My place over the hill

New Series from Ladybird!

2012-01-10T09:18:00.009-04:30

I'm happy to announce two of my latest baby books have been released! :o)

Bedtime and Playtime are the first two titles from the Ladybird Happy Babies Series, a brand new series I'll be illustrating published by Penguin/Ladybird.

These cute little books are peep-through books showing babies in their daily routines. The rhyming text describes what is happening in each picture, and the baby reading the book gets to look through the hole in the page to find out what the baby in the book is doing next.

I created a little Teddy who will appear in every book of this series. He helps hints baby what's coming next.

I'm SO happy with these books, they are extremely cute. I have so much fun working on them!! I just love baby books :o)

Watercolor Techniques

2012-01-09T08:21:00.006-04:30

Hello there! Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season. :o)

So, it's a brand new year, how about that? It's always exciting and a little scary too I think. You want to accomplish new goals and start fresh but at the same time worry about really being able to meet those goals.

I get questions regarding watercolor so I wanted to share with you 3 great videos I found on youtube that teach basic watercolor techniques. The artist is Lorraine Watry. I like that she explains each technique in a simple way, very easy to understand.

I learned about the magic eraser, that is fantastic! Have to get me one of those. And I did not know about the sandpaper and watercolor pencils either, sounds awesome. :o)

Here are the links to video 2 and video 3.

Wishing you all..

2011-12-23T12:15:00.002-04:30

Hugs,

Alicia

Zero2illo- illoZINE- December Issue

2011-12-19T00:15:00.009-04:30

The illoZine December issue is out! Features great content for anyone interested in the Children's Book Illustration field.

An interview with me is featured in this month's issue as well as other great interviews with the very talented artists Carin Berger, Kat Chapman and Jeremy Kool. If you'd like to learn how you can purchase your copy of the digital Zine, click here.

Oh, and while you are there take the opportunity to look around the Zero2illo site, a fantastic resource for illustrators.

Thanks so much to Jonathan and Lea for having me! :o)

From the Sketchbook

2011-12-14T15:10:00.000-04:30

My post on the PBJ's today. :o)

Warm up sketch

2011-12-06T08:38:00.014-04:30

This little robot is product of a twitter conversation between Jane Heinrichs and me.

I was tweeting that if there ever was a robot that could come to you, take your empty mug and bring back a new hot, rich and creamy cappuccino I would pay a million bucks for it (if I had a million bucks that is).

Jane suggested the only way was to draw it and wish very hard, this way it might come to life.

So here she is. She has two buttons one for coffee cake and another for biscotti. I forgot to sketch the emergency chocolate button but lets just say this model comes with a built in sensor that knows exactly when you need it.

I am staring at it and wishing.

I'll let you know if anything funny appears around here in the mornings..

Back to work.

It's a Christmas Book Celebration!

2011-12-05T06:47:00.009-04:30

Just in time for Christmas!

My lovely PBJ's are throwing me a party over on the Picture Book junkies blog! Make sure to stop by all week. They will be reviewing my book Labybird First Favourite Christmas Book by Penguin/Ladybird and I will talk a little of how it was to work on this beautiful book.

Make sure to comment to participate in the giveaway of a free, shiny, BIG copy! Anyone, anywhere in the world can participate.

Did you put your tree up yet? I have all the decorations up except for the tree. Tree takes almost a day to put up he he... I'll get to that next weekend.

Oh, and did you see it's snowing in my blog?

I just love Christmas. :o)

The Making of a Postcard- Part Three

2011-11-30T08:36:00.014-04:30

After giving some serious thought to my penguin dilemma, I decided to go with option 2. And that is to leave penguin expressionless and looking up at his new group of friends.

Even though I liked the first one where penguin was sad and unaware of what was about to happen to him, I thought that this one said more about him. All characters can be sad at one point or another but not all characters can react the way he is reacting. This option says a lot more about his personality than the first one.

I know I am not writing a book here and this is just a postcard but in my opinion, illustrations should speak more than what is at the surface. They should say something not only about the story and what is happening, but also about the characters themselves.

I began to play a bit more with the composition. I want my postcard to be horizontal so I started thinking where my name and title would go. I still have to play with the type and see which one I like best.

I will leave this for now and start doodling a few sketches for the back of the postcard. Hopefully I will post those soon.

It's important for me to have the idea of the whole postcard nailed down first before going any further.

If you like to read the rest of the posts regarding the making of a postcard, here they are:

The Making of a Postcard part Two

The Making of a Postcard part One

Ladybird's top picks on Christmas books

2011-11-23T12:20:00.014-04:30

As you might know Ladybird has a blog!

On today's post they feature the top picks on Christmas books chosen by the Ladybird team.

I was thrilled to see my book featured at the end along with many other beautiful titles! :o)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T21:07:00.008-04:30

I do love the feeling of eating at a table filled with family members and loved ones, stuffing your heart, tummy and soul.

We don't celebrate it here but in honor of thanksgiving, here is a little story I created that celebrates the friendship between two completely different little fellows.

Watch closely and see what they exchange at end...

Have a great Holiday and save some pie for me! :o)

The Making of a Postcard- Part Two

2011-11-21T08:38:00.022-04:30

After taking a few days to think, I finally started doodling.

