Was there ever a funner time than the Great Depression? Not according to the Waltons. Sure, times were hard, but they lived on love and had some to spare. This was a favorite show of mine, since two of my Top Favorite decades are the 30’s and 70’s. The show is the perfect combo of both. Anyhow, this gem of a lunchbox is from 1973, and depicts the entire Walton clan with their cow, apparently at the magical moment of birth. Inspiring, and a life lesson, too!

A note about the art: I love the stuff from this era that is, oh, about 15% more cartoony than real life. Each of these actors’ likenesses have been captured; they are all recognizable, but they are also bumped up a couple of notches in caricature. I guess if they were 20% more cartoony, they could go into MAD magazine. But they’re juuuust shy of that! Skill, baby, skill. I wonder who painted these?? Probably a MAD artist!

Another winter, another SCBWI conference! I have only just now started collecting my thoughts and photos from this excellent event, and the time I got to spend following it. I am NOT a city girl at all, but it’s impossible to NOT be caught up in the excitement of the city, the fast pace, and the caliber of the speakers there. Well, at least for a little while. Then I need to go home and take a 24-hour nap!

We arrived in the city in time to hit the Kid’s Lit Drink Nite at Bar 9, set up by Betsy Bird (Fuse #8), who is surely one of the funnest librarians ever! It was neat, and somewhat surreal, shouting at all of the people from the kids lit blog world and beyond (yep- very loud in there!).

Here I am with Ruth McNally Barshaw, who is somehow able to continuously keep drawing in her sketchbook amidst noise, cab rides, lines, anywhere! It amazed me. Also here is the fabulous Barbara Johansen Newman. Follow that link and you can check out her post on the conference, too!

Now on to the speakers…wow!!

Very inspiring to hear these people talk. I think it’s the best part of the conference- hearing people you have heard about and whose books you’ve read. Articles and jacket flaps don’t do them justice- nothing can take the place of hearing authors and illustrators in their own voices.

Katherine Paterson has had an amazing life, and has worked differet aspects of that life into her books. She spoke about overcoming the fear of being “naked” in public- of allowing yourself to write from those parts that aren’t so easy to show. She also mentioned a prime fear of hers is of being mediocre- something that you can’t allow yourself to succumb to. Only YOU can write your stories. BTW, she approves of the movie version of Bridge to Terabithia, although not neccessarily the trailer!

Anne Brashares claims to not know what she’s doing…but oh, methinks she does! She says love your characters, don’t make it easy for them, but let them be sympathetic. In thinking about her characters, she tries to think of them not only as 15, but also as the 5-year-old they were, and the 45-year-old they will be.

Susan Cooper was just amazing to hear. “Subconscious haunting” is a theme that crops up in her work repeatedly, and where she writes from. As a child of war, she grew up with a very strong sense of good and evil, light and dark- but she also realized from an early age that just who was who is a blury picture! Writing relates to gardening in many ways for her (me, too!)- the idea of coming up with good stuff from your (mental) compost heap, of germinating ideas…and tending to growing ones!

By the way, poor Susan had to sign about a bazillion books that night, and I was just about LAST in that line. Look, she’s still smiling somehow! Susan was signing during the Art Display, which featured about 150 pieces of art (mine, too). A strong showing this year, in number and in quality!

Brian Selznick was a great speaker- and it was nice to hear from an illustrator who also writes. Turns out Brian went to RISD at the same time as me, but of course, neither of us were studying illustration too strongly at the time- so I don’t remember him being there (in college, I spent most of my time buried deep within the film building, working on animation projects). It was fascinating hearing about his process- he’s very interested in the forward motion created by the turn of the page- of one thing leading to the next, almost like a movie. Check out his latest: The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which is freakin’ amazing, and the perfect “illustration” of how page-turning can bring you into and through a book!

Here I am with Brian, and his book, The Doll People. This book, and it’s follow-up, The Meanest Doll in the World, are current favorites of the dollhouse-owning Dubois twins!

Here’s a little idea of about how many people were at the conference- I heard there were about 1000, and I believe it!

Here is Tomie DePaola with Steve Mooser and Lin Oliver (the King and Queen of SCBWI!) at the moment of Tomie’s “retirement” from the board. Tomie was instrumental in getting illustrators to be part of the group and has since been a driving force within the organization. Even though he’s stepping down, he retains the right to party with the group- and was given a silver drink mixer as a Lovely Parting Gift!

