Done!

I'm tired!

that's me!

Day 2 started at 8:00AM till 10:00PM

And  Sunday was the last day stared around 8:30 ended around 3:00PM.

I have no idea how the people who plans this keeps up with all of it
a very

BIG THANK YOU!

for all the planing and hard work.

Also a nice surprise was when this man walked unto the stage.

 He was not the only speaker to inspire me to keep going but his own childhood story he shared felt closer to my own.

Also I was and I am not sure why (yet!) moved by

author and illustrator

 John Rocco  

It was not so much what he said but I guess how he said it, plus he seemed to really enjoy talking to all of us. It made me buy his book

   

"BLACKOUT"

 just won the

"Caldecott Honor"

  It will not be hard to stay focused for the next year do to this little gem I will see every day

   

This is Sophie Blackall illustration; she also spoke to us at the conference.
the illustration is displayed in the subway cars and I ride the NYC subways so something to smile at.
(Beautiful!)

  

me last day very tired

Day Two

Getting ready for day two of the SCBWI Winter Conference. 

Day one

Yes that is the back of my head talking to my new friend
 AP Sabourin

"Marketing Intensive for Illustrators"

 was great! A lot of information to process and I met a lot of great people,
also ten of my postcards was taken at the
"Portfolio Showcase"

(it takes only one of those postcards to change my life) 

I will post during next week postcards I have been given by other very talented artist and tell you who inspired me from the panel of guest speakers

SCBWI Conference SOLD OUT!

One more day and the 2012 SCBWI Winter conference will start.

I am looking forward to three full(long) days of lectures, speakers, and meeting others in the publishing world.

Link

 I am putting everything I need in my bag today,

 so all I need to do is grab it as I walk out the door on Friday morning to get to The Hyatt Hotel by 8:00 AM.  

See some of you there!

2012 Tomie dePaola Award part 4

finshed sketch 

 

pencil drawing starting on inking

finished ink drawing

The Year of the Dragon

Happy New Year!

Illustration done by my friend
Masako Kanayama

The Dragon is the fifth sign in the Chinese Horoscope and signifies luck.

Wayne Harris-Wyrick's "Why Am I Me?" in OKC newspaper

Wayne Harris-Wyrick's "Why Am I Me?" in OKC newspaper posted
Originally posted by Vivian Zabel in 4RV Reading, Writing, & Art News
   In today's Oklahoman, the main paper in the Oklahoma City area, is a short review of
 "Why Am I Me?" by 4RV author and editor Wayne Harris-Wyrick.
I've copied and pasted the article below.  (And I Stephen Macquignon has recopied the article)
Congratulations, Wayne.

YOUR LIFE Family, friends stand out

Charlotte Lankard CLankard@opubco.com  

  Being an only child, I never had a brother or sister looking out for me and cheering me on, so I particularly like it when readers give me a glimpse of what that is like . A few weeks ago I wrote about three Oklahomans who authored books published in Oklahoma and sold at one of our Oklahoma independent bookstores. The next day I received an email from Randy Wyrick of Leander, Texas, who asked me why I didn’t mention his brother’s book. So I went right out and bought a copy.

His brother is Wayne Harris-Wyrick, director of the Kirkpatrick Planetarium and author of a children’s book, “Why Am I Me?” Dedicated to his son Ethan, Harris-Wyrick’s book explains the importance of things like dogs and cats, mountains and water, sunrises and sunsets, butterflies and flowers, rabbits and even skunks. About trees he writes, “Trees make fruit to eat and oxygen to breathe, give shade on a hot summer day and a place to climb and study the world from up high, with the birds.” Then he answers the child’s question, “What is special about me?” It is a good book for any adult to share with a child. Since Harris-Wyrick, who writes a column for The Oklahoman, is an Oklahoman and easy to find at the planetarium, have him sign a book for that special child in your life.

And to purchase the book, try another one of Oklahoma’s independent bookstores — Best of Books in Edmond’s Kickingbird Square. Julie Hovis will take good care of you.

While I don’t have a brother like Randy Wyrick, I do have great friends, and because of this column I have met people all across the state. One of those folks is Jacquelyn Duncan, a retired Custer County associate district judge.