I really think in pictures most of the time. I can't help it. Even when I'm writing a story I am seeing the pictures as I go along. And it's usually a picture that pops in my mind out of nowhere and then I think about the story behind it. How is it with you?

Anyway, from the several ideas that came to me, this is the one I liked the most. Please don't ask me why I thought of a girl on top of an elephant's trunk offering ice cream to a lost penguin, because I have no idea.

There is definitely a story on this. I want the postcard to first raise a question, followed by the person understanding what's going on and hopefully ending everything with a smile. :o)

I first sketched random parts of the idea on a piece of paper. I really don't think much of it. I am not trying to loose time making the perfect setting. I just try to translate the basic idea of what I had in my mind on the paper.

After I sketch some of the most important elements, I scan it and then I play with it in Photoshop. I vary the sizes. I change positions. I look and think if it's working. The sketch is not really done yet I only want to be able to set down on paper the composition.

Right now I know there will be a little boy in the boat for sure and he is going to be holding his ice cream minding his own business and the polar bear is going to be paying more attention to him than anything else and will have his tongue sticking out and paw over the edge of the boat.

The bigger boy next to him will be holding his glasses with one hand and the other will stay as is, as if he is very intrigued by what's happening.

The main girl will be leaning towards the penguin and her expression will be more of wonder, happiness and excitement.

I haven't done any of this yet, that's fine. This will come later. I really don't like to overwork a sketch until I am sure of what I am doing. I love sketches and treat them like small treasures, so I avoid going over them too much.

There are more important things to think about right now and that is what position should the run-away penguin be in?

Should I make him sad, lonely and unaware of what's going on like on this sketch?

Or should a make him standing tall with confidence, looking up with wonder at what's coming to him?

I am not sure yet. I have to think what has a better impact on the story and on the postcard.

I like the first one because I get to show sadness and loneliness. Showing emotions like these is important in storytelling and ultimately on postcards too.

I also like the second one because there is sort of humor on his pose. Somehow he seems smaller visually on this one than the other one, and I like how he looks in comparison to the big elephant. I also like his reaction of.. well nothing. Its sort of funny, don't you think?

So should I go with sad or funny? I don't know yet.

Hopefully I'll know by the next post. :o)

To read the Making of a Postcard Part One click here.

The Making of a Postcard- Part One

2011-11-17T10:14:00.010-04:30

Its time I make a new promotional postcard and I thought I would share with you the process in several posts as I go along. :o)

First thing I do is, and this is very important ..

Think.

No writing.

No picking up a pencil.

No doodling of any kind.

Just think.

Trick is, it can't be just a pretty picture. It can't be generic. It can't look editorial. It can't look as if the characters are posing for a picture and nothing else.

It has to be special. It has to be eye-catching. It has to tell a story. It has to be age appropriate and yes, you guessed it, appealing to kids. It has to raise a question. It has to keep you wanting more. It has to make the assistant editor screening the huge pile of postcards stop and say "Whoa!" and put your postcard up on the board instead of the recycling bin.

So.. this may take a while.

Illustration Friday: Silent

2011-11-16T18:53:00.009-04:30

from

ABC, Baby Me!

-Random House/Corey-

written by Susan B Katz

illustrated by me :o)

Some lovely mail came in

2011-11-15T10:42:00.011-04:30

Just received some brand new shiny copies of a book

I contributed to and worked on last year

365 Animal stories and Rhymes published by Parragon.

It's a very cute, sturdy and super thick book with a squishy padded cover, love those.

It's filled with tons of animal stories, one for each day of the year.

It was a labor of love between me and a group of talented artists.

I illustrated over 60 stories.

Inside among many wonderful things you'll find..

.. a smiling koala

.. a leaping bunny, weee...!

.. a very sleepy lion and his not so sleepy monkey friend

.. a curious Chameleon

.. a couple of dancing lemurs

.. and of course,

a Disco-dancing pig. ;o)

John Lewis Christmas Advert

2011-11-11T06:48:00.007-04:30

Just heard about this through my friend Jon Davis on twitter (@JonDavisIllust) and I thought I would share it with you. BTW make sure to check out his work. Super talented guy!

Hope you love this as much as I did! I can't guarantee you won't cry though.. don't say I didn't warn you. ;o)

Enjoy and have a lovely weekend you guys!

A little bit of this and that..

2011-11-09T06:44:00.011-04:30

Hey there! Sorry for the lack of posting. I have a book deadline next week so it's pretty crazy here right now. No matter how much you plan in advance it always gets crazy in the end, why is that?

After this when things are calmer and while I have time, I want to start working on fun things that need to get done, like a postcard for example. I was thinking of maybe doing several posts showing the process I go through while making the postcard. I know thanks to the poll results you all like those. :o)

I posted the image above because is one of my favorites. Every time I see it makes me want to illustrate a book in that style. And I love it because it's got a mouse in it. Something about mice..

I remember when I was a little girl I had this book, I can't remember the name, believe me I tried because I've been wanting to get it ever since. On the cover was a mouse on top of a bird flying high in the sky. Below them you could see some clouds and a teeny tiny town. I loved that book so much. I would stare at the cover for hours.

