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Viewing Blog: Paul Schmid studio, Most Recent at Top

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Professional artist for over 26 years. Studio phone: 206-938-4516. For book illustration inquiries contact my agent Steven Malk at 858-678-8767. If you'd like to purchase any artwork please email me.

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1. newly for sale

By: Paul Schmid, on 1/7/2016
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A few more paintings!
Email me if you are interested. [email protected]

6" x 6", oil on canvas board $160.

5' x 5', oil on paper $150.

5" x 8", watercolor on Arches paper $140.

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2. Get them before the Met does!

By: Paul Schmid, on 12/31/2015
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I've been messing around with paint for fun, and have some things I can sell. Email me at [email protected] if you are interested. Oil on canvas, 5" x 7", only about $140. each. Show this to your rich uncle!

More work is also on Instagram.

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By: Paul Schmid, on 3/2/2015
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Another quick oil paint study of mine, and more wisdom from my figure drawing teacher, Mr. Parks:

"Simplify your drawing into 3 values: light halftone and dark. Keep the halftone area noticeably grouped with the light. (It will help define your shadow pattern.)

--Don’t MUSH your values; keep them distinct."

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By: Paul Schmid, on 2/26/2015
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I’ve never had any training using oil paint, but have always been drawn to the buttery feel of it and that lovely smell.

It has been so many years since I last painted from life, I knew I had to return to the basics learned from my wonderful figure drawing teacher, Bill Parks at the American Academy of Art in Chicago.

Have us 4 questions to ask ourselves if we felt something wasn’t right about our work:

1. Is it the correct SHAPE?

2. Is the VALUE too light or too dark?

3. Is the TEMPERATURE of the COLOR too warm or too cool?

4. Is the EDGE of the shape too sharp or too soft?

Breaking the mess of what we saw in front of us down to 4 simple decisions, Mr. Parks taught us that critical thinking was the best tool we had in order to achieve accurate work. For those of us who didn’t spring out of the womb with the ability to paint like Sargent, the only way to learn to paint well was to constantly analyze what you saw in your subject, and what you saw in your work. As he often said: “If you are drawing without COMPARING, you are drawing without SEEING.”

I know I still have a long way to go to master his teachings, and I hope to track my progress occasionally in this blog. I’ll also be posting more paintings, and bits of wisdom from Mr. Parks and others that I have gathered over the years.

BTW, I intend to eventually sell some of these on Etsy, but if anyone wants to grab one as they show up here, shoot me an email. About $125. each.

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5. New Oliver!

By: Paul Schmid, on 6/18/2014
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Look what came in the mail!
Available July 1st. Pre-order here.

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By: Paul Schmid, on 6/5/2014
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Please support your local, independent bookseller!

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7. inked

By: Paul Schmid, on 2/5/2014
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I stopped visiting Goodreads quite a while ago, but needing a break from drawing yesterday, I found this review of Randall de Seve's wonderful book.

Very sweet! Not sure I'd want to decorate someones heinie though...

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8. Oliver hits a list

By: Paul Schmid, on 12/13/2013
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I just received news that Oliver and his Alligator made BookPage's best of 2013 list for picture books!

BookPage

Yay Oliver!

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9. they keep coming

By: Paul Schmid, on 12/13/2013
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Another very nice review of Oliver, this time from Shelf Awareness:

Paul Schmid's (A Pet for Petunia) hero Oliver, a cute-as-a-button, pastel-pencil blob of a boy, is scared of the first day of school. Clutching an apple and staring, pink-cheeked, at a long, scary sidewalk that leads to school, Oliver feels that his "brave [isn't] nearly as big as it [needs] to be." So he decides to bring along an alligator to protect him. If facing your fears is too hard, why not ingest them?

Oliver cues the alligator with a command to "Munch, munch!" when he encounters the teacher, a friendly girl, the rest of the class, the classroom decorations. But once they have all been swallowed, Oliver begins to feel... lonely. The alligator, an expressionless reptile consisting of a green outline, three stripes down its middle and small feet, swells so large it can no longer fit on the page--and yet, it keeps munching, right up to the book's deeply satisfying conclusion. --Allie Jane Bruce, children's librarian, Bank Street College of Education

Discover: A boy, unable to face his fears, picks up an alligator to ingest them.

