My new and updated website

OK, folks....it's done. Stop by and take a look and let me know what ya think. If you have visited recently, you may have to refresh your browser to pull up the new site.

I had plans to do more bells and whistles but I found out Dreamweaver is more difficult than I'd anticipated so there are no roll-overs as of yet and I am still tweaking here and there but at least it's up and running. Whew!!!

First day of Autumn

Today is officially the first day of Fall on the calendar and the beginning of my very favorite time of year!!

I'm in the middle of trying to learn Adobe Dreamweaver so I can redo my website so unfortunately I haven't been sketching much these past few days. Here's a piece I pulled from old archives to help celebrate Fall.

Final Katharine Covers!

I just got the final designed covers(front and back) for the series, Katharine the Almost Great, available January 2009 through Magic Wagon, a division of the ABDO Group, www.abdopublishing.com or your favorite educational wholesaler!

The designer did a fabulous job! I love how colorful they are! Lisa Mullarkey, the author did such a wonderful job creating/writing this series. I really think kids will enjoy reading these fun stories.

Here's all six covers in order.

The Oct/Nov Jack and Jill Magazine

There's a lot of exciting things in the new Oct/Nov Jack and Jill Magazine issue. First, my hubby's and my book, My Brother and I is featured on page 7 right under a story illustrated by my friend and fellow blogger, Paige Keiser . So go check it out!

Here's a little peek at one of the pages I illustrated with the Jack and Jill characters in vintage "Press" gear. Boy, cameras sure have changed over the years! Can you imagine having to lug one of those around to take photos all day?!

Second try...

Ok...here's another try on hot press with some other changes and a little colored pencil added. Better? Of course I do realize we artist's are never completely happy with any of our work...or at least I'm not. ;o)

Hey, even Maurice Sendak fears that his work is inadequate, so I'm not alone in my insecurity.

First try

OK, here is my first try at painting the cat and moon sketch. I did it on cold press watercolor paper and I think I'd prefer a soft press or hot press....I dunno. What I do know is it's been way too long since I have painted with traditional watercolor on paper!! I am so out of practice and my confidence level isn't too great either.

I like the original sketch of the cat better...back to the drawing board but I just thought I'd post this first try anyway.

Miraclulous!

Charlotte's Web was one of my favorite books as a child and still is for that matter. I woke up this morning to some of the most amazing handiwork of the local spiders in our neighborhood! Here's just a few that I found.

More Katharine

I thought I'd share a couple more images for the new series, Katharine the Almost Great, available January 2009 through Magic Wagon, a division of the ABDO Group, www.abdopublishing.com or your favorite educational wholesaler!

This is one of the black and white interiors for the first book in the series.

And this is the cover image is for the last book, which has a Halloween theme. These colors are a bit truer to the actual palette I used on all the covers. The previous ones I posted were a bit light.

Meet Katharine!

I got the ok from the editor so I'd like to introduce Katharine, the Almost Great! The author, Lisa Mullarky has posted more about the series on her website and journal. Lisa is a great writer and I really have enjoyed working on this fun series of chapter books over the past 6 months. I think the kids are going to love reading these!

Available January 2009 through Magic Wagon, a division of the ABDO Group, www.abdopublishing.com or your favorite educational wholesaler!

Here is a peek at three out of the six cover images.

The smell of sharpened pencils

Late summer has been fairly mild here which is a rarity for Missouri in August! The grass is still green and the nights are just beginning to cool. It's back to school time and the smell of sharpened pencils and boxes of new crayons are in the air.

I know I am WAY early with this sketch but it's been in my head for a long, long time and I finally put a rough on paper.

I'm sure we'll have the 90's again next week but I'm enjoying the Fall-like weather anyway!

with blue added

Here it is with blue added. I had to get some actual paying work done today as well so I didn't get to paint it anymore than the addition of blue but I think I like it like this. I think I would like to do a whole book in this palette.

Color experiment

Here is my first attempt at painting this piece. I tried it in digital watercolor, first. I've been wanting to try a sepia watercolor and thought this would work nicely for an upcoming Fall promo post card mailer.

I may try painting it in my regular watercolor palette as well. The great thing with doing it digitally is you can experiment a lot.

Best Friends

On another blog that I am on, the topic is best friends so I came up with this. I may try to paint it tomorrow. I really want to write a book about my dog before she leaves this world but I'm afraid that probably won't happen so this piece is dedicated to my sweet Brandy dog.

Another illustration process

Here is my attempt at traditional watercolor. It's been way too long and watercolor is so tough for me to stay loose. I am in love with my friend, Paige Keiser's work and I so wish I could stay loose like that.

Anyway, I decided to document the process on this piece I did over the past couple days for fun.

Here's stage 1, my original sketch:Then, I cleaned up my sketch, although trying to keep that spontaneity of the first sketch. That is so tough for me.
Stage 2:
Next, I do the first layer of water color washes.
Stage 3:
Next, I add shading and a little more detail without going too crazy. That's another tough thing for me...not to overwork my piece. Especially with watercolor.
Stage 4:And lastly, here is the final painting. And as I load these images I realize that I scanned these a bit dark but oh well. You get the idea.
Stage 5:

My illustration process

First off, let me explain why the big copyright on illos from now on. Unfortunately, in this new world of technology, folks just don't understand that it is illegal to lift images from the web to use for their own purposes without asking permission first so from now on, I will be putting my copyright on all images that I own the copyright for.


OK, now back to blogging...

Here is a sketch I did for my portfolio a year or two ago for the tween market. I thought it might be helpful to share my process.

First, my sketch done on the Cintiq



and then a color study(which I don't always do), done in watercolor washes


and then, finally the acrylic final.

It's still hot!

OK. It's 100 degrees today with high humidity to boot! That's what I get for complaining about the 80's and being humid.

Here's another piece pulled from the old archives. It was for another ed. publisher.

I'm dreaming of those cooler Fall days to come in about a month or two...where you can actually go to the park and play.

It's hot!!!

The weather in July and August is soooo miserable here in Missouri! It is so hot, sticky and humid! I always long to live somewhere else during these months...somewhere with less humidity. The temperature is only in the 80's but the humidity is 85 percent so it feels like it's 100 degrees. Yuck!!! I don't mind higher temps when the humdity is low but man!!!! This humidity is just unbearable!

About the only place that's bearable outside right now is in the water. So, on that note here is an old illustration I pulled out of the archives that I did for an educational publisher awhile back.

Another book trailer

Here's another book trailer I did for the same publisher. This book was written by my hubby and illustrated by me. ;o) I've posted this book trailer on this blog previously but with different music and this one is just a wee bit different. The other one was just for my own enjoyment. This is for their website to promote the book. Hope you enjoy... These trailers are all posted at www.aakp.com which is the publisher, "All About Kids Publishing" in San Jose, CA.

What I've been working on...

In the midst of computer problems, I was asked by the publisher of a previous picture book to create some book trailers for their website. Through many trials that went along with upgrading my system and dealing with a sick computer, I am proud to say I pulled it off.

Here's just one of them for a new book coming out in the Fall of 2008. It looks like a really fun book!!

New computer

I have been going insane the past few days trying to fix a sick computer and then finally buying a new one. I LOVE my new Mac!! I got the new 24-inch: 3.06GHz iMac. I am still busy trying to get everything up and running and back to work but it is taking longer than anticipated so hopefully soon, I can start posting some actual artwork again but in the meantime I be happily playing with my new toy! :o)