People ask me what were my favorite books as a kid and to be honest sometimes I feel embarrassed to answer that. Mostly is because I don't know the name of them or because they are not very well known books. Thing is here there isn't that great selection of children's books and at that time (it wasn't THAT long ago, don't go on thinking .. ;o) ) it was even worse. We used to get mostly fairy tales. This book was big format, at least it felt like that in my hands. It had a beautiful shiny hardcover and the loveliest illustrations. I think from all the books I had as a kid that is the one that stuck with me all this years and is imprinted in my mind. Sadly I can't recall the name of it.

Funny thing is, the few favorite books I had where hand me downs from a friend of my mom who was from the US. At that time I didn't speak english, I learned to speak english when I was 10, so all the books I had before then I "read" visually.

I believe this has helped me understand and acknowledge the great power of illustration.

Well I hope you are not sleeping by now.. sorry for the long post.

That's it for now. :o)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:17:00.006-04:30

Hmm... looks like "little lion" is scared of big Lion.

An oldie but still love it. :o)

Happy Halloween to all you kids out there.

Big or small!

Best New Illustrators Award

2011-10-28T08:55:00.013-04:30

I find that I like to post videos on Fridays for some reason. I guess it's because Fridays are so happy, relaxed and lead to the very important weekend. :o)

Here is a fantastic video. Sorry, I couldn't find a way to post it on my blog.

The voice you hear is the talented Anthony Browne looking through some of the winners of this year's Booktrust best new illustrators award and talking about what makes a great picturebook. Pay close attention to what he says. Those are some wise words.

Enjoy!

A good day

2011-10-26T09:30:00.006-04:30

My post on the PBJ's today is all about good news. Good news are awesome, don't you think? :o)

Illustration Friday: Fuel

2011-10-24T08:58:00.006-04:30

Sometimes an empty cardboard box
is fuel enough for your imagination.

A quick sketch colored in Photoshop for this week :o)

More Oliver Jeffers love

2011-10-21T18:16:00.004-04:30

I just love him, his books and his art.

Another fun video of Oliver.

Enjoy :o)

TED: Tim Brown on Creativity and Play

2011-10-21T07:40:00.006-04:30

Awesome talk. Really worth watching.

It's 30 minutes long, so I suggest you come back this weekend, grab your coffee or tea, put your feet up, click play and enjoy. :o)

Poll Results

2011-10-20T07:03:00.004-04:30

Thank you all for responding to my little poll here. :o)

Ok, so after reading the poll results I basically see you all want more process posts... LOL

Here are the results:

69% of people like to see process posts

27% would like to see posts with illustrations

and 4% would like to see fun every day posts

I'm also taking into consideration the lovely comments from my friends such as talking about how I got started, how I manage a schedule, inspiration, my time at art school, and I'll make sure to keep adding interviews and videos.

I'll do my best to keep these things in mind when posting. Process posts do require time but I will have them from time to time. I usually can't post anything related to books while I'm working on them, so I have to find the time to work on other illustrations and use those as process posts.

Thank you all for always visiting and for letting me know your thoughts, means a lot!

What would you like to read about? Take a poll

2011-10-10T06:54:00.012-04:30

Hello there,

I have a confession to make. There are times when I want to blog and don't know about what. Sometimes I feel like I'm running out of ideas. I know I'm busy with work and life but I love this blog and I love that you guys always visit. Honesty, I don't want to neglect it.

So I thought, what a better way to know what to blog about than to ask you guys, the readers. :o)

This is your chance to speak your mind. Please let me know what it is you enjoy reading about and I'll do my best to post about those things.

Thank youuu!

** edited: You can also answer a poll I added on the sidebar to make things easier if you prefer**

My Interview

2011-10-07T09:21:00.009-04:30

©copyright Alicia Padrón 2011

Karin Cameron from Karin won't Stop Talking was kind enough to interview me, how about that? :o)

If you like to read the interview click here.

Make sure to visit Karin's blog and look around. She's a great writer and has tons of lovely posts.

Hello there!

2011-10-06T10:46:00.009-04:30

I'm working on a beautiful story. I'm at the painting phase right now and loving it. I decided to work on this book in a style a bit more freely than usual. I thought the story called for it. Sort of like let the sketch lines show through that type of thing. Let's see how it turns out.

When I paint I love to listen to music. Blind Pilot is what's keeping me company these mornings.

I can't say much about the project yet but I can say this book will be in Spanish. :o)

I'm also very excited about some other news... I will post about that when everything is settled.

Well, like pig, I'm grabbing my brush instead of a shovel and I'm getting back to work.

Wish you all are well.

Working hard towards your dreams I hope? :o)

You will be missed.. :o(

2011-10-05T20:54:00.007-04:30

Steve was a great man with a vision. I am typing this post on my MacBook while twitter on my iphone has gone haywire... isn't that something?

He changed things for the better. He transformed the way we communicate today.

I leave you with his commencement speech. I watched it a few years back and thought it was heartwarming, beautiful and inspiring.

It's a very sad day today.. He will definitely be remembered and missed.

It's a Party at the PBJ's blog!

