblin, or a dog, since he has now learned "paw" as well as "sit" and "fetch".



Paintings to come. Goodnight!

Imaginary Friends!

...Some character sketches for the imaginary friends starring in my upcoming picture book, DOTTY, by Erica Perl, published by Abrams...more to come soon. I'm working on the child-drawn concept for the book, which required me to mentally tune out any art training, take a seat at the pasty craft table in nursery school, and get back to basics. Drawings done in Prismacolor Lead Stix on cream paper by my inner 4 year old.

Happy rainy little Monday ♥

Crocuses

The first brave flowers to come out of hiding! Matt took this picture on our warm weekend stroll, they were such a fresh and happy sight! It felt like it had been AGES since I'd seen a crocus. Isn't it funny how every time the seasons change, grown-ups and children and animals too all become so excited, as if this really is the very first time winter has ever changed to spring?

"Spring is here again. Spring is the earth's birthday. It comes again and again and again."

-Alice and Martin Provensen, A Book of Seasons, 1976