Author Illustrator Designer
I found this fab Bjørn Wiinblad tile at Savers the other day:
He was a Danish artist who cranked out a great amount of decorative ceramics and art. What’s not to love?? He had such a charming style, very distinct. His ceramics are sometimes printed with his line work and sometimes rendered in 3-D:
He also illustrated posters and prints like these:
He lived a good, long life, apparently- born in 1918, he only died in 2006 after creating decades of design. What do you think about his art?
The cookies are just sitting there, unattended.
You know you are powerless.
Surrender. Surrender to the sweet, sweet call of the cookie!
I tried to not “overthink” this and just sketch quickly. It has been noted recently by my
art gal pals that even my rough sketches look finished.
I guess it’s true. I surrender to my own style!
It’s that time of year again, kids! It’s the new Spring Line of the Fred company. One never knows from season to season which items will manage to make it allll the way through the design and manufacturing process and become real products. The process reminds me of The Bill from Schoolhouse Rock. Your proposal could get vetoed, it could die in committee, it could be argued about indefinitely. Only, I’m not making laws, just products!
Anyhow, good news! Here are a few of my new items that made it through! They will be making their debut at this week’s New York International Gift Fair, and at a number of other nifty shows across the continent.
AristoCakes are silicone cupcake bakers that are perfect for your next royal party. William and Kate should definitely consider using these for the Royal Wedding.
TropSticks make eating with chopsticks easier, if you are chopstick-impaired. They also make eating more… tropical. Yeah!
Here’s GloBoy. This one took a long time to figure out technically speaking, and I never thought it would see the light of day (ha)! He is a solar-powered nightlight. During the day, he’s sleepy and recharges. At night, flip him over and he’s wide-awake and glowing. He’s designed in a way that you can take his arm and pick him up for midnight bathroom trips. Shiny!
You can currently see the latest products on the Fred Facebook Page.
And there you have it! Spring is in the air, product-wise. NOW, if we could only ditch this infernal snow!
OK, so, it’s merely snowing today, and my author copies don’t exactly amount to a “blizzard”. But they finally are here!
Real, printed copies of What Does A Seed Need?
They look nice when stacked neatly…
OR, when you toss them up in the air and let them land on a blue Snuggie™!
Inside, you’ll find flap, tabs and pop-ups designed for preschoolers. I adore books for this age group! Little discoveries on every page.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me with their enthusiasm upon it’s release!
I haven’t been able to take part in Illo Fridays lately- but the word of the week is “Dusty,” which reminded me of this:
It’s a scene from an old book dummy of mine called (what else?) Dusty.
In it, a little girl bonds with a giant dustball she found under her bed. It was a good exercise; I taught myself a lot about digital art while making this proposal.
I had the chance to go see Jarrett Krosoczka today, who was at Friendly Neighborhood Comics in Bellingham, Mass. signing books. Jarrett’s been making books for ten years now, and I remember going to his first big signing waaay back then! It was fun to see him dress patrons up as Lunch Lady characters and do quick gesture drawings of them. He has always been a great, dynamic presenter.
You can see some of Jarrett’s original art behind us, as won by the comic store owner in the Joe and Shirl Scholarship auction. It should be noted that this is a FABULOUS comic shop with a lot of attention paid to carrying a diverse selection of books: the usual faves, but also well-chosen children’s books, European comics, classic volumes, and the best selection of graphic novels I’ve seen in a while. Plus, they have author/illustrators come to visit! Well worth the trip.
I was shopping at Newbury Comics the other day, and came across one of my newer Club Earth toy items that I hadn’t seen out in the world yet.
This little otter guy is weighted so that he will float. A bubble bottle fits inside him so you can have bubble stuff in the tub or pool.
Well, what do you know? It turned into another year! As I was poking around looking at vintage images, I found a bunch of New Year pig images:
Pigs. For New Year. Hmmm.
It appears to have been an all-Europe phenomenon, imported to the US.
I am surprised I never noticed this ‘gluckschwein’ (lucky pig) imagery in conjunction with the New Year before.
By luck, I happen to have a pig book coming out early in this New Year- in a mere 17 days! This is what my little pig guy looks like.
With maybe just a little more luck, it will be discovered and enjoyed by actual kids.
Happy New Year everyone! Oink!