More Picture Book News!

Can you guess the subject of the SUPER SECRET book I've been working on since winter? Check out my desk. It's what it looked like as I completed my last painting. I had to use a LOT of cowboy hat referencing for this one. Hmm.....




The story is called My Little Girl, written by Tim McGraw, after his song, "My Little Girl" featured in the film, Flicka. It's about a daddy and his daughter, sharing a day together.



Though I never really gave country music much time on my iTunes, I made a Pandora station for just for Tim, to check out his sound. I did grow up surrounded by a love of old southern spirituals, and my mother was always crankin' up the Mary Chapin Carpenter, or playing her favorite folk on her Yamaha (a singer/songwriter herself!). So although country's roots and my roots might have shared familiar soil, I had to introduce myself. I admire the narrative spirit and innocence in that music's tradition. And I took a liking to McGraw's "Last Dollar"- the sweet little voices with their own twang at the very end of the song!



So, in the spirit of that song, my own blue grass collection) and some of my sunniest girlhood memories, I made a little book for Tim Mcgraw and his daughters. I really do hope they like it. It was my first book working in watercolor/digital composite, so I know now what I will change for my next book and such...a learning experience I am very thankful for.



So I tip my hat to Mr. McGraw. Look for My Little Girl on shelves Fall '08!

Picture Book News!

I signed on to do a picture book with Abrams Book For Young Readers, due out in 2009!

Erica Perl has written the tale, DOTTY, about imaginary friends (who I can't wait to begin imagining...and sketching!) This one, Dotty, is especially feisty. She describes the story as, "a testament to the importance of keeping your imagination as long as possible." I am whole-heartedly behind that philosophy, Erica.

Please check out her website. She is delightful, she wears chicken hats in interviews, and her books are so much fun. Thanks as well go to Chad Beckerman at Abrams. His book design blog is also extremely entertaining...it's a cool peek into the industry too. Art for this book will start in fall...I'll be sure to update you on DOTTY, so come back to visit.

Stay tuned for more secret revealing. It's HOT in Boston...crossing my fingers for a cold front and pa(i)nting, in the meantime.

Swords, Sultans, and Secrets

Oh so many posts to post! For now, I'll throw a current ROUGH sketch up there before I start on the final watercolor for the book cover. It's for book 2 of Karen Miller's Godspeaker Trilogy with Little Brown. It's interesting to have to be emulating another artist's style for the watercolor technique. I'll post it when I'm done. It's fun to study someone's handiwork closely, and I will be studying his.

So here he is, a crazed sword wielding berber!

Meanwhile I am scanning my drawings for the final pages of the undercover picture book, which I got the OK to announce last week! And stay tuned for some news about another new picture book on the way this fall with Abrams. I have secrets to reveal, so stop back soon!