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10. a very nice summary of Oliver

By: Paul Schmid, on 8/8/2013
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From the Books For Kids blog:

ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL OLIVER THOUGHT IT BEST TO STOP BY THE SWAMP AND PICK UP AN ALLIGATOR.

When is an alligator not an alligator?

When it’s the first day of school and a very small boy feels as if his “brave” isn’t up to facing all the strangeness alone.

With his fantasy guardian at his side, Paul feels more in control of the situation. When a strange woman who looks nothing like his mom asks his name, all he has to say to his alligator are two words:

“MUNCH MUNCH.”

The lady is gone, and Oliver’s alligator is a little plumper. A girl who tries to talk to him gets the same message.

Oliver begins to feel a lot better, as his magic words make all of the bright colors and commotion in the classroom go away. His pale green and pink alligator is now as roly poly as a beach ball, and all the activity and noise are gone. Oliver pulls up a stool beside his rotund alligator in the empty room and waits for school to start. It’s very quiet.

SCHOOL IS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT BORING, THOUGHT OLIVER.

Then Oliver hears singing and laughter. Somewhere nearby kids are having fun, and it’s all happening inside his alligator. School is on the inside!

It’s time for Oliver to say “Munch Munch!” one more time and put himself into the scene where the action is, in Paul Schmid’s first-day tale, Oliver and his Alligator (Hyperion, 2013).

Schmid earned a 2010 fellowship to study with the late Maurice Sendak, and it shows in this rather quirky tale of dealing with the first day jitters. While Schmid’s storyline shows the Sendakian hand (cf. the personification of Max’s angry feelings as Wild Things, in Where the Wild Things Are,) Schmid’s illustrations, done in soft, grainy pencil lines and pastel colors, are another matter. His “wild thing,” is a fuzzy-ish alligator who seemingly has no mouth or teeth with which to munch anybody, and Schmid’s narration is as non-threatening as his little first-day-of-school hero, who finds a way to face his fear, just as Max tamed his anger. Some children deal with an intimidating situation by daydreaming, mentally removing themselves, and Schmid’s subliminal message of how to put themselves back into life will find its mark.

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11. book launch party!

By: Paul Schmid, on 6/20/2013
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Come on down to Secret Garden Books in Ballard Tuesday night, June 25th to help celebrate my new book 'Oliver and his Alligator'. There will be treats and beverages (adult beverages too,) and signings and readings and other fine party things.

7 pm
Secret Garden Books
2214 NW Market St
Seattle, WA 98107

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12. A star from Kirkus!

By: Paul Schmid, on 6/3/2013
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Little Oliver gets a big starred review from Kirkus:

Going into the darkness beyond Petunia Goes Wild! (2012), Schmid enters the tongue-in-cheek metaphorical alligator/crocodile waters of Candace Fleming (Who Invited You?, illustrated by George Booth, 2001) and Joe Kulka (My Crocodile Does Not Bite, 2013).

Oliver isn’t too sure about starting school—will his “brave” be big enough?—so he stops by the swamp and picks up his own tough: an alligator. “Just in case things got rough.” When he is asked his name by a lady (not his mom) and can’t remember, two little words take care of the difficulty: “Much, munch!” The same happens to a friendly little girl when Oliver’s answer gets stuck. A classroom full of noisy kids? Decorations that intimidate with all Oliver must learn? Not a problem for the now-rotund alligator. But now the problem is, “School is maybe kind of a little boring.” But where is that singing and laughter coming from? And can Oliver solve his newest quandary? Munch, munch! The simple, spare pastel pencil and digitally colored illustrations masterfully use both white space and the page turn to add to the humor. Retro pinks, yellows, blues and greens highlight details in the otherwise gray-and-white illustrations, while the three stripes on the alligator (and his never-open mouth) give him an appealing, nonthreatening look.

On the first day, both the light and the dark sides of kindergartners will go to school, their kissing hands clutching a stuffed alligator, self-confidence soaring. (Picture book. 4-7)

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13. Ankylosing Spondylitis

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/31/2013
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This is a long post.

