Ocean Beach 6:40 pm These baby birds led me all the way up the beach.
71 Sketches
This evening I turned in 71 sketches! This is one of my favorite spreads. Mimi's class is getting ready for dress rehearsal while the 6th graders decorate the school for the Villa del Mar Holiday Decorating Contest.
Almost Fall
On the Coastal Trail it's only 7:30 and the sun has already set.
Ocean Beach 7:11 pm
p.s. Terry Brophy, who has been painting our house along with Pedro and Milano, finished today. Before he left he played us a goodbye tune on his Japanese flute.
Coffee Notes
My favorite one: top row, 3rd from left. (That's today's.)
Beach Glass Update
No room for coffee on our coffee table.
Happy Bird Day, Wally!
The sea wall at Ortega Street
Frazee!
There's something about being in a room with 100 people who are passionate about the same thing you are: children's books. And when the speakers are Marla Frazee, Allyn Johnston (my publisher!) and Ann Bobco, you know you can settle in for a day of straight talk and extreme entertainment.
Successful stories begin in the heart. Once that has happened only then should they be allowed to enter the brain, and funnel on down into the fingers and out onto paper. In other words, it's good if heart precedes cleverness – or at least goes hand-in-hand with cleverness. (Marla never said those exact words, but that's what I took away from the SCBWI Illustrator Day at Fort Mason.)
And that's what makes Marla's Boss Baby so great. Though it's the cleverest book ever, it sprouted from the heart. It was captivating to hear the in-depth stories behind it, and behind several of her other gorgeous books: Is Mommy?, The Farmer and the Clown, Boot & Shoe, Stars...)
Other brilliant ideas I glommed onto:
– The goal of your story is to change the emotional temperature of the reader.
– Not getting to the emotion of the moment can often be the problem when you’re stuck.
– Marla suggested writing a story with a visual narrative (sketches and pictures) before using words. This is interesting to me because even as a longtime illustrator, I still think I’m supposed to start with words.
p.s. A very fun interview with Marla.
BTW, Boss Baby is being made into a movie starring Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, and Lisa Kudrow.
me and my boss baby
p.p.s. Another exciting thing was seeing the Beach Lane books that are slated for publication next year. My favorite was this tiny (5" x 5") 72-page book by Lois Ehlert: a funny "valentine" celebrating love and friendship. I can't wait to get my hands on it and send one to you.
Floor Plan
I'm doing sketches for a book that will have lots of illustrations of things that happen in this particular classroom. Some action will take place in the front of the room, some in the back, and some in various corners. It finally occurred to me that I needed to do a floor plan of the room in order for the illustrations to make sense and work together. I cannot begin to tell you what a bad sense of direction I have – and how many times I had to turn the plan upside down and sideways, and start over. I'm glad I'm not an architect.
Slow Sunday Painter Progress
Morning Notes
me and msmas le mush
Formal Sea Style
A quietly quirky twist on the classic bow tie, this nautical piece is a fresh take on formal. Add personality to your white shirts. $198
An enchanting heart-shaped brooch of furiously polished ruby. Elegant pinned to a diaphanous veil or worn as a pendant. $1,640
The right time to wear a tie bar is always. Don this slightly scented one and you'll be sure to stand apart from the crowd. $590
This small boutonniere makes a bold statement. Add a tasteful punch of color and texture to the groom's lapels. $420
Sunday Painter Progress
Business.
I've designed business cards for clients. But that doesn't mean I've ever had my own real business cards – until today. By real, I mean cards that I didn't print from my desktop printer and cut out myself. My new real card's design is taken from the THERAPY section on my site – and each little icon represents a personality disorder.
But back to the exciting part: MOO, the printer I use, allows you to have as many different card "backs" as you want. So I got out my CMYK manual and started spec'ing colors right and left. I could have gone on and on because you are allowed 50 different backs per pack – all for the same price. FYI: I ordered two packs (100 cards), and my order came to $65.
Ocean Beach 5:41 p.m.
National Book Lovers Day
I found this notebook on the curb. It was sticking out underneath a stack of Playbills. I tried to walk on by but it was hopeless. Who can resist that black & white composition book pattern? It's a true find: a boy's journal from seven years ago.
Every single solitary entry starts off with a bang.
How can you not want to read more?
Walking back to Taraval Street in the wind. 7:33 p.m.
Sunday Painter Progress Report
Not sure you can tell much difference between this Sunday and last Sunday. Slowly but surely, though. Eventually I think I'll tone down the red background and bright blue background.