Kirkus Review - In the Garden with Dr. Carver

Here's a wonderful review from none other than Kirkus!!

"Tadgell’s watercolors add both playful side business and accurate botanical illustration to this admiring child’s account of the famous scientist’s stopover in a rural community. George Washington Carver often spent weekends visiting settlements around Tuskegee with his "movable school" to dispense information about reclaiming depleted farmland, recycling and good agricultural practices. Avidly absorbing his injunctions to look closely at the natural world and to understand its interrelationships before changing or destroying anything, the young narrator and other children move a rose bush to a sunnier spot, make nature drawings, sample ice cream and other foods made from peanuts and “strange wild weeds,” then help dig and plant a garden outside their schoolhouse. Though fictionalized, the encounter presents Carver’s work and ideas in a simple, engaging way that will stay with young readers until they're ready for Marilyn Nelson's soaring Carver: A Life in Poems (2001). The endpapers present lovely illustrations of flora and fauna, complete with common and Latin names, and an author's note provides additional background on Carver's career. (Picture book. 7-9)"

Sketches - motion and emotion

Color and motion study

Publish Post

Character studies

Sandy Foster's Shabby Streamside Studio

My beautiful, gifted sister Sandy has been featured in the New York Times!

Want to get in touch with Sandy? Email her: zuzudotfosteratgmaildotcom

Visit her blog here, it's incredible. For even more behind-the-scenes, visit here.

My New Portfolio Book

For once I am happy with my most recent portfolio book! For a long time I've wanted to do something really different, and I was so tired and bored with the typical glossy-paged, spiral-bound black portfolio cases that most artists carry around. I have several of them! The glossy pages get scratched and bent, and create a glare that is off-putting for me. The black paper inside gets marred and torn from adhesive corner holders or tape.

I considered making my own book using fabric, cardboard, and ribbon - a technique I learned years ago. However,  the result has a "craft" look - great for wedding guest books and keepsakes, not for showing art to potential buyers.

My husband volunteered to make a custom wood cover, with rivets to bind the pages together. It would be gorgeous and unique. Either way, I couldn't easily replace the pages. A portfolio should be updated frequently - and I change my mind about what I want in it constantly.

I wanted something that looked more like a real book. I've seen a lot of portfolios - at previous SCBWI conferences, there would be a room where you can view other artists portfolios. At work, we had a client who wanted to put together a binder of work he could show to his customers. So we asked a representative of AI Friedman to come down and show what is available out there. Some of it I'd seen in Michael's or CC Lowell (my local art store), and some of it I'd seen in the ASW or Dick Blick catalog. But when he mentioned that we should be using the UniBind system, and showed the hardboard covers available, that's when I said "a-ha!".

I can print my pages (two-sided, even!), slip them into the cover and set it on the UniBind machine. By re-heating the spine, I can re-arrange, remove, and change my mind as often as I want!

It's perfect for me. The covers come in standard and unique sizes - I chose the white linen 12x12. The window cutout is charming for my "silly me" painting to peek out of.

Another use I can do is create layouts of family photos, with a selected image for the window or even a type header. I could even paint on the white linen covers. The only snag is that I had to buy 10 of them, and they are all the same. The die cut window was extra, too. The window iss customizable, as well. Oval, square, rectangular, round. Positioning can be pretty much anywhere, too.)

These pics were taken from my little point-and-shoot camera. I'll upload better pics soon, this gives you an idea of how it looks "in real life". :)

The previous two images are from LUCKY BEANS by Becky Birtha, published by Albert Whitman and Co. just this spring.

"Start strong, end strong" is the motto of any good portfolio. Usually means that what is in the middle isn't as strong. For me, the middle is the place I put images I couldn't decided on. In this case, I put in pieces that are my "favorites". Fantasy, or watercolors that turned out well. Friends, family, colleagues, and art directors agree that many of my personal favorites just don't belong here! "If you hear the same comments three times or more, there's the truth" is another well-known saying. So I listened, and have since taken those out. Some of the fantasy pieces should have their own page, though, many people said.

Here's a sneak peek at my new book IN THE GARDEN WITH DR.CARVER by Susan Grigsby. Watch for it this fall, also from Albert Whitman and Co.

Overall, I'm pleased with the result! Until I make new art, of course. Then I'll agonize over what to put in and what to take out.:)

A Day with Daddy by Nikki Grimes

Happy Father's Day!