I have a form of rheumatoid arthritis called Ankylosing Spondylitis. It primarily affects the spine, and causes pain and decreased mobility.

I’ve had AS since 1993. My pain and stiffness increased over the years from a mild annoyance to a disturbing level of daily pain. I would wake up in the middle of the night with my ribs frozen into place, leaving me barely able to breathe. I could not do even one sit-up because my back would not flex. Simply rolling over in bed was an exhausting ordeal. Visiting a dentist, it would take at least five minutes for my spine to relax enough so my head would hit the back of the chair. But worst of all, pain occupied my mind almost constantly.

My doctor who diagnosed me clearly looked upset as she informed me there was no cure and handed me a prescription for mega-doses of ibuprofen.

Eventually I was on pain suppressants round-the-clock. By 2001 there was a growing list of things I could not or simply did not want to do. I looked gaunt and sickly.

! Let us all now praise the internets!

While reaching something else, a Doctor Ebringer in London discovered that if his AS patients stopped eating starch, their pain and stiffness diminished. (I’ll save you from the explanation why...)

A few of the people who found relief this way publicized it on the web.

So in October 2001 I started a no starch diet. I was able to stop taking all pain killers by March of 2002. By 2006 I had gained back all my spinal mobility and to this day experience no pain at all unless I eat a basket of fries or some of that really fabulous double chocolate cake.

But wait.

Most sufferers of Ankylosing Spondylitis are not experiencing this relief because their doctors will not suggest the diet. If asked, doctors will inform you there has been no research to prove the diet’s effectiveness.

Yes, there has been no research done on this cure for AS symptoms. Drug companies fund research. I have been off drugs for my AS these last 11 years.

Ooops! What’s wrong with that scenario?

I have informed doctors and rheumatologists that I was on a diet which eliminated my pain and stiffness and have gotten patronising nods and no questions. A patient’s real experience is clearly not as valid as a drug company’s brochure.

So that is why I am writing this very long and boring post. In the hopes that a fellow AS sufferer will find it and begin their life again, as I did. That perhaps someone reading this knows a friend or family member who has the disease and will email a link.

Because you will not hear about it from your doctor. They will hand you prescriptions for mega-doses of drugs, and sadly tell you that is all you can do.

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14. another Oliver review

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/29/2013
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From Publishers Weekly:

"Oliver, first seen cradling a toy alligator and staring at an uneaten breakfast, dreads the first day of school. He “felt his brave wasn’t nearly as big as he needed it to be,” so he invites an alligator to join him. When a “lady who wasn’t his mom” greets him and asks his name, he musters only two words: “Munch, munch!” Each time Oliver feels anxious, this response makes his alligator swallow the perceived threat. Soon his friendly fellow students and some intimidating educational materials are inside the ballooning reptile. Schmid (Perfectly Percy) sketches Oliver in a few angular dashes of pastel pencil. The soft, crayony lines belie Oliver’s anxiety, and his alligator, for all its alleged ferocity, never shows any teeth (and lacks even a visible mouth). Readers are left to imagine the offstage “munch, munch” and later learn—as Oliver questions his limiting desire for solitude—that the students are having fun inside the beast, while Oliver (temporarily) stays outside. Schmid focuses on how a child uses imagination to devour, and finally to conquer, a fear of socializing."

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15. long live Fauxtionary!

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/28/2013
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Inner Preditor: That colossal ass residing in your brain who waits to ambush your next idea.

Critique Poup: What your manuscript looks like the day after those so helpful bi-weekly get togethers.

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16. new book news

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/23/2013
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I am delighted to announce that I will be illustrating a new book for editor Janine O'Malley at Farrar, Strous and Giroux. The author of this wonderful story (which I fell in love with before I had even read more than 3 or 4 lines into it,) is the great Laurie Thompson. The illustration above is just a very early preliminary sketch, it should be interesting to see how it looks six or eight months from now!