2011-10-04T08:30:00.005-04:30

Go visit the PBJ's all this week to celebrate my friend Deb's new book Labracadabra! Remember to leave a comment on any post on the PBJ's blog during this week to enter in the giveaway of a signed copy. :o)

New blog- FAQ regarding Children's Book illustration

2011-10-02T14:33:00.006-04:30

Hi there. :o)

Since I get many emails with questions regarding how to get started in this business as well as other question related to children's books, I decided to have a place to direct people where they can find answers to some of those questions. I'll add answers to more questions with time.

Btw, thanks to the lovely Juana for giving me the idea to do this.

If you want to visit the blog, click here.

Eric Carle's New Book

2011-09-22T16:08:00.002-04:30

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse is the title of Eric's latest book. Just look at him here, working and speaking about the book. He is so adorable!!!!

:o)

A peek inside the book

2011-09-21T10:38:00.006-04:30

Want to take a little peek at some of the inside art from 365 Animal Stories and Rhymes? Click here to visit my post on the PBJ's today. :o)

My copies arrived!

2011-09-20T09:19:00.022-04:30

Yesterday I received this brown box from the FedEx guy. I was so happy to see him, I ran down to greet him in my jammies.. hee..!

There were copies from Ladybird First Favourite Christmas book! Yay!

I have to say they are lovely! It's hard to tell by the pictures but this is such a BIG book. The quality is amazing, really. Beautiful padded cover and so sturdy. Perfect for those little hands handling the tabs. I knew the format was big because I painted the spreads of course.. lol, but to see the finished product really is striking. The colors turned out gorgeous too.

I am very pleased with this book. I can't wait to show it to all the kids in the family and my friends' kids.

Unfortunately I can't show much but here is a tiny little peek at the inside corner of one of the spreads. ;o)

Being in Venezuela is hard to offer signed copies. Mail system here is not reliable at all. But I can offer a hand written card with a note signed by me. So if you want to give out this book as a Christmas gift, just drop me an email (you can find it on my website-sidebar) and I'll be more than happy to email it to you. You just print the card, insert it in the book and voila! A little something to make your gift even more special. :o)

New book release!

2011-09-19T07:38:00.015-04:30

Last year I had fun working on another title, this beautiful and very thick animal book published by Parragon.

The book features many animal stories and rhymes, in fact 365 to be exact. It's filled with tons of cute art too. This book was a little different from what I've done in the past. It was a collaboration between me and several artists. Such a big book with so many stories and illustrations required a lot of work. It was fun working on so many short stories I have to say. A break from my usual work.

The cover was illustrated by another artist, isn't it adorable? I wish I knew the name though so I could credit him or her. I will add it to this post as soon as I know it.

If you'd like to get a copy here is a link to Amazon UK. I believe other Amazon sites have it as well as other bookstores.

I'll be posting a little peek at some my art from the book soon! :o)

Illustration Friday: Mesmerizing

2011-09-16T22:51:00.005-04:30

Little Phillipe watches the sky every night.. mesmerized he wonders what it would be like to be out there in space.

When you wish something very hard it can come true.

You can see for yourself in this short story I made. :o)

Tune In to Illustration Station!

2011-09-15T18:39:00.007-04:30

My lovely friend Kim recently launched a resourceful new blog. Illustration Station is the perfect stop for illustrators to learn what's happening out there, like events, contests, giveaways, news and more.

Tune in and help spread the word! :o)

New book is out!

2011-09-01T10:03:00.010-04:30

It's always exciting to see a new book released! I worked on this beautiful title last year during the summer and it was released yesterday in the UK. It will be available in other countries as well, not sure about the date yet. I'll post it when I know more.

Ladybird First Favourite Christmas Book published by Penguin/Ladybird is a sturdy, padded cover board book with fun christmas content for the little ones. You'll find christmas songs, carols and the story of christmas at the very end.

It features full page color illustrations. I had to work very big for this book and I wanted the kids to enjoy all the beauty and magic of christmas so I really pumped up my color. I wanted those pages to pop.

The board book is aimed for little ones, up to 5 years old I would say. I had them on my mind every second while working on it. It's a very sweet and magical book with a few fun and funny details as well.

If you are in the UK and would like to get a copy now, be sure to let me know. I can email you a personalized card with a handwritten message for you or if it's a gift for the person receiving the book. You can print it and insert it in the book. :o)

ipad doodle

2011-08-25T13:06:00.004-04:30

Here's a quick sketch I doodled this morning while having my morning coffee. :o)

From the sketchbook

2011-07-26T20:44:00.008-04:30

While my kids played with the arcade machines today, I decided to sit and sketch a little.

Sorry about the blurry picture, I took it with my iphone. These sketches are very tiny. I like to sketch small at times. It instantly makes me happy. Why is that? :o)

A blog companion

2011-07-26T10:35:00.008-04:30

adopt your own virtual pet!

I was thinking of getting a pet for my blog.

Specially now that I am on vacation, things might look a bit lonely here.

What do you think of Beatrix? She likes to be petted and eats carrots.

You can find them under "more" :o)

Oh Summer..

2011-07-25T09:40:00.008-04:30

I don't ever want you to end.

:o)

Hello there!

2011-06-28T07:42:00.012-04:30

Hey friends. I have been a bit absent from my blog lately. I do post, but not as much as I would like. Thing is I've been busy but I'm still here. I always appreciate your visits and your comments so much!