A Day with Daddy by Nikki Grimes is a Scholastic "Just for You" title published by Color-Bridge Books.
Here's a great review from Booklist.

I had a very enjoyable time working on this book. My younger brother John posed as the Daddy in this story (he isn't a Daddy in real life yet). Here are a few behind-the-scenes images you might enjoy:

After the rough sketches are approved, I took photos for references for the daddy character;

Then I drew tight pencils:

And then final color paintings:

Pencils

I'm always on the lookout for a better pencil. Recently on a discussion list I'm on, the topic of pencils came up, with lots of suggestions about which ones were liked or preferred. So of course, I had to try some of the favorites!

The turqoise ones were my favorites for a long time. You can see the pencil extender on one of them.

Even though I've spent a lot on pencils, trying to find the "perfect" one, I still go back to this one: a Sanford EarthWrite number 2 HB. From OfficeMax. Go figure. It's smooth (no grittiness in the middle of a line like the Raffines do), sharpens well, doesn't smudge too much and the color is nice and dark. 

Interviews

Cynsations

Seven Impossible Things - Lucky Beans

Seven Impossible Things - No Mush Today

Lee and Low

The Brown Bookshelf

Big A little a

Lucky Beans NEW Coloring Page!

The Elephant in the Room

Very interesting topic of conversation spurred by Elizabeth Bluemle at the Shelftalker blog. Check out the illustrations, too!

Warm-up sketch: crazy-silly cartoony

Warm-up sketch: 3 preteens

I saw a stock photo of three preteen kids walking along in a field. Two were close together, one was a little further back. Why? Maybe the two forward characters were in a fight with the third? Or is the third one harassing the two? What's unique about number three?

These were the questions running through my head as I sketched them. I noticed also that I didn't "study" the reference photo and try to make the drawing look like it. I rarely do that unless they are photos I took myself. It's like I use the photos as a launching pad for ideas.

Warm up sketch...with china marker

Warm up sketch...with ink

More warm ups

Warm up sketches

Often I like to sketch "warm-up" drawings before doing "serious" drawings. Shakes the cobwebs off, reminds me how to coordinate my hand/eyes/brain.

Sometimes I use photo references to get started, sometimes not. Here's one from a stock photo reference, of a preteen girl with her guitar:

The Horn Book!

LUCKY BEANS by Becky Birtha was reviewed in the May/June issue of the Horn Book!
It was written by Susan Dove Lemke, which feels like coming full circle, because it was an article written by her in the Horn Book called "The Faces in Picture Books" years ago that sparked me into launching a career as a children's book illustrator.

NESCBWI Conference

For an event I wasn't ready for, it was a whirlwind of fun, learning and inspiration. Anindita and Greg, with all the volunteers did an awesome job. It was neat to see my art on the big screen, too. :) Surprisingly, we've now outgrown even this new conference space. I wonder if we'll end up in or near Boston...which would be an awesome experience, especially with all the excellent restaurants so close to each other.

I wish I could have gone to more than one workshop! A device where you can be two places at once...hmmm...didn't work out too well for Hermione. Oh well.

Major highlights would be getting portfolio feedback. (Not pictured) Interestingly, I heard the same comments from published professionals and green newbies, so the truth is the truth! My "favorite" pieces don't necessarily work in this current portfolio, time to retire them!

The illustrator academy was such fun! It was a rare treat to see behind-the-scenes sketches and book dummies. I also wished I could have seen every portolio critique instead of those just at my table.

I also hoped we'd have more time to work on improving sequencing from the homework assignment. Four hours sounds like a long time, but it flies by. Watching the progression of David Costello's book was wonderful, very eye-opening. What a treat!  Speaking of treats...the food was just okay...so how did I gain four pounds???

NESCBWI Conference!

It's this weekend! I'm glad it will be raining...that way I won't feel guilty about not spending time in the garden...:) It's tough to  balance two passions like those.

Doodle and Squeak drawings

Dancer

Nez Perce Illustration

Memories - warm toned

Adopted sibling rivalry

In this illustration, I wanted to tell a story of parents who already have an adopted child, and have adopted another. Clearly the boy isn't happy about it at first, but his little sister reaches out and warms his heart. I love the colors on this - working on the experimental Strathmore paper which I seem to like better than the expensive Fabriano.