If you were thinking of ordering a portrait for Christmas, order soon! The deadline for regular shipping is tomorrow!
And... did you happen to spot the portraits over in the Cool Mom Picks 2012 Holiday Gift Guide? (Yay!!!) No? Well you should head on over there to check it out... There might be, oh, a gift for you... like a discount code or something. Hint, hint.
My portraits are featured in LMNOP's gift guide! And what fine company they are in:
Gosh, they have never looked better-- RIGHT? Man. Plus, don't you want everything on that list? Spot on. Check out their website for more gift guides rolling out over the next two weeks.
Thank you, thank you Jenny and the LMNOP crew!
You can order your own portrait here. But hop to it: The deadline for regular Christmas shipping is December 5th--next week!
Unless you went early, today is the day to get out and vote. You can check here to find out where to go, and to get information about the various races going on. And if you're looking for something to whet your whistle afterwards, perhaps a cookie or cupcake would do the trick?
They're from the wonderful Eleni's bakery in New York and are illustrated by me!
To celebrate her new photography studio, my longtime, talented friend Julia is throwing an exciting event: The "100/100/100 Project": 100 portraits, in 100 days, for 100 dollars! Its a fabulous chance to get a professional portrait taken at a super low price. There are a bunch of framing options, and you can also order holiday cards from her as well. I illustrated the frames for the photo cards, and I'm really happy with how they came out. Here's one of them:
So if you're in the Philadelphia area, go grab your spot! (If you're not in the area and would still like to order a photo card, you can do that here and use your own photo.) Julia is also available to shoot on location.
I'm happy to officially announce, I'm now offering a new line of custom portraits! Just in time for the holidays.
Each piece is painstakingly drawn by hand, then printed on thick, archival paper, and finally placed in a gorgeous wooden frame (--There are three to choose from!) I aim to provide you with a timeless keepsake, of the highest quality, that will look wonderful--for years to come-- in any home.
Visit the shop here. Can't wait to hear what you think!
And on another note, be safe everybody on the East Coast. I'm typing from soggy Rhode Island, where the wind just picked up. Wishing you all an uneventful few days.
I'm getting ready to send out a HUGE present to all my newsletter subscribers. Are you on my list? Sign up here!
I picked up my business cards from Moo.com yesterday evening! They're in East Providence, so it was a short trip over-- nice to save money and time on the shipping.
(Well, I should have saved time. Funny story: I was going to post this right when I got home, but I locked my keys in the car in their parking lot. Oh thank you, thank you AAA. I don't know why I don't have your number in my speed dial. And thank you to the nice people at Moo who let me hang out inside even though their office was closing. Anyways, this meant I spent the rest of the evening rushing around. Hilarious.)
I think they came out pretty cute. It was a last minute decision to go with Moo, so I didn't really take full advantage of the different images option. But I'm happy with the two I picked.
I especially love the back.
So thumbs up for Moo-- good quality, easy interface, and great customer service.-- Even if you don't lock your keys in the car, they're still really nice and helpful.
You may have noticed, but last week I quietly launched my new site. I still have some portfolio sections to add in and some other fixing up to do, but it's about done folks! I'm pretty excited to have a site that shows off all of my work. And just in time for a new postcard mailing!
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
As I keep mentioning, I'm in the midst of re-branding my work self. (Yeah, referring to "branding" feels a bit grandiose, but I have new logo and a more cohesive "look" so it's an apt description.) For the last couple of days (weeks) I've been banging my head on my desk trying to get my site done. I hoped to unveil it today, but it's not there yet. So in the meantime, here's a preview of a few of the things I'm changing:
A. New logo! That one wasn't ever a "real" logo-- ie it was just the header that came with my Wordpress theme. I "customized" it with the triangle pattern, and tag line, but didn't choose the layout or font. Really excited to have a new logo that I can use all over the place. I designed it myself, so I might keep tweaking it, but I like where it's at for the moment.
B. I'm going to have a new menu (actually two!) that will allow me to divide up my work more cohesively. It's a bit confusing at the moment. I thought about getting rid of of one my illustration styles to simplify things, but the thing is I like creating in that style and happily, people like paying me to do so. It will be easier to find in the new layout.
C. I've gotten rid of that stupid white space. This was actually the biggest quibble Zero2illo had when they reviewed my site. Curse you "white space"! Another default setting of my old theme, that space is actually supposed to house a "header" which I hated and promptly got rid of. I could never figure out how to write it out completely though, so I've been stuck with the odd white space above my content. Not cool.
D. On my new front page I have a gallery that cycles through my most recent projects.
I. am. so. close.
One way to deal with distractions:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Yc57X0j_UwM]
How do you deal with distractions during your working hours?
Have you ever been to the RISD nature lab? If not, you're in for a treat:
Live Animal Study: A Children's Book Illustrator's Workshop Date: Sunday, February 26, 2012 Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Place: The Edna Lawrence Nature Lab, 13 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02903 Admission: FREE
Bring your sketchbooks, pencils, and light painting supplies and enjoy a rare opportunity to study a handful of live exotic (and some not-so-exotic) animals up close and personal!
