Monday, December 22, 2008

Zoo - part deux


Here are the FRASER Pegasus zoo animals - two of them, and a picture of ALL of them.
Fun job. Very, very fun job. But I do think it is neat to see these and then see the plushies from Tallula's Atishoo and StorySack. Produced by Smith and Associates of Calgary, AB.



Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Pegasus Zoo


This job ranks as one of the best I have ever had... It was to promote Fraser Papers (now Smart papers) line of Pegasus Paper. It was black white stock - lovely stuff. Anyway, I did a 3-d Version of most of these animals that came together in a package - you punched them out and built yourself a little paper Zoo. You can see it at the Smith+Associates website - under branding I think? These images were to be used as part of the same promotion, and made into greeting cards, but the company got sold in the midst of this, I got paid but these dudes never saw the light of day... We won some awards for the 3D stuff - Applied Arts being one - very exciting! I just found the photos I took - will upload those soon.

Just for fun


A couple of spreads from my upcoming book - In the Garden, published by Applesauce Press. It will be released in March '09 and will be available at your local bookstore! You can also pre-order it on Amazon right now!

Just one More Book Podcast

I mentioned earlier, that I now have an agent - well, I would not have this good fortune if not for the Eastern Canada chapter of SCBWI. We had an Agents Day in Ottawa on October 4th, where we met Rebecca Sherman and Kendra Marcus - Both incredible women - and supporters of children's literature. Anyway, Kendra did my critique and Mark Blevis from www.justonemorebook.com interviewed us afterward. The podcast of this interview is going to be available tomorrow!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Buses and Pigeons.

Ok, so my three year old son, on our way to work this morning, recited as he was turning the pages, with all the same goofiness that I read it... Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems. A personal hero of mine. And then he said... Lets read it a little LOUDER!!! You see, we've been singing Boom Chicka Boom on our drives these days - endless entertainment I'll tell you. I laughed all the way in. I am interested to see what he says on the way home...

Thursday, November 6, 2008

I HAVE AN AGENT!!

I am SO very excited to announce that I now have a fantastic Agent - Kendra Marcus of BookStop Literary. HIP, HIP Hooray. I need to write this now, for when I wake up I need to make sure this is a fact.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Logo Design...


Here is a logo I did for a new daycare in the Oshawa area. This was a very fun job for some very nice people. As you can see it was really a stretch for me.

Since I am an advocate for good daycare, I was very excited to do this one. I am sure their centre will be a lovely place for children to spend their days.

I will post a link to their site when it is up!

Friday, October 24, 2008

In The Garden Premier!


My friend Jessi made this video of my first book reading of In the Garden.
Let me preface this by saying I got to read after the kids had played all morning and eaten cotton candy in a busy playroom just before nap time - so I think it went alright!

Happy anniversary to the Lennox and Addington Resources for Children Early Years Centre!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Clumsy Sunflower


Have you ever been the odd man out? The one who cannot get those steps straight? I have.
This is an illustration for a story I am working on - I am not sure where it is going at the moment, but it is filled with left feet and the heartache of fifth grade and not fitting in.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Sand in your ShoeS


We built a GIANT sandbox for our son. It was a LOT of digging, but we are heroes. We spend hours every day building pools and rivers and burying trucks. It is so much fun. We've had to fill a little pool nearby to clean up in before we go inside cause it gets pretty messy.

The best part is that our neighbour brought the sand in a giant backhoe - nothing more thrilling to a three year old boy - except for maybe a school bus.

Friday, August 8, 2008

The Olympics

Ok, I am a bit of a sap, but the opening ceremony of the Olympics always brings tears to my eyes. This year, more than ever. Disregarding politics and focusing on sport bring us - the world together, for me, I see hope. I see past the required fake smiles on the people in the audience and I see wonder in their eyes and a dream for the future. Every single athlete is there because they have worked tirelessly to be there. Every person there represents a kid who had a dream and has made it. They are all an inspiration to us all to work toward our own dreams and goals, and also to take a moment here and there to celebrate our successes - whether big or small.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Change is in the Air...

