Recently I was appointed the Illustrator Coordinator for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in Oregon. When I first agreed to accept the position, I thought, what am I doing? I haven't illustrated a book in years! It's true. I followed the path of novel writing for several years, barely spending a moment at my lonely drawing table. How could I take on this huge responsibility?
And then I realized life was pointing me in the direction I'd been eager to return to for quite awhile. The fact is, I love to paint and draw. I feel empty without it in my life. I love switching from my writing brain to my art making brain. I love looking at the art work of others and learning from it. I love talking about art.
I've just completed the draft of a new project, and I plan to make a book dummy for it, as well as a finished color piece or two. If my agent or editor decides another illustrator would be a better fit for my picture book biography, would that be all right? Of course! But in the meantime, I'm listening to the ways of dreams.
And then I realized life was pointing me in the direction I'd been eager to return to for quite awhile. The fact is, I love to paint and draw. I feel empty without it in my life. I love switching from my writing brain to my art making brain. I love looking at the art work of others and learning from it. I love talking about art.
I've just completed the draft of a new project, and I plan to make a book dummy for it, as well as a finished color piece or two. If my agent or editor decides another illustrator would be a better fit for my picture book biography, would that be all right? Of course! But in the meantime, I'm listening to the ways of dreams.