ABFFE Children's Art Auction

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) will be holding a Holiday Ebay auction of Children's Art by notable illustrators (click here for their press release). One of my signed giclée prints (shown below) from "Groundhog Weather School" will be among the works auctioned.

Update: The auction is on now and goes through December 3, 2012. Click here or on the logo above to bid on wonderful children's art, or for the direct link to my piece click on "Reasons for Seasons." Thank you for your support!

Workbook's Creative Circus

Certainly a departure from the regular creative routine, I had the opportunity to participate in this year's drink & draw event, which was brought about to promote illustrators, watch illustrators work, drink, and witness a spectacle of the sideshow sort, all in the name of art education.  It was held at the Art Directors Club in NYC, a really lively venue on the ground floor, where people from the streets could witness the scantily clad models and sometimes live reptiles in action through the floor to ceiling windows. We sketched and sketched to our hearts' content and posted our creations on a wall to be sold to charity. It left me wanting more...drawing from life of course!

An Original Art Kind of Night

I had a wonderful time at the very crowded and very inspired Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators. My piece hung just above the drink station. I thought it wonderfully appropriate. Tomie dePaola was the guest of honor, receiving a lifetime achievement award for his work. The granddaughter of the late Richard Scarry also accepted a posthumous award for his body of work.

The events, the names read, the honors brought to light all the esteemed illustrators whose works have graced the Society's walls and inspired generations of children and artists alike. I had to pinch myself, as my work was now recognized to be among them. What an honor indeed.

The show will be up until December 22. Too many wonderful pieces to mention. Go see it!

 The esteemed placement

The crowd

 The Tomie

 The piece

Original Art Show Official Mailer

I just received the general announcement for the opening of The Original Art Show for the Society of Illustrators in New York later this month. Did you? Here's a shot of it so maybe you might like to attend. Look for me and my piece from No Dogs Allowed! Hope to see you there!

2012 Highlights Illustrators' Party

After all the prep work of designing and making our Superhero costumes, updating my book, and illustrating the superhero page, I was ready to go to the Annual Highlights Illustrators' Party. Sort of. On the day of departure, my daughter was getting over a nasty bug, my sister was suffering from a nasty bug, and I was turning into a nasty bug after a good, long, 3.5 hour night sleep, and I saw that my lovely weekend was quickly fading into a lovely dream. My Plan B for help in the child-care department, my illustrator friend, and her husband, who was also to attend, was sick. 

So Plan C was in motion. Now post lunchtime, daughter was doing well, no symptoms, energized and playful. There was still hope. I called Highlights to find out what other options there might be for an attendee with a little one. "Why not bring her to the conference?" The idea seemed impossible to me, but it was like an official stamp of approval, and I thought, "What's the worse that could happen? If she decides to have a meltdown, I could just leave." I had nothing to lose. So I geared up.

Simultaneously, I put a call in to my friend, via voicemail, at the off-chance I might still get some help. I offered the opportunity for a getaway, but with a childcare clause in the deal. By some miracle, my friend called back just in time with an "OK!" That's when everything fell right into place. 

When I and the little one arrived in Honesdale, we headed straight to our assigned quarters: the cabins at Beach Lake. It was perfect—two bedrooms and a living room—home away from home. We had the trademark, homegrown, gourmet dinner at The Barn that evening, on the Boyds Mills farm. I caught up with an old friend and wonderful illustrator Laura Jacques, and headed back to the cabin to await my friend's arrival. Thanks to the separate rooms, the little one got to sleep while I waited to greet my friend. 

The farm excursion for the families (Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Ward)

At the conference in The Barn on Saturday, we were presented with the company's rich history as a family company, philosophy, and plans for growth by Editor-in-Chief, Chris Cully, and a few of Highlights' Editors and Art Directors. They proposed numerous opportunities for work and made us Illustrators feel pretty special. We did a bit of sketching for auction, portfolio sharing, greeted more familiar faces, all of us gushing over each others' work. The food was stellar as usual (truly one of the biggest selling points of the weekend, not that they really have to sell us on an all expenses weekend). 

