And the winner of the Starbucks card giveaway is…Kristin Wolden Nitz!!
Thank you to everyone who commented! Since then we have had a couple of warmer days; it’s thunder-storming right now, but I’ll take that over snow!
And Shelly Wilkinson, I really enjoyed your poem!
I’m planning on more giveaways in the future, so stay tuned. However future giveaways will more likely follow an art or children’s book format! 
What’s better than a cup of coffee on a cold, dreary day? How about a FREE cup of coffee?
Where I happen to live, in the Midwest, this has been one of the coldest, dreariest springs I can remember. Here it’s April and we’re still dippin’ in the 40′s and 30′s, not to mention clouds and drizzle almost daily for weeks. WHAT HAPPENED TO SPRING?
I don’t know about you, but one thing that helps me to survive dreary weather is COFFEE!
Addiction is never a good thing, but how can I deprive myself of a hot cuppa joe? Well, it’s not always hot…actually, my favorite coffee drinks are of the frozen variety, like a frozen mocha frappuchino (nom, nom). It doesn’t matter if there’s a blizzard and it’s 15 degrees outside, a frozen coffee is perfect for any sort of weather!
Me before coffee…
Me after coffee!
Just leave a comment and I will select one winner at random (Random Number Generator)
It matters not if you live somewhere that is warm and sunny right now (although I privately scorn you, ha ha. Just kidding. Maybe.) Just leave a comment telling us how your spring has been so far. Comments must all be received by Wed, April 17 by 6pm EST.
Good luck, and here’s to warmer weather, hopefully soon!
Carrot Cake
Recently I was honored to be asked by author Susanna Leonard Hill to contribute some illustrations for her new how-to write children’s picture books course titled MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC.
As I was already a fan of Susanna (my favorite books by Susanna are: Punxsatauney Phyllis, April Fool, Phyllis! and Can’t Sleep Without Sheep), I was honored to be asked to contribute some original artwork. Three new images have been added to my Digital Images gallery. One of the images, “Carrot Cake”, is shown above!
If you are interested in signing up for Susanna’s course, click on this link: MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Clicking on the above link will give you details about the course and also acknowledges the artists that created artwork that accompanies the lessons.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a picture book writing course you could take on your own schedule, that was designed to fit into an active, busy life, and that was also affordable?
Well, guess what? There is!
Making Picture Book Magic is a 4 week course that will teach you how to write a picture book… around the edges of your busy life… for a price you can afford… in a fun, friendly atmosphere. Making Picture Book Magic is designed to be delivered straight to your inbox. You will receive one lesson a day via email, five days a week for four weeks. You get weekends off to unplug, recharge, have family time or do the grocery shopping… or catch up if need be
Besides the weekly lessons, you also have the option of joining the Facebook group where you can get feedback and bond with other writers!
Spaces for the course fill up quickly, so contact Susanna write away (lol, play on words!) to see when you can join the course! Here is the link again: MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Greetings everyone! I hope that March is finding you well and that the days getting loner are helping you to move out of hibernation-stage (they are for me, that’s for sure!)
Recently I had the honor of being interviewed by Katherine Carver of Katherine Carver Photography.
I was introduced to Katherine by fellow illustrator Angie Kidd. Angie felt that Katie and I would mesh as we share two interests that are very close to our hearts: dogs and animal rescue!
I was very impressed by the lovely photographs on Katherine’s website. So naturally I was also honored when she asked for an interview. You can read the interview here.
Thank you Katie for the interview!
The above illustration is a work in progress of a greeting card that I’m working on. What can be better than a dog and a cupcake?
Today, in the spirit of Groundhog Day, I am honoring Punxsutawney Phyllis, the plucky and determined heroine from author Susanna Leonard Hill’s picture book, “Punxsutawney Phyllis“!
Punxsutawney Phyllis is the niece of the famous Punxsutawney Phil. She knows she has the right stuff to succeed her famous, weather-predicting Uncle. However her family doubts her abilities. Can Phyllis predict the weather correctly and have a chance to be the next in line to be the famous Punxsutawney Groundhog? You’ll have to check out the book to find out!