I recently finished working on several books. Sadly I can't even mention their names or their publishers and have to wait until publication time to share it with you. That's just part of this business but I always find it hard. When I am done all I want is to talk about it, hee hee. The waiting is hard too. You finish working on a book and don't see it until 6 months to a year after.

I am really looking forward to seeing 3 new books coming out this year. Most will be released around September, so a bit more waiting to do.

I also have a series of 4 little books coming out on 2012, I am so excited about those! And there is another book coming out next year. That one will be my first book is Spanish. :o)

Right now I am still working on a book project but things are calmer which is nice. I've been taking some time to write. I have a few stories that I like but there is one in particular that I am really excited about. I still have to work on it because it's not quite right. Hopefully I will turn it into a dummy this year.

Everything requires time. Working on books, writing, sketching new ideas, working on new portfolio pieces, updating sites, sending postcards, promoting work online.. all that plus life.

We can't do it all so we have to find a way to balance it and try to sift things and keep only what is important at that moment.

My time in these couple of months will be focused on writing, dummy making and hugging my kids. Looking forward to taking some time off to enjoy the summer with my family.

Being a freelancer is hard. There are no office hours. We can always work, the question is should we? Only do what is important at the moment, what excites you the most, and make sure to take the time to enjoy life and be with your family.

That's it for now. :o)

Oliver Jeffers

2011-06-26T13:08:00.008-04:30

Oliver Jeffers is one of my favorite author/illustrators. His art and stories are so simple yet touch you straight in the heart, just as I like it.

In this video he gives some interesting tips on how to write. He's funny and good looking too... (What? You are all thinking it) ;o)

I leave you with him and I'm off to get me my writers jacket!

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-17T08:00:00.007-04:30

To all Dads out there.

For always being there when you are needed.
Big, wise, dependable, loving
and always around.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Birthday Sis!

2011-06-10T07:13:00.009-04:30

Love you and miss you..

very much.

I leave you with my new obsession.

I believe you would sing it beautifully!

(For all of you who don't know her, my sis sings like an angel)

Ode

Illustration Friday: Shadow

2011-06-07T07:33:00.012-04:30

It was 3:00 am.

Bobby, his pet dragon and their shadow

slowly moved along the hallway.

He could hear grandma's clock ticking

at the same beat as his heart.

Bobby got closer and closer to the sound coming from the kitchen.

The sound grew louder and louder with each step.

Only a few minutes ago he was dreaming of a

huge purple dragon with sparkly pearled wings.

Was it really a dream? He wondered.

Illustration Friday: Asleep

2011-05-30T06:57:00.006-04:30

from ABC, Baby Me! (Random House)

by Susan B Katz

For my dear friend..

2011-05-26T11:44:00.001-04:30

How I became a Children's Illustrator

2011-05-25T08:26:00.004-04:30

My post on the PBJ's today :o)

Illustration Friday: Soaked

2011-05-21T14:51:00.003-04:30

I don't mind getting wet in the rain sometimes.

Do you?

My painting video

2011-05-13T12:23:00.010-04:30

I've always wanted to make a simple video showing the process of how I work. Maybe it's because I love watching other artists work, why is that? I do enjoy it and can spend hours watching them.

So I decided to give it a shot.

Apologies for the lack of lighting. My studio is quite dark.

Hope you all like it.

Have a lovely weekend you guys :o)

Smile!

2011-05-11T12:38:00.001-04:30

Click here to read my post on the PBJunkies blog :o)

Illustration Friday: Beginner

2011-05-10T10:46:00.006-04:30

Purple birdie will soon catch up I'm sure.. ;o)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-06T09:37:00.013-04:30

Nobody bathes baby, fixes boo-boos or nuzzles..

like Mom.

from ABC, Baby Me! (Random House)

by Susan B. Katz

illustrated by Me :o)

Illustration Friday: Lesson

2011-04-30T10:55:00.007-04:30

"It's easy sweetie..

Just spread out your wings,

close your eyes and go for it!"

Dare to be different..

2011-04-26T10:23:00.004-04:30

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T13:25:00.002-04:30

Brothers' hug

2011-04-14T14:33:00.012-04:30

Nothing like the love and bond between
brothers and sisters.

CBS Video: Judging a Book By Its Cover

2011-04-11T10:19:00.008-04:30

This CBS News video shows the importance of book covers and brings out the question, what will happen to those covers when it comes to ebooks?

New cool Blogger feature!

2011-04-01T12:23:00.004-04:30

Hi there! Want to see something fun?

Click here to see my blog in a different kind of way. Once you are there you can change the blue scroll bar on the top right to see other views.

If you'd like to see your own blog this way just type "/view" at the end of your address.

Have a great Friday! :o)

Illustration Friday: Toy

2011-03-25T17:10:00.006-04:30

Who doesn't love a stuffed animal?

I know I still do.

Doesn't get any better than this

2011-03-24T22:04:00.006-04:30

The power of the Picture Book~ It's when and where kids get to fall in love with books.

Seeing this little girl so enthusiastic, is the reason why the majority of us are in this business. :o)

Have a great weekend!

PBJunkies Celebration Week!

