New Medium, New Project

So I have been busy, believe it or not!  I am working on my next picture book, a fractured fairy tale of fiery independence...and a little bit of silliness of course.  I am going for a sort of different tone and writing style this time by trying to make it more modern and edgy.  I also plan to experiment more with non-digital media, which I've gotten away from since college (Micron pen aside). 

But that's not what the title of this post is about.  What it is about, see, is I've had it in my mind for years now to get into animation.  I haven't even tried the slightest bit of animation, not counting helping my college roommate with his dark, twisted stop-motion shorts in which my main contribution was moving scary toys around in our creepy basement, inch by inch (his movie turned out awesome though). 

My animation will be about 2 minutes in length, and I plan to use a medium that I haven't really seen used before but which will be fantastically low-tech (who has time for learning Flash? And who uses it nowadays anyway?) and I think a good foray into the medium just as a first excercise.  And yes, it will feature none other than Lizzie and Rennie, who have gotten many encore requests since their debut in Lizzie Fox-Top over a year ago.  Here's a little morsel of a sketch:

Please excuse the weird nose-wrinkle.  It's a sketch, after all.

Introducing Stevie French, Curator.

I really need to get to work.  And I do realize the irony of a post where I complain about the fact that I have not worked on anything in awhile.  I could definitely be doing some art right now.  Because listen to all these great plans I have!

But first, rewind. I gave another illustration lecture to some classes at Temple University last Thursday.  It went well, again! I think this is going to be a semesterly thing, which is fine by me.  I love having all that time to talk about my favorite subject (me). It was fun to have an actual finished book this time; last time I only had the messed-up proofs to show.  I even sold a book, and one very Gracious Benefactor who will remain anonymous even bought up my entire current stock of greeting cards (don't worry, I'll make more!). 

But wait there's more.  This very same person, who owns the bookstore where I had my signing party last year, invited me to be in several upcoming shows with very exciting, specific themes.  This means I need to get to work!  I am feeling very inspired by the topics though.  It almost reminds me of when I got a particularly cool assignment in college that I couldn't wait to "solve."  I say solve because I think a lot of art is a problem that needs a solution, like math only not terrible.  The problem is usually how to express yourself given certain limitations, like a theme or the materials.  I think that's why I like illustration so much--I like figuring out the best solution to something creatively.  It's the most satisfying thing in the world (besides chocolate cake). 

And last but not least, as evidenced in the title of this post, here's the really exciting news: I've been invited to curate an illustration exhibition at the main art gallery in Oxford!  It won't be until next fall, but I am beside myself with excitement.  It truly was a fateful day when I decided to attend a meeting of the Oxford Arts Alliance.  What great friends I have in the art world!

 

Ann and Sufjan

Hola!  So I finally finished EVERYTHING for Cousin Ann.  The worst part I'd have to say was reformatting 2 versions of the cover when I realized it was completely off dimensionally (which makes sense since I kind of made up the dimensions way back before we had a publisher).  No word on whether the files are publishable and correct, but here's to hoping we get this book printed in time for the holidays!

This is the final illustration, by the way.  It changes a lot in the book.  I minus the text and change the frame and colors.  I love this version though, which is why I am posting it for all to see since you won't find it in the book.  I changed it because this one was not nearly peaceful enough for the poem's tone.  It's more EVENING HYMN YEAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

Also, I recently attended a Sufjan Stevens concert at the Kimmel Center here in Philly and it blew my mind.  I got to see him from the edge of the stage.  He was 15 feet away from me the whole time.  I'm not going to lie, I may have also been crying for most of this experience.  I got a set list too! So in honor of that epic evening, remember this from 5 years ago? Feeling nostalgic already (for the concert).  Enjoy.

 love you.

RiverCity Festival!

So sales have obviously been way down since the release of my first book almost exactly a year ago.  I haven't had a lot of luck with the Philadelphia bookstores (the few that there are) so I thought I'd try a more fun, alternative route:  getting a table at a festival.  It was a decision I do not regret.

