tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49796964206537118002024-03-05T09:42:36.941-08:00Manic Network InterviewsMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02524261519035106075noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979696420653711800.post-69088045642644548732011-08-20T12:25:00.000-07:002011-08-24T19:58:42.081-07:00An Interview with Lisa J. Michaels!<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"></span></b></span><br />
<div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><em><strong>Hi Lisa, Welcome and thank you for being here today!</strong></em></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB9EHo4DwKtAmC6WU037YhRn4ytwo2rGjtb97KlW6eQOZtqFjwrUJ2CENAlD9jGKv2Je6G0mAoumi8TxBDx38hpfBhcZDMhCSfkPNxTUL2EecD-jkMOeCj0ArpLZTI3OyIYBzLLiiT0Gf/s1600/Pink+Princess.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB9EHo4DwKtAmC6WU037YhRn4ytwo2rGjtb97KlW6eQOZtqFjwrUJ2CENAlD9jGKv2Je6G0mAoumi8TxBDx38hpfBhcZDMhCSfkPNxTUL2EecD-jkMOeCj0ArpLZTI3OyIYBzLLiiT0Gf/s320/Pink+Princess.jpeg" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><strong>What inspired you to take an interest in art? </strong></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> When I was finally old enough to sit up by myself, I'd sit next my father, (who was an architect) and watch him draw little trees and bushes around his houses. You could say I got an early start in my art education! The fine details always fascinated me. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> When I began to talk, I drove him crazy, asking him to draw cartoons for me. He drew little swash-buckling mice, which eventually morphed into comic strips. I was watching an illustrator in action, but I had no idea it would turn out to be my life's work! </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> When I was seven, my parents separated, and luckily for me, my new step dad was also artistically inclined. He recognized that I was developing into an artist, and was really supportive of my talents. . . now he’s very proud! </span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">Who are the artists and illustrators that inspire you most? </span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmaRdlCMENtRdZmJ-aToF7GBe5871f0rpQjGMKWUs7Jd5BKBH2DtPJ9uqMt-2F-okn48GaMNDmO6cBYQvpTqpXU8qeb3jcdJ4q_Q1_w-EcviIkIJmL6cLZ5da5xS1NKkG8XSv4ppCfu0Q/s1600/SFC+Cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmaRdlCMENtRdZmJ-aToF7GBe5871f0rpQjGMKWUs7Jd5BKBH2DtPJ9uqMt-2F-okn48GaMNDmO6cBYQvpTqpXU8qeb3jcdJ4q_Q1_w-EcviIkIJmL6cLZ5da5xS1NKkG8XSv4ppCfu0Q/s320/SFC+Cover.jpeg" width="259px" /></a></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Right now, Tomie DiPaola is my artistic rock star! I'm fascinated by his great success and I love to break down his manuscripts in order to uncover his formula and the genius at work. His art is simple, yet stylized and unique to Tomie. His books pull the reader right in, and they're a fun read…that's what I want my books to do as well. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> I’m also inspired by my students and those up-and-coming illustrators who I mentor. </span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"><b>Have you ever tried or thought of painting your own version of a masterpiece by one of the Masters you admire?</b></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Yes, in the fifth grade! Everyone in the class was suppose to pick out their favorite image to draw, from a magazine. I searched and searched, until I found something I thought was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Remember, I was eleven, so I was limited in my views of the world! It was tiny, (about 2”x2”) and I carefully tore it out.</span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> The next morning, the teacher instructed us to clear the dusty, wooden floors by pushing all our desks against the wall. I can still hear the chairs scrapping and our little feet tapping against the hard wood. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Then she gave each of us a huge brown piece of paper (as tall as I was). I laid mine on the floor and crawled on top, with my freshly sharpened pencils and box of 64 crayons. I pulled the coveted clipping from my pocket and smoothed it out against the crunchy brown paper, and began to draw with determination.</span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> It was as if time stood still. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> For the next hour, I might as well have been the only child in the room. I was unaware of the goings on around me. I fell into the drawing, just as sure as Alice had fallen deep into the rabbit’s hole! I was so deeply involved and intent on getting it right.</span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Carefully I sketched out my drawing, paying close attention to every detail in the picture. I noticed where the light fell on her face, and the delicate curve of the child’s chin.</span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> When the bell rang, I looked up for the first time since my pencil had first touched the page. Around me stood teachers from many classrooms, all staring down at me in disbelief. Someone whispered, “child prodigy”, but I didn’t know what that meant.</span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> As I got to my feet, I looked down to see what I’d accomplished, and smiled. A rough version of Raphael’s “Madonna & child” smiled back at me, and I knew exactly who I was. I was an artist, and always would be. </span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">When do you paint and how easy is it to become distracted?</span></b></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIp_3TIRwZ_M6xpDySlJaa2uG01ouV1ZKoxE3qP7RzcIpYVSBqiCsU3Hjb6v8OLttWT78TS0lL98r-f_6CW4sf28qSl3vRAXHCGWlrHX1YySGK7dmtnPQ_44eeKFJdWDI3D7jUToumFj1/s1600/CFWM-Color+1+web+version.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIp_3TIRwZ_M6xpDySlJaa2uG01ouV1ZKoxE3qP7RzcIpYVSBqiCsU3Hjb6v8OLttWT78TS0lL98r-f_6CW4sf28qSl3vRAXHCGWlrHX1YySGK7dmtnPQ_44eeKFJdWDI3D7jUToumFj1/s320/CFWM-Color+1+web+version.JPG" width="320px" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> I paint best in the early afternoon and late at night, when the house is super quiet. I don't have too many problems with distractions, (I realize my good fortune, as many of my colleagues struggle with this), but when I do have trouble focusing, I pop in one of my favorite CD's and then my drawing pen flies! </span></span></div></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><b>Have you ever illustrated a children’s or any other art book?</b></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLna6NUBK2OOLympF2Y24A-ROOSWUi9HFEG_A_dckxsgFFwKa4FCCeyPDM73yNUg4XxyCRIUEMV4eBYMWpvpZ0BYtduU9GFsauBOt04syUWcb_h44ghJcWokad6R1lSTTNxwihu2sd2rvT/s1600/Nina+%2526+Meana-web+sz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLna6NUBK2OOLympF2Y24A-ROOSWUi9HFEG_A_dckxsgFFwKa4FCCeyPDM73yNUg4XxyCRIUEMV4eBYMWpvpZ0BYtduU9GFsauBOt04syUWcb_h44ghJcWokad6R1lSTTNxwihu2sd2rvT/s320/Nina+%2526+Meana-web+sz.jpg" width="247px" /></a></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Yes, my first dummy book was a story I wrote myself, called "Purple Piggies”. I submitted it many times, and made all the classic mistakes of a novice. I bound it like a real book, then cleaned up all the sketches and colored in 3 of the illustrations. I had color backgrounds behind each framed illustration, and typed the text onto each and every page. It was just too “finished”. In addition, the character continuity just wasn’t there. I didn’t draw kids very well at the time. I’m happy to say that this is no longer the case! </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> I've done several book covers that went to print, and won several picture book contests. I recently illustrated a picture book, "Alphey Loves Letters", for Castlebridge Press. It's available for purchase at www.bigtentbooks.com.</span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">How do you approach a painting or drawing when you start a new project?</span></b></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Well, first I do a character study, and roughly sketch out the main character of the story. I don't stop until I know the charter really well, I mean both illustratively and personally! Through visual composition, I try to develop and expose personality quirks that aren't mentioned in the story text. For example, a little girls jewelry choices tell you something about what she likes, if she's whimsical, classy, or vain (rings on every finger!) -or- a little boy who carries around a frog in his pocket, or a jar full of worms - this tells you that he's all boy and loves nature.</span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8dAZ64ZxJGJm1kyP7s1r-XMkTlCmi88pt3Y23_eiSYkpuPMml3XvwoBTOtWaGM8fYJ4cko9_OFXjvg58YLjO82V8Xq0utnBIlzqhQ_Hokh_xrfR1D2dwU0lKJGTpSF1YwH_-Js-fGgC4/s1600/The+Argument.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8dAZ64ZxJGJm1kyP7s1r-XMkTlCmi88pt3Y23_eiSYkpuPMml3XvwoBTOtWaGM8fYJ4cko9_OFXjvg58YLjO82V8Xq0utnBIlzqhQ_Hokh_xrfR1D2dwU0lKJGTpSF1YwH_-Js-fGgC4/s320/The+Argument.jpeg" width="320px" /></a></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">What are your favorite books on art that inspire you? </span></b></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Any books that teach or examine illustration techniques. I've been fascinated by all the new magazines that are available for illustrators now. There are so many 3-D artists in the spotlight! I LOVE to spend my friday mornings in the bookstore. I grab a vanilla coffee and find an out-of-the-way table, then I sit and pour over all the new magazines, reading them cover to cover and making notes as I go. I’ve learned a lot from this practice, and it shows in my latest works.</span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">What mediums do you prefer to work in and why?</span></b></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> I USED to work in pencil, then ink my drawings and color them in with Prismacolor pencils. THEN I discovered digital painting! My world completely changed overnight, and I felt as if I could accomplish anything in picture books!</span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">What would be the ultimate goal I would like to achieve as an artist? </span></b></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> My ultimate goal is to become a sought after illustrator, who's so good at what I do, that I am asked to speak at writing and illustrating conferences all over the country. It's been such a long and difficult journey to publication, (for me) and that's mostly because there was so much to learn before I could even begin. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> New illustrators flounder over the simplest things, like; what's necessary to include in your portfolio, and should you use/show more than one technique, or should you spend money (that you probably don’t have) on conferences, which ones should you attend and how should you prepare? </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"> I'd like to get paid for sharing all the information I spent years accumulating. I've paid my dues, learned from my mistakes and shared most of what I've learned freely. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrw8nOwZdZHQ1QmDPilOWW0ytMtS_t7GDvtLqgKGilPsEmcgEZjOivJgQDrlz-z8E61hGUSOLfr3W9yT8Yrn0yNAYDpNxdMfoix4OWS54e8x531Sr0un1utxcLYnOeKtHPq66p3H7uB5O/s1600/Lisa+J.+Michaels_Sample+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrw8nOwZdZHQ1QmDPilOWW0ytMtS_t7GDvtLqgKGilPsEmcgEZjOivJgQDrlz-z8E61hGUSOLfr3W9yT8Yrn0yNAYDpNxdMfoix4OWS54e8x531Sr0un1utxcLYnOeKtHPq66p3H7uB5O/s320/Lisa+J.+Michaels_Sample+2.jpeg" width="320px" /></a></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">What are your upcoming projects? </span></b></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> I'm currently working on illustrations for a picture book called "Come Fish With Me" for self-publishing author, Jim Baragar. Jim & Lori (his wife) just had their first baby, and Jim wanted to share his love for fishing with his son, just as HIS father did with him. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Basically, the book chronicles the lives of a father and son's fishing adventures. As the boy grows up, the father grows old and eventually the boy has a son of his own. The illustrations move through all the colors of the four seasons, to emphasize and celebrate the season's of life. As an illustrator, this book is a dream come true, in that I get to explore all the color palettes of nature. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> In addition, love it when a manuscript tugs at your heart strings, as this one does. Every time I work on it, I can feel the magic in the air! After the physical book is printed, I am planning to build and release it as an animated book application for ipads and iphones.</span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">There’s another book app that I'm working on with fellow author and entrepreneur Sue Laneve (she's an SCBWI icon in Florida!) I'll be animating that book to be interactive as well!</span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Then I have my own idea in development for an educational pre-school Apple application. And of course, there are many, many more picture books in my head, and I'm just dying to get the illustrations going!</span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><b>How did your art career begin?</b></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> In 2003 I discovered two things that changed my life. The Personal Computer and the SCBWI. Everything's been a blur since then!</span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><br />