2011-03-23T11:17:00.005-04:30

We are celebrating Deb Melmon's new book Picnic at Camp Shalom all week! Come on over and enjoy some behind the scenes, review and a giveaway too! Comment to enter. Winners will be announced Sunday. :o)

Illustration Friday: Cultivate

2011-03-22T08:16:00.007-04:30

Character, Mood, Setting & Narrative in Picture Books

2011-03-18T10:02:00.007-04:30

A wonderful series of videos about sharing picture books with children at Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, produced by Booktrust. Really worth watching!

Character

Mood

Setting

Narrative

For Japan- Every little help counts

2011-03-15T12:56:00.013-04:30

My heart goes out to all the people in Japan. What they are experiencing right now has no words... If you feel like I do and want to help, here is a way you can.

For the entire month of March you can buy any of the prints on my shop (they start at 18$ and up - frame is optional) and I will donate ALL my earnings from that month to the American Red Cross. I won't take a penny, I promise.

If this works, I will most likely extend the period to last longer and I might add new art. For now, you can shop here.

Also, if you live on the US or Canada you can also help by texting these numbers and it will automatically help you donate $10:

USA: Text :REDCROSS - 90999

Canada: Text: REDCROSS - 30333

Here is more info on that.

Please help spread the word. If you know of other ways to help, feel free to share them on my comment section.

We all have to give a little. Every little bit of help counts.

Illustration Friday: Stir

2011-03-14T09:12:00.004-04:30

A warm up sketch with a little bit of Photoshop color
for this morning.

Have a not-so-tough Monday everyone! :o)

Website's makeover

2011-03-10T16:45:00.003-04:30

Hi there!

I've been playing around with my website and have made some changes. I didn't change it too much, it's still a very simple site. I find that I have the need to change my website more than to rearranging furniture.. LOL! Does this happen to anyone else?

Click here if you want to visit. Feel free to let me know if you find any mistakes, misspelled words or broken links. It always seems to happen. ;o)

Illustration Friday: Warning

2011-03-09T08:57:00.008-04:30

Milton inadvertently stepped on a little flower.

Maybe I should stop having so many

banana nut muffins for breakfast..

he thought.

The importance of illustration for older kids

2011-03-04T07:46:00.010-04:30

This is one from a series of videos recorded during the London Book Fair of 2010. They are all fantastic I have to say. If you have the time make sure to watch them all.

This one shares some examples of picture books that work very well for older kids. I particularly enjoyed a book they showed "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" by Chris Van Allsburg where it's basically a compilation of short stories composed only of one illustration, a title and the first sentence of the story. You will find how this book came to be when you watch the video but what I love about it is the amazing potential it has to spark the imagination of young minds. This is a brilliant idea. I wish more people knew about this book. A book like this should be in every school's classroom around the world.

They also mention one of Shaun Tan's books and also Dinotopia by the amazing James Gurney. If you like to watch more, just click on the video again and you will be redirected to youtube where you can see the rest of the videos.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks for helping me pick 3!

2011-03-03T07:18:00.010-04:30

Thank you all for your input. You guys rock!

I added the votes and the top 3 favorites with 20, 21 and 17 votes in that order were:

Baby in towel came to a very close 3rd place with 16 votes. So I still might change my mind and send that one.

Thanks again for giving me your opinion. I just love this community. Artists and writers are really wonderful, friendly and sensitive people.. nothing like it. :o)

Hugs!

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss!

2011-03-02T11:30:00.003-04:30

Click here to see my post on the PBJ's today. :o)

Want to help me choose 3?

2011-02-25T11:03:00.008-04:30

I'm trying to decide which pieces to send to ChildrensIllustrators for the Bologna and London book fairs. They might display some of them on their big plasma screen.

What do you guys think? I need to pick 3 from these.

Thanks! :o)

Illustration Friday: Layers

2011-02-22T09:43:00.007-04:30

Some mammas can be just a tad overprotective,

wouldn't you say?

Continuing to play with a new style. :o)

You have to watch this!

2011-02-17T13:16:00.005-04:30

Your heart will melt. I promise you.

BTW thanks to The Pigeon for tweeting about it. Click here if you want to follow him on twitter. He's a very well behaved bird I must say. ;o)

Illustration Friday: Sweater

2011-02-11T10:51:00.015-04:30

Just a little quick illustration for this week. I thought it would be fun to experiment and do something different this time specially now that I am working on several books at a time all in watercolor.

I think the brain kind of asks to please change a little, hee.. so I'm listening. Plus I'm always toying with the idea of having a second rendering style for other projects that might call for it.
I''m sort of liking this. What do you think?

I sketched it real quick. The line work was done with a black Derwent sketching pencil and then I colored it in Photoshop.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hello there!

2011-02-07T22:44:00.011-04:30

Oh my goodness, I haven't posted in quite a while..

I'm at one of those times where I just have a few minutes of the day to just sit and relax. I'm busy working on 3 books plus regular life work, house work and mommy duties. So brushing my hair is a luxury these days for me.. LOL.

But that's how it is when you are working on this field. Sometimes is quiet and slow other times is just nuts and we end up crazy busy. It's a weird lifestyle but I don't think I would ever change it for anything else.

Here is a small section of an illustration from one the board books I'm working on at the moment. The publisher decided to go with a much younger baby and we ended up not using this baby for the book. So I think it is ok for me to post it and share it with you all.