The festival was called RiverCity Festival and it was held in Fishtown, a neighborhood in northeast Philly.  I labored beforehand, making prints of select artwork and some mini-Rennie's out of Sculpey and acrylic (which later turned out to be rather fragile in over-eager children's hands). 

 I had originally requested to be near the kids' activities, but it turned out the kids's activities were what seemed like miles away from the other vendors (separated by the music stage and a large soggy field).  I brought my trusty sidekick (the boyfriend) who very nicely lent me his folding table and a couple chairs.  We staked out a shady spot right next to the facepainting, thinking this would provide maximum exposure.  It didn't.  Instead my table got totally sidelined by all the other awesome hands-on flashy balloon-draped activities and we were completely ignored (and freezing cold).  After much debate, I asked the proper authorities to be relocated and after inspecting several potential lots, settled on some prime real estate right on a corner near the informal "entrance" to the festival.  It even had a much bigger table and chairs that you were supposed to pay for (I guess whoever was supposed to be there had already paid.  Thanks mystery craftsperson!)  

After that, traffic grew exponentially.  All in all I broke even and may have even made a profit (which I then spent on Christmas gifts), got lots of exposure, and even a few cards from some helpful fellow artists.  Everyone was very encouraging.  But the best experience was every time a child picked up my book and read it--some didn't even want to put it down, and one boy was practically dragged away by his parents (kind of sad he was dragged away from a book, but what can ya do).  

All this made me realize I really need to get back my Etsy store.

Update!

Still working on the Cousin Ann illustrations.  Will post more shortly!

San Francisco Publisher meeting!

So as many of you know, I took pretty much the most awesome vacation ever over Labor Day weekend with my boyfriend to visit some of his college friends out in San Francisco, CA.  It was my first trip to the west coast (I've been as far as the Grand Canyon/Las Vegas back in 5th grade) and seeing the Pacific Ocean (it is COLD).  But in addition to all the crazy funness (funness?) that went down with our friends, I also had a very wonderful meeting with my amiable publisher, Mr. Martin at Inner Light Books. 

This was very exciting as I have never met with a publisher to talk about my work before.  The closest I ever got was an anonymous critique at the SCBWI Eastern Pa conference in March (March?) and that was pretty one-sided.  I went to his adorable townhouse in the Mission District where he showed me some of his beautiful books (some printed by I.L.B.), lots of cool ethnic art on the walls, and I met his wife and his gray cat Don Quixote.  He looked over my design and illustrations for Cousin Ann, which he likes very much, and we basically talked about improving layout here and there, as well as perhaps adding more illustrations.  We also discussed the contract and payment (reasonable, in my opinion). The best thing out of it though is that he revealed he wants to do a hardcover version!  That may not mean much to anyone outside of the book business (maybe it does? I don't remember what it's like to be a civilian anymore, haha. Just kidding), but to me it means there will be a jacket with bios and a summary on it, more opportunities for reviews, a nicer looking product, and better quality.  

The publishing date is tentatively Dec. 1st, in time for Christmas (and my birthday! Happy birthday me, my first published book!)

Your Questions, Anwered!

I recently got an email from a fellow children's book writer asking for advice on getting your book into bookstores and getting signings.  She wanted to know if emailing press kits was better, or what.  This is a daunting task (for me, anyway) that I have seen a lot of buzz online about.  Here's what I wrote:

I would suggest stopping by during the store's business hours (try to pick a quiet, non-crowded time of course) and bringing a couple copies with you.  I've found that press kits are better for magazines and newspapers, and the occasional big store that doesn't always have the owner on premises.  With the small indie ones, showing up in-person to answer questions and put a face to the name is, I think, always better.

I haven't done as many signings as I'd like, but the ones I have done resulted from the networking and relationships I've made.  That's why it's so important to not hide behind a computer.