</div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">How do you describe your style of art? </span></b></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Realism with a touch of whimsey. Unique and identifiable, with personality! </span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><br />
</div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><b>Where has some of your art been displayed?</b></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg0hVM0zU8Ies5vYfQhxUtSOaNh8yw7DMuqX8H4Jg5wYcq-dSLDLDMgB6W7p-5PnZmgUXNt1D_3xtca9iTaPbLvyENljg1yUJQTRJC8_lx0zpH6iHw3ukleKoRd2LP1sbL9-7zqNHb_kg/s1600/VSS+graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg0hVM0zU8Ies5vYfQhxUtSOaNh8yw7DMuqX8H4Jg5wYcq-dSLDLDMgB6W7p-5PnZmgUXNt1D_3xtca9iTaPbLvyENljg1yUJQTRJC8_lx0zpH6iHw3ukleKoRd2LP1sbL9-7zqNHb_kg/s1600/VSS+graphic.jpg" /></a></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"> The SCBWI Bulletin Magazine (several times), Newspaper ads, library galleries (I had a 40 piece show on “How to Construct a Picture Book”, several magazines, picture books, on-line galleries </span></span><a href="http://www.thevss.org/"><span style="color: #000099; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"><u>www.theVSS.org</u></span></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"> and The Picture-bookie Showcase), blogs, websites, etc.</span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><br />
</div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"><b>Where can everyone find your art work and learn </b></span></span><span class="sd-abs-pos" style="left: 0.97in; position: absolute; top: 8.15in; width: 240px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"><b>more about you? </b></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"> My website: </span></span><a href="http://www.ljmichaels-illustrator.com/"><span style="color: #000099; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"><u>www.ljmichaels-illustrator.com</u></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> has it all - bio, portfolio, resume, contact info, etc. You can also read my blog </span><a href="http://wscribbles.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://wscribbles.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and find me on Twitter (wscribbles) and Facebook. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXCZQGKOOCI52vZyTscHSzhQZZ93dEv5JlqxtLtDAgFLyla6PVnNXZcGI_IcxaNKkDgXqYZ9j_uKT74RIVLvrOfJeQuXS-q8vHsLdmB8ECvDyNE24-XbwIIOmIQ_kQ_ckbiFsUv8GCPJT/s1600/Ybr+graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXCZQGKOOCI52vZyTscHSzhQZZ93dEv5JlqxtLtDAgFLyla6PVnNXZcGI_IcxaNKkDgXqYZ9j_uKT74RIVLvrOfJeQuXS-q8vHsLdmB8ECvDyNE24-XbwIIOmIQ_kQ_ckbiFsUv8GCPJT/s1600/Ybr+graphic.png" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"> Over the years, it has become my passion to build and contribute environments where authors and illustrators can grow and learn from each other, without the burden of exorbitant membership dues. I am the creator, developer and moderator for “The Yellow Brick Road”, </span></span><a href="http://welcometoybr.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #000099; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"><u>http://welcometoybr.blogspot.com</u></span></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"> a free professional critique group of 25+ published children’s lit authors. “YBR” provides a privacy protected, encouraging and productive atmosphere in which members can work together towards the common goal of publication. YBR has a public promotional page, where visitors can read excepts from member manuscripts, author bios, photo’s and more!</span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Along with my colleague and friend, Jill Bergman, I created, developed and moderate the ever-growing “Visual Storytellers Studio” (VSS), a virtual revolving illustration gallery, free to it’s 35+ professional members, and it’s daily multitude of visitors. </span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US"> In addition, I created the first officia</span></span><span class="sd-abs-pos" style="left: 4.15in; position: absolute; top: 3.65in; width: 301px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="en-US">l SCBWI illustrator critique website for Florida members. “The SCBWI West Coast Critters” (WCC) is now in it’s second year, and membership is growing! </span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"> Thank you to the many authors and illustrators who have freely extended the gift of information, education, and friendship to me over the years. My friends at the Manic Network are among them! Kindness is seldom forgotten. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; line-height: 120%;"><span class="Object"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em>Thank you so much</em> for being on Manic Network’s Blog, <em>Lisa!</em></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="BasicParagraph" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="BasicParagraph" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; line-height: 120%;"><span class="Object"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em>~ Michelle and Jan</em></span></strong></span></span></div></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"></span></span><br />
<div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Other pages where you can find out more about <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: 'Gill Sans';">Lisa J. Michaels:</span></span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></span></div><div align="left" lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><a href="http://www.ljmichaels-illustrator.com/meet_lisa_j_michaels.html">http://www.ljmichaels-illustrator.com/meet_lisa_j_michaels.html</a></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><a href="http://www.ljmichaels-illustrator.com/successes.html">http://www.ljmichaels-illustrator.com/successes.html</a></span></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979696420653711800.post-25485400282984767612011-08-05T07:00:00.000-07:002011-08-05T12:58:46.128-07:00An Interview with Michelle Munger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkrH9z648T95bmEtJNXstuwrk0ZaxRoepNn9aMXp04fJtW4uif1tBgW9eW4znhLJEI0QqJ9jLdv9CqiDYbXJW4W9Tb3FZPQ-XOsafTeLXEwQR6DPCK_z7RnOGjOgl9TPOUJ5Aiy5IfiSn/s1600/meatwedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkrH9z648T95bmEtJNXstuwrk0ZaxRoepNn9aMXp04fJtW4uif1tBgW9eW4znhLJEI0QqJ9jLdv9CqiDYbXJW4W9Tb3FZPQ-XOsafTeLXEwQR6DPCK_z7RnOGjOgl9TPOUJ5Aiy5IfiSn/s320/meatwedding.JPG" width="241" /></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The first question that is probably on everyone's mind is why you started Manic Network, can you tell us a little about it?</b></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Manic Network was just something I needed to do. When I first started seriously considering writing and illustrating, I went to a conference in LA to figure things out. I found it very difficult to choose classes because they were either geared toward writing or illustrating but never both. I found it frustrating that I would even be asked to choose one or the other. So I followed the artist path and didn't learn anything. Most of the classes were about how other artists got their start, or dealt with just the illustrating aspect. I was desperate to see how writing and illustrating all fit together as a whole but I could never get a straight answer. It was always, 'oh, the writer will have this done before it comes to you,' or 'well as the writer, you don't have to worry about what the illustrator does.' No one could marry the two for me. I started Manic as a way for others like myself to gain the knowledge that no one else was teaching. I figured that there were enough published writer/illustrators out there that they could share information with the people who were trying to get their start. And I wanted to make waves, even if it's just a few ripples in the publishing community. We are here and we aren't going away, so get used to it. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX9GOKt0hZg7mLmUJFAZUbDhzhQR7LIRhr8Cm7j30CH0qnw_ww_y42q72FCmmA9V3TLTj6ggtWO88Y08ANq_-AIrAeBfeY3SAcXuHK7aDJlK31rv0FkCqNzYdaVno78o7FcoJw2lf8hWw/s1600/fleapage28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX9GOKt0hZg7mLmUJFAZUbDhzhQR7LIRhr8Cm7j30CH0qnw_ww_y42q72FCmmA9V3TLTj6ggtWO88Y08ANq_-AIrAeBfeY3SAcXuHK7aDJlK31rv0FkCqNzYdaVno78o7FcoJw2lf8hWw/s320/fleapage28.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>How did you get started illustrating children's books?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Tahoma; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I was younger, I never even considered that children's books needed an illustrator. I guess I thought the pictures just magically appeared on the page somehow. But I loved looking at them, and began collecting children's books in my teens. I had hundreds of them, which now my sister shares in her classroom. I began by writing children's books after I had my own kids, but didn't start illustrating them until a few years later when I was trying to create some interactive powerpoints for my kid's schoolwork. I would write stories and of course I needed pictures for them and that's pretty much when I started thinking about it as an actual career. I really enjoyed the creation process. I was a natural in the art department, but the writing took a lot of work. Especially the type of writing that's required of children's books. It's actually a lot harder than it seems. For those who say that anyone can write a children's book, think again. That's the hardest part. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctCEwDiydt4fVYy2z3IZ6Pc-be5IW44YSMplfYulXIvWgg21ujPJqIvCS83uVz7xpwtzQ8MubetHF54GV3MGD7c0rN1bfXUW3WI8BoYJ7sRQIQLkWs1kSa1ZIhi8bCg9A0F59LkdUmPnC/s1600/dane1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctCEwDiydt4fVYy2z3IZ6Pc-be5IW44YSMplfYulXIvWgg21ujPJqIvCS83uVz7xpwtzQ8MubetHF54GV3MGD7c0rN1bfXUW3WI8BoYJ7sRQIQLkWs1kSa1ZIhi8bCg9A0F59LkdUmPnC/s320/dane1.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>What mediums do you or have you worked with?