Hugs to all! :o)

Kevin Henkes- making picture books

2011-01-20T16:19:00.009-04:30

Telling a Story

2011-01-19T08:35:00.004-04:30

I posted on the PBJ's today about the importance of telling a story with your art.

Click here if you'd like to read more. :o)

How to post via email!

2011-01-12T10:06:00.005-04:30

If you have a blog in blogger, you can do a post via email!

Cool right?

Visit the PBJ's blog today to see my post and learn how. :o)

Happy Birthday G!

2011-01-09T13:49:00.007-04:30

Today you are turning 13.. how did that happen?

Happy birthday my beautiful boy! :o)

I love you so, SO much..

I have no words that could ever describe it.

No matter how many birthdays come along,

you will always be my baby boy.

Te quiero mucho!!

Mami

Tomie dePaola award- Heidi

2011-01-05T13:10:00.014-04:30

"From the pleasant town of Maienfeld a footpath leads up through shady green pastures to the foot of the high peaks that gaze down solemnly and majestically on the valley below. Anyone who sets out in the path will soon catch the keen fragrance of low mountain herbs and grasses, for the footpath rises straight and steep to the Alps.

One bright, sunny June morning, a tall, sturdy-looking young woman, evidently a native of the mountains, was climbing this narrow path. She led by the hand a little girl, whose cheeks glowed as if there were a ruddy flame under deep-tanned skin. And what wonder? In spite of the hot June sun, the child was bundled up as if she were to confront the sharpest frost. She could not have been five years old, but it was impossible to tell anything about her natural figure, for she wore two or three dresses, one over the other, and a big red cotton scarf around her neck; her feet were lost in heavy hobnailed shoes, and the little girl looked quite shapeless as she made her hot and laborious way up the mountain."

This is my submission for the Tomie dePaola award this year.

Truth is, I've been crazy busy all this time, which in a way is a blessing with this economy so I am not complaining even if I had to work during the holidays, but when I read this year's text and realized it was Heidi, I just couldn't resist.

I loved Heidi when I was a kid. I couldn't identify myself better with any other character when I was growing up. All my life I have loved animals and nature. I remember dreaming of living in the alps and running barefoot through the grass just like her.

This is me wearing heavy shoes just like her. Hee.. ;o)

So of course, I had to make the time to whip up something because I know myself and that little voice inside my head would not shut up until I did something about it. LOL

So I made the time and came up with this illustration. The text is above. Hope you like it :o)

Starting the new year with a beautiful video

2011-01-04T22:10:00.005-04:30

A friend sent me this and I thought I would share with you all.

It's so beautiful and moving. Look at those free and gorgeous strokes dance to the lovely music... Ryan Woodward did an amazing job.

If you'd like to know more about the making of this click here.

Enjoy :o)

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T18:35:00.009-04:30

Merry Christmas everyone

from me to you. :o)

My interview on The skecthables

2010-12-19T15:21:00.007-04:30

The wonderful skecthables invited me to do a fun little interview. You can see it here.

While you are visiting make sure to check out all their art. Such a talented group of ladies!

A big thanks to them for inviting me. :o)

The wonderful Tomie

2010-12-16T11:20:00.008-04:30

Who doesn't love Tomie dePaola?

I adore his work, he is so amazing. One of the things I love the most about his work is that it seems to me, the kids are always on his mind. His art is incredibly kid friendly. There is even a part of me that kind of goes back to that childhood feeling when I stare at his pictures. It's hard to explain but in my opinion he has that special magic quality to his work.

Did you know he once thought of becoming a monk?

And that there was a time when a famous editor went through his whole portfolio without even looking at it?

I think he is so incredibly sweet, honest and full of wisdom. These videos are really worth watching! Enjoy :o)

Illustration Friday: Prehistoric

2010-12-03T13:32:00.004-04:30

An oldie but couldn't resist posting it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! :o)

From the sketchbook

2010-12-01T11:24:00.011-04:30

Hi friends, hope you are all well. :o)

Here is a little sketch from my sketchbook. These characters just appeared out of nowhere. I love it when that happens!

We put up all the Christmas decorations in the house. I enjoy sitting on the couch and looking at the christmas tree with all those pretty lights. Lights make the house feel so magical don't you think?

Thanksgiving week over at the PBJ's

2010-11-24T09:36:00.015-04:30

We are back from our break and it's Thanksgiving week on the PBJ's blog.

This is a little peek at my post from today. You can see the whole illustration here.

Visit our blog all week and celebrate Thanksgiving with us. :o)

Studio pics and a lovely post

2010-11-23T07:14:00.010-04:30

I recently added some pics of my tiny little studio on the ChildrensIllustrators Studio Insight section.

If you are an artist advertising on the site you should add your pics too. Everyone loves seeing other artist's work spaces but more importantly it's another way to be found on the site. You have to take advantage of things like this. My two cents.. :o)

And here is a lovely post from Judy, the winner of the signed copy of ABC, Baby Me! Published by Random House/Corey.

Christmas already?

2010-11-22T07:04:00.015-04:30

I can't believe December is just around the corner. This year flew by so fast!

Here we don't celebrate Thanksgiving so there is no waiting after that for the beginning of the holiday season and it seems to me it already began. Stores and malls are filled with decorations that started weeks ago. There is no change of the seasons, no snow, no falling of the leaves, well maybe just a little temperature drop but that's pretty much it.