  Jackie has invited me to her part of the state and we have visited here when she is in town. After reading the column I wrote about my friend Arlene Johnson and her love of animals, I received the following email from Jackie and her own animal companions: “Booray the Bichon Frise dog, Sookie the Maltese mix dog, Diva the calico cat and Red Beard the tiger stripe cat all join me in wishing you a 2012 filled with love, peace, health and happiness.” I wish the same for each of you.

Charlotte Lankard is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice.
 Contact her at clankard@opubco.com.

SM: It was a fun book to illustrate and I am happy it has received some attention from the outside world. Wayne seems to be an interesting person from what I have read on line maybe one day I'll meet him.

Transforming pencil to ink

Transforming pencil to ink,
  I don’t have a lot to say about this section of my artwork so, after I spend time sketching out my characters have them all lined up the way I think it will look good I do a final clean pencil line on a heavier stock drawing paper and start to ink it.
The amount of hours I spend inking one piece of art varies but it would be rare if anything I work on were less than four (4) hours per page. This one took me days the total amount of hours is unknown, I try not to think about it while working.

Congratulating the Winner

The 2012 winner of the Tomie dePaola Award goes to

"Yvette Piette Herrera".

I would like to say congratulation to the winner of the award the illustration is charming.

When my computer tower comes back from hp repairs center (again) I'll do a better post with links and the three runners up as well.

2012 Tomie dePaola Award part 3

"I want to be surprised, excited and - Very jealous..."

Those words are hard to ignore, the first thing I did was look up all the different versions of the title “Chicken Licken”, “Henny Penny”, and “Chicken Little” including the specific title/text that the Mr. dePaola used was from “Chicken Licken,” by P.C. Asbjörnsen.

1) How do I make this different?
 2) How do I stand out in a crowed of hundreds?
 3) How do I make an established illustrator jealous?

1) So how I make this different? As an illustrator you add your own voice I have said it from time to time plus others have said it as well “I tell the story behind the story” This does not mean that you ignore what was written it is just you read between the lines add a background story to the characters. So my little story floating in my head will be different then the next illustrator.

  2) How do I stand out in a crowed of hundreds? My style is different from others. However, is that enough?

The hardest one:
3) How do I make an established and respected illustrator jealous?

  In October, the contest was announced, I am doodling, and coming up with the same old thing as everyone else a bunch of farm animals, and I am going over in my head the text for the contest,

“they met Turkey Lurkey” “Good morning Goosey Loosey, Duckey Daddles…”

  My first good idea was to make Turkey Lurkey into a Thanksgiving Day Turkey (Tom Turkey) with a Pilgrims hat or maybe a bonnet, and then I thought maybe a parade with all the characters as balloons. As I was sketching, I came up with this.

  A Halloween Party! I love Halloween!!!

 That is when it all clicked the little story in my head not a party a play with the popular boy playing Turkey Lurkey, and the blushing shy girl playing Goosey Loosey.

finished sketch

link: part 1 & part 2 

2012 Tomie dePaola Award part 2

So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey “Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny, and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?” “Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!” “How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey. “Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey. “Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles. “Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky. “Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny “I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken. “Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!”

"You have the challenge, so now, and I’m repeating myself…

I want to be surprised, excited and – VERY jealous that I didn’t think of that way to illustrate it.

I want to see an image, a style, a vision that I’ve never seen before!

Good Luck.

I’m on your side!"

It was not the text that inspired me it was the note Mr. dePaolo wrote :

"I want to be surprised, excited and - Very jealous..."

Those simple words that took my image from this simple sketch to what it became.

This is a link regarding other entry's to the contest I just sent them an email to add mine to the mix of wonderful entries

"Unofficial Gallery of the Tomie dePaola Award"

2012 Tomie dePaola Award

(Click on image to enlarge)

This is my entry to the 2012 Tomie dePaola Award.

I will do a breakdown from sketch to finish artwork in future post.

  The subject of the contest was from this text:

"So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky ,Henny Penny and Chicken Licken," said Turkey Lurkey, "where are you going?" "Oh Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the king!" "How do you know the sky is falling?" asked Turkey Lurkey. "Ducky Daddles told me," said Goosey Loosey. "Cocky Locky told me," said Ducky Daddles "Henny Penny told me," said Cocky Locky "Chicken Licken told me," said Henny Penny "I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece fell on my tail!" said Chicken Licken. "Then I will go with you," said Turkey Lurkey, and will tell the King!"

It is from the story of

 “Chicken Licken”

 also known as

 “Chicken Little” or “Henny Penny”.