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I was first starting out, I did a lot of my drawings in pencil and started my own portrait business. Then I slowly worked my way into colored pencils which I really enjoyed because of the added color. I've used pastel chalks in the past, but because of my allergies, I really have to stay away from them. I've also used oil pastels, but they are not very practical considering they never dry. Acrylics never worked for me because I couldn't blend before the paint dried, and watercolors were just too difficult to get right. I think my ah-ha moment came when I played around with a few digital art programs and found them to be perfect for what I needed. Now, I don't use anything but digital programs. My favorites are ArtRage and of course photoshop. I've also used Poser, Z-Brush and Bryce. I think I've spent thousands of dollars on art programs alone and I've owned three art tablets. The one I use now is a 12 inch Cintiq, which lets you draw right on the screen. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz4nk7TdcBeGEa8aSQ9OIk_ibWL-OugswZaqMY17tfSJW3VYJNTWvuZgLC7vP34dhLBx0UD_SR9ppRqFAWvWhr3lm8mfnQEmZ8lv2Z7qv7j6X91QwAvZmaH7WsM3Lt3r3v1JwwE4XGzLH/s1600/cowboybaby2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz4nk7TdcBeGEa8aSQ9OIk_ibWL-OugswZaqMY17tfSJW3VYJNTWvuZgLC7vP34dhLBx0UD_SR9ppRqFAWvWhr3lm8mfnQEmZ8lv2Z7qv7j6X91QwAvZmaH7WsM3Lt3r3v1JwwE4XGzLH/s320/cowboybaby2.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>How long does it take you to write and illustrate a book?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've never actually finished a complete book. Unless you count a romance novel I wrote a long time ago. It was about 350,000 words that I finished in 6 months. I've been revising it for nearly 7 years though. I always come to the almost done stage when something trips me up and I have to stop and think about it for awhile. I do have several picture books in the almost done stage, but I left them that way purposefully because I knew that once they found homes, I'd have to change things for the editor. It was just a time saver for me to not finish them. But I once calculated how long it would take based on one of my unfinished picture books, about 28 weeks, considering it took about a week per page. The writing process is different. Sometimes a whole book falls straight out of my head onto the page in about an hour, sometimes it takes a little longer. Usually I can write a book in about a week and then it takes several months to revise and refine until I get it just right. So, I would say a little under a year for one book.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVjtQXEHljy8HAurGcRSinbAjMdTXiqTmSBaCMiW3bID80Sj6_2zt9qhgx-c080yWo9Fe4loGzrwsAh9KV3AspdTslYOmBgY7BNZFmdSXkJK7rmdhZ6LZreSfVdXwEOOilL4pTqlXkhvs/s1600/galaxygirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVjtQXEHljy8HAurGcRSinbAjMdTXiqTmSBaCMiW3bID80Sj6_2zt9qhgx-c080yWo9Fe4loGzrwsAh9KV3AspdTslYOmBgY7BNZFmdSXkJK7rmdhZ6LZreSfVdXwEOOilL4pTqlXkhvs/s320/galaxygirl.jpg" width="263" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>How do you balance writing with everything else you have to do?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Balance? What balance? My life is chaos in motion. I'm the fifth and apparently only member of my household that cleans up after herself, so when I am not cleaning, doing laundry and cooking, I'm homeschooling my three kids. In between that, I'm on my computer either writing, illustrating, working on the layout and design of the NE/NC Texas SCBWI online newsletter, looking up helpful hints for Manic Network, or studying for my next test. Did I mention I was going back to college? And that's only during the weekdays. On the weekends I'm working in a children's hospital poking babies and taking blood pressures. Seriously, I'm a paramedic, that's what I do. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>You mentioned you were going back to college, what are you hoping to accomplish in life?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdEeXuzj90Iy_FFHojZDS4Gzm0fa9dhPiG8tBY5WDPKEi3ggbijDpo_3SdNIeEBHwwdVvP4hCSJ9_BrKqvM1HVterkbojepnrNGY6dqyICIpRfcE34QIdHfZQOCgt7X4-_JGnVzpo4R0I/s1600/mangamermaid.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdEeXuzj90Iy_FFHojZDS4Gzm0fa9dhPiG8tBY5WDPKEi3ggbijDpo_3SdNIeEBHwwdVvP4hCSJ9_BrKqvM1HVterkbojepnrNGY6dqyICIpRfcE34QIdHfZQOCgt7X4-_JGnVzpo4R0I/s320/mangamermaid.JPG" width="282" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Really just trying to better myself. As a paramedic there is a limit to what I can make in a hospital setting. If anything ever happened to my diabetic, slightly overweight husband, I would be stuck, not making enough to keep the household running. So that in a nutshell is my reason for going back to college. I'm actually going back for nursing because I need a steady reliable job and since I've been in the medical field for so long, it only seems natural to just move on up the ladder instead of switching from one ladder to the next. That way, I can secure my families income while working towards my dream of becoming a published writer/illustrator. And let's face it, breaking into the children's book industry is becoming more and more difficult, especially with the rise of e-books. It's only common sense to have something else to get me through the lean years.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Do you think e-books are the wave of the future?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I would be silly to think e-books were just a passing fad. With technology growing like it is, and people being more conscious of the environment, it just seems ridiculous to chop down millions of trees to print thousands of books when all you need is a kindle reader, nook, or iPad. I think it is going to be something that the older generations need to get used to because it's not going away any time soon. These younger generations are going to grow up not really knowing what a book is. So once they get old enough to choose, that's when printing books will go away. We are probably going to be the last generation to print books on paper. Even textbooks nowadays are going digital. Which really helps lighten your backpack. Can you imagine having to carry around twenty pounds of textbooks when all you need is one 6 ounce e-reader? There are just so many things you can do with e-books that you can't do with printed books and I am all for it. Bring it on!</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgb1R_XiIa0YFX9lBbA-yySvYRhWsT8k2NsUp2Ou53o0gUccgXgBHKqQ7m57diMpBju1vSAexa9kbkTASRxXGgb7brraNYUcFjWfavC7Ech4z519HPoQTQHorwGcXeoWXhoNGkV3ykJD1/s1600/xmarksthespot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgb1R_XiIa0YFX9lBbA-yySvYRhWsT8k2NsUp2Ou53o0gUccgXgBHKqQ7m57diMpBju1vSAexa9kbkTASRxXGgb7brraNYUcFjWfavC7Ech4z519HPoQTQHorwGcXeoWXhoNGkV3ykJD1/s320/xmarksthespot.png" width="247" /></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>What are your upcoming projects?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have so many I don't know where to start. I'm working on illustrating a storybook for a friend of mine. His book is already for sale on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flaming-Sword-Uncle-Adventures-ebook/dp/B0051J8KS4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312520704&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>, I did the cover for him already, but we were planning to illustrate and then re-release it. I'm also working on an interactive book of my own for the iPad and iPhone, but the software has a high learning curve, so it's going to take some time to figure out. I also have several YA's in the works but they've been on hold until some of the other projects get finished. And I've just submitted to a writer that wants his book ready by Christmas. I should know if he wants me to illustrate his book by Monday. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>What do you think others would want to know about you?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm a glutton for punishment. </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Anyone who knows me will tell you that I work hard for what I want and I never back down. </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My websites and blogs can be found here:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://michellemunger.com/">http://michellemunger.com</a></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.simplybeautifulart.biz/michellesblog/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">http://www.simplybeautifulart.biz/michellesblog/</span></a></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.simplybeautifulart.biz/">http://www.simplybeautifulart.biz</a></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And I also have an iPhone app out called <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/klunk-klock/id420281215?ign-mpt=uo%3D5">Klunk Klock</a>. It's a partner project with my spouse who happens to be a computer geek. He wrote the program while I designed the art. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I really appreciate all the members of Manic and hope to get to know everyone better in the future. Thanks for reading.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">~Michelle~</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br />
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</div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02524261519035106075noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979696420653711800.post-74711038603943818062011-07-29T15:22:00.000-07:002011-07-29T15:59:01.715-07:00An Interview with Aidana WillowRaven<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><em>Hi Aidana, and thank you for giving us this interview.</em></div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XihF2VO9zytYtXy-ZU_EzokQxLz8BccWnf3EIPN_HMKCa3C1WSs87HtWNBfkp-a53J3QLlpwy59huNE4cYz3mgU59mw_Fq-8j3CqkMj-sypnd_U0cHzxoIPZ1iGgVZCVVTrDwmA38gvA/s1600/Strangers_in_the_Barn_by_Jim_Laughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XihF2VO9zytYtXy-ZU_EzokQxLz8BccWnf3EIPN_HMKCa3C1WSs87HtWNBfkp-a53J3QLlpwy59huNE4cYz3mgU59mw_Fq-8j3CqkMj-sypnd_U0cHzxoIPZ1iGgVZCVVTrDwmA38gvA/s320/Strangers_in_the_Barn_by_Jim_Laughter.jpg" t$="true" width="204" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b>How young were you when you knew you were an artist?</b> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Start off with the hard one, huh (lol)? Why I say it’s one of the harder questions I get asked is because up until about two years ago, I refused to refer to myself as an ‘artist’. Like most kids, I would draw once in a while to pass the time, but I was told by teachers, and even my own mother, than I had no ‘talent’. They’d say it nicely; just that art wasn’t my ‘thing’. As a result, my math skills were focused on. Being a reluctant reader, due to an undiagnosed case of ADD (vs ADHD), I hadn’t started associating my scribblings with words yet, either. </div></div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySTeCGE77gToJhO0clr3GJnJC4doKa3T2VbyWWz3e0_e3LXJ4Z55IfT6J9Qpg1lF-Z_ypzJ8nSH6fLvCyHEFPU6aQt1PFbVQxie3CNLMNELoshKLKnMS8T4D6o1e7H4QjvBHI7PNB2jwn/s1600/Empyreal_Fate_by_Rachel_Hunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySTeCGE77gToJhO0clr3GJnJC4doKa3T2VbyWWz3e0_e3LXJ4Z55IfT6J9Qpg1lF-Z_ypzJ8nSH6fLvCyHEFPU6aQt1PFbVQxie3CNLMNELoshKLKnMS8T4D6o1e7H4QjvBHI7PNB2jwn/s320/Empyreal_Fate_by_Rachel_Hunter.jpg" t$="true" width="209" /></a>As life would have it, I dropped drawing all together, grew up, got married – twice – and divorced –twice – lol. Had two kids in the mix, too. I went through a rough time after being discharged from the ARMY. </div></div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">By this time I was 23, had finally found books and fantasy (thanks to David Eddings and Terry Brooks), and had started keeping a journal. I say keeping rather than writing because I strongly suspect that my ‘poetry’ stank … lol. Then I found out that my journal was being violated. Read without my permission. So I started drawing my words.