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The dimensional illustration blog of Suzanne Del Rizzo
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Hello May!
This month I thought I'd try something a little bit different. I created some hand-dyed watercolour and Yupo papers with acrylic inks, and experimented with cut paper and plasticine. Lots of possibilities to explore further...
To download, please click on the screen resolution above and then right click and "save to desktop".
Enjoy!
cover
I recently received a gorgeous copy of Outstanding In the Rain by Frank Viva, as I was one of the lucky prize winners of Tundra’s Reading Club blog contest. When the package arrived I quietly tore open the shipping packaging, excited to dive in before it disappeared... clutched within the little hands of one of my kiddos. I managed to sneak in a quick read before my youngest noticed it in my studio and "borrowed" it for a few days. :) *yes! I love that she is so excited about books*
I managed to borrow it back to read it again( a few times) and write my review.
First off, let me just say I am a bit of a picture book design nerd, so before I even get to the actual story, I have to talk about the design. I really love the large trim size, the height of the portrait orientation nicely compliments the action inside. And seriously, how eye-catching is this cover? We all remember catching raindrops on our tongue- looove it. The satin-y matte dust-jacket helps to accent the fun, retro vibe of the stylized illustrations and limited colour palette of both the cover illustration and interior artwork. I know I have probably said this a ton lately but... I am so loving the trend of decorative/illustrated end papers. I love how it enables the illustrator to stretch out the story and add their visual contribution... even before the story starts!
(So... you can imagine, how thrilled I was when Cheryl Chen, my editor at Fitzhenry & Whiteside, gave me the thumbs up to create illustrated end papers for Gerbil, Uncurled( written by Alison Hughes) due out this Spring. I can't wait for you to see them!)
Anyway, back to this book!
front end paper spread
back end paper
The decorative end-papers set the stage; the front end-paper depicts bustling Coney Island’s beachfront board-walk in daylight then, to wrap up the story just so, the back end-paper ends depict the same setting but in two-tone night-time, moon/street-light perfection with the last few patrons(whom have braved the rain) are illustrated in little hits of colour.
Even the hand-lettered font of the title(see top image of the cover) is exciting and visually appealing. It sets the tone of the book wonderfully, introducing the fun word play of oronyms and mischievously hinting at the soon -to-be discovered die-cuts, with the tag line at the bottom of the cover -“A whole story with holes”.
The story begins with a young child and his mother arriving at Coney Island by train. Here they spend their special day together going on rides, eating treats and exploring. Along the way, things don’t go quite as planned and they encounter a few unexpected surprises. Viva does a wonderful job of depicting the enjoyable ups and unexpected downs of childhood. Oronyms- phrases that sound the same but have different meaning, are used creatively throughout the book. Each page is skillfully designed to place these oronyms within a die-cut shape on the right-hand page which, upon turning the page, is now on the left-hand page, becoming an integrated surprise element within the illustration. The cut-outs vary in size and shape, to compliment the text and their placement works to advance the story with successful visual appeal. Maybe this would be easier to describe with a visual?
Here is an example from the book:
“ ‘Ice cream’, I say, my birthday surprise, he exclaims.” The word “cream” is placed within an oval shaped die-cut under “ice” which after the page turn becomes “ scream” when the boy sadly drops his treat. “ ’Oh no!’ I scream, with tears in my eyes”. The left-hand page now contains the oval die-cut, the shape of the boy’s mouth (showing his teeth). The teeth peek through from the previous page which was the front detailing of the D train entering Coney Island station.
At times, due the restriction of using oronyms on each page, the rhyming text feels slightly forced, but all-around I think Viva succeeds in creating a delightful story unified by superb design. With features such as the fun die-cut elements, and retro-flavoured, colour-blocked illustrations all combined with playful oronyms, within kid-centric text, this book is sure to elicit giggles and high-fives from kids and adults alike.
Sending out a big "Thank-you, Tundra" for having these fun Tundra Reading Club contests on your blog. It is such a great way to promote your new titles, and interact with book-loving folks. And...who doesn't love the chance to win free books for that TBR pile?
With the last bits of snow gradually melting away on the odd warm-ish day of these crazy Canadian (fluctuating) temps, our backyard rink has been appropriately renamed "the pool". In the garden the first daffodil sprouts have started popping up. Spring is