Oasis Home

I found this image by Harrison Cady on Illustration Art, a blog I recently subscribed to. I love the image of the house as oasis in the middle of the city. As a hopeful gardener, the jungle surrounding the house is my idea of landscaping. The image is unlike a lot of Cady's work but I had to save it. And now share it.

A Sketchy Past

I know I've already mentioned how much I love the artwork of Peter de Seve. There is something about the humor, the characters, and the storytelling elements of his paintings. He creates memorable characters and wonderfully humorous situations. And then we add his amazing draftsmanship. He's an incredible painter and storyteller. He has to be my favorite illustrator working today. So when I found out a year or so ago that he was coming out with a compilation book, I knew I had to have it.

A Sketchy Past: The Art of Peter de Seve was scheduled to be released March 1st. I thought about putting in a pre-order months ago but decided I would wait until it finally came out. Somehow the book got released early on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I received my copy yesterday. In the 24 hours I've owned the book I've been through it at least five times. And still I'm finding new things I didn't see before. The book is huge. 240 pages and every one of them is filled with illustrations. It is a beautiful book.


There are some of Peter's sketchbook images in the margins.



There are the rough sketches that lead to his New Yorker covers.



And some images from the brand new children's book, The Dutchess of Whimsy, that he is releasing with his wife.



There are probably over 400 sketches in the book and each of them is brilliant. Plus there is a wonderful introduction to Peter and his work. I was shocked to learn that he is color-blind. I can't imagine how he can paint without being able to see the watercolors he's mixing. The introduction includes some of Peter's artistic influences and some great quotes from other illustrators about his work. Overall this has to be one of the best book purchases I've made in decades. It makes me smile, it inspires me, and it is a treasure.

I Get to Play With Paint!!!!

I have been telling myself for years that I wanted to take an art class. I really want to be able to illustrate my own work and I'm terrible at drawing. So when my mother asked if I would go to an art class with her (a shock in itself) I jumped at the chance. It was an Exploring Painting and Drawing class and we could pick one medium to work in. I figured that charcoal would be easy and decided to start with that. My goal was to eventually learn acrylics or gouache.

So we had our first class last night and the instructor suggested two medium as some of the easier ones to work with. The first was pastel chalks which I have only a bit of interest in. I'd be more than happy to learn it but I'm not in love with the medium. The second, I was excited to hear was gouache.

For those of you who don't know, gouache is an opaque watercolor. It is also a heavily used favorite for animation and illustration. It has some of the most vibrant colors and even when the paint dries, those colors stay. You can paint over it. You can retouch work. A good deal of early Disney animation was done in gouache. And I could not be more excited. Imagine thinking that you would have to work up to learning your ideal medium with years of work. Instead they just say go ahead.

So I will be running out to the art store this week to pick up all my necessary supplies. Amazingly someone out there thinks that I'm old enough, heck mature enough, to play with paint. Poor misguided fools. I sat in class all last night thinking, wow you actually believe that I'm somewhat of an adult and can be trusted with paint. Not only that but that I have enough talent to use said paint. I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun and learn as we go. But mostly the five year old inside me just keeps thinking, Yay!!!! I get to play with paint.

Jeremy Tankard is Awesome

A couple weeks ago I did a review for Yet Another Children's Book Blog of Jeremy Tankard's fantastic children's book, Grumpy Bird. I had loved the characters of this little story, enjoyed the dialogue, and absolutely adored Jeremy's art style. It is a wonderful book and I was happy to say some nice things about it.

Two days or so after the review was posted I got an email from Jeremy. He said how much he'd liked the review and asked if he could send me a poster and a sketch. Honestly I was just excited that he had read the review but I was thrilled that he wanted to send me something. He also linked to me on his blog.

So yesterday during work, Jeff called me to tell me that I had a big envelope in the mail. And that it came from Tankard illustration. That was about two. I could hardly wait the two and a half hours to head home and see what he had sent. And they were awesome. I got two posters, one primarily from Grumpy Bird (below, although the color is a bit off).

The second is an image from the poster of Boo Hoo Bird, Jeremy's newest. It had four panels and wouldn't fit in the frame for a picture so you get to see my favorite image, although not the one he signed.

But my favorite was this sketch (below) that he created for me. I went out today to buy frames and hope to have at least the sketch and the poster up on the wall in my studio this weekend. So this is a gigantic public thank you to Jeremy Tankard and a huge endorsement of his books (Grumpy Bird, Boo Hoo Bird, and Me Hungry!). Thanks Jeremy!!! You are too kind!

