Tuesday, February 22, 2011

How To Illustrate A Puppet



Being asked by Robb Killen of Killen Creations to illustrate four children's books was not only flattering, but challenging as well. You see, Robb's main character Webster is a puppet in which he uses in the Nashville Public school system third and fourth grade classrooms to teach lessons on dignity. He also has a club titled the P.O.D. Squad (People Of Dignity). Webster also has a DVD series in which all of his co-stars are humans! Therefore, when sitting down with paper and pencil in hand, my little friend was easy enough to draw, but what about his human family and friends who were written into his books? After drawing them "human-like", Robb and I decided to "puppetize" them (if there is such a word)! Here are the sketches I came up with for the first book about "Feelings" where Webster goes on a camping trip with his Uncle Charley and his cousin Roy.


























































































































































































































































































Monday, February 7, 2011

2011 SCBWI NY Conference

The 2011 NY conference was such an inspiration! Here are a few photos & ramblings from the POV of a Midsouth Illustrator in the big city! 
Nashville was NOT snowy but NY was, so I got off to a late start...

I stayed with my daughter and saved the big bucks for the NY hotel room. I missed late night chattering with my friends... but oh well!
 
Wow! That Leonard Marcus Tour of famous sites in Children's Books was just amazing. Here are a few pictures so you can see what it was really like.
Grand Central Station- inspiration for many
The Children's Entrance to the NY Public Library

The most famous stuffed animals I know of.
Wall murals in the children's room
Original Charles Scribner & sons Building where Children's Publishing in America, began.
This fountain sculpture in Rockefeller Center was sculpted by Rene Paul Chambellan. He also sculpted the reliefs for the Newbery & Caldecott Medals!
Original home of Simon & Schuster & later, Golden Books
Plaza Hotel, Home of Heloise
The tour ends in the Tea Room by Heloise's Gift shop in the Plaza. Here is Genetta Adair, Midsouth RA, me, & Sharon Cameron, Midsouth Conference Coordinator. Fortifying ourselves with hot chocolate before the looong walk back to the hotel.
Next Day the Conference begins!
 The official SCBWI Conference blog does a MUCH better job than I do of talking up the details, so check it out at :http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/
and here is another link to highlights, mostly of keynotes:http://tinyurl.com/4hrkdvo 

After a full and inspirational day we gather other Midsouthers for dinner, stories & laughter.
Clockwise: Cheryl, me, Martin, Genetta, Rebecca, Sharon

Sunday: Last day of the Conference
I WISH I had gotten to congratulate Leeza. She was gone before I could catch her. Her work is fabulous and I was thrilled for her to win the Illustrator Showcase!