The Lion Within one-liner

Once again, I'm working on my pitch for my YA novel. I have entered a couple of contests, not following the rules lately, needless to say nothing will probably come of any of it. After my last conference critique I'm changing my plot --again. The pitch seems to be easier to write after I mapped out my revisions. It is still rough because heaven forbid I get it right on the eighty-th try.

Worse than being attacked by a super-natural lion and becoming part-feline, 15 year old Renna must attend high school in Wisonconsin, still unable control her inner beast, she must lie and kill to finally tame her lion within.


On a different note, I'm starting to work hard on my illustrations for my next picture book. I received great feedback from my publisher and his designer and I'm excited to move forward with more purpose.

Contests Motivate Me

Contests have a way of motivating me to clean up my one-line pitch, query, and first page of my novel. Here is a contest from the Guide to Literary Agent blog:

The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of young adult fiction. You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.

One of my writing partners just signed with an agent due to this kind of contest. Read an interview with a very talented, very deserving, Nancy Herman. 

Good Luck on the GLA contest!

Inspiring Animals in Acrylic Dots

I am a part of a wonderful exhibit in Danville, California. The exhibit is called "Once Upon a Book," and is featuring the art of children's book illustrators. The coordinator asked if I would explain my inspiration and method, so I thought it would make a nice posting.

I began acrylic dot painting in 1992, after spending time in Australia. I found the Australian Aboriginal Acrylic Dot Paintings in museums and galleries inspirational. I was also inspired by mosaics during my Art History studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Over the past 18 years, my style has matured and become more focused on creating animals out of dots. My book, “Through Endangered Eyes – a poetic journey into the wild,” really got me out of my comfort zone and I found myself painting animals I would have never thought to paint.

I start off painting the background of my pieces. The most important element of my background color is that it must contrast from the lightest and darkest dots placed on top. In my latest paintings, I am painting landscapes around my animals. I intentionally make the landscape soft and usually paint it with a sponge. The dots pop out that much more when sitting on a soft background. I do a soft outline with a wax pencil of my animals. I like to start painting the face first and build out in proportion from there.



Chinese Alligator

 I use the handle or the butt of the paintbrush, not the bristled side. I dip it into the acrylic paint and then onto the canvas. Each dip gives me 3-5 dots. I leave space between my dots and rarely overlap them. My process takes a long time, but it is also very meditative. The Chinese Alligator is one of my favorite pieces. It was the first time I had painted a reptile and I fell in love with the textures the dots created on the beautiful alligator portrait. I can almost feel the folds of his skin around his neck.

The California Condor was inspired by the poem of my book. These birds, with a wingspan of 9 feet, are masterful flyers. I was at the Grand Canyon when I saw one, its shadow passed over my head. The shadow was so enormous it felt as if an airplane had passed over me, it was magnificent.

Lastly, the Snow Leopard, I started with a head portrait for my book, but it didn’t portray what the poem was focused on; its freezing environment and the leopard’s coat. So, I painted the piece you see now. I think big cats are my favorite animals to paint in dots, although my interest in other species is certainly changing how I feel about the challenge of painting other animals.

Desert Eyes Progress



Background to the Mexican Wolf painting for next book

Starting a painting is so intimidating, especially when it involves landscape. In order to achieve the quality of illustration I want, adding soft landscape is a must. I've learned over the years that the dotted animals pop out even more when siting on a more impressionistic background.
Just like any skill, I have to reacquaint myself with my paints and how I look at things. I laugh at myself because I started the sky backwards with the dark point at the horizon getting lighter as you go higher in the sky. Can I say, rookie? I fixed it, of course.

It's great to be back in the painting saddle again. I'm very excited about the next 16 paintings. Now the challenge will be balancing my time. Once I get started on something I get obsessive until its completion. I will remind myself that I created my last book while working full-time and having two babies.

Build the Bridge First



One Plank at a Time

I bought canvas board to finally start
my first painting for my next endangered species book, "Through Desert Eyes." I have been looking for a nudge, a push, a kick in the butt, to get started and now that I am, I'm so excited! I'm still trying to decide which one I should do first. There are 16 to work on and they are all visually exciting (reading that last statement back sounds so pornographic.)

As I sit here staring at the screen, wondering what else to write, Greg Mortonson's journey to build schools in Pakistan popped into my head. Greg promised to build a school in the Pakistan village that helped him survive only to find that he must first build a bridge. I wonder if this is how it might happen for me and my journey to make a living doing what I love. Perhaps, to become a successful writer/illustrator I must figure out how to build the bridge first. The number one key to this process is not trying to rush it.

So, I am walking dogs, doing graphic design for a vacuum company, teaching kids art, and selling as many of my books as possible, to lay the planks of my bridge. I can see the other side, but I have a lot of planks to put down to actually get there. Once I get there-- man what a story that will be!

Over-commited

I have a tendency to pile things on my plate. I am not sure why I have the urge to be busy. Perhaps it is so I can complain about how busy I am. Maybe I am more efficient when I'm busy because I don't have time to lolly-gag (gosh I love that word.)

All the things I have added to my life to keep me busy ultimately benefit a lot of people, including myself. Volunteering for my kid's classes. Teaching a kid's art club. Writing. Painting. Helping the local zoo. Graphic Design.

No matter how I cut it, I still go to bed too late; I long to read more; and I wish my toes were a priority to paint because all the other important stuff was achieved.

The one beautiful thing I can say about my life right now, that I honestly couldn't have said two years ago, I get to have my biggest chunks of time with my kids and I love it.

The Circus Ringmaster - a 10 minute exercise

My writing exercise today is to write something using the following information: a ringmaster from the circus is knocking on my front door, I am a small town cop looking through my peephole. I must start the exercise with the cop saying "If you know what's good for you..."

"If you know what's good for you," I said immediately throwing my door open, "You'll go back to your circus, pack it up and head out of town."

"My dear lady, let me introduce myself," he said with a grand bow. "My name is Arnold Puffenfleffer. I am the ringmaster of the Puffenfleffer Jabberwalky Circus. I have free tickets for you and your family to attend my show this weekend."

There was nothing I hated more than a circus -- a place with creepy clowns and abused animals. It reminded me of when I worked at a New York City precinct.

"Mr. Puffenfleffer, this town doesn't want your circus. I'm sure me and my boys can find plenty of laws you're company is breaking, and we might just be bored enough to look. So, my advice to you is to move it along."

Mr. Puffenfleffer's eyes became wide. He shuffled backwards and...