Unreadable

It's not often that I find a book that I simply can't read. But over the weekend a friend introduced me to a book that I could not understand. I've tried, over and over. But for some reason the Codex Seraphinianus just escapes me. :-) Then again it's been baffling linguists for the last twenty or so years so I don't feel too badly.

The Codex was written in the late seventies by Luigi Serafini, a mixed media surrealist artist and architect. The book is one of the greatest mysteries of the book and art world. It describes in beautiful detail the plant life, animal life, social customs, and architecture of an alien planet/species. Oh and did I mention that it is written in a language that linguists have been trying to crack for decades now. Serafini created his own language for the book but this is not simply gibberish. The symbols, which look like a combination of Arabic and artistic flourishes, are orderly and logical enough to create a usable language. The number system used in the book has already been cracked. Serafini, who is still creating interesting and strange art, has refused to talk about the book or the language used.

I spent some time leafing through the copy trying to make sense of Serafini's beautiful drawings since the text was completely impenetrable. The images give the reader enough of a hint as to what the chapter is about. But the illustrations are very otherworldly, showing creatures that could never exist and strange contraptions or plants. It is very detailed, giving elaborate illustrations of plant germination/migration, human social connections, food choices,...etc. The book goes into every aspect of life on the alien world. It is a very beautiful book but also very eerie.

The Codex is also one of the most highly sought books, mostly for its rarity. It has only been published a handful of times in limited runs. A good copy can run anywhere from $300 to $900. Most libraries that hold them (and there are not a ton) keep them in the request only sections of the library. The book is beautiful and creepy and strange. After getting a chance to look I know I will have my eye out for a copy. Even as just an art book, this is one to own. Even if I can't read a word of it.

Devilishly Gorey

I haven't posted in a couple days which feels really weird. Work has been crazy these last two days and I haven't been feeling great. Yeah I know, want a little cheese to go with that whine? Needless to say I'm feeling better and thing should be a little more back to normal tomorrow. My job tends to be feast or famine and this week is beyond feast. Which wipes my brain and doesn't allow for thoughts beyond just home, food, sleep. Even this won't be my best post, but hey, at least it's something.

I could say that my mood has been a bit dark. But that could just be the the Gorey stuff I've been reading. Not horror novels, although they can be fun. Instead I've been reading a lot of Edward Gorey. Even if you don't know the name you know his style. Gorey is known for cross-hatched artwork that combines old fashioned images with a wonderfully morbid sense of humor. Gorey's characters often die in unusual ways. His stories are like little comic strips that only run a couple of pages. His most famous book, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, is an alphabet book where each child dies in a strange or unusual way. (A is for Agnes Who Fell Down the Stairs). His cartoons are not for everyone but there is definitely a sense of humor about them. I was shocked to learn that Gorey died just nine years ago. Looking at his illustration work I would have assumed that he had written at the turn of the century.


I've been picking up his books from the library and have been enjoying the brief stories and dark images. Over the weekend I read Gashlycrumb Tinies, Amphigorey Too, and Amphigorey Also. Not sure why this is appealing to me suddenly although Cabinet of Wonders did mention him recently. But I was raised on Gorey along with Chas Addams (creator of the Addams Family), Gahan Wilson, and Gary Larson. We had all kinds of reading material but I tended to gravitate towards some of the more unusual ones. There is a darkness to these cartoonists and a humor that make them perfect for me. I tend to have a bit of a morbid sense of humor. Comes from having a doctor for a father. And Gorey is just too devilishly fun to pass up.

Fantastical Art

Have you ever been introduced to an artist over and over? And each time you see his work you are amazed and impressed but still don't retain the name. I have been introduced to Tony Diterlizzi in various forms several times in the last couple years. I'm always awed by his detailed art and his depth of character. His characters show such a huge range of emotions. He has a very beautiful style of art but for some reason I am shocked every time I see his name. I not sure why I can't recognize his work instantly but I can't.

A couple years ago while digging around in my parent's children's book library I stumbled upon a version of The Spider and the Fly, the cautionary poem by Mary Howitt. The poem itself is fun and dark but the illustration in the book took my breath away. They were amazing. Funny and dark and detailed in a way I hadn't seen before. The spider oozed charm and menace. The fly, in her little flapper dress and hat, was the picture of flighty innocence. The ghosts, who tried to warn the fly, practically shimmered on the page. It was a beautiful book. At the time I noticed that it was done by Tony Diterlizzi but then promptly forgot.

The same is true when I read the first of the Spiderwick Chronicles. My nephew again brought me a book and told me that I had to read it. I read the first in an afternoon. I enjoyed the first book immensely but never followed on with the series. Most of you already know my aversion to series. The artwork inside was fun, and strangely enough reminded me of my old D&D artwork. I would later find out that Tony has done work for them too. Tony co-wrote the books with Holly Black. But again the name escaped me.