Today on Susanna’s website, she is inviting people from around the world to print out the drawing of Phyllis that she has provided, color it, and photograph it so everyone can see what Groundhog Day looks like in their neck of the woods!
As you can see from the photo above, my neck of the woods is filled with snow. I woke up this morning to a blizzard. “Oh great”, I grumbled. After downing some coffee and shoveling the porch and driveway, I proceeded to my computer where I printed out my picture of Phyllis (I cheated, I used Photoshop to color her!) so I could photograph her outdoors.
That was a little adventure in itself; as I placed my picture of Phyllis on a small incline by some bushes in my backyard. She tipped over a bit, the wind blew snow in my face, and I dropped my little digital camera-TWICE- in the snow. But it ended up being worth it as I am happy with the picture of my own little personal Phyllis predicting the weather for Southeastern Michigan! Today it is a sweltering 19 degrees, with flurries expected. it appears that poor Phyllis is not dressed for the weather here; I could at least have given her my scarf!
As she did NOT see her shadow, she has predicted an early spring! Of course, that’s a little hard to believe right now as the snow is falling!
Wishing everyone a Happy Groundhog Day, and may there be an early Spring in your neck of the woods!
Hello all, I’m finally getting around to blogging about the new Rate Your Story logo that I designed! Due to a very busy time in my personal life I have been behind in my blog posts, and I wanted to be able to spend some time explaining about the process and the experience of the design of the logo.
If you are a writer and aren’t familiar with Rate Your Story, then you should definitely check them out: http://rateyourstory.blogspot.com/
You can submit your story of any genre for a 1-10 rating by published writers, free of charge! So before you submit your story or article to a publisher, agent, or magazine, why not have a professional take a peek and give you a rating?
Back earlier in 2012, Miranda Paul of Rate Your Story put out a call to illustrators who might be interested in designing a new logo for the website. So I scribbled out a couple of my ideas for the logo and sent them in. I was thrilled when I was contacted a few weeks later and was told that they liked my design and would I be interested in designing the logo? You bet!
I eagerly began cleaning up my original design and chose a font and color. Miranda and the other judges would make suggestions and I would do the revisions and send them back. Here is one of my early drafts of the logo based on my first design:
What came next was, I’ll admit at the time, a bit of a heartbreak for me: they liked the logo, but they wondered if I would mind submitting some different ideas for the logo? I could tell that Miranda was nervous asking me as she knew I had put some time and work already into the logo. I was sad, but I wanted them to be happy; this was after all, their logo! As an artist I must admit that there are times where we fall in love with our ideas, and as an artist you have to be able to take constructive criticism and face the fact that others may just not be as in love with your ideas and designs as you are (the nerve, LOL!). Man I loved those stars! Could I please keep the stars?
Back when I was in school, one of my professors whom I admire greatly, Brian Sauriol, taught us that it’s not a good idea to fall too in love with our work. He would demonstrate this by taking a piece that he spent hours painting, hold it up in front of the class, and destroy it (to the collective groan of the class). Why? Because by falling in love with our work we are essentially making ourselves smaller as an artist. If we get too involved with our work we are not as open to new ideas or viewpoints, and we don’t push ourselves or explore alternative ideas. I pondered that lesson as I got out my sketchpad and set to work on new some designs.
I sketched out some very rough ideas and submitted them, but I wasn’t that thrilled with them. I felt they were a bit boring and flat. There was a lot of back and forth ideas and suggestions through e-mail. Someone had suggested using a person in the logo, so I did another rough sketch. I was happy that that one was scrapped as I felt that the logo was too busy with a person in it. But that didn’t stop me from sneaking in more stars! 
Then one day I had an image come to me; I felt it was a long shot away from what they were looking for, but I submitted it anyway with hope. Miranda wrote back that they liked it! I was thrilled because I really liked this design!
The first final logo that I submitted is pretty much straight from my rough sketch.
Miranda replied that they loved it! I was very happy too. Then one more suggestion from Rate Your Story (“What??” my inner artist cried. “But isn’t it perfect as it is?”)