RISPCA Humane Educator Laurelin Sitterly will present on each creature's basic anatomy, movement, and habits that will be sure to inspire you and provide a wealth of knowledge for your animal-themed book projects. Taxidermy and skeletal models will also be available to examine, courtesy of RISD's Edna Lawrence Nature Lab.
This is an event to gather inspiration from the animal world, practice your craft amidst an active environment, meet your fellow SCBWI illustrators, and benefit from a critique of your day's efforts by your peers.
RSVP by February 17, 2012 : complete the registration form and send it back as an e-mail attachment.
Coordinated by the talented (and fellow crit group member) Christina Rodriguez. Thanks for putting this together Christina! (and for using my animal sketches on the flyer!)
I hear spots are filling up fast, so register asap!
Some children's illustration news I thought people might be interested in!
-Have you gotten your copy of the December Zero2illo Zine yet? It's all about children's illustrators and I'm in it! They kindly picked my site for a review and I'm so grateful. 2012 is the year my site will get a proper overhaul and it's invaluable to get some outside perspective on what's working and what needs changing. Thank you so much you guys!
-I just signed up for illustration consulting with...Holli Conger!! I'm so excited!! Last year, I was complaining to G (and friends) about missing a "boss". Which, I know, sounds insane, but it can be exhausting to juggle so many roles. Sometimes you wish for someone to provide some guidance and nudges to keep you on the right track. Perhaps not a "boss", but a mentor. Anyways, thank you Universe! I've been a huge fan and reader of her blog for years. So I'm really looking forward to working my tail off with her!
-Did I ever mention that I found a local children's writer and illustrator crit group? (Again, thank you Universe.) We've had a couple sessions and it's pretty great. If you're in the Providence area, we're looking to add serious kid lit writers and artists. Please get in touch if you're interested.
-Heads up: Registration for The New England SCBWI conference in April is coming up! Register here on January 23rd. I've never been to this one, but I hear it's been fabulous in the past.
-Are you doing the Kidlitart #PBDummy Challenge this year? It's a 25-week-long online group challenge to create and submit a picture book dummy. It starts January 9, 2012 and ends July 1, 2012. After reading the inspiring post post by Greg Matusic --who I met in person at the Falling Leaves conference-- I decided to jump in!
Have you guys seen Madewell's genius online video campaign? It's basically a "choose your own adventure" video.
I haven't seen anyone else use this yet and I think it's just brilliant. Usually advertising gives me this icky feeling in the pit of my stomach, but campaigns like this--perfectly styled and executed-- make me so excited.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/28127437]
I'm freaking out over Gimme Bar, the "ultimate scrapbook"! Similar to Pinterest, except you can keep your images private.
I love when you wish for something and it just magically lands in your lap. For free, and via twitter no less (-- Thanks Sarah Jane!) Now I can easily save and organize images I want to reference later for illustration and design projects.
It's still in Beta, so you have to be invited. Ask for an invite on their site.-- I got mine in under an hour!
I'm Aeolidia's Artist of The Month! (which means my Underwater Circus theme is up for October.) And I'm celebrating with a new profile pic--see?
If you've been musing about a new website, or just sprucing yours up, they are just the people to do it. They've added new creatives to their roster of fantastic people and seem to always be working on a fun project. I cannot recommend them enough.
And of course I would love to make your logo, or draw the perfect illustrations to make your brand pop!
I hardly ever get excited about tech stuff. Even if it's really cool, somewhere in the back of my head I'm dreading learning how to use the darn thing. Or thinking about how, frankly, incorporating anything new into my work process tends to be a drag. I know, I'm a bummer.
But last night, both G and my brother Sam sent me a link to The Inkling from Wacom. And. I. am. SO. excited. Basically it's a magical ballpoint pen that allows you to save the work you've drawn on paper digitally.
I'm practically hyperventelating.
Watch this video and then come join me on the floor.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXbBA1DRE84&feature=player_embedded]
Whaddya think? Has anyone used one? And crucial question: what do you think about the pen itself?
Now to scrape $200 bucks together...
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/26249784]
Ok, I admit it. I originally just wanted an excuse to show a video about making blueberry (muffin!!) ice cream. (Which we will do, pronto.) But then I realized that this particular piece, by Claire Thomas from Kitchy Kitchen blog, is a perfect example of using video to beautifully highlight your work.
A lot of "promo" videos feel like they get an A+ for content, but they don't look so hot. Sure, you get past it if it's clever, or has some kind of hook, but why not shoot for something of this quality? I assume she didn't have a huge crew or budget, and the concept is simple. But damn, if it doesn't look just fabulous.
I found Kitchy Kitchen through a friend, and after seeing this video, they now have a new reader. Quite effective marketing I would say.
What about you? Do you use videos on your website? What are some of your favorite videos? Any ideas for me?
Check out Kitchy TV for more inspiration. The wheels are turning folks!
I had a different post planned for today, but I spotted this TED talk over at Pitch and it blew me away. What do you think about Sheryl Sandberg's, COO of Facebook, talk about women in the workforce?