So this weekend I ended up at the library picking up tons of books on illustration and some children's books. I picked up The Dangerous Alphabet that I'll have to talk about later. (that one needs its own post). But one the illustration books I picked up was "The Art of Reading", a book put out to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Reading is Fundamental program. In the book, well-loved authors and illustrators talk about the books that made them love reading. They also draw a picture from the book. It is a wonderful book that I have been reading through voraciously. But what really caught my eye was a picture of a little pig. It was the third or fourth page in and this little pig is picking flowers. Simple little illustration but the emotion on this little pig is both laughable and sad at the same time. It is such an incredibly cute creature. So I look at the artist signature and of course it is Tony Diterlizzi. Of course.

I went to his website and was completely bowled over. I've seen so much of this man's work and didn't realize it. I would seriously recommend heading over for a little bit. Not only is that little pig there, but Tony offers a ton of nice downloads and wallpapers along with sketches and finished pages from his books. I own The Spider and Fly. Now I just have to buy the rest. Beautiful. And from now on, I'll remember this name.

I Love Lane

I'm on a Lane Smith kick right now. Okay so perhaps it's gone a little beyond a kick since I've been scouring libraries all over the city for his books. For those of you with children, or like me a child at heart, you simply can't beat his books. Lane represents everything I would ever want to be as a children's writer and illustrator. He's inventive, funny, and often downright silly. His books make me laugh out loud and his illustration work is always unbelievably good.

Just One More Book has been doing the Rock Stars of Reading tour, a video documentary of their East Coast tour of authors. They visit some of the biggest names in children's books and post the interviews and visits on their website. Jane Yolen, Jarrett Krosoczka, Lane Smith, Jon Scieszka, Diane de Groat.... The second, third, and fourth were all about Lane. Now I've always been a huge fan of his books but getting to see those interviews and rough sketches just made him all the more interesting.

So for those of you who've never read a Lane Smith or have children who love books, here are a couple that you really should look into.

John, Paul, George, and Ben is the hilarious story of the founding fathers in childhood. Lane takes some liberties with the stories but goes on to separate the fact from fiction at the end of the book. The little stories about Thomas Jefferson and George Washington makes me laugh out loud every time I read them. I simply can't get tired of that book. From Paul Revere's midnight ride to George Washington's chopping down the cherry tree, Lane mixes just the right amount of folktale with just the right amount of funny. The illustrations are fun and he includes some American History facts at the end to make it educational.


The Happy Hocky Family is a selection of little stories which are simply wonderful. Each member of the family gets a chance to speak and tell a simple, often one page, story. The stories are often funny with just a touch of satire mixed in. The illustrations are very old school and in that very inventive. The book, from the outside, looks like it was created in the 50s rather than 1996. Visually interesting with fun little stories.

But Lane is best known for his collaborations with Jon Scieszka. I vividly remember the first time I picked up The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. I had never read anything quite like it. It was satirical and dark and allegory. The illustrations were wild, collage and paint, and literally all over the place. There was a tough of chaos to the book that startled me. And it was the first time that I started to think about children's books as art. And I was instantly in love with it. This was new and inventive. It was, at least for me, revolutionary.


I would think the same thing when I read The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. These books, particularly at the time, were unlike anything else that was out there. The illustrations were darker than most picture books I had read. There is a touch of the sinister in those two. The text is literally all over the page. The stories are not linear, jumping from character to character. Most of the time we read fairytales because they are the same. There is a comfort in hearing the same story over and over. These books turned all of that on its head. Suddenly what was once sameness and conformity and comfort, was chaos and difference and uniqueness. And also wonder.

Lane was also conceptual designer for James and the Giant Peach, the film. He had done the illustrations for one the prints and had been asked to work on the movie. One of my favorite films mostly for the visual look of it. He was also involved in How the Grinch Stole Christmas film but I won't fault him too much for that. I love Lane's work because he seems to enjoy pushing boundaries and reinventing his style. Each of his titles looks totally different. I love that willingness to experiment and try. I'm very excited to hear that he has two new books coming out this year, one that he's written and one that he's illustrator on. I guarentee I'll be lined up at the bookstore to pick them up. So far I haven't been disappointed.