Also, and I didn't write this in the response, but make sure to have price points already planned out, at least in your head.  Have a suggestion and a calculation ready for when they ask you what kind of buyer discount you will give them (30-40 percent off is typical).  Or be ready to have them take a commission for each one they sell.  Either way, getting into the stores is probably one of the best (and most satisfying) ways to get your title (and name) out there.

In other news, I am meeting with my publisher at Inner Light Books in San Franscisco on Labor Day!  I am going out there for a personal vacation, but of course am more than happy to make a professional-development detour! :D

birds in a tree

Found out we can do Cousin Ann's Stories in color!  Here's the first illustration in the book (not counting the original frontispiece) for a poem about getting to know all the different kinds of birds.  But that's kind of obvious I guess.

Coming Soon!

I made this for a conference that Richard (my friend who's publishing the Cousin Ann book with me) is attending.

Publishing Announcement!

So if you've seen my blog lately, you'll notice I have been working on illustrations for a book of Quaker stories written by Ann Preston, a famous doctor in the 1800s.  I've been working on it with a friend of mine who is a professor at Temple U and an antiquarian bookseller (it was his idea, intro, and editing).  Well, he found us a publisher!  They're called Inner Light Books and they specialize in Quaker lit, appropriately enough.  They plan to have our book out by Nov. 2010, just in time for Christmas.  So if you like Quakers, or whimsical black-and-white ink illustrations, or morally-instructing tales of woe and horror, then start your Christmas list early and make this one number one!  

Lizzie Fox-Top featured in Landenberg Today article!

So this article about my book/me came out on April 28.  I think I mentioned when she interviewed me back in January (I think?) I just was able to scan/upload it now.  So exciting! Nancy did a really great job.  I feel like a real artist now :)

Tweaked Cover

I Talked at A Middle School

Did a talk/reading at Mannington School in New Jersey yesterday.  I basically bestowed my knowledge of writing/publishing/and a little illustration upon 50 6/7/8th-graders.  I think they liked it! They asked some questions, which is always good.  And I was kind of surprised at how I was able to talk without benefit of my extensive notes--just referencing my bare-bones powerpoint.  I was worried about making it relevant and interesting for them, which I think I at least achieved the latter.  It's hard to know what to talk about with that age--they appreciate my book but it's not the main focus so I have to think of other interesting things to tell them.  Fun though.  Hopefully I get to do this sort of thing more often!

Again.

I forgot to add the complimentary color!  Do we like it better now?

Oh, also, Drunken Boat has my logo at the top of their page.  I think it's been there awhile but I didn't check it out til now.  Yay!

Beware, Children;.!

Here's a design for the cover of the Quaker book I am re-designing and illustrating.  I think this looks fairly B.-A.  Wonder if Richard will like it?

Inspiration: 19th Century flowery, art deco-y book covers, of course!

It's a Jungle Out There

Gearing up for another conference, this time in the beautiful mountains of northeastern PA!  Thing have been busy, but rest assured I've been hard at work on several projects.  The biggest one to date I just finished a few weeks ago, and I believe I mentioned on this blog before:  3 acrylic panels of a jungle scene for a baby's room.  They turned out great!  Only thing is, I think I'll never use MDF again.  It's nice when you don't want to spend $100 on canvases (and are terrible at making them yourself) but it's so hard to paint on!  The surface just hated my brush and I ended up having to go over every single part of the paintings multiple times before it would look decent.  But enough complaining.  Here they are:

 

I made this flier for a friend's charity event.  I think it turned out pretty nice for someone who doesn't do design that much. 

You should go!  It raises funds for a genetic disease that causes blindness.

I Did A Reading at Oxford Public Library

Had my first official book reading at Oxford Public Library on Monday!  It was great fun.  About 35 people came out (maybe 20 kids, plus their parents) to hear a dramatic reading of LFT.  Leanne, the children's librarian, did a wonderful job with the decorations too (see above photos).  Afterward, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch together (featuring macaroni and cheese and cupcakes, my favorite!)

