Inktober 2018

It's that time again...Inktober 2018! This will be my second year participating. 

Here's the first 2 prompts. 

poisonous

Last year I did a total Halloween theme for Inktober 2017

complete with hidden pictures 

This year I will follow the prompts in order.I may not do one daily, but will have  31 by the months end. Tonight I went to the park to work on prompt #2 Tranquil. It was a peaceful setting on a lovely fall evening

All Inktober images are being posted on Instagram with hashtags to Inktober2018

2017 Don Freeman Award has been announced

The Don Freeman Award has been announced for 2017.

Congratulations to Angela Hawkins in the published category
and Jamie Whitbread in the prepublished category.

Please visit this link to view the talented winners! https://www.scbwi.org/474552-2/

Although it would have been super fantastic to be one of the chosen, the pool going into this was huge, and my expectation was realistic. Plus my intention when entering was more about putting out a finished product that I could be proud of and sending out to publishers. The story has been with me for many years and making it come to life was both exciting and frustrating. I have been researching all along as to who takes digital submissions and who would best match my style.

The two finished illustrations that I submitted will be reworked in a watercolor wash with pen and ink, opposed to the heavier color pencil that were submitted to the contest. I look forward to the next stage of this book and I am excited to move it on. When I began this project I looked at it as a 2 year process and I hope I meet that time frame.

below is a sneak preview of one of the roughs...

In the meantime a friend and I started a summer art group called the Creative Cafe' once a month. It's a free form group with snacks, music and a bohemian type atmosphere, a gathering of like minded creatives that inspire each other. We gathered a couple weeks ago and it was good fun!

I will be starting back on my project soon I'll keep you posted!



Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July!

"He sits by the roadside with his odd yellow cat."

SCBWI Don Freeman Work In Progress Grant here I come!

Once again a long absence since my last post. I’ve been busy. Sometimes I think I should just hang up this blog. But I like my blog, it’s like an old friend. There’s been a lot happening since my last posting. I won’t bore you with all the details. Although I will say one of my wishes has come true. I was promoted to Head of Circulation at my library this past October. Along with that my hours and thankfully my income have increased! 

Throughout much of the summer I worked on my book of poems in preparation for the Don Freeman Work in Progress grant (SBCWI). By the end of August I got side-tracked. In September a friend and I teamed up to meet once a month to work on our individual projects, brainstorm and do creative outings. In October I did Inktober.

The holidays came and went, I didn’t work on my book. As January rolled around I promised myself I would get busy...I did, but not on my book. Instead I prepped my studio and now have space for artist friends to stop by and get creative.

Milo has taken ownership of my comfy chair

Extra work space

Co-op picture, a work in progress.

My friend Laura came over for our monthly 

get-together and she created this really cool window piece for me. It's been an inspiration and will keep me motivated!
It's a path to my goal!

It's now February and my deadline for the work in progress grant is at the end of March. I will need 2 finished illustrations and a bunch of rough drawings to make up a book dummy complete with text in place. Fortunately it will be a digital format so I don't have to make an actual book dummy! I've been working on my book for about two weeks. I decided not to go with the book of poems. It's too big of a project and I don't want to rush it. I've also learn it's very difficult to get a children's book of poems published when you are an unknown. So instead I will be illustrating only one of the poems that is more story-like. I was mixed from the beginning on this particular poem. I wasn't sure I wanted it to be in the book of poems since it was wordy enough to hold up on its own, with more than enough images that I could work with.

My deadline is in sight, yet I have always worked well under pressure. I sure hope I haven't lost my touch!