Adult Fables

It all started out with a fish in the middle of the street. I had been looking for images by Adam Rex and stumbled upon a picture of a fish swimming down the street over the head of a little girl. This picture:
The image caught me. I loved the darkness of it, the absurdity of it, and the sheer beauty of it. When I first saw it I thought that it was not really Adam Rex's style. And with good reason. This was a website dedicated to illustrators. And the artist was Shaun Tan. This particular image is from the book The Red Tree and is the story of depression. I checked it out from the library the very next day. The story is simple, one line per page and often with a dark depressed theme. It is the images that make this book. Each image has a bit of oddity, a bit of darkness, and a little ray of hope. The end is simply glorious. It is simply one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen illustrated. And I couldn't believe they had listed it as a children's book. This was far too deep for children to get.

Tan is an Australian author and illustrator who is quite simply one of the best artists out there. After The Red Tree I had to go find The Arrival. This amazing wordless graphic novel tells the story of a new immigrant to a strange land. It describes his journey over, the family he left behind, and the struggles of learning a new language and system. Without any words this book tells more deeply the immigrant experience than any other I have seen. Again this book was listed as a children's book. And again I wondered.

I was surprised to find that one of the Shaun's stories The Lost Thing is being made into a movie. Irene Gallo, who writes a blog for Tor, mentioned it in one of her posts. The video is a very good overview of Tan's work and a wonderful interview with an interesting artist. In it Shaun talks about how he doesn't really see himself as a children's author. And things finally made sense for me. Most of his books are simply far too deep for children. Like adults reading The Lorax, things in his books seem that much better when you are reading them with a little more insight. His pictures may be fantasy images but they are not really geared towards children. Shaun describes them as adult fables and I think that sums it up well.

I'm also rather impatient to get my hands on Shaun's newest book, Tales from Outer Suburbia. The book, which is already out in Canada and Australia (lucky!), is a series of small stories that show the absurdity and strangeness of city living. This image which is taken from the book is one of my favorites. I'll be first in line when it's released here in the states. As for any of his other work I would definately see about getting your hands on a copy. The artwork alone makes it worth it.

New Book

So I ended up in Barnes and Noble this weekend. Ever since my sister got laid off from Borders I've been patronizing the competition. I went in to pick up the Graveyard Book and walked out with a new children's book. I love those silly, colorful, fun stories that make me go Awww and What? at the same time. 

That's what I found with Berkeley Breathed's new story Pete and Pickles. This adorable story is about Pete, a very predictable pig who finds a huge rather impractical elephant hiding in his bedroom. Pickles is an unhappy circus elephant that needs to be saved. Thus starts a friendship that features cliff diving (sort of), Russian acrobats (sort of), and Italian love songs (sort of). The story turns darker when Pete decides that he's ready to go back to the predictable life he had before. The story has a lot of color, a lot of funny scenes, but the ending is very different. There is one page that is simply dark, almost tough, and Breathed uses the tension well. The beginning of the book and the end seem to match even with color choices but the middle is all fun. A cute story with a wonderful ending. 

The illustrations though are what grabbed my attention. Breathed makes Pete silly in a straight laced sort of way. He is trying so hard to be serious that it just is laughable. There is an early scene with him watching TV. He is sitting there with a bow tie and a blank expression that TV watchers get. The emotions on the face of Pete and Pickles really tell the story. There is one sad scene with Pickles at the circus that is enough to break your heart. Pickles is a wonderful character, even if she's not the best houseguest. The combination is fun and the illustration will make anyone laugh out loud. 

The Illustrated Woman

When I was younger my mother read me children's books by the hundreds. And we would read them over and over until both mom and I had them memorized. I can't even count the number of times I have read Go Dog Go. Enough to quote it. And I still claim if you want to raise a reader you have to read to them.

But my mom did something even better. Before she started any book she would read the title, the author, and the illustrator. I can't think of certain books without listing the author and illustrator. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, written and illustrated by Judi and Ron Barrett. And the pictures were what really excited me. Drew me in you could even say. Over the years I have realized that the picture books I love the most had good stories but great pictures. And now as an adult I find myself browsing through the children's departments looking at covers. I know they say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but really why else do you pick it up?

Now I'm trying to write my own stories and have come up with a huge problem. I can't draw. No seriously can't draw, not to save my life. And I'm trying to teach myself. This is not an easy thing to do. I can see it all in my head but the hands don't want to work. And it never quite looks like the image I have in my head. Sadly, I hardly remember the authors who didn't illustrate their own work. I know who the Little Bear series was illustrated by but not the author. So I'm working to become an illustrated woman. Possibly using collage, like Leo Lionni and Ezra Jack Keats but we'll see. It's all a matter of playing. And reminding myself that Dr. Seuss could never draw lifelike things and he was still the master.

Until then I'll wander the library looking at new favorites like Adam Rex (fantastic and funny), Shaun Tan (mysterious and otherworldly) and Mo Willems (childlike and silly).