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQYosRxJ1DZNWqGelSgxyzNVzxKox095SJdbRk3pA1X8JUXzGQXoDnAqBO1AnsE4YhruHCftUCo-eC3i3e6A5IjkiEiHKs8kBpKnPJif4CBTrNQ-5GfNbXhx0K3WX-Tj4e6_5rOge-8UZ/s1600/Aldric-Anneliese_trailer_scene_3-4.daz_fine_art_piece_72ppi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQYosRxJ1DZNWqGelSgxyzNVzxKox095SJdbRk3pA1X8JUXzGQXoDnAqBO1AnsE4YhruHCftUCo-eC3i3e6A5IjkiEiHKs8kBpKnPJif4CBTrNQ-5GfNbXhx0K3WX-Tj4e6_5rOge-8UZ/s320/Aldric-Anneliese_trailer_scene_3-4.daz_fine_art_piece_72ppi.jpg" t$="true" width="240" /></a></div>Next thing you know, within a month’s time, I was spending large gaps of my time reading fantasy, and re-creating how I would have done the cover art, had I been the artist. I covered my walls in popular fantasy posters, and did my best to copy them, just to say what I needed to say.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Then, I decided college was what was needed to get out of my funk. But what to major in? I had spent the last nine months, or so, doing nothing but reading, drawing, and hanging out with medievalists. What did I want to be, though? I was reading Anne McCaffrey’s <i><b>Dragon Riders of Pern</b></i> series when asking myself this, and Michael Whelan’s <i><b>White Dragon</b></i> was grabbing my attention almost more than the book. I had been making really bad attempts at recreations of it … lol. </div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So, I took my pitiful portfolio to the art department at Norfolk State University, and asked an advisor, there, if he saw any potential. Note I didn’t say ‘talent’.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Mr Thompkins did tell me where he saw my work need much refinement, but what surprised me, and still does, is he said I had also instinctively gotten quite a bit ‘right’, even though I was COMEPLETELY untrained. He said I instinctively put down some lines, that with the proper schooling, I could learn to see the right from the wrong.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That ‘learning to see’ mentality followed through my next six years of fine art school, with electives in animation and design. My biggest teaching influences coming from Jenks and Okala, I realized ‘talent’ was an abstract word used to describe a skill that had been refined through practice, drive, and desire, not something innate. Only the desire to refine that skill is innate. Of course, many argue this with me, and that’s ok. When people tell me I’m talented, I graciously say thank you, and only rarely get on my soap box. I still like hearing it, even if I don’t believe in it … lol. I still like stories about Santa, too.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRNcXf7Yo7BPtuOinc4YTl_UmHdqAulsMyzUNkIJB1iELVtB8SqfNPyXJRFhmYlBGTDzzL-KuHLLLWRFSR5-cDcTrp1Hm6amX-xue6ifBm_M8G_EwkgR5qi5Nc5Q17H0iJVxD3piDTjlZ/s1600/Just_Breeze_by_Beverly_Stowe_McClure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRNcXf7Yo7BPtuOinc4YTl_UmHdqAulsMyzUNkIJB1iELVtB8SqfNPyXJRFhmYlBGTDzzL-KuHLLLWRFSR5-cDcTrp1Hm6amX-xue6ifBm_M8G_EwkgR5qi5Nc5Q17H0iJVxD3piDTjlZ/s320/Just_Breeze_by_Beverly_Stowe_McClure.jpg" t$="true" width="204" /></a></div>After art school, I entered contests and shows between 1996 and 2007, but really didn’t know how to get into publishing, so I just sort of dabbled, and gathered little awards or sales. Then one night, about four years ago, it hit me … make friends with authors and publishers … so I started networking. Within three months I had my first children’s book illustration gig. I was officially an illustrator (still not an artist). It wasn’t until I started doing work for myself, again, not just work for other people to pay the bills, and that was about a year ago. Now you see why it was a tough question? </div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What mediums have you worked in besides digital programs?</b> I started out in graphite, then moved into charcoal, and found a home with colored pencils, but was trained in all the standard mediums (paints, sculpture, etc). I didn’t start playing with digital software until about two years ago. I try to incorporate my fine art training in my digital work, too.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What is your latest project?</b> I always have several projects going on at once, but my most recent is the cover art for Beverly Stowe McClure’s <i><b>Life on Hold</b></i> (4RV Publishing), YA novel about a girl who faces some doubts about her parentage.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEm3dBmid8QCWrbj79st0zDncKk7a5SecGMU97tDx0GMf-BITiishY75An9180DzERbqnpqMRsmCZv1v3tlvMedtG4bVMql3-1vNICVYCl1jKZC3iIGgEatHn7n4HLZHYOwRP6NEB5Frc/s1600/Life_on_Hold_by_Beverly_Stowe_McClure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEm3dBmid8QCWrbj79st0zDncKk7a5SecGMU97tDx0GMf-BITiishY75An9180DzERbqnpqMRsmCZv1v3tlvMedtG4bVMql3-1vNICVYCl1jKZC3iIGgEatHn7n4HLZHYOwRP6NEB5Frc/s320/Life_on_Hold_by_Beverly_Stowe_McClure.jpg" t$="true" width="212" /></a></div><b>How did your art career begin?</b> With a children’s book. My intent was always fantasy covers, but drawing for a living was too cool to be true, so I ended starting in children’s books and Christian book covers.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>How did you get into the book business?</b> I covered a good bit of that earlier, but basically, I was approached by a small PH on a yahoo group for writers.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>How many books have you illustrated and how many covers have you designed?</b> Oh my goodness. You want me to count them? I haven’t broken it down, but there are over 100 books in print with my work on or in them, plus magazine publications. Will that do?</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I have found that illustrating books was the first step to designing books. Do you find that to be true as well?</b> I started doing both at once (career-wise anyway), because I was trained in both, and felt knowing where text was going to go was important in knowing what my canvas size was. But I’ve found there are more designers out there than illustrators. Too many are artists, and not illustrators. As a result, we find more designers who happen to learn, or like to illustrate, but rarely do you find artists willing to illustrate. I can usually tell by the portfolio if the illustrator is a designer or an artist. Illustration is a side-step from both skill sets. Sort of like how animation utilizes bot traditions. Does that answer your question?</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB39c8274073eA59vf0VugHHrLVa6tlRc3Hf4Tw0l6GlEOd_Ao2VQRA-EDArnXSPN6aoogCWquMzBhz83XcsuiOiWZYFp-MJTZ2vsDbJACdqF9C9rytwCezVN33n4qNwTppVV1LyaSUaZ/s1600/composite_FINAL_-_YEAH_signed_at_72ppi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB39c8274073eA59vf0VugHHrLVa6tlRc3Hf4Tw0l6GlEOd_Ao2VQRA-EDArnXSPN6aoogCWquMzBhz83XcsuiOiWZYFp-MJTZ2vsDbJACdqF9C9rytwCezVN33n4qNwTppVV1LyaSUaZ/s320/composite_FINAL_-_YEAH_signed_at_72ppi.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><b>Who are some of the many authors you have worked with</b>? Again, so many. It would be easier to check out my book covers and see what names you might recognize. I tend to feel more comfortable with smaller PHs. They’re more personal. So you may, or may not, recognize any. </div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What are some of the interesting jobs have you had along the way?</b> I owned a book & herb shop. I manufactured herbal remedies for pets, people, and exotic zoo animals. I decided to focus on the illustration in 2007.</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What type of services does your company offer</b>? Illustration, design, cover art, logo identity and avatars, and more. Just about anything involving illustration or design, in most genres, including graphic novels/comics. </div><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><h1 class="western" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aidana, you have written many articles about art, illustration and design. Where can people find them</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">? I’ve done several guest posts on blogs from all over the world, but most of my articles can be found on the </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4RV Reading, Writing, & Art News</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> blog on Fridays (</span></span></span><u><a href="http://4rvreading-writingnewsletter.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>http://4rvreading-writingnewsletter.blogspot.com/</b></span></span></a></u><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">).</span></span></span></h1><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_dz7y5eBlFkVcfI8N29B5ZLN-T15d97ggrKC43MPfzhVQrSlQrB25rpUUiHBc7NiQQubbbxtYhopDxdShLyzqzmWz2wq8V5WJXi-u0Hj7R4AWj3Y_b0mCAJwS7ME6GvthhgbmlAfXon3/s1600/baby_G_72_dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_dz7y5eBlFkVcfI8N29B5ZLN-T15d97ggrKC43MPfzhVQrSlQrB25rpUUiHBc7NiQQubbbxtYhopDxdShLyzqzmWz2wq8V5WJXi-u0Hj7R4AWj3Y_b0mCAJwS7ME6GvthhgbmlAfXon3/s320/baby_G_72_dpi.jpg" t$="true" width="214" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b>What is your next book project?</b> I actually have three kids book on my table right now, and a handful of book covers in the works.</div></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b>Please tell us where we can find out more about you and your work?</b> My website is <u><a href="http://willowraven.weebly.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://WillowRaven.weebly.com</span></a></u>, my own blog can be found at <u><a href="http://willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/</span></a></u>, and I sometimes post to the SCBWI MidSouth Illustrators <u><a href="http://midsouthillustrators.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://midsouthillustrators.blogspot.com/</span></a></u> . </div></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And let’s not forget Facebook (<u><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aidana-WillowRaven-WillowRaven-Illustration-Design-Plus/300596320104"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aidana-WillowRaven-WillowRaven-Illustration-Design-Plus/300596320104</span></a></u> ) </div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">or Twitter (<u><a href="http://twitter.com/WillowRaven"><span style="color: blue;">http://twitter.com/WillowRaven</span></a></u> ).</div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwXOCGA8Z9PLZgs1rLuBHkRKmkb-zRAtETlwREEwPLsDEfQyreIGAIkyD42oghXSGEcXq7bYzyr4nmsaFjerqrS34azENEXiNJl-neXOsizELM90M0-T69J_01_-gVl9o-HRlW0KvVkNZ/s1600/Illustration-logo-w-signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwXOCGA8Z9PLZgs1rLuBHkRKmkb-zRAtETlwREEwPLsDEfQyreIGAIkyD42oghXSGEcXq7bYzyr4nmsaFjerqrS34azENEXiNJl-neXOsizELM90M0-T69J_01_-gVl9o-HRlW0KvVkNZ/s320/Illustration-logo-w-signature.jpg" t$="true" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><strong>MORE about <em>Aidana WillowRaven:</em></strong></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Aidana WillowRaven, mother of three, was trained in Fine Art, Studio Design and Animation at Norfolk State and Old Dominion universities. </span><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;">She has illustrated and/or designed over 100 books through her company, WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus, in Tennessee. Her work has won numerous awards, has been published in several magazines, and has earned her guest appearances at various conventions. </span><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;">Framed and signed prints of some of her most popular works can be purchased through her ImageKind gallery: <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT262"><a href="http://aidanawillowraven.imagekind.com/" target="_blank">http://aidanawillowraven.imagekind.com/</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"></span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="BasicParagraph" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;">To view her portfolio, or contact her, visit her website: <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT263"><a href="http://willowraven.weebly.com/" target="_blank">http://willowraven.weebly.com/</a></span></span></div><div align="center" class="BasicParagraph" style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="BasicParagraph" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Object"><strong>Thank you so much for being on Manic Network’s Blog, Aidana!