Showtime

This is a painting that I will be showing with fellow CBIG members at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis. The opening reception is tonight and there will be cookies!

"Exploration and Creativity: An exhibition from the Minnesota Children's Book Illustrators Guild"

When: April 8 - June 20, 2010

Where: Minnesota Center for Book Arts
1011 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-215-2520

Opening Reception: Tonight, April 8th, 6-8pm

Members exhibiting:

Barb Bjornson, Sara Weingartner, Franklin Haws, Alicia Schwab, MaryBeth Hinrichs, Chris Dyrud, Sharon Wagner, James Powell, Shawn McCann, Beth Wilson, Christina Rodriguez, Lorrie Gibson, Nina Crittenden, Vicki Deutsch, Linnell Esler, Tessie Bundick, Eileen Matro, Dawn Schreiber, and Anne Adix Fabie.

*Special thanks to Shawn McCann for organizing this event for us!*

Homework Can Be Funny

This is my first assignment for the illustration class I am taking with the wonderful Carrie Hartman. We all had to write down a fond childhood memory and then pass it on to a classmate. Aside from getting an interesting topic to illustrate, it gave us the opportunity to see what it would feel like to be an "author" and have someone else illustrate something you wrote. I was thrilled with how my memory (looking for frogs and toads up at Grandma and Poppa's house in Park Rapids) turned out, my classmate's vision was so cool and very beautifully illustrated. The illustration I did had to do with a special gift my classmate made her fifth grade teacher, Mr. Johnson. The funny part is, I also had a fifth grade teacher named Mr. Johnson. He was such a great teacher, all the kids loved him. In other news: the St. Thomas gallery opening on Sunday was very nice, we had a great turnout and it was so cool to see what the other CBIG members came up with to illustrate the Minnesota theme. I'll be posting more of my classwork soon, including a attempt at pastels and a circus inspired painting.

Minnesota

Greetings from Minnesota! Fellow artists from the Children's Book Illustrators Guild of Minnesota will be featured in a gallery show at the University of St. Thomas from January 22-February 28 at the O'Shaughnessy Education Center Center Lobby Gallery. My loons will be there (artwork pictured above, that was not a comment about my family or friends. HA!). There will be an Artist Reception from 2-4pm on January 24, and the viewing hours will be from 9am-10pm Monday- Saturday, and noon-9pm on Sundays. Many thanks to Sue Focke and Vicki Deutsch for setting up this great show for us! Hope you get a chance to see the show!!!

Red Wing Cat Birds

There is a whole lot going on in Red Wing, Minnesota. The Red Wing Arts Association is hosting a "Children's Book Illustration Show" with art by members of CBIG. The show starts today and runs until November 22nd. There is an public reception on Saturday, Oct. 3rd from 2-4pm. The show will be held at The Depot Gallery, 418 Levee Street, Red Wing, Minnesota.

The following weekend will be the 43rd Annual Red Wing Fall Festival of the Arts. So, my Catbirds will be down in Red Wing at the Depot Gallery. If you can't make it, just look at this blog and pretend you were there, and help yourself to the smorgasbord of virtual refreshments!

Golden Guernsey

The Red Bengal goat is not actually a goat breed- thanks for voting! This is my first assignment for illustration class: I needed to include 5 things that begin with the letter "G." Imagine how thrilled I was that there is a Golden Guernsey goat! Trying to keep up with back-to-school and the kids and finding art time, still need to get my postcards in the mail, and will be in a gallery show that starts this weekend in Red Wing, MN with fellow CBIG artists. I'll post about that next time. Happy Tuesday!

Catbirds

My first painting since I have finished the book! This will be in a gallery show with fellow CBIG'ers this October in Red Wing, Minnesota. Next post: Zoo sketches!

I Heart Unicorns!

Well, the bunnies have left the nest and have been seen frolicking about the yard. I find myself currently stymied by a story idea, and this preoccupation has become my current occupation. Also started on a new drawing that will be in a show with fellow CBIG'ers in October. Not much else to report, I guess. Thanks for checking in!

Sharon Wagner

Hats off to Sharon! She totally rocked my coloring page! Wow! I love it! Ok, here's the skinny on Sharon Wagner: She is an amazing artist, a fellow Minnesota SCBWI member, CBIG member, and one of my wonderful art friends! She is also a skilled baker, cat wrangler, and happens to have the same birthday as me (only 23 shopping days left)! Make sure to check out her website and blog! I feel so honored that she did my coloring page! Thanks, Sharon!!! In other news: I painted the title page illustration for the book, and just finished inking a double-page spread today! So fun! I love it! Though, I must take leave of my work for a couple days as I will be attending the Minnesota Association of Veterinary Technicians annual convention. Though I am not currently working as a tech, I have been one since 1997, and need to keep up my certification (I live in fear of having to re-take that exam. The horror!). I need to be prepared in case a woodchuck has a soup can on it's head, a cat has a toy truck's wheels wound tightly in it's fur, or a hamster needs CPR. Okay, I assisted with the first two examples, but have never done the third....yet. I wonder if they are offering that at the convention this year?

Happy Family

This is my friend Ethan's cute family. I did this portrait for him to give to his wife as a surprise for Christmas. Ethan and I used to work together at the U of M in Small Animal Surgery. He is a great guy and a wonderful veterinary surgeon! I do have great news: my color palette piece is indeed going to grace the cover of the book! The accidental cover! I am going to re-paint it and extend the illustration on the left-hand side so the entire painting will wrap around to the back cover. So, this was really a great week (though I didn't get as much drawing in as I would have liked to). And there is a great MNSCBWI workshop tomorrow and then our CBIG party to follow, so I am really looking forward to seeing great art friends. I have found my people! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Owatonna

Hi! This is a tiny bit of one of the paintings I have in a gallery show in Owatonna, MN with CBIG. It is really great to be affiliated with such a nice and talented group of people. I am still at a loss for words as far as illustrating goes, but have been working on gathering my thoughts and questions together to send off to the publisher. Presently, my husband is watching Harry Potter and I am having a hard time concentrating on anything else... Hats off to J.K. Rowling!!!

The 7th of July

First and foremost, sending Happy Birthday wishes to my dear cousin, Jill, and my favorite Beatle, Ringo Starr! Happy to announce that my little loon is now a permanent fixture on the Minnesota SCBWI website- so cool! I have a couple pieces that I am working on for an upcoming gallery show in Owatonna in September with CBIG, and will be starting on a book dummy soon. Feeling plenty busy, so it will hopefully keep me out of trouble... Hope you are all having a nice summer!

Happy Monday!

Working on a little something new.... I'll paint tomorrow. I attended another CBIG meeting on Saturday- what a great bunch of people! I feel lucky to be part of the group. Not much else new to report, except that I can't believe that it was snowing again today. Oh, here's a big cheer for my friend, Jen, and her new minivan!!! It is way cool to be a mom!

The Tooth Ferry

I am not exactly sure where this one came from... but it was fun to try to put a different spin on some of the old classics (wonder if it makes Mary Mary more contrary?). I sent some artwork off today to be a part of the CBIG website, so that is pretty exciting! Happy Daylight Savings Time, everyone!

Wishing for Springtime

We should only have 4 more weeks of winter if that groundhog was right.... Had a really nice weekend. I attended my first meeting of the Children's Book Illustrators Guild (CBIG) and am really excited to be a part of it! Also, my website has been updated again! Looking forward to relaxing on the couch tonight! Oh, here's wishing my dear friend Jo-Anne a very Happy Birthday tomorrow!