Hey everyone!  I will be participating in the Long Beach and the Santa Ana Patchwork Holiday Shows.   The Long Beach event will be this next weekend, Sunday Nov. 6th, from 11-5:00. 

The Santa Ana show will be on Nov. 27th, 11-5:00

Info. for the Patchwork Holiday Shows can be found at this link:  http://www.patchworkshow.com/

Hope to see you there!

Apparently I am into weasels this year.  I started illustrating my own book featuring a weasel,  I created a  otter print and now I am introducing my new Badger print. And yes, they are all in the weasel family.  Badgers have a  particularly bad rap.  I think they are awesome creatures.  Here is a video showing just how frinkin’ cute they can be , http://youtu.be/8Qn39LBQBL0 .  The person in the video had a badger make a home at her home when it was young.  They became friends and after about 2 years the badger left. 

So if you love badgers and desperately need a some badger art please visit my Etsy store:  www.badbird.etsy.com

New prints!  I’ve made a print of each flavor of Labrador.

You can find these prints at my Etsy store:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/83193479/labrador-print

New Print!  

I love otters! Last time I went to Morro Bay I got to see a little otter floating on his back eating an abalone.  It’s so cute how they swim after fish, catch them and tear their little fishy faces off. Sigh….

You can find this new print in 3 sizes, 5″x7″, 8″x10″ and 11″x14″ at my Etsy store, www.badbird.etsy.com

One of my favorite steps in children’s book illustration is charactor design.

First I collected realistic images of weasels. 

 Then I collected cartooned images of weasels. 

I study both to get what I need.

See the weasel circled above?  I really like him but he is not too child friendly. I will save him for my Adult weasel book.

This weasel is suppose to be young.  And you know what that means,  Big Head Time!

Okay, getting close.  The first one looks like an alien, but the second one Pure Magic!

Oh Yah,  almost there.

Adorable and cranky!  Success!

FACT: I took me about 150 sheets of paper to get to the final drawing.  Front and back.

TIP:  Don’t hold back.  Draw EVERY idea that comes into your head.  It doesn’t matter if they’re good or not.  You learn something with each drawing.

I will be participating in the Artwalk by the Bay, in San Diego, CA, on September 10 & 11, 2011. 

For more information: http://www.artwalkonthebay.org/

Hope to see you there!

Starting NOW until Saturday the 27th , 12:00 am midnight, pacific time, if you buy any two prints you will get one $25.00 print for free.

That’s Right!  Buy any 2 prints and get 1 free $25.00 print free.

This sale is for any of my 3 Etsy stores.

Click here to get to my stores: 

 www.badbird.etsy.com

www.thedoomgirls.etsy.com

www.grrrsaidthebear.etsy.com

IMPORTANT!  How to order - When you order your 2 prints at my Etsy store there is an area in which you can leave a message.  In this area, beside telling me how awesome I am, you can let me know which $25.00 print you want for free.

I will have a booth at the 13th Art in the Village in Carlsbad, CA, this Sunday!

Hope to see you there!

Andrea

This last weekend I went to the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators) convention in Los Angeles.  At this event there where keynote speakers (Bruce Coville, Jerry Pinkney, Libba Bray, David Small, Judy Blume, Jon Scieszka, Norton Juster, and many more), parties, socials and competitions.

I arrived knowing that I would have my crew from my critique group beside me. ( Charles Eubank, Ella German, Patti Gabrielson, Wendy Kitts, Richard Metzger, Katrin Azimi, and Anna Guillotte).  Soon I was able to add to my crew a whole bunch of new faces. EVERYONE was intensely friendly and supportive.  

I went to several workshops and I entered my portfolio into the portfolio showcase.   On Saturday evening I found out that I had been chosen for the Mentorship award.  Also winning the Mentorship award where Eliza Wheeler, Juliana Brion, Juana Martinez, and Christina Forshay.  Hooray for us!

That night we had a Pajama Party by the pool.  There where a lot of artist, writers, school teachers and librarians that got their freak on.  It was a bit disturbing.

The next day the Mentor-ship winners received personal critiquing from industry professionals, E.B. Lewis, David Diaz, Priscilla Burris, Cecilia Yung, and Pat Cummings.  That night we shared a group discussion.

So now I am very tired.  I have canceled everything that I wanted to do today except to toot my own horn because that seemed very important to me.

SCBWI Award Winners: http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/2011/08/portfolio-showcase-winners.html

Got Story Count Down:  (my teacher Joy Chu’s Childrens Book blog) http://gotstorycountdown.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/awestruck-by-teaching-part-1/

SPECIAL THANKS -  Lori Mitchell (teacher, illustrator and writer) for saying that I should be a children’s book illustrator and turned me on to SCBWI, David Diaz (award winning illustrator)  who critiqued me and said that I could make it in illustration, Joy Chu ( art director and designer of over 20 children’s books)  for teaching me how to be a children’s book illustrator,  and my critique group for keeping me in line.

LINK to my New Illustration blog:  http://www.zuill.us/illustration/