So it takes me sometime to get into the holiday spirit. But I do love Christmas, it's my favorite time of the year. I keep wishing for a white one.. maybe one day I'll wake up to a little miracle.

1, 2, 3, 4

2010-11-18T09:22:00.006-04:30

I'm a big fan of Plain White T's. Their music makes me happy.

I wanted to share with you this video, it will surely make you smile!

I'm obsessed with "Rhythm of Love". There is something kind of Beatlesque about them don't you think? :o)

Shirley Hughes

2010-11-13T10:21:00.012-04:30

Just listen to this wonderful lady. Really valuable information.

I particularly enjoyed when she pointed out that we need to sketch many kids from real life. Kids doing all sorts of things. It's so important to be able to get a feeling across in a picture book, that just by a certain kid's pose, or turn of the mouth or just the way he or she is standing, we can transmit what we wish. Every little detail counts.

She made me realize I really need to skecth more. I do skecth but usually it's mostly characters and worlds I create in my head. Now I know that is not enough, I have to sketch kids from real life too and the more the better.

She also mentions the value of a sketch and I couldn't agree more. I treat my sketches like gold. I don't like touching them much or tighten them up. I like to keep them as untouched as I possibly can until it's time to transfer them to my watercolor paper.

Hope you enjoy the video, her art is so beautiful. What a talented and beautiful lady.

What I'm working on

2010-11-11T07:47:00.007-04:30

Hi there, I feel I've neglected my blog lately so I wanted to catch up with everyone and share what it's going on on my side of the woods.

I just finished working on a beautiful Christmas book that will be published by Penguin/Ladybird in the UK next year. Unfortunately, and you all know what I am going to say, I cant share any images until after the book is published. So I guess we'll have to wait a until September of next year... Sorry. :o(

This book had it's challenges for me. First of all it was big format, and I'm talking BIG. And if you take into consideration the bleeding they required to do full size spreads, well it was huge. Painting took me many hours and the digital part.. well so you have an idea I had to paste each illustration in 6 parts! So it took me a lot longer than what I expected. But I did give a lot of hard working hours on it and delivered it on time. I am very tough on my self when it comes to deadlines, I need to make them on time or else I feel like I will die, LOL. So I'm glad it all worked out well.

This will be a beautiful Christmas book. It's aimed for little ones, around 3 years old. I think they will enjoy looking at the pictures, I hope so anyway.. I tried to make it feel very magical for them. I always have the kids in mind when I am working. They are my top priority.

So now, I've cleared my desk and I'm working on some brand new books. And not just any books but one of my favorite type of books, baby board books! Yay! :o)

I wish that someday I will be able to find a publisher that is ok with the idea of me talking and blogging about the book from start to finish. I would really love to able to share my experience while working on a book. From initial thoughts, roughs and thumbnails, to sketches and actual final art. It hasn't happened yet, but maybe someday.

Prints on sale!

2010-11-08T21:30:00.008-04:30

Imagekind is having a sale!

I have a several prints available if you want to check them out.

You can order them framed or unframed.

Visit soon as I don't think the sale will go on for much longer.

Click here if you'd like visit my shop. :o)

The Illustrator's Portfolio- What should be in it?

2010-11-06T14:52:00.007-04:30

I found this wonderful post by Jennifer Laughran a literary agent and thought I would share it with you guys.

A portfolio is very important. It's who you are. It truly represents you as an artist and it's what differentiates you from other artists out there. More importantly, it's what Art Directors and Editors look at when searching for artists to illustrate manuscripts. Don't take your portfolio for granted. :o)

Illustration Friday: Spent

2010-11-03T07:32:00.007-04:30

Roberta spent her days singing to her heart's content...

This is shy Roberta, a character from a story that's been in my head for sometime now.

Illustration Friday: Racing

2010-10-25T07:28:00.016-04:30

Granny loves speed and when she

is behind that wheel there is no stopping her! ;o)

I confess I already used this illustration for another IF theme but I thought it wouldn't be that bad to post it again. Specially because this is another crazy week for me and I don't think I will have time to whip up something new. I do want to try to work this illustration again on another medium just for fun though, I used color pencils for this one.

Go Granny! :o)

Kim's new book!

2010-10-25T07:07:00.005-04:30

My lovely friend Kim Fleming is having a giveaway of her new book! Now that's what I call a cool Santa, huh? Hee... love the cover!

All you have to do to enter the drawing is to comment on her blog. Plus she will be posting about the process of making the book too, the more reason to visit. :o)

Illustration Friday: Spooky

2010-10-20T11:32:00.006-04:30

Happ-e-a Halloween.. get it, get it??? ;o)
Hee....! Sorry this came to me and I just had to do it.
A quick one for this week, now I'm off to buy some groceries.

Thanks for stopping by!

ABC, Baby Me! celebration week!

2010-10-12T09:40:00.003-04:30

Visit the PBJ's blog all week and celebrate ABC, Baby Me! with us.

We'll have book reviews, some behind the scenes on the making of the book, pictures and of course a book giveaway!

Make sure to visit and leave a comment on any post this week to be entered to win a copy of ABC Baby Me! Winner will be announced Sunday!

Feel free to spread the word. See you there! :o)