Painted pumpkins by the Illustrators' Jrs (Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Ward)

The little one and my friend were off at a local farm enjoying chickens and songs and painting pumpkins. She was so exhausted by nap time, she didn't nap. So she burned that overtired energy as a superhero, having a blast kicking around in her boots, flapping her cape, and running every which way. The day was concluded by dinner and the traditional square dance. And dance we did.

Superhero Bash (Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Ward)

Saturday Night Dinner & Dance (Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Ward)

Sunday brought a horse-drawn carriage ride, another glorious meal, and more delightful conversations.  By the end of the weekend, the nasty bugs were history and I was motivated to work. We came away receiving a refreshing, optimistic message, from a company worth cheering for in a downturn economy. My friend was exhausted thanks to the little one, though she still enjoyed the time away. After years of enthusiastically cheering us on, we thank you, Highlights, Superhero of Illustrators and children everywhere! 

(Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Ward)

Superhero Prep Work: Highlights 2012

It is always a big treat to be a part of the Annual Highlights Illustrators' Party. Going requires a bit of prep work, like making costumes for the selected theme, and updating portfolios. This year the theme was Superheroes, and this time, Highlights decided to compile a sketchbook based on our chosen characters.

It meant a bit of drawing and conceptualizing our ideas on paper using a template they provided for us. I called my superhero Queen of Diamonds (impossible strength), my daughter was to be Queen of Hearts (power to melt hearts), and my sister, Queen of Clubs (luck was her power). Together we made "Three of a Kind!" Dah dum dum.

On paper, it was a challenge to do, especially because time was short and I happened to be swamped with regular deadlines, but the project was fun.  The compilation was an amusing look into the creative minds of other fellow Highlights Illustrators.

New Spiffy Cards

It's been a while since I've carried a business card. Shows just how business savvy I am! So I thought it was time to update my card and start carrying again. In matte finish, double-sided, rounded corners, these babies are not your standard business card.

Feeling the Butterflies A-fluttering

The Society of Illustrators posted the list of artists for the Original Art Show opening in October.  I discovered a bevy of respected artists I have admired from afar, and now I am in their company.  Before reading the list I felt confident, and now my heart's a-flutter and the nerves are going.  I hope many of them will be there so I can exchange words of gratitude and gush. I've posted the same list below.  The one's highlighted are medal winners. Go to the links above for images and more information.

Barroux My Dog Thinks I'm a Genius The Brothers Hilts The Insomniacs Jim Arnosky Creep and Flutter Patrick Arrasmith The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin Amy June Bates Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat Carin Berger A Perfect Day Holly Berry Colorful Dreamer: The Story of Artist Henri Matisse Brian Biggs The Boy Who Cried Alien! and Everything Goes, In the Air Sophie Blackall Mr. and Mrs. Bunny– Detectives Extraordinaire! and Are You Awake? Freya Blackwood Maudie and Bear Barry Blitt George Washington's Birthday: A Mostly True Tale Serge Bloch My Snake Blake and Snowed Under and Other Christmas Confusions Calef Brown Pirateria Scott Campbell East Dragon, West Dragon Nancy Carpenter Heroes of the Surf Tad Carpenter Sad Santa Lauren Castillo The Reader and Happy Like Soccer Nicoletta Ceccoli Cinderella Joey Chou It's a Small World Bonnie Christensen Fabulous! A Portrait of Andy Warhol R. Gregory Christie It Je's Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw Bryan Collier I, Too, Am America and Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington  Raúl Colón Annie and Helen and Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops Matthew Cordell If You Were a Chocolate Mustache Laëtitia Devernay The Conductor Tony DiTerlizzi A Hero for Wondla Gérard DuBois Monsieur Marceau: Actor Without Words Olivier Dunrea Little Cub Chris Van Dusen If I Built a House John S. Dykes F is for Fenway Kirstie Edmunds The Monster Who Lost His Mean Lois Ehlert Mice Carson Ellis Under Wildwood Brian Floca Marty McGuire Digs Worms! Douglas Florian Poem Runs and unBEElievables Edwin Fotheringham Those Rebels, John & Tom Marla Frazee Boot & Shoe Susan Gal Day By Day Michael Garland Grandpa's Tractor Arthur Geisert The Giant Seed Sara Gillingham Now I am Big! Andrew Glass Moby Dick: Chasing the Great White Whale Domenica More Gordon Archie Keith Graves The Orphan of Awkward Falls Emily Gravett Wolf Won't Bite! Melissa Guion Baby Penguins Everywhere! Amanda Hall The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau Jessie Hartland Bon Appétit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child and How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum Julian Hector C. R. Mudgeon Edward Hemingway Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship John Hendrix A Boy Called Dickens Yumi Heo Lady Hahn and Her Seven Friends Will Hillenbrand Bear in Love Holly Hobbie GEM Hadley Hooper Here Come the Girl Scouts! Stacy Innerst Levi Strauss Gets A Bright Idea: A Fairly Fabricated Story of a Pair of Pants Alison Jay Song of the Stars Oliver Jeffers This Moose Belongs to Me Steve Jenkins The Beetle Book D.B. Johnson Magritte's Marvelous Hat William Joyce and Joe Bluhm The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore               William Joyce The Sandman: The Story of Sanderson Mansnoozy