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17. Oliver review

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/22/2013
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The School Library Journal has nice things to say about my next book, Oliver and His Alligator. Here are some highlights:

As the first day of school approaches, Oliver, a timid boy dressed in an oversize woolly sweater, isn’t feeling very brave. He takes an alligator to school with him “in case things get rough.” ... The gentle pastel illustrations are infused with appealing school-related details and add humor to the story. ... Young readers who are about to begin school will identify with the hero of this quirky story.

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18. more fake words

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/21/2013
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Bitterary Agent: Your literary agent who does not phone you frequently to gush about your genius.

Rehersal of Fortune: Secretly writing your Caldecott acceptance speech. Boy Scouts say to be prepared.

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19. Top Ten for Oliver

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/20/2013
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My next book to be released, Oliver and His Alligator, which comes out next month, has started to garner some accolades. The American Booksellers Association has placed Oliver among their top ten Summer 2013 Next List, coming in at #7. Here is their review:

Oliver and His Alligator, by Paul Schmid

“Oliver is a little insecure about his first day of school, so he brings an alligator for reinforcement. While the alligator takes care of one scary thing after another, Oliver starts to realize school might not be so bad — but he has to decide quickly before everything is devoured! Readers will identify with Oliver’s fears and eat up Schmid’s adorable pastel illustrations.” —Erin Barker, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, VA

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20. The next big thing: A global blog tour

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/15/2013
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Ben Clanton, in addition to being the nicest guy, also has a talent to envy. Ben was kind enough to tag me for a game of blog “it” for authors and illustrators with new books coming out. Here are the questions and my answers.

1) What is the working title of your next book?

Oliver and his alligator.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

My own first day in kindergarten. The teacher was sweet, but I didn’t know why the other kids had to be there.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Picture book.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

How I wish Fred Gwynne were still around to play the alligator!

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

On his first day of school, an anxious boy decides it would be prudent to bring an alligator along, just in case things at school get rough.

6) Who is publishing your book?

Disney-Hyperion on June 25th.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

It’s not the first draft you have to worry about, it’s the next two or three dozen versions of it. I re-wrote the first sentence over 40 times!

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

None can compare.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Maurice Sendak spoke often about children needing to explore their own fear. To protect them from this urge is merely self-indulgent on the part of adults. This quote from Maurice is especially relevant to what I wanted to address: “Children are tough, though we tend to think of them as fragile. They have to be tough. Childhood is not easy. We sentimentalize children, but they know what’s real and what’s not. They understand metaphor and symbol. If children are different from us, they are more spontaneous.”

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

My daughter has told me kids like any book where things get eaten. Just about everything gets eaten in this book.

Next up is the delightful and delightfully talented Jaime Temairik. You’re it!

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21. ever more Fauxtionary

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/14/2013
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Immaterial Hurl: Your reaction to a review which failed to divine any meaning in your book whatsoever.

Substance Abuse: A review trying to hammer too much meaning into your book.

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22. a couple more from the fauxtionary

By: Paul Schmid, on 5/7/2013
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Bangover: Headache honorably earned after banging out an entire chapter/outline/story/dummy in one sitting.

Johnny Faulkner: The beverage you turn to so you can clear your head after a writing binge.

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23. words, words, words

By: Paul Schmid, on 4/30/2013
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Slogma: Having to sit through a passionate speech by a writer with a large list of should’s and shouldn’ts about the craft.

Down the Brainpipe: A phrase to describe the complete waste of time, brainpower, energy and self-confidence from doggedly pursuing a failed idea, despite suspecting from the start that it was probably crap.

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24. from the Fauxtionary

By: Paul Schmid, on 4/23/2013
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Poltergist: A potentially brilliant but evanescent main idea for a story that visits you at 3 in the morning and disappears at daybreak, although the whole perfect thing was all there in your head and kept you awake for more than 2 hours.

Netscaping: Incessant prowling the internet to check emails and Facebook rather than working on your book.

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25. More to see at Books of Wonder

By: Paul Schmid, on 4/23/2013
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I will be sitting elbow to elbow with some picture book greats at the Picture Book Bonanza at Books of Wonder this Sunday, April 28th, noon to 2pm. Wendell Minor, David Ezra Stein, Floyd Cooper, Randall de Seve, Shawn Qualls and myself will be talking about and signing our new books and answering any questions.

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