National Orphan Train Museum Celebration - June

I was honored this year to be part of the National Orphan Train Complex, Museum and Research Center's yearly celebration.

Two years ago, I began working with NOTC on a children's book based on a real little girl, Mabel, and her tin elephant, Elky. In the early 1900's, they rode the orphan train from New York to a new home in Missouri. Elky is now on display in the National Orphan Train Museum.

My presentation was on the book's process, the initial ideas, research, writing, drawing, rewriting, redrawing, over and over, sharing with peers for feedback, and continuing to edit and rewrite and redraw, etc.  I was delighted to able share the most recent draft of the book.

To read about this year's National Orphan Train Complex celebration and presentations, click here to read an article from the Concordia Blade Empire.

Diversity - Another Artistic Lesson from Nature

Illustration by Lizzy Rockwell

My favorite thing about living in New York City is the diversity of our citizens. Every kind of person lives here.

In nature, there isn't just one kind of flower, one kind of dog, one kind of bug -- almost every natural thing on the planet has hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties.

When creating art, writing, or portraying a character, it's important to think about all the ways each person is different and unique. Embrace these differences. Your work will be richer...and your life.

One of my favorite writer / illustrators, Lizzy Rockwell, is a master at illustrating the wonderful diversity of people. Click HERE to visit her website and see her fun and engaging work.

The Best Thing About Being an Author - School Visits!

Working with Young Writer.

For the last three weeks, I've been doing a writing / illustrating workshop with 2nd graders at a wonderful school in Brooklyn, NY.

Through Behind the Book, a non-profit organization, I'm able to go and do what I like to do best...work with young people on writing and illustrating their own stories.

Illustrator in Action.

What a great group of students these are! And their teacher...wow! She did work above and beyond what was expected with her students. It paid off big time in how well the students wrote and illustrated their stories, understood structure, setting, characters, conflict, and more.

Because the students did such an incredible job of writing and editing their stories and creating wonderful illustrations, they had time to also write short biographies and draw self portraits.

Handsome Self Portrait

Now, Behind the Book will take all the stories and illustrations and create a book that the students can have in their classroom and school library.

Signing Books for All!

Behind the Book also made sure that every student received their own copy of "Not Afraid of Dogs," which I was very happy to sign for all my new writer friends.

My Creative Motivation is Home Baked!

It's been far too long since I baked or blogged.

Today, fresh cookies are on the table and here I am back at the computer.

I find it funny and interesting that my ability to produce new creative work is so closely linked to being able to walk back and forth to the kitchen table for regular home-baked sustenance.

Truly, I thought 'cookies and creating' was a game I played with myself, until yesterday.

After a several month absence from the oven and from any new creative work, I felt a strong urge to write and illustrate as I watched warm cookies pile up.

Thank Goodness! It's fall and the projects due are stacking up on my 'plate' just as the cookies did. : )

Work is delicious!

In School with Behind the Book



Reading "Not Afraid of Dogs"

 Today, I had the pleasure and honor of visiting an incredible class of first graders in Brooklyn.

Wow! They were so full of great ideas, stories, and drawings. So much positive energy and enthusiasm. It was brilliant.

A wonderful part of my life is being an author / illustrator in schools through Behind the Book.

I usually start off my visit by reading, "Not Afraid of Dogs." Then I answer questions from the students like: "Are you bothered by the paparazzi?" and "Where did you get the idea for 'Not Afraid of Dogs'?"

After that, we write a story together. This is so much fun! It gets our brains supercharged.



Writing a Story Together..."Not Afraid of Werewolves"

 Today's story was a surprise...well, not the fact that the class' chosen main character was a vampire. Vampires are pretty popular these days. The surprise for me was that the class kept wanting her to eat someone. lol

Luckily, we were able to steer the character away from eating anyone to being satisfied with fake blood in bottles. ; )

And, we successfully wrote an entire story together - beginning, middle, and end. Our main character, Draculaura, (isn't that an incredible name?) overcame her fear of werewolves.  She even became a friend to one.

Writing a story as a team is so much fun. You come up with things that you never would have imagined on your own.

After our group story was finished, I went around the room to each student to see the stories they are writing and illustrating. Every story has a main character overcoming a fear. It's great to see the creative characters students came up with and the unique ways they found to resolve that character's fear.

Next week when I go back for a visit, we're going to work on illustrating our stories. I can't wait!!

To read more about Behind the Book, Visit:  http://www.behindthebook.org/home.html

Here's a Cookie to Try!

This is not a paid endorsement...though I wish it was paid... in cookies!

As many of you know, cookies are the carrot that motivates me when I'm working on a writing or art project. I set a pile of them on the kitchen table and walk back and forth...cookies to project...one cookie at a time, until either the project is done or the cookies are.

It's a system that works really well for me. : )

This year, I sadly missed out on the Girl Scout cookies, so imagine how excited I was to try these Fudge Mint cookies and find out they are just as delicious as the GS Thin Mint Cookies that I love.

Read that 'pure enjoyment' written at the bottom of the box?
This time, there is truth in advertising.

Does Your Imagination ever BUG you?

I'm working on a project with bugs. You might have guessed from my last two entry illustrations.

I just started the research. Already I've seen and learned more about bugs that I'm sure I never wanted to know.

Luckily, a logic takes over in my mind and reminds me that the pictures and information scare me because it's new to me and bugs are mostly unseen.

Because they are unseen my imagination takes over...and oh what the imagination can conjure up.

At this point I ask myself: What kind of life do bugs have? What kind of jobs? What are their hopes and dreams? What do bugs fear the most? Questions are now swirling around in my head.

This is where I want to be at the beginning of each project, open to all possibilities, writing them out. This gives me a wealth of choices and background for developing my story. Later when I see the clear path of the project, I will cut most of the information so it's just the very best of the best. A clear fun story.

I'm still gathering information on bugs, real and imagined.

Do you have anything you'd like to share?