Reviving the Drawing Board

After coming back from the Western Washington SCBWI conference in Redmond this past weekend I've decided to relaunch this blog with a focus on Children's Illustration.

The best thing about the conferences, aside from the fantastic classes they provide, and getting to meet incredible people like Dan Santat and Anne Moore of Candlewick Press and hearing inspiring key note speeches from celebrities like Holy Black (Dan's rocked as well) is getting to see some of my favorite people, like Richard and Jesse Watson and their families, but also running into old friends like Kathryn Ault Noble and getting to meet new favorite peoples like Kim Flemming, a talented artist who came all the way from Australia for the conference! I was fortunate enough to sit next to her in the master class taught by Dan Santat and Anne Moore. Her tree was so much better than mine! D:

So, the focus is on children's books -- picture books through young adult fiction covers. The plan is to have at least one contract by year's end. That means a lot of promotion and sending out tons of post cards and portfolio samples, and a getting a lot of rejections. First batch of post cards went out three weeks ago, and a direct submission to Candlewick press was made last week. I don't expect to hear back from most of the places I send stuff to, because the process can be a long one, and they may not have a project that my style would fit with right away even if they do like my stuff. So it's a waiting game. And that's where the blog comes in: Sanity keeper.

With that said, here's some art:

Cover for "If the Shoe Fits ... "
picture book I'm working on.  

Closetfound #1.
What's in your closet? Skeletons?
Bug Eyed Monsters?  Alternate dimensions? Aliens?
Closetfound :: A bestiary of things found in the closet.

The bad guys from another picture book. 

Whale Wall

Dragon Totem

More to come. 

~S