</strong></span></span></div><div align="center" class="BasicParagraph" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Object"><strong>~ Michelle and Jan</strong></span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979696420653711800.post-83349093888089887502011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:002011-07-22T07:00:02.071-07:00An Interview with Jean Wogaman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6xUV2_nE8uffHrGU3UpEtix9YjeR8JtuiOVHrd_qvQgVEkJXrpaFEXxfcdwoKiZnIRvW6vqLo7jOqFxUXlag7XEhultQIQz3pwrbmeQU2yCQTj35kW0D19-ACTcna4x6DWFtxsyRdeVd/s1600/TossingZipcom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6xUV2_nE8uffHrGU3UpEtix9YjeR8JtuiOVHrd_qvQgVEkJXrpaFEXxfcdwoKiZnIRvW6vqLo7jOqFxUXlag7XEhultQIQz3pwrbmeQU2yCQTj35kW0D19-ACTcna4x6DWFtxsyRdeVd/s320/TossingZipcom.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Jeanie, which came first the illustrating or the writing and how did you start working on children's books? </b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I kinda go back and forth between writing and drawing. Before I could read and write I amused myself in pictorial worlds. It wasn’t until I was in sixth grade when a friend introduced me to Narnia that I started to think writing the stories might be fun too. In college I majored first in English then switched to Art.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">As a young adult I dabbled in writing without completing anything. I took a correspondence course in creative writing, but the demands of a toddler kept me from finishing it in the allotted time frame. When that toddler was old enough for preschool, I took courses in illustration at the Corcoran School of Art. But family demands, day jobs, and a lack of workspace forced me to shelve the projects I’d begun in class.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I got sidetracked with office day jobs (which are abundant here in Washington, DC). When I was advised by an office colleague to advance my career prospects with a masters degree, I chose to study social science. I don’t believe I ever really intended to make a career in the field. Some small part of me suspected anthropology would help me generate interesting characters, settings, and conflict for fiction writing.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">When I finished my MA in 2004 and was contemplating what to do next, my old aspirations came back to me with a vengeance. By then my daughter was entering eighth grade. Her growing independence provided me with longer stretches to write. My masters program had instilled new discipline and improved my ability to focus. I wrote the first draft of my first middle grade novel in the next two years. For a day job, I worked as a substitute teacher in the DC Public Schools. Being around kids from all sorts of different backgrounds fanned the creative fires. As soon as I finished the first novel I started a second, finishing the first draft of that manuscript in four months. I was hooked.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I discovered the kidlit blog community in 2007 and started reading about the publication process. I joined SCBWI and started attending conferences, had critiques from agents and editors, and found writing critique partners. I learned how the internet facilitated connections between publishers and illustrators in remote locations. I dusted off my art supplies and started work on an illustration portfolio. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4aHG-IvjkoyIPk4kc8VuLRjrIWTZmJLfsW78Sidjx0rQLuh_dgwOCSAXZ1GCGZgYyGcoRN0jEvsUfBIwCe76sb3blLMrc7RC7jnBCQOHt35sV8GRDpwvIE_5sxzSaKSet4gM-tw_Cwa7/s1600/mansionbirdseyecom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4aHG-IvjkoyIPk4kc8VuLRjrIWTZmJLfsW78Sidjx0rQLuh_dgwOCSAXZ1GCGZgYyGcoRN0jEvsUfBIwCe76sb3blLMrc7RC7jnBCQOHt35sV8GRDpwvIE_5sxzSaKSet4gM-tw_Cwa7/s320/mansionbirdseyecom.jpg" width="205" /></a><b>What media do you work in?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">My favorite black and white medium is pen and ink. Sometimes I add a neutral gray wash. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">For color work, I combine ink drawing with watercolor wash and recently started experimenting with adding colored pencil to the mix.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Do you do digital drawing and painting?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Alas, no. At this point my graphics software is woefully out of date. (I bought my Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Pagemaker bundle in 1999.) I’d like to get back into digital work, at the very least in order to tweak the images I make on paper. I wish I had room in the budget for a Cintiq.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Do you write stories first or do you come up with a drawing and a story follows?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Writing generally comes first these days, although I am still very much a visual thinker. I construct visual images in my head before putting words on the page.</div><div><br />
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<div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubWfdNGO1mOlK-kNhFjHzR9HF7szVfSYJ8_HiXrYnlRCGug-ziNxmlUc-Li0Owy5ta2BoQbPP4I3dfaV993HMpU_vq57DC9AI_5CfWrdWrPqRjufsEDGW3E3zFmBvOzloPUX81kxVSQSl/s1600/amazonratcom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubWfdNGO1mOlK-kNhFjHzR9HF7szVfSYJ8_HiXrYnlRCGug-ziNxmlUc-Li0Owy5ta2BoQbPP4I3dfaV993HMpU_vq57DC9AI_5CfWrdWrPqRjufsEDGW3E3zFmBvOzloPUX81kxVSQSl/s320/amazonratcom.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Have you illustrated books for other authors or would you consider it in the future?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I have not illustrated other people’s writing but would certainly be willing if the stories intrigue me. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">That being said, I am not interested in being approached by writers looking for an illustrator to work on spec in advance of submitting to a publisher. Publishers like to be the ones to match authors and illustrators. I defer to them. Nor am I interested in illustrating an author’s self-published books at this point.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>How many books have you published and how long does it take you to write and illustrate a book? </b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I have yet to have a book published. My short fiction has appeared in <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pockets</span> magazine. Although I’ve had a blog for a few years already, I just created my first portfolio website this spring and sent out my first batch of promotional postcards in May. I’m working on more portfolio pieces now in preparation for a second mailing in late August/early September. </div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Do you find that being both the author and the illustrator is an advantage when doing a picture book?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">As stated above, I have no books out yet. While I would be willing to consider a picture book project, I am targeting the middle grade market. I have a new middle grade novel manuscript that I am in the process of revising. I hope to have it ready for submission to agents this fall. Illustration-wise, I do a lot in black and white which lends itself well to middle grade or chapter book interior art.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1vC9pm-zM8ZWDqzZNWsYHbd-Kb_GF4a_95TtADw92wfniSfYRPm6PManbyRHrfffq-KcY13pDurjOyS-fRyzzbdJl5kFdNP1rabE2sTati6eKpuql3ocbogucS4EM-DK_xXIhvhxaJ0_/s1600/PenTreecom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1vC9pm-zM8ZWDqzZNWsYHbd-Kb_GF4a_95TtADw92wfniSfYRPm6PManbyRHrfffq-KcY13pDurjOyS-fRyzzbdJl5kFdNP1rabE2sTati6eKpuql3ocbogucS4EM-DK_xXIhvhxaJ0_/s320/PenTreecom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>What fuels your creativity?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I daydream constantly--no doubt to process all the crazy, disturbing things going on in the world around me. </div></div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>You’ve had a few interesting jobs. I have as well. I was a piano tuner a few years. My handle cap was that I was a small woman and couldn’t pick up many piano part let alone the piano! What was working as an opera scenery painter like? (Or any other job that was interest for you)</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jnfMRvLqWVyrqCg1DmFVoJeMyjWg6lNsQVEmrImXMTjaJ6mGE39C-CLWCSazJyIM8U_Hc-rzA1hTJTWuFDZjL_L4OBS6P7lUYr1QySbVOlT3WJ39aykpUAXcroVwi29Z9k5udgQAw2fB/s1600/hillvillagecom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jnfMRvLqWVyrqCg1DmFVoJeMyjWg6lNsQVEmrImXMTjaJ6mGE39C-CLWCSazJyIM8U_Hc-rzA1hTJTWuFDZjL_L4OBS6P7lUYr1QySbVOlT3WJ39aykpUAXcroVwi29Z9k5udgQAw2fB/s320/hillvillagecom.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>I painted opera scenery while I was an undergraduate student at Indiana University Bloomington which has one of the best opera schools in the world. The stage and the resources at our disposal were all professional grade. As a member of the paint crew, my work involved a lot of slapping one color across a huge backdrop, not much more exciting than painting a wall. But occasionally I was given more complex tasks. I managed to get pretty good at dry-brushing a wood look on muslin and sculpting Styrofoam into rocks. Some of the sets were really cool. We once worked on a rotating set with multilevel platforms for the Tempest. That was a fun space to work (and play around) in.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>What is the Sketchbook Project and Art House community?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">You can learn all the nitty gritty about the sketchbook project at <a href="http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject"><span style="color: #6700ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject</span></a>. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Here’s the short version: You pay a fee and choose a theme. The Art House Co-op sends you a sketchbook, but you don‘t keep it. You fill it with art and send it back to Art House by the deadline. They file it in the Brooklyn Art Library with all the other submissions and people come in and check them out. They also take the books on tour. The 2011 books are in Chicago as I’m writing this. I just received an email notification that someone checked out my 2011 book there today. You can view a digitized version of my 2011 book (theme: “This is not a sketchbook“) at http://www.arthousecoop.com/library/4570. My theme for 2012 is “treehouse” and you can follow my progress with it on my blog at http://jeanwogaman.blogspot.com. I don’t know much about what else the Art House Co-op does. I participate only in the sketchbook project.</div></div><div><b><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div>Where can people find out more about you?</b><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I have a website at <a href="http://www.jeanwogaman.com/"><span style="color: #6700ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://www.jeanwogaman.com</span></a> and a blog at <a href="http://jeanwogaman.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #6700ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://jeanwogaman.blogspot.com</span></a>. I am also on twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/jeanie_w"><span style="color: #6700ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://twitter.com/jeanie_w</span></a> where I am a frequent participant in the #kidlitart chats (for children’s illustrators) on Thursdays 9:00pm-10:00pm Eastern and an occasional participant in #kidlitchat (for both writers and illustrators) on Tuesdays 9:00pm-10:00pm Eastern. Other than those chats, I am rarely on twitter. You can learn what I’ve been reading lately at http://www.goodreads.com. I am on Facebook and am at this point still accepting friend requests from people directly involved in children’s literature. I recently signed up for Google+ (as Jean Wogaman), but I have no idea what I’m doing there. It’s not like I have time for yet another social network thing.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_I7AbBQDV1C9g52QRu4JjlMcBCukV6SwLehBRcSkcqrDJa1ClRttD7e6Hd8aZZ6bW4Z8UmN1sxUBmNRR5WgVjsg3gWhaL_s_ZsohJoxHidxrWMYYNKmdXwO82CgxCJaa7G24RtJM0umH/s1600/bookshelfcom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_I7AbBQDV1C9g52QRu4JjlMcBCukV6SwLehBRcSkcqrDJa1ClRttD7e6Hd8aZZ6bW4Z8UmN1sxUBmNRR5WgVjsg3gWhaL_s_ZsohJoxHidxrWMYYNKmdXwO82CgxCJaa7G24RtJM0umH/s320/bookshelfcom.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><b>Thank you so much for being on Manic Network’s Blog, Jeanie!</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Thank YOU, Michelle and Jan! I am honored that you asked me. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Jeanie </div></div><div><br />
