Eastern Oklahoma Author Fest 2011

Over the weekend was the East Oklahoma Author Fest 2011.

  I have to be honest I have no idea how successful it was but it is always great to see the books you illustrate on display. It takes time and energy to make sure you complete the work in a timely fashion but in the end when I see them on displayed it brings a smile to my face.
 I do not clock hours when I work I just do not want to know how many hours it takes to illustrate one picture book. Except on a few occasions that I was paying attention to the time like with “Libby the Odd Squirrel” were I spent four hours inking fur on one illustration and “The Giving Meadow” I spent at least four hours on inking the snake scales for just one snake, that was not including the rest of the scene. In addition, I have no idea at all the hours I spent drawing feathers on birds and fluffy stuff that came off the cattails in “Ferdinand Frog’s Flight”. However, you do it. And I will keep doing it repeatedly as long as people enjoy what I do.

What a great display!

In this photo is “The Marshmallow Man”, “Libby the Odd Squirrel”, “The Giving Meadow”, and also “A New Job  for Dilly” I did not illustrate this one but it sits on my shelf proudly it was written By Rena Jones  who wrote
 “The Marshmallow Man”.

On this display you can see “Why Am I Me?” and "Ferdinand Frog’s Flight” the latest books I finished in 2011.

 I count five in total, some I have already mentioned. But I also see “Colors” this was the second book I did for 4RV Publishing back in 2008 still one of my top favorites and “Would a Kangaraffe Make You Laffe?”, and “I Fish Could Drive”.  When I look at this body of work, I see how I improved with every story. It is important to keep pushing yourself to be better.

I can also see a book that my friend Diana who illustrated “Priscilla Holmes, Ace Detective” she is an amazing talent and I am grateful for her friendship.

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This is Vivian Zable, President and owner of 4RV Publishing, she also write well and is a stickler for proper grammar.  Thankfully, someone cares.  This picture of her is one of the best I have ever seen. It is also funny that in the three and a half years that I worked for them we never spoke by phone I have only heard her voice once on a blog radio interview so that is kind of funny.