They asked if I could remove the periods from after the numbers, and I feel the logo is cleaner without them. Also, the original final logo that I submitted had a white background. Miranda humbly asked if maybe I could add some color, and expand the quill beyond the border?
Viola! A new logo is born! The above logo, which is longer than the logo that I have at the top of this blog post, was originally modified for the Facebook Page; however we found that it also fit the actually Rate Your Story webpage better than the original condensed logo. So the above logo is what is now displayed at the top of the page.
I also created badges that will be given to people who submit their stories to Rate Your Story to display on their own blogs and webpages. So get busy submitting!
So in the end, Rate Your Story has a spiffy new logo that they are very happy with, and I am very proud to have been able to design it. Not only that, but it was a great experience and it helped me to push the envelope with my own ideas, and the end result I feel is by far better than my original idea for the logo (even without any stars!).
Thank you Miranda Paul and Rate Your Story!
Happy Halloween everyone! Wishing you a fun and spooooky day! I colored my own coloring page!
Thank you to to those who are new followers of my blog!
Happy Halloween!I love this time of the year, don’t you? What other time of the year is it fun to be scared, and where ghoulish, creepy decorations are not only accepted but admired? I feel sad for the kids on the East Coast as due to the predicted “Frankenstorm” (coincidence?), their Trick-or-Treating may be postponed or abandoned.
I do hope that everyone else enjoys a safe and Happy Halloween!
In the spirit of treating, I have posted an image that I am allowing others to save to their computers so that it may be printed out for coloring and decorating by kids (heck, okay, I’ll give the adults permission too!)
Just click on the image and right-click to save the image to your computer. Then you should be able to print it out.
And while you are here…if you look to the right on the sidebar you will see my new “Networked Blogs” where you can follow my blog in one easy click! Don’t miss out on future posts, tutorials, interviews, & give-aways! 
September 4-7 is “Random Acts of Publicity Week”! It was created by Darcy Patterson to encourage us to pay it forward by promoting books and goings-ons of other people and peers in the kid lit community (a wonderful idea!).
So for my Random Act of Kindness I’m happy to feature author and illustrator Lori Taylor and her new book, “Let Sleeping Bear Dunes Lie” (Bear Track Press, 2012). It is the second book in the Holly Wild series (the first book, “Bamboozled on Beaver Island”, came out in 2011).
Right now we see a lot of children’s books and YA that are centered around fantasy, of finding and exploring new worlds and dimensions. What I love about the Holly Wild series is that it shows kids that you can find action and adventure right in your own backyard! There is a whole world ready to discover in nature, and the books teach children how to have fun and help the environment at the same time. “Let Sleeping Bear Dunes Lie” takes place at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, where we find Holly Wild and her fellow GeEK members (Geo-Explored Kids) following the tracks of a ghost bear through the dunes to find what threatens the home of the legendary Sleeping Bear.
The books have sold out at the Nature Center at Sleeping Bear Dunes as well as being very popular at the schools that Lori visits.
Lori is a member of SCBWI, runs the SCBWI-MI “Scribblers“ page where Michigan illustrators have a chance to showcase their latest work, and is also both the author and illustrator of the Holly Wild books. She was kind enough to grant me an interview!
What inspired you to create Holly Wild and her outdoor adventures?
My own childhood adventures and the explorations/challenges of my own children. I made and kept a survival kit around as I grew up in the woods and pond of Clarkston. I loved making forts and playing in the neighborhood “wilderness”. It seemed dangerous and exciting. Kids need that now. If we want them to be caretakers of the land they have to get to know it and love it first. As I wrote in Holly Wild, it all began with”horse poop” and that curiosity and desire to learning what was outside my door.
You are both the author and illustrator of the Holly Wild books. What do you enjoy most about each of the aspects of writing and illustrating?
It’s all about the storytelling. I have been a storyteller from way back. Since the time I scared the pants off my babysitting sister and cousin I have told tales. The writing part gives me freedom to be crazy, informative, talk in varied character voices (I love doing crazy voices and henceforth loved puppetry). The drawing part is where I can make the book mine. I get to draw characters, scenes and people down the street so to speak. But it is the character I love most, the story actor. I sketch when I am out in the world. At markets, fairs, oil change garage. Those folks become background people for my books and other folks I study and sketch become main players of the series.