</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02524261519035106075noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979696420653711800.post-58229404992404719162011-07-15T12:43:00.000-07:002011-07-15T12:48:36.626-07:00An Interview with Stephen Aitken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut06QMvsm8SLngfpcY73qieDwPtTONYbbXHuQVDUyhh7Lc_1MGDQ-n4UCmZ4p1OBtzB_ch3boVvG5POFdV1nA6K1TwlOwDNWfKcapKAiNCyGETssy7wCVAZtTBoDvDha8-qNeFnA4zAB9/s1600/House-Wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut06QMvsm8SLngfpcY73qieDwPtTONYbbXHuQVDUyhh7Lc_1MGDQ-n4UCmZ4p1OBtzB_ch3boVvG5POFdV1nA6K1TwlOwDNWfKcapKAiNCyGETssy7wCVAZtTBoDvDha8-qNeFnA4zAB9/s320/House-Wren.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How did you get started illustrating children’s book?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I majored in biology in university but I completed my degree dissatisfied. I then attended Architecture School at Carleton University and this reawakened my love affair with art and drawing, a love that had lain dormant for a number of years. I started a career as a biological artist - drawing aphids, spiders and butterflies for the Canadian National Collection of Insects, trees for Natural Resources Canada, wildlife for Parks Canada and museum displays of all kinds for the Canadian Museum of Nature. Then, about 12 years ago I met an author friend who asked me to illustrate a book he was writing on the fascinating subject of Norse mythology. The 108 illustrations that resulted from this 2-year collaboration were used to publish a set of Tarot-like cards by a publisher in Oslo, Norway. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Odin’s Journey </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">really stretched my creative skills. There was very little in-depth visual reference material for this pre-Celtic mythology but the author, Lars Ims. was inspired and we kept each other going. This project propelled my art to a new creative level and laid the basis for me to accept the challenge of illustrating for children’s books. I worked hard for the following year or more, largely for small start-up publishers, and assembled a respectable children’s book illustration portfolio. I’ve never looked back.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What mediums do you or have you worked with?</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">‘</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Mediums’ or ‘media’? I consider myself very fortunate. When I was quite young, my father picked up a hitchhiker who was a young graphics arts student. They got to chatting and made an arrangement for him to teach me art classes. For several years, every Sunday morning, I walked over to his studio with a one dollar bill (we don’t have these anymore in Canada so I am dating myself here). He gladly showed me how to use all the new media that he had been taught that week at art school - from letraset, to wood carving, to block printing, to painting on velvet with pastels. I became familiar with a variety of media. As an added bonus he drove me home on his motorcycle, which for a 10-year old was pretty cool!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdD1VAT5sX7AUHP8vu9WXEecWcwbE-fcoT5lAsCXgRGoxXY0ZFMT2ALA4HF1EM9zdt5hk1o9s-F4dDKCQgllCADxxuwPABuUkhWLsm2L2tDh80DyK-lPmL_D6UjDj-dsAajAzpSK4riqK/s1600/onam2-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdD1VAT5sX7AUHP8vu9WXEecWcwbE-fcoT5lAsCXgRGoxXY0ZFMT2ALA4HF1EM9zdt5hk1o9s-F4dDKCQgllCADxxuwPABuUkhWLsm2L2tDh80DyK-lPmL_D6UjDj-dsAajAzpSK4riqK/s320/onam2-copy.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A lot of my technical illustrations are created with a fine black rapidograph line. I have also printed line drawings onto watercolour paper and hand-painted each print with watercolours. For many years I painted large landscapes on stretched cold-pressed Arches watercolour paper and sold them through art galleries in the Ottawa area. I often use gouache now for details on top of watercolour illustrations though I am a bit of a purist when it comes to my fine art watercolours. Acrylics are another favourite, both transparently like watercolours, and in a thick opaque manner. I used to enjoy working in oils but the fumes from the turp oils ultimately turned me away from this medium. When digital technology came along, particularly </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Corel Painter, </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I started using digital oils. My illustration work for educational publishers using a fine dark line (3 pixels in size – yes, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">very</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> small) painted over with artist’s oils or other digital media. The ‘real’blender brushes just keep getting better with each new version of the </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Corel </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">software.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How did you start writing books for children?</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I have been the Managing Editor of an international science journal called </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Biodiversity </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">for the past 6-7 years</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> I have a lot of experience writing editorials, news stories and other science articles for the journal. In 2002 I received an email from a wonderful Canadian author, Sylvia Sikundar who had seen my website and knew that I was working in my Himalayan studio. Sylvia asked for my assistance in naming some of the characters for a novel she was writing set in India. Our discussions moved onto the plot of the story and the character development and my input ultimately reached the point where Sylvia felt I should be credited as a coauthor. That story, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Ice Berries, </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">went on to published by Penguin India in a wonderful collection called </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Puffin Book of Bedtime Stories, </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">with the softest, hardcover you will ever find – perfect for placing under a pillow or bedtime reading</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> I was very fortunate that Sylvia encouraged my writing at this stage and she was very kind to send me many of her favourite children’s books. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I went on to write news stories and articles for children’s magazines, largely non-fiction, nature-based articles. I continue to believe that the best training you can have for writing for children is to read the classics of children’s literature </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> the books of popular contemporary children’s authors.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjfoi7K8ZP9b1iKtMOVWqlVkMcaXugc1Dk1MHe2HChm79hkQsihjfLbai6ODOYVPaEuhZvd0zFBVEKfjnahlY8cMD1o2diwlmbqYdAlrLT0vqmFKIc040T5HdXBhJwG_8Jm5i9k3PVC2k/s1600/BL%2526MP-WindyDay-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjfoi7K8ZP9b1iKtMOVWqlVkMcaXugc1Dk1MHe2HChm79hkQsihjfLbai6ODOYVPaEuhZvd0zFBVEKfjnahlY8cMD1o2diwlmbqYdAlrLT0vqmFKIc040T5HdXBhJwG_8Jm5i9k3PVC2k/s320/BL%2526MP-WindyDay-copy.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Do you illustrate other peoples books too or just your own? </span></b></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I have illustrated about 25 books authored by other writers over the course of the last 10 years, in addition to the 15 or so that I have written </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> illustrated. For about 5 years I had a wonderful New York agent, Janet DeCarlo of </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Storybook Arts Inc.</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> I illustrated books published by Zaner-Bloser, Santillana USA, SRA McGraw Hill, Sopris West Educational, Sundance Publishers and many more. I am no longer represented by Janet as I have quite a bit of work acquired directly from publishers through my own book proposals and projects.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A book that I am very proud of that I did not write (but wish I did) is the international edition of </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Mountain that Loved a Bird</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> written by Alice McLerran - a timeless classic. It is now published in 12 Indian languages, Chinese, Arabic, Turkish, and English. Alice and I are now working on a new edition to be released in North America in a few months.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How long does it take you to write and illustrate a book?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The time required for me to write a book depends on the book’s genre. I recently wrote and illustrated a series of 4 non-fiction picture books for ABDO books’ Magic Wagon imprint. These books are at the printer now and scheduled for release this fall. The 32-page books describe the effects of climate change on Earth’s living species. Each one of those books took 3-4 months to write and illustrate with 14 double spreads in each book.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fiction for the trade market typically takes me longer to write and illustrate, sometimes as much as a year, rarely less than 6 months. Like eating Swiss chocolate, I don’t like to rush this process. I stay with the storyboard stage until I get everything right. All details in the illustrations are worked out at the sketch to final pencil stage. Time and care is needed to maintain the original inspiration as much as possible in each image and to revise the storyboard until the flow is perfect between art and text. Often the text can be tweaked again at the same time as the final art is being completed. I love this process. My favourite part is storyboarding and working on the small loose sketches to perfect the flow between text and art.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG6IKquZQxasJnFS0PjL87JRcpi75Sb7PWIFHte-Z6AC-4l-5mq4jU__BKj6jW3EBlimVQhxupQHceYi2kh02cLqhd2TOJIvfbE-YsJCwsnQvLSgpl3jFB5pu39CjIcLnk3lXyk8DQSzj/s1600/sonu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG6IKquZQxasJnFS0PjL87JRcpi75Sb7PWIFHte-Z6AC-4l-5mq4jU__BKj6jW3EBlimVQhxupQHceYi2kh02cLqhd2TOJIvfbE-YsJCwsnQvLSgpl3jFB5pu39CjIcLnk3lXyk8DQSzj/s320/sonu.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I miss the feel of a brush on canvas, whether it’s watercolor or oils now that I painting mainly digitally. Do you find that digital painting is easier than watercolor or acrylics painting and from time to time go back and paint with a brush?