There were plenty of other good speakers and sessions, but, well…I guess you’ll just have to come to NYC next year to get the full effect- it’s worth the trip!

For the first time I was able to stay in NYC after the conference and do some publisher visits. I joined up with Janee Trasler, a swell illustrator from Texas with similar artistic taste (meaning, we both like and make art for the very young- we have the same rep, too). It was great fun meeting up with the publishers we work with, and getting to put some faces to the names we have heard. Also fun seeing just what it looks like inside the publishing houses!

Here’s me, attempting to borrow some of Janee’s hair!

Our Excellent Adventure took us to Scholastic, where I snapped this picture of me and Harry Potter. Don’t even get me started about Book 7- speculation is rampant at Maison Dubois! While there we ran into Wilson Swain, who was one of the winners of the SCBWI Art Display. Very nice guy, and WOW- amazing art- check it out!

I REALLY need to get some work done…I also need to get ready for next weekend’s Whipering Pines Conference. This time, I’ll be doing the speaking- yikes!

I mean, no problem!

Have yourselves a merry little Valentine’s Day, even if it is raining icicles like it is here!

I just got back from the SCBWI conference, and will post about it soon!

Here’s a new Box o’ the Week- the elusive 1970 Dr. Seuss!

I appreciate the limited palette used here, especially since at the time, this box was probably on the shelf with any number of technicolor offerings. I am not sure if The Good Doctor did this art himself, but it looks like the real deal to me.

This box came out at around the same time as the delightful Chuck Jones animated versions of Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, and of course, The Grinch. GREAT books, and GREAT little films that I could watch a thousand times and never get sick of (I think I have)!

Have you ever been to the Dr. Seuss National Memorial at the museum quadrangle in Springfield, Mass? If you like all things Seuss, you need to check it out- think giant bronze Thidwicks! The Eric Carle Museum isn’t far from it, either- a whole museum devoted to children’s book art. Hmmm, makes me want to go back out that way again soon!

This unassuming little mechanical pencil is a very old pal. I draw with it just about every day. I have had it since 7th grade, which I can assure you was a LONG time ago. It’s a Staedtler, made in Germany, circa 1980. This is officially a well-made product- I also have about 50 other mech pencils that don’t function half as well.

It’s sort of a miracle that haven’t lost it, considering it’s followed me across the globe over the years. Do they still make good stuff like this anymore?? I mean, does anyone? Seems like everything today is designed to break or malfunction. Anyhow, it’s a fun little reminder of being age 12 or 13 and studying mechanical drawing (ew!) in junior high.

You can see my Pencil Pal with his long-time steady companion, The Squishy Eraser. And there, in the background, is The Computer. Three very important tools. Not shown, the equally important Prismacolor Cool Grey 90% colored pencil. I love ’em, and buy ’em by the boxfull.

I have a decent amount of metal lunchboxes- I think they are beautiful, mainly because there seems to have been actual care taken in composing the images that went on them. At the suggestion of my illustratin’ friend Barb, I will post some of them. Today’s box is a Holly Hobbie one from 1981. This is the stuff I grew up with. Thinking about it now, I am sure Holly’s art and the general “colonial revival” that was going on in the 70’s had a lot to do with what I like today, such as my fabric obsession. I noticed recently that there is an interview with the real Holly here. Holly the character has been revived, in both her old/country form and a new, hipper form. Holly the Person looks great, and I hope she keeps making gorgeous books like Toot and Puddle as long as she can!

Well, what do you know- I have actually uploaded an Illustration Friday piece on Friday (barely!). I think that’s a first! I am trying to be looser with line and color, so this is a very off-the-cuff illo. The bunny shown is clearly on the RED team, The Cortland A’s. I would add some kind of pithy football comment now, but I don’t know anything about football. I know it’s not usually played with apples, though. Go Reds!!

Check out the February 07 issue of Highlights High Five magazine!

I did the shoelace-tying art for this feature about the “Shoelace Chipmunk Trick.” This was a tough piece to work on- apparently there are a bunch of ways to successfully tie a shoe; and this was a new way to me (my husband knows yet another, euro-style way)! I had to tie my own shoe at least 50 times to draw it.

I bet it will take the average 5-year-old much less time to learn it (but then, they don’t have to draw it)!