Where can we purchase the Holly Wild books?
Books can be purchased at my website www.loritaylorart.com and www.beartrackstudiosllc.com
We are also trying to keep them stocked in nature centers and gift shops. So far we have cut out the distributor and Amazon and doing it on our own until further notice. It’s a learning process this Indie pub biz. I wear many hats. Which is really good, since I love wearing hats.
Is there a real GeEKs, Geo-Explorer Kids Club that kids can join?
There is a quasi-GeEK Club that my granddaughter started at her Lapeer elementary school. If kids want to form their own GeEK clubs I want to know about them and celebrate them! Heck, I’d even come out with Kenny and party with them, have s’mores and share stories. Kids should form their own clubs I think. If I can inspire a nature club then cool…and three thumbs up to them (Kenny has but one thumb or tail and my two make three).
Are you still available for school visits? How can someone arrange for you to visit their school?
Heck yeah, I am available for school visits. Like Holly, I want to share with the world what’s going on outside, in the woods, at the lake and stuff. I love being with kids and hearing their stories. I have a press kit button on my site that answers questions and if that doesn’t do it, then teachers, parents, scout leaders, and librarians can email me directly. Kenny and I love to play nicely with others (Kenny is Lori’s corn snake, who is one of the characters in “Bamboozled on Beaver Island”!)
When can we look forward to the next book in the Holly Wild series? Can you give us a tiny hint as to where it will take place?
The next book, Book Three Packing for the Porkies (working title as of 9-1-12) we would like to have out early next spring. This book will take place in Michigan’s U.P. where I did my artist-in-residence in 2008, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, our biggest state park. It will be everything Yooper (people who live in and love Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) and an exciting, fun book. Holly’s dad takes a bow in this one and there will be the usual cast with a surprising twist. I have even started getting book four lined up since they all intertwine. I can’t even wait! I have to go write now!
Thank you Lori! We look forward to reading more about the adventures of Holly Wild! Again, you can check out her books at www.loritaylorart.com
The Dog Days of Summer are actually drawing to a close, but I couldn’t let August go without my wave goodbye to summer as September waits in the wings. As I hang my head in shame for not blogging in so long, I hope I can make up for it in the weeks to come as I plan on being more active in my blogging.
This summer has proved to be very busy for me, from having to buy a new car as my Old Faithful 11yr old Ford Focus bit the dust, to working a great deal of overtime at my work (hey, we all have to pay the bills!), to looking for a new home. So I haven’t done as much artwork as I would have liked, but the past few weeks I have been busy with new projects, one of them the illustration that you see above.
I had a lot of fun illustrating it as Astronomy was always one of my favorite subjects, and the history behind the term “Dog Days of Summer” is a neat one. It has ties to Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egyptian times.
The Dog Days refer to the hottest days of the year, which in the Northern Hemisphere are usually around mid-July to late August. While one may picture an old dog panting and sleeping in the shade to escape the heat when one hears the term, it actually has to do with the star Sirius, which is a part of the constellation “Canis Major”.
In ancient times, during the late days of July and August, Sirius and Canis Major were visible just before sunrise as they travel the same path as the sun during that time of year. Once the sun rises, they disappear from visibility…but they are still there! In Ancient Rome, it was believed that Sirius, being the brightest star in the sky and second only to the sun, must be responsible for the heat as there were “two suns” in the sky during this time. Obviously back then it was not yet discovered that it is the Earth’s axis in proximity to the sun that is responsible for the unbearable heat. While Sirius is certainly the brightest star in the sky, we don’t receive heat from it.
In modern times, one can see Canis Major and Sirius from mid-July to early August just before sunrise, but the term Dog Days are still considered to be August through early September.
I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy the dwindling days of summer before they disappear for another year! Go swimming in a lake, take a bike ride, make s’mores around a campfire, or lay outside under the moon and stars…get outdoors and have fun!