Everyone seemed to like the book and I sold a few copies.  The age range was wide though, from toddlers to about 9 years old, so that made me a bit nervous--I definitely lost some of the babies' attention around page 30!  But the middle-range kids listened and actively participated once I remembered my tried-and-true method of asking questions and pointing stuff out as I went along (this works wonders when reading to my classes during substituting).  The older girls pictured above are budding writers and were very curious about my writing/publishing method, which I was more than happy to share!

The main librarian, Ken, said he thought maybe I can come back and do it in the summer.  That would be fun, and now I know more what to do too (I'd like to engage the audience more beforehand--this time I introduced myself and just jumped right in, but I bet it helps to establish some sort of rapport first so they have more of a reason to listen).

Be Good, Kids! (Or Else You'll Die/Accidentally Kill Someone/Have No Friends/Get Fat, Etc.)

I'm working on some black and white illustrations for the re-publishing of a collection of didactic poems and stories written by a Quaker woman in the 19th century.  Here's one from a poem about a boy who keeps a squirrel as a pet, but eventually decides to let it go free.  My only worry with this project is that I will make the illustrations too Edward Gorey-esque.  He's one of my favorite illustrators (I've probably mentioned him in an earlier post), and one whom I've been compared to on more than one occasion (even before I even knew he existed, back in college).  He wrote several stories that were satirical versions of what I'm illustrating for now, so it's spotty territory, but hopefully I can find enough of my own style to shine through!

EDIT: I decided to color it for fun.  

Made It Out of NYC Alive

Back from the SCBWI Conference in one piece!  Just kidding, it wasn't that crazy.  Mostly it was fun and informative.  I was completely nervous the whole ride up, worried about that darn elevator speech I needed to figure out, but Sachin helped me perfect it as we drove (he's quite the actor and did a very convincing portrayal of a publisher and an agent who I had to "converse" with).

Friday night we got there and immediately went to the Wheeltapper Pub on 44th Street to meet up for KidLit night (a.k.a. Children's book professionals getting drunk together and having a jolly, no-pressure time).  It was pretty awesome, although I did find the hardest part was breaking in to conversation with people at some points.  We met Elizabeth Mosier, who happened to be from my region in PA, and her friend from California.  Then we talked to Linda McCarthy, an art director from Penguin.  Both had interesting insights into the industry and were a lot of fun to boot! 

Saturday I listened to great keynote speeches by the likes of Libba Bray (crazy and hilarious) and the most amazing, Jackie Woodson.  She gave me a whole new perspective on writing with the hypnotic readings of her picture book Show Way and a YA novel.  She had this mesmerizing tone that complimented the beautifully thought-out rhythm of her writing in a sort of beat prose way.  She got a standing ovation.

I was somewhat disappointed with the Breakout Sessions.  My favorite was Picture Books with Allyn Johnston of Beach Lane Publishing.  She read some select picture books to compliment her lecture, which included all very thoughtful and moving books (it's rare a picture book brings the reader to tears but these books were truly stunning in their simple messages of love).  I was disappointed to not get to talk to her afterwards, however, as they kicked us out of each session immediately after it was over.

I also attended Visual Storytelling with Laurent Linn.  Linn was a cool and charismatic speaker but he just didn't tell me anything I didn't already know from my first year in art school.  It was very basic-level info he was giving out, and to make it worse the lecture was in this basement sort of room with big wide columns and a long narrow shape, so only about the first 2 rows could actually see the slide examples he was projecting to go with his VISUAL storytelling lecture.

Viral Marketing was the most informative session for me because I learned better strategies for interacting with readers online.  Most valuable lesson: I have to finally break down and get a Twitter account, at least for Lizzie.

Lunch was one of my favorite parts! The food was delicious, banquet-style, and the half of my table I talked to the whole time was populated by 3 funny, creative women including Robin Black Walder, a jeweler and children's novelist.