Portfolios - mine are always evolving. Right now I feel the urge to do a pile of new work, while I have a few weeks between projects and have realized a few things about my work - which I won;t post here for any art directors who are looking, BUT i have lit the proverbial candle, I have my eye on a few clients I WANT to work with, thus, an idea of what I need to do. Is that clear?

I ALSO have determined that although I am perpetually observing, now that my son is ALMOST three and my hands are free much of the time unless I have become a crane or a bulldozer for a moment, that I can truly begin sketching again. This has been lacking in my very busy day to day - and I have been missing very useful things.

Mowat is so interested in what I am drawing and is constantly telling me I should draw this digger, or tractor or bumblebee. It is great fun. Then we do big pictures together - which is even more fun.

Last night we ate carrots and cucumbers out of the garden, they were small and delicious. I've also noticed the leaves turning a bit already - maybe because it has been so wet? I thought that happened when it was really dry. Well, with a fall wedding 1.5 months away, i would LOVE for the leaves to be golden and red.

Change is good.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Edible Garden

I love this time of year - especially when we have had piles of rain. Things are so lush and green, the zucchini are already monstrous, tomatoes are turning a gorgeous shade of red, carrots are getting there and I've already had a fresh cob of corn right out of the garden. You can bet next year we are planting a whole lot more of that.

Starting to figure out what I need to do to start promoting my book, not sure yet where my publisher will go with it, or what I need to do. Looking for a location to have a show/launch etc. I'm not good at all that stuff so I end getting tongue tied and sweaty... and over-explain too fast and I fear come across less than professionally. But I do like visiting with kids, I am okay with them : )

Also trying to get together a new mailing, and finding some new clients. I've been so focussed on my books, that I kind of dropped out of the race for a bit and I think I am paying for it now!

So, off I go - work, work and work some more!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Awesome Trip!

Well, on Saturday the weather held out for us and I got my next book in my series almost written. In the Forest! Writing comes so easily when you watch a curious little person explore the world around them. I feel refreshed and ready to take on anything.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Weekend!

Going to go camping this weekend - finally. This summer has been one of very rainy/stormy weekends, fine when it was just the two of us, but having a sopping wet shivering toddler makes me feel like an irresponsible momma - so no can do. We are supposed to get rain, but we will be prepared. Watching the forecast though - final decision to come on Saturday am.

Exciting news on the illustration front, my project with Dr. Jay Gordon is moving forward - I was afraid that it was a no go, but it seems we've bot been busy doing other things. So off we go. Also working on my 2nd book 'In the Snow' due out fall 2009. Fun stuff, some covers... looking for more magazine work as my long time work with Daughters is over now since they are sadly no more. They were a great publication for parents, and a great bunch of people to work for.

Wedding plans are in full swing, though, trying to find someone to do the deed is rather daunting... hopefully that little glitch will be ironed out soon. Dress is being made, ran into a fellow baker from my windmills restaurant days who will be doing our cake (she is awesome), have a fantastic friend/chef cooking for us, musical friends playing for us... and a beautiful spot. So excited - after 11 years it is nice to finally be doing all of this. So looking forward to having all of our friends and family in one place. It is turning into a full weekend event - which is what we were hoping would happen!

Ok, keep you fingers crossed for nice weather.
Peace.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Hey Hey Summer is here...

and with it camping, buggies and rain : ) We love it all.
Work is picking up - finally, and I feel ready to take it all on.
It is funny, I worked on my garden book through the winter, and will be working on my winter book through the summer. Have to get in the mood.

The garden is is full bloom, we are eating peas, onions, lettuce in all colours, strawberries, raspberries and almost have a full grown pepper. The zucchini and tomatoes are coming along nicely and our wall of sunflowers is getting nice and tall. And the corn, the corn is just cool. I wish we had planted more.

It is very cool seeing mo do all the things from the book, but now I feel like there is so much more I could have put in. Oh well... still exciting!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Thank Goodness for Daddies!