Maira Kalman Looking at Lincoln G. Brian Karas Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money Jon Klassen This is Not My Hat and House Held Up By Trees Jim LaMarche The Carpenter's Gift Giles Laroche If You Lived Here: Houses of the World Huy Voun Lee Red, White and Boom! Gwen Hendrickson Under the Baobab Tree E.B. Lewis Each Kindness Brian Lies MORE Renata Liwska The Christmas Quiet Book Beth Lo Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic Ethan Long Scribbles and Ink William Low Machines Go to Work in the City Gianna Marino Meet Me at the Moon  Peter McCarty Chloe Barbara McClintock Twelve Kinds of Ice and Leave Your Sleep  Nikki McClure Apple Patrick McDonnell The Monster's Monster Jill McElmurry Mario Makes a Move Joe McKendry One Time Square, A Century of Change at the Crossroads of the World     Holly Meade In the Sea Wendell Minor Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic and If You Spent A Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond Kelly Murphy Secrets at Sea Jon J. Muth Blowin' in the Wind Matthew Myers Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind Scott Nash The High Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate Kadir Nelson I Have a Dream Tao Nyeu Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always Ryan O'Rourke Eight Days Gone John Obrien Look...Look Again  C.F. Payne Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story LeUyen Pham Vampirina Ballerina Giselle Potter Cecil the Pet Glacier Majorie Priceman Cold Snap Chris Rashka Otter and Odder: A Love Story Adam Rex Chloe and the Lion Christian Robinson Harlem's Little Blackbird Eric Rohmann Oh, No! Marc Rosenthal Making a Friend Roger Roth The Roller Coaster Kid Steven Salerno Brothers at Bat:  The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team Dan Santat Oh No! Not Again! and Bawk & Roll Brian Selznick Wonderstruck David Small One Cool Friend Betsy Snyder Tons of Trucks Meilo So Alex the Parrot and Water Signs Blue David Soman Ladybug Girl and Bingo Kristin Sorra No Dogs Allowed! Bob Staake Don't Squish the Sasquatch!  and Look! Another Book! Naoko Stoop Red Knit Cap Girl Simms Taback Simms Taback's Dinosaurs Matt Tavares There Goes Ted Williams  the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived  Chris Van Dusen Randy Riley's Really Big Hit  Mike Wimmer George Jeanette Winter Kali's Song Ashley Wolff Baby Bear Sees Blue Wong Herbert Yee Summer Days and Nights Eugene Yelchin Breaking Stalin's Nose Taeeun Yoo You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses and Tua and the Elephant Hyewon Yum Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten! Pamela Zagarenski Sleep Like a Tiger Paul O. Zelinsky Earwig and the Witch

The Show to See

After a summer slumber in blogland, I thought I'd wake things up a bit with a happy announcement. The Society of Illustrators in New York will be hosting their 32nd Annual Original Art Show this October. For those who do not know, here's a bit about the juried show from the SI website:

"Founded by Dilys Evans in 1980, the show celebrates the fine art of children’s book illustration. It has been sponsored by the Society of Illustrators for the past twenty-two years.  The selection process will be by a jury of outstanding illustrators, art directors, editors, and experts in the field of children’s publishing."