Dana
In like a lion indeed! This March is the warmest that I ever remember, and while I absolutely love the warm weather, it has also brought high winds, fog, tornadoes, and hail. Hopefully late March will bring us some of that “lamb” weather! The above cartoon is my slightly different slant on the “In like a lion, out like a lamb” saying.
I have been behind in my personal blogging. I spend more time reading other people’s blogs, commenting, and following links to interesting articles and tutorials. Addicting!
These last few weeks have been quite busy for me: revising picture book manuscripts, writing new ones for the 12×12 challenge, sketching illustrations for another picture book for my next illustration group meeting, working on a sketch for the next SCBWI-MI newsletter, and beginning a new project, soon to be announced.
I also participated in the SCBWI-MI Critique Day 2012 and I am very pleased to now be a part of my very first writing critique group! Many of us were new to critique groups and I look forward to getting to know the other members and see how our writing grows and develops as a group.
In addition, I’m also learning more techniques in Photoshop and how to create art digitally. I wanted to share a digital painting tutorial (Digital Painting 101, below) that has helped me a lot on how to use different brushes and more ways to use color (and at the same time create a cute little monster!) Video courtesy of Monster Cutie.com
Have a great week everyone!
I find it very appropriate that 2012 heralds in the Year of the Dragon. With all of the hype of 2012, on whether or not the Mayans had it right and the world will end, or if we are ushering in a new Age of Enlightenment as the spiritual world proclaims; either way, we need a strong presence to be associated with 2012. The dragon is a symbol of power, protection, and wisdom, and in the Chinese culture they are revered.
I was born in the Year of the Boar, or Pig. Either way that you say it, it doesn’t sound very majestic or flattering in the least. I mean, they left out the cat for the pig? Really? I feel a bit ripped-off as I have loved dragons since I was a child. But I guess that was what the universe chose for me (no offense to pig lovers).
And today I can’t help but to think about my friend Marquis who moved to China last summer to study abroad; I wonder what occurs in China on the New Year? I picture fireworks, celebrations, and tons of fun happenings. Hmmm…could this be a picture book in the making?
So of course I had to illustrate my own version of a Chinese Dragon ringing in the new year! Here’s hoping that 2012 brings in peace, happiness, & prosperity for all!
Here’s a link to an article and some great pics of the celebrations! Roar!
As well as working on my illustrations, I have also joined 12×12 in 2012, a group of authors and illustrators that are embarking on a journey to write one completed picture book manuscript a month for each month in 2012. While I am not short of ideas after partaking in the 2011 PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) which was a challenge to come up with 30 ideas for picture books in 30 days, to actually sit down and write them out, revise, structure, and complete them is another challenge all in itself. Still, I find that having an amazing support group and people encouraging each other and sharing ideas goes a long way towards completing what I’m setting out to do: sending out picture book manuscripts to publishers in 2012. I currently am working on rough sketches for one completed manuscript, and also writing another for the first month of 12×12 in 2012. Good luck to all that are participating!
There is a morsel truth in all of the above, but the largest reason is something that I think many artists and writers have come across at some point: not feeling ready. Surely there is still so much for me to learn, so much to improve upon, one more workshop to take?
I have long often felt on the fringe of “almost there, but not quite”. While some may say that this is a good thing as I’m making sure to dot all of the i’s and cross all of the t’s before continuing on, it can also become a dangerous trap as one becomes mired in always striving for perfection. Instead of submitting artwork and long-ago written manuscripts, I find myself once again putting final touches on paintings that I once considered “finished”, re-writing that manuscript “once last time”, and only continuing on the hamster wheel instead of moving forward. My website, alas, also has sat for months due to “not being ready” in my eyes.
Yet instead of beating myself up for things I have done in the past, I am choosing to look ahead, not behind; move forward, and not stay mired in The Land of Not Ready Yet. That is not to say that I will stop striving, revising or always try to do my best; it means that I am ready to start believing again in myself and my work…and it means that I’m ready to start submitting!
And it means that I’m ready to stop looking at my above comic panel that I created for my first blog post and notice that the text appears a little blurry; surely I should try re-sizing the original again for the tenth time, try re-working it in Photoshop? Or should I just…hit submit? I can’t think of a better time to take new steps forward than in a new year!
