It's off!

I finally sent off Jessica's Sunbeam Window today. Who knows if it'll be accepted and published, but I've done my part.

Illustration Friday: Climbing

Some of you have already seen this, but it fits the topic. Peri is "climbing" her way to the finish of her "monstrous mile." I illustrated it a few months ago for Stories for Children and like the way it turned out, especially her hair. I also like Peri's gym teacher, but you can't see her expression as well. I hope you like it.

Valentine in color

I finished it. What do you think? Too pink? Just right? 

Stories for Children sketch

I just wanted to post my sketch for the upcoming issue for Stories for Children magazine. I like a lot of elements in this sketch and hope that I can make it work in color. 

More of Jessica

I wanted proof that I've been doing more than just lazing around. Here's one of my illo's I'll include with my dummy. 

I finished it!

After a few years of working on this book every now and then, my dummy for Jessica's Sunbeam Window is complete. I've included the top two images in addition to the last illo to give you an idea of how Jessica has transformed from her beginnings (there's actually another, more cartoony version that I don't feel like finding and scanning). Since beginning the dummy, my style has solidified and I've made decisions regarding her age. All that remains for me to complete are three illo's to paint, and then I'll send her out into the world and hope someone will see this vision the way that I do and buy it. Regardless of the outcome, however, I feel proud that I've achieved this goal. Only three years ago, I couldn't have put this together. I remember the frustration I felt when I tried to create a dummy, or even to illustrate something I wasn't looking at. But I've worked hard, found some great books that pointed me in the right direction, and I did it!

Ho-hum

This poor girl is being left out of the fun. It's yet another illo I did for Stories for Children magazine this month. If you want to read the story that goes with it, look for the title: Maybe This Time.

Whew. I'm exhausted. My husband's had a crazy work schedule for the last two weeks (which should end in about a week, thank goodness). He usually has pretty good hours for what he does, so I'm not complaining. But since my year-old toddler is getting all of his molars at once (and screaming about it to let us know he's miserable), by the end of the day I'm plain tuckered out. I'm actually almost done with my first picture book dummy (to send out). All of the story pictures are finished; I just need to figure out what I want to do with the title page and cover and choose a couple of pictures to paint. It really does take a lot of work to do it all, but I feel like I've learned a lot along the way. Through the process I've developed more personal style (which has also made things take longer). Above all, I feel like I've accomplished something worthwhile.

Until next time . . .