Digital just keeps getting better...

Here is my first piece created in procreate... What an amazing app... Mre to come soon. Love love love having a digital studio right in my lap like this.

Royal Baby to see my pictures!!

So, I am not much of a Royal watcher, however I think it is incredibly cool that several (maybe all) of the books I've illustrated for Red Robin Books were presented to the Duchess of Cornwall to read to her grandchild. Neil Griffiths, the author visited Wiltshire Scrapstore and Resource Centre and a stack of bookish gifts were given.

tp 41633 Scrapstore Royal Visit
Pic 47 Duchess of Cornwall takes a close look at the gift for the royal birth
Pics Trevor Porter 41633 12th Feb 13 — at Wiltshire Scrapstore & Resource Centre.

Ideas, ideas ideas..

I wonder why it is, when you are the most busy, ideas flow. Teaching is fantastic, and time consuming, and fantastic, but I am a rookie and I am learning rapidly how to maximize my efficiency. How official does that sound?

Right now I am working on a few stories, this piece is a rough study for a dummy I am putting together... Developing the idea on the iPad, it is great fun and is allowing a free expression style I've been desiring.

Three more weeks and many of my students will be off on placement and I will have more time than I need to develop this stuff, and attend to some other projects as well.

We are also finishing up the maquette's in my classes, here is one of mine, with paint starting to go on. The next step is a 3D capture and then, who knows?

Asteroids crash!

We do a lot of talking about asteroids in our house... Having an almost eight year old who is extremely scientifically minded helps quite a bit. One night my daughter, two, and I had a conversation about dinosaurs. It went something like this:

"Mommy, where did all the dinosaurs go?"

"Well, some say it was a giant asteroid crashing into earth, others think it was a giant volcano...etc.. then.."

Quiet for a minute...

"Mommy,"

"Yes?"

"I think it was aliens. They landed in the ocean and caused these volcanoes. Then the dinosaurs went away. I think they went to the beach though, or maybe the forest."

The next day, at dinner, she insists she cannot sit still, because SHE is an asteroid.

Did you know that asteroids do not eat asparagus?
(And of course, I am now creating something out of this!)

Building a maquette...

So I have started building a maquette of grandpa, for the banana story, which is now going in a completely different direction and may end up as an app/ebook... Maybe even with some 3D effects... Who knows. I am loving being surrounded by creativity every day while teaching... It is inspiring and occupies my thoughts almost completely during the semester. However, it is also improving the work that I do and drawing me into higher and higher standards for myself as I look at things very differently. I am doing this maquette a few times, using the different materials I will be using with them, so they can see the differences, and what materials would work best for their own projects. This one is wire and super sculpy so far. Other materials will be paperclay, air dry clay, casting materials and a few other options... FUN!

Some new roughs...

These are for a Picture Book I am working on... it starts out sad... that is all I can say.
On the other hand...  I also have some new images from another PB I am working on... that is not sad at all...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Wishing everyone a very safe, happy and silly holiday... and a HAPPY, HAPPY New Year...