</span></b></span></span></div></span></b></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I would not say that digital art is easier. If anything there are more details to be learned to create digital art. However, the same principles apply of creating good art, through drawing, value studies, design, color and rendering. For the educational market I almost always create the illustrations from initial sketches to final rendering with digital media. This allows me more flexibility to explore options at the dummy stage, compositional and color options in the illustrations, make changes requested by the art director, and perform subtle, final adjustments.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If I am illustrating one of my own fiction picture books I often start with traditional media, but it really is the story that determines the medium. Like you, I cherish the movement of brush on paper and the natural beauty of pigment dissolving into water, the textures of the various pigments and of the watercolour paper. But I always finish the art digitally because it is wonderful way to tighten edges, correct colors and tweak the final art. I work amost exclusively on Arches watercolour paper, whether working in watercolors or in acrylics and often for the latter will tone my paper with burnt sienna mixed with a bit of yellow ochre. This helps me to see the values better right from the outset. This of course can be done when working with digital oils as well. I work on a 21” iMac screen using either an Intuos 4 tablet or a 12” Cintiq tablet.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9SMx3UNbD65k6ld036mC9Iyd_2PRt639BexXIYran8ABOtLoiNJZ_WTlNwwmTUvIyM2roECNpIclMJB4VSCFt_EwguwrSVQM0uX-dJlwmlWPeOdqnoQQqRzjF7r1U1__bMRWNPz7xSv9/s1600/w11-aitken-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9SMx3UNbD65k6ld036mC9Iyd_2PRt639BexXIYran8ABOtLoiNJZ_WTlNwwmTUvIyM2roECNpIclMJB4VSCFt_EwguwrSVQM0uX-dJlwmlWPeOdqnoQQqRzjF7r1U1__bMRWNPz7xSv9/s320/w11-aitken-s.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I would imagine studying biology in college must come in handy in drawing and painting for children. Has it? </span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I would have to say yes, and then qualify it with a no. There is no doubt that biological illustration demands accurate, clear draughtmanship and an ability to sketch objects that are sitting in 3-D space. Drawing, figures prominently in my creative process. I do a lot of my color biological work on Arches Hot-pressed paper which I love because it allows me to add a lot of detail. I think the challenge for a biological artist moving into children’s book illustration is to let go of the need for realism and open up to other creative possibilities.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"></span></span></span></span></b></span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </div></span></span></span></b></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"></span></span></span></span></b></span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Do you find that being both the author and the illustrator makes it easier to know what pictures fit into a book?</span></span></span></div></span></span></span></b></span></span></b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I think that an author who can think visually and has the experience of illustrating a children’s book has a wonderful advantage. In picture books words are jewels - the recent trend has been towards even fewer words, 500 and below. I think a writer who is also an artist can leave out verbal descriptions, confident that they can be captured in the images. Also, subtle aspects of character can be added to the story through the images, giving layers of depth that may only be insinuated in the text. Who better to do that than the author himself? Who can know your characters better than you?</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I wrote a series of books recently for Marshall Cavendish Benchmark on the </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Climate Crisis</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> that will be released in 2012. Though I did not illustrate these 64 page books, I also think that being an artist helped me to make valuable suggestions for the placement of the high impact photos acquired by the publisher and provide suggestions for the layout of the 5 books in the series.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">With the children’s picture book market so crowded would you advise illustrating for children to others?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOMzslREm02pp5LpJq0VM6d7ZWrqVUOFIJcTxNL5Kfem2hX4DILX0hUxbbjn6HlHJbBVANF0m8IyJqNIl6zRM9IK_wF_9g5DABv6DhPQ47deEPbSwniGq3kKspzCNJhBE9yCeBzybdNYK/s1600/LLM-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOMzslREm02pp5LpJq0VM6d7ZWrqVUOFIJcTxNL5Kfem2hX4DILX0hUxbbjn6HlHJbBVANF0m8IyJqNIl6zRM9IK_wF_9g5DABv6DhPQ47deEPbSwniGq3kKspzCNJhBE9yCeBzybdNYK/s320/LLM-3.jpg" width="197" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I think you have to have a passion to communicate to young people if you are going to be an illustrator or an author of children’s books. It also pays to have multiple skills from which to draw your income if you are going to survive as an artist in children’s book publishing. Editorial, scientific, and decorative illustration can all supplement an artist’s income as he waits for the next book contract. Contrary to many people’s beliefs you probably will not get rich at this profession but it is infinitely rewarding both by creating great books for the young people of this world (who could be more important?) and also through the contacts you will make with other dedicated children’s book illustrators. The SCBWI is a wonderful resource when you are getting started and I would recommend joining for any artist considering children’s books as a focus for their career.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Being able to write your own books and stories is also a big plus in this field. Your writing skills can provide additional income as you wait for the treasured trade book contract that will give you a big six figure advance. I’m still waiting.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Lots of people make dire predictions about kids and reading and new media today. How do you see the future for children and reading?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I think physical books will exist for a long time into the future, but they will only be one of the options for readers. Regardless of the format I think publishers, if they are going to maintain the quality of books that the public demands for their children (whether they be e-books, apps or something new that hasn’t even be thought of yet) will need ‘content providers’ – and that means artists and writers. I believe it is important to be aware of the new digital formats for books and get into the game of e-books and apps as soon as possible. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilud9vDZDKvD2HHw1D4p6DXmx2-eha8O23ovJ1KyT6DumXyZP5KD5Zs1YfSjqeJT0i22xR6-eHKs1_XQi34e7eujmHBCSHgD-FIW6hFRX6NsRhBIZZ4inLTc5QFsRCq6Du1MeRaLZcYBil/s1600/lucky5-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilud9vDZDKvD2HHw1D4p6DXmx2-eha8O23ovJ1KyT6DumXyZP5KD5Zs1YfSjqeJT0i22xR6-eHKs1_XQi34e7eujmHBCSHgD-FIW6hFRX6NsRhBIZZ4inLTc5QFsRCq6Du1MeRaLZcYBil/s320/lucky5-copy.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Next week I will be signing a contract with a publisher in New Delhi, Katha Books, for </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Little Cloud’s Quest. </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This story was co-authored with Sylvia Sikundar. Katha Books is a wonderful charitable organization that promotes literacy for street children in India. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I am also creating additional art for a new North American edition of </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Mountain That Loved a Bird,</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> coming out shortly in the US and Canada. And I plan to do some </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">plein air</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> painting this fall in the Himalayan mountains of India.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Where can Manic Network members and visitors find out more about you and your work?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Check out my website </span></span><a href="http://www.stephenaitken.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">www.stephenaitken.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and for current up-to-date info on new writing and illustrating projects please visit my </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">scribblesketch</span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> blog:</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.02in; margin-top: 0.02in;"><a href="http://www.scribblesketch.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span lang="en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">www.scribblesketch.blogspot.com</span></span></span></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much Jan and Michelle for your wonderful support of the rarely recognized, and even more rarely convened, children’s author/illustrators of the world. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div></b></span></span></b></span></span></b></span></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </b></span></span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02524261519035106075noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979696420653711800.post-29981087061375969992011-07-07T12:13:00.000-07:002011-07-07T12:13:07.632-07:00An Interview with J.D. Holiday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGgxx_R5-NPjb4EiZ-VJSkOK6SouUXg0csoOqF6OSZBiiXcGbSq6WP29mj3U4KK6MkRmbxG6xmXqU_sy3WL4SMqrsMvqHhnB7_CZQZK2xahT9DPs3t4cNe4HakPG-9D57OfN62muJcINh/s1600/JD_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGgxx_R5-NPjb4EiZ-VJSkOK6SouUXg0csoOqF6OSZBiiXcGbSq6WP29mj3U4KK6MkRmbxG6xmXqU_sy3WL4SMqrsMvqHhnB7_CZQZK2xahT9DPs3t4cNe4HakPG-9D57OfN62muJcINh/s200/JD_image.jpg" width="156" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">J.D. Holiday is the author and illustrator of two children’s books: <i>Janoose the Goose, </i>picture book and a chapter book for six to eight year olds, THE GREAT SNOWBALL ESCAPADE. A chapbook of her short stories called, <i>Trespasses</i> was published in 1994 and she has had short stories printed in literary magazines and numerous articles about writing and publishing published. She is a member of both The Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators, (SCBWI) Small Publishers of North America, (SPAN) and a c-host on The Writing Mama Show on BLOG TALK RADIO’S World Of Ink Network.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>http://www.blogtalkradio.com/WorldOfInkNetwork</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>As well as being an author you're also an illustrator. Does this effect the way you write your books? </b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I think so. I see everything I write as a picture or scene and I find it easy to tell what scenes should be pictures for my children’s picture books.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>How did you get started writing and how long have you been drawing and painting? </b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">My father wrote every weekend for as long as I can remember though I never thought of writing myself while he was alive. <span style="font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande';"><br />