I love my dad.
I love my son's dad.
I really like my friends kids dads.
In fact, I am surrounded by so many great dads that it floors me.
These dads are involved with their kids, change diapers, sing lullabies, cuddle and snuggle.
Many of these guys did NOT have shining examples to live up to, they are carving their own paths as dads and they may stumble and not think they are doing a good job - but they are.
These are the days of awesome poppas.
Hooray for you guys.

Friday, May 30, 2008

It is so nice to hear from a client when a job is done. I recently did a job with Red Robin Books, a UK publisher (who I LOVE working with BTW) and I got a message from the Author today saying how happy he was with the book. I have yet to see it - hopefully in the next month or so. This one has a Pop-Up at the end, so I am so excited to see how that turned out in the end! Watch for my posting of There's a Spider In the Bath! my second book with them, also finished my third - Shaun the Shy Shark - Coming soon. Thanks Neil!

So glad it is the weekend. I finally feel like drawing again. I think I was in a lull (not for lack of work - but lack of will). My last book really took a lot out of me but in the end is worth it. Just finalized all edits and soon it will be completely out of my hands and I have to say I am glad of it and looking forward to moving on to the next one in the series.

Have also planted most of our garden now... there is a lot of stuff in there. We also managed to dodge the frost that was promised, though we took some extra measures involving tar paper, cardboard boxes etc. Which resulted in a cemetery look when we woke up, but our peppers and tomatoes survived!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Barcode

I am starting to get really nervous and excited. Because I also have the luxury of designing my picture book (my publisher was actually happy that I could do that as well, and no, I an NOT self-publishing) and don't worry - I am qualified! I just got my bar code and flap copy all laid out... fun fun. Scary. Real. Very cool. Now the sad part is I have to WAIT until Spring 2009 to see it in the stores. I am not very good at waiting, though I suppose I should have picked an alternate career if that was truly the case. Though I was really hoping I could show it off at some fall conferences.

Well, on to the next book!

Friday, May 9, 2008

We are so lucky.

Ok, this is one of the times when you realize just how lucky you are.

What is happening in Burma is an inconceivable disaster of epic proportions.
From this day on I temper my complaints about my government, my job, my messy house, my old car and live for the things I so take for granted.

You may have heard how hard it is to get aid into Burma, but there is a way to get something in there... the monks are working on the ground floor of this, offering shelter and relief for those affected - please visit www.avaaz.org to donate if you can, if you can't just go look to see what can be done.

Our world is small, I look at the town I grew up in and the number of dead is equal to four of them - every single person. That is a very sobering thought.

Monday, May 5, 2008

HOORAY

My work for 'In The Garden' has officially landed in Hong Kong. This book is becoming a reality - I can't believe it. So hard sending all of that stuff over. Usually either I scan the stuff, or the publisher sends it. Not sure why this worried me so much - maybe cause I wrote the book too - and there seems to be so much more at stake! Anyway, it is there, being scanned... looking forward to seeing those and doing the final layout of the book... guess I have to work on my about the author section... I dislike that part immensely : )

Friday, May 2, 2008

I am finally updated!

So, this is a new foray into the www. I was having a heck of time trying to keep my website updated, so this should work much much better. I don't have time anyway to deal with designing and updating a website all the time. I am MUCH to busy working on important projects.

Well, just got back from the SCBWI Spring Thing In Barrie last weekend. I had a blast, met lots of great people and hob-nobbed with the first art director I have ever met in person. Funny in this age - all the art directors I have ever worked with have been online!

Friday, March 7, 2008

Happy News


Ok, so I have been away from this for some time - but I have a good excuse!

I have two books coming out this year in hardcover with Applesauce Press/Sterling, In the Garden and In the Snow. These are part of a series about a little boy playing in nature that i wrote/illustrated and designed! I also have three other books I've illustrated coming out this year too - things have been very very busy!

Anyway, this fits in the Illustration Friday garden Category... so yay, I can enter!

This was a character sketch I did prior to the finals for the book. Watch for it on bookshelves this fall!