We also heard a good speech by illustrator Peter Sis, who talked about growing up in Communist Prague and his journey to the top once he reached the USA.

Sunday was fun with a hilarious lecture by Jim Benton of the Happy Bunny character (found in Hot Topic). That was followed by a somewhat dull list of what's selling in the market these days (the hour-long litany of which was made completely pointless by the lecturer then reminding us, "But the market trends are constantly changing so don't try to keep up"), followed by a very disappointing agent panel.  Of the three agents only one was relevant to what I do (Rosemary Stimola), and the format, which had Linn Oliver (SCBWI Founder) read pre-determined questions to the agents, did nothing for me.  The questions were not helpful and the answers even less so.  Typical cliche, ambiguous responses: "Well you have to write from the heart" "Write what is true to you," and my favorite, "We are looking for something that speaks to us--but we don't know what that is until we see it."  Not sure what I'm quite supposed to do with those answers.  I thought an audience Q&A, or a critique of a query letter/MS, would have been more helpful.  I left that panel just feeling frustrated.

Jane Yolen gave the final keynote speech, which was good (her list of 20 things a writer should keep in mind was perceptive and chuckle-worthy)...but I'd already heard the exact same one in October of '08 at the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic conference.

So, all in all I would say the conference was good in that it left me inspired and motivated, but nothing more.  I learned that I've been doing most things right, but that it's a tough market out there and there's not a lot of room unless you're really amazing, or really pushy.

...I'm sure I can do at least one of those things!

SCBWI Conference this weekend

Well in 24 hours I will be in NYC attending the SCBWI Winter Conference! It came so fast. I am so excited.  And so not ready yet!  I mean, mentally I am, but I have packing and printing and rehearsing to do (a pitch for my book in 30 seconds.  Gotta think of just the right words!) Be prepared for a very long (perhaps multiple) posts of my adventure come next week!

My Book reading is mentioned in Cecil Soil Magazine

Plus 2 photos!

Urges journalist Maggie Creshkoff,
"Wintertime is the perfect time to curl up with a book; and its even better if someone else is doing the storytelling.  Go to the Oxford Library at 48 South Second Street in Oxford, PA at 1 p.m. on Monday, February 15 and hear Stevie French read from her new book, Lizzie Fox-Top.  Stevie is the author and illustrator of the heart-warming story of a girl whose haberdashery is very, very foxy! She will read the tale of her grandmother's uncanny gift with all sorts of animals, great and small.  Call 610-932-9625 for more information, and make sure that you get your copy autographed!"

Sweet.

Also, an edit to my last post: Sachin reminded me that both our friend and the lady who owns the saddlery assured us that the foxes come to no harm during hunting (in the US anyway).

LFT Now Available at New Location in Warrenton, Va!

8 copies of LFT are now available (signed!) at Horse Country Sadlery in Warrenton, Virginia!  This was a surprise to me, as my boyfriend and I just popped in to town for a night of fun visiting my his friends from high school.  One of his friends, an equestrian and fox-huntress, mentioned this store to me because they sell adorable fox-shaped hats (perfect for a reading, I thought!) so I went to check it out.  It turned out they were sold out of the hats, but were very interested in a fox-themed children's book! 

I do recognize the irony of the fact that my sweet book about an anthropomorphic pet fox is being sold in a store that celebrates fox-hunting, but hey, it's an untapped demographic, and it's already a given that that participants of such a hobby will appreciate the subject matter!

LFT Enjoyed Halfway Round the World!

This little LFT fan in Germany has the right idea--"Mara Duck-Top"!

Thanks to Armin B. for the pic!

Do you have a picture of someone enjoying Lizzie Fox-Top?  Send it in and I'll post it on my blog and Lizzie's

Jungle Time

Color version, done in PS

Sketch for your enjoyment

Jungle panels sketches "to scale" this time.

See how many different animals you can spot!