</span>I had problems reading and spelling as a child which didn’t start to improve until high school. Also I was so self-conscious about my spelling difficulties that I didn't think I could write seriously. But in the sixth grade I did write a story on a rainy afternoon by myself and loved it.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It wasn’t until 1983, years later that I started writing when a friend asked me to read a few pages from a historical romance she was writing. I told her what I thought about it and she asked me to help her write the book. We did finish it and sent it to an agent who was kind and sent the manuscript back with a detailed account of what was wrong with it. My friend went on to other things while I found that I loved writing and did not want to stop. I’ve been writing for years now. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I started drawing and painting in high school! I had a teacher who saw something in my artwork I didn’t know myself and encouraged me to draw and paint.<b> </b></div><div><b><br />
</b></div><div><b><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BiJDWtkcBa_iYKwMDlrClrwTSfPKXyOcKSHQ45trnc9vpaNYzEa9u20kSdgZxJw_ytR7diihgv5xY1PmTUNhdsigcNdCY26ruFHVqYNNZXBgTkyJYhz9np7V3qwapyhoENipruh4wyto/s1600/JD_image_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BiJDWtkcBa_iYKwMDlrClrwTSfPKXyOcKSHQ45trnc9vpaNYzEa9u20kSdgZxJw_ytR7diihgv5xY1PmTUNhdsigcNdCY26ruFHVqYNNZXBgTkyJYhz9np7V3qwapyhoENipruh4wyto/s320/JD_image_4.jpg" width="207" /></a><b>What's the hardest thing for you to draw?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">People. I have to study faces for a long time and even then I might get them wrong.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><b>How long does it take you to write and illustrate a book?</b> </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">That always depends on what is going on around me. Most of my stories I wrote years ago, but I think most of them took a few months to write and even up to eight months for the longer stories. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">My latest published book, <b><i>The Great Snowball Escapade</i></b>, is a chapter book for 6 to 8 year olds which I wrote in 1989. The illustrations took about 6 months fitting them in around my family, work, cooking and pets who all come first. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Do you illustrate other peoples books too or just your own? </b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">So far I’m only doing my own books because I have about 10 more manuscripts of my own to illustrate. I don’t have plans of doing illustrations for others. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Why do you write children's books? </b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I have many stories to tell for children. I had a fun childhood and many stories have come out of it. </div><div><br />
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<b><div style="display: inline !important; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Do you feel that fewer children are reading today--or is it about the same? </b></div></b><br />
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<div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I think that more children are reading and it has become somewhat important to kids today because of the use of computers. Kids have to know how to read to use them. Kids wanting to use them to play games and keeping in touch with their friends as well are looking up information on things they just want to know about. </div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFbFSRnsPc_sE74q-zI5VVGuOBXDlOTQdsRhYbmQEPFMcxvPj-nobrygpGsU_i8wS3DhjLeXwrjMPWnHgkCuApjaEDOgpx58RYamYxw0misJHII-4LkdCi0_vsbd8C0rP6VS1eVLL5d-Q/s1600/JD_image_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFbFSRnsPc_sE74q-zI5VVGuOBXDlOTQdsRhYbmQEPFMcxvPj-nobrygpGsU_i8wS3DhjLeXwrjMPWnHgkCuApjaEDOgpx58RYamYxw0misJHII-4LkdCi0_vsbd8C0rP6VS1eVLL5d-Q/s320/JD_image_1.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>When you write, do you plot or do you write by off the top of your head?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I plot all my stories heavily. I write detailed outlines of about four pages and make notes on anything available to scribble on as things come to me. The notes are clipped, stapled or taped in a binder that no one else would want to try and read through. But I wade on through the mess to write out my story on loose leaf paper that is then added to the binder until the story is done. That’s the first draft. Then I type it on the computer and begin again to edit. This can not be changed, I’ve tried. This is what works for me!</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Yes. Besides the two books I mentioned, I have about four other picture book manuscript already written that I have to do the illustrations for, and a second young adult novel that needs to be written.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>What was your road to publications like?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It wasn’t easy. For many years I submitted my manuscripts to the big publishers getting many rejection letters. Though during all that time I had some short stories and a Chapbook published, some editors were interested in my children’s stories, and I even had an agent for a time, but none of my children’s books made it into print. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">In 2002, I decided to try one of those print services, which for me, was a disaster. I had my publicity plan ready to go but the print service had made a mess of my book and the galley was not ready for printing. I tried working with them to fix it, but the next galley had the same problems and the deal collapsed. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">At that point, POD publishing, or Print On Demand had come along and was affordable to get books into print. That was when I decided I could do the job better myself and I started my own publishing company, Book Garden Publishing, LLC. </div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD3I-6b0rAfnzkArFUJocnO_tsUec4kHMSHI4Wqoy7uxkH02emC2lGmmFuSzDnlWK1ZSol7VtK6tHmQgl7mPlH5FBoYMbZjg98fr1JgTJO1EwpmUVtnstC48IFttR3_X89zy6PjJHJhAR/s1600/JD_image_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD3I-6b0rAfnzkArFUJocnO_tsUec4kHMSHI4Wqoy7uxkH02emC2lGmmFuSzDnlWK1ZSol7VtK6tHmQgl7mPlH5FBoYMbZjg98fr1JgTJO1EwpmUVtnstC48IFttR3_X89zy6PjJHJhAR/s320/JD_image_2.jpg" width="299" /></a><b>Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">That’s easy. My publisher is me! After years of submitting manuscripts to the big publishers and waiting for the rejection letters I was giving up on getting published. I had a agent and editors along the way that were interested in my work, but no books published. Then, POD publishing, or<span style="font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande';"><br />
</span>Print On Demand came along and was affordable to get books into print. I decided that was what I was going to do.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I tried one of those print services, which for me, was a disaster. I had my publicity plan ready to go but the print service had made a mess of my book and the galley was not ready for printing. I tried working with them to fix it, but the next galley had the same problems and the deal collapsed. That was when I decided I could do the job better myself and I started my own publishing company, Book Garden Publishing, LLC. </div></div><br />
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</div><div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>What’s your next project?</b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I have three book manuscripts I’m working on at the moment. One is a picture book I have done the drawings for and am now digitally painting them in Painter Essentials 4 which I love. It is a story about a boy who wants a puppy but gets a dog that is older. It's what they do together that makes them pals. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The other book is a young adult novel titled, <b>‘Christmas in the City.’ </b>This story about two girls, one with a family and one without and both searching for what is important to them. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">And my third project is a sequel to my first children’s picture book, <b>Janoose The Goose </b>which I’m still in the writing stage.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwsQmml9-xxbHA4AKOtJJGikLcamMklynVIcnYztFuVQJqp00zG3f_0Elw91ufild2o2IGboVrXpfLunU3uWuiNSUjn1dJ3Rsa4cV86j4IkH10i63sVW0hYLHhFqBQ2dqvP0DP0BOdppj/s1600/JD_image_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwsQmml9-xxbHA4AKOtJJGikLcamMklynVIcnYztFuVQJqp00zG3f_0Elw91ufild2o2IGboVrXpfLunU3uWuiNSUjn1dJ3Rsa4cV86j4IkH10i63sVW0hYLHhFqBQ2dqvP0DP0BOdppj/s320/JD_image_3.jpg" width="243" /></a><b>Lots of people make dire predictions about kids & reading & new media. Can you offer one *counter* prediction for where your current readers might be 10 or 15 years from now?</b><span style="font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande';"><br />
</span>This is a hard one! It’s hard to tell how things will be in the future. I went to the 1960’s Worlds Fair where many predictions where made on the future. Some of their predictions were correction but many were not and some we have surpassed. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I do know that we are in the e-book reader future now and see that continuing. As for books themselves, I think, they will always be around. I can’t see a world without books, though they may be printing less and/or for special reasons. And with the invention of machines like the Espresso Book Machine where a whole book can be printed on demand, in fifteen minutes!, one at a time, just because you want to have that favorite in your own book library.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Where can members and visitors to Manic Network find out more about you and your work? </b></div><div style="color: #6700ff; font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: black;">People can find out mostly everything about me on my website: <a href="http://www.bookgardenpublishing.net/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.thebookgarden.net</span></a> and my blogs: <a href="http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com</span></a> & <a href="http://ipubnews.blogspot.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://ipubnews.blogspot.com</span></a></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Thank you so much Michelle for having me as the first interview on Manic Network. I enjoyed it! </div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"> ~J.D. Holiday</div></div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">J.D. Holiday’s two books, 'The Great Snowball Escapade,' a chapter book for 6 to 8 year olds, and ‘Janoose the Goose‘, a children’s picture book, are both available online at B&N and Amazon or order in bookstores as well as order in bookstores everwhere.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">‘Janoose the Goose‘ is $10.00 at:</div><div style="color: #6700ff; font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0981861407/ref=nosim?tag=bookgardpubl-20">http://www.amazon.com/dp/0981861407/ref=nosim?tag=bookgardpubl-20</a></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">'The Great Snowball Escapade' is $5.99 at:</div><div style="color: #6700ff; font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Snowball-Escapade-J-Holiday/dp/0981861423/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1">http://www.amazon.com/Great-Snowball-Escapade-J-Holiday/dp/0981861423/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1</a></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><i>Read an excerpt from the children's chapter book,</i></b></div><div style="color: #6700ff; font: 12.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: black;"><b><i>The Great Snowball Escapade at: </i></b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-snowball-escapade.html">http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-snowball-escapade.html</a></span></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black;"><br />
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</span></span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02524261519035106075noreply@blogger.com3