With that, I'm pleased to announce that my latest picture book, No Dogs Allowed, by Linda Ashman (2011, Sterling Children's Books), made the cut! After years of submissions, this has become the title that brings a whole other level of validation to my work.

...pat on the back to me...

I am so proud of it, and still I strive to want to do better. For now, I will bask in its success, show you a few pieces from its interior pages, and let you know that the Original Art Show opens Oct. 24 and runs through Dec. 22, 2012.  I'll post more news about it as the date approaches!   

Just a Week Away

The NESCBWI (or the North Eastern Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators...phew!), a regional division of the SCBWI, is hosting the 2012 "Keeping It Real" Conference in Springfield, MA. The weekend-long series of workshops is for beginning to advanced writers and artists, striving to work in children's books. It starts next Friday, April 20, through Sunday, April 22.  So many talented guest lecturers will be there, as well as yours truly. I'll be teaching a workshop called "Creating Traditional Illustration Digitally." I hope attendees will come away from it with a renewed creative vigor, and at the very least, get their money's worth!

In addition, I was invited to also be a part of the Advanced Illustrator Academy faculty which includes two other notable guests I humbly call very distinguished colleagues—Martha Rago, Assoc. Creative Director for Harper Collins Children's Books, and internationally acclaimed writer/illustrator, Dan Yaccarino. How I deserved to be among them is beyond me, but I take my role seriously and hope to impart a lot of useful creative and practical knowledge. Thank you, Casey Girard.

Click on any of the links above for more information. You can also click on the image for a jump to the conference site. Hope to see you all there!

Highlighting an Honor

For the past couple days, I had been receiving delivery attempt notices from UPS, for a package from Highlights which required my signature.  I couldn't imagine what it could be since most packages from Highlights are delivered via regular snail mail. When I finally received it, it was clear that it wasn't tear sheets, nor was it my birthday. Much to my complete surprise and delight, it was a pewter plate inscribed with my name, and the words "Puzzle Poem of the Year." Of the year. That's pretty significant. In addition, there was a letter from the editor conveying her appreciation on behalf of Highlights High Five. I was so elated it took me a few minutes to figure out which piece deserved such an honor. Thank you, Highlights! It's truly an honor and a privilege.

It's Groundhog Day...again!

Well of course it is.  February 2, 2012 marks another Groundhog Day.  Here's hoping spring will arrive early, though it seems the wish has come prematurely.  February 1, here in New York, was downright balmy.  Well enjoy it until spring is really here and don't forget to enjoy your copy of Groundhog Weather School, by Joan Holub, illustrated by moi!

Picture Book 2012

In addition to my latest DI ad is my latest in Picture Book.  This year's directory reflects the downturn in children's book publishing. The book is about half the size it was last year.  Good news is, I'm happy with how the ad turned out.  Let's see if it bears any returns.

Directory of Illustration 2012

This year my rep encouraged us to expand our clientele. Of course, in business, this is always a smart thing. So some of us have decided to advertise in the Directory of Illustration. Here's my latest ad as it appears, in an effort to be more commercial friendly:

To a Swell 2012!

Wishing you a creative New Year whether you're an artist or an accountant!  So my New Year's resolution for 2012 is to be much better about posting.  I'd love to help fuel that creative spark as well as find it.  Truly, there's nothing like a new year to give you that boost.

Christmastime came and brought a box of product samples of my latest illustrations for Mudpuppy.  Perfect for budding fashionistas: All Four Seasons Magnetic Figures - Galison/Mudpuppy.  It reminded me of my own childhood, creating paper dolls and storing them in recycled plastic sleeves that stored old bank books—creative packaging at its finest.  Mudpuppy's is an award-winning magnetic doll product, a rendition of the paper doll, using a substantial tin case that serves as the magnetic backing to hold the backdrops, figures, and their lovely little outfits.

What's new for 2012? Other than the usual musings, sitings, and latest projects, I plan to bring art tips and behind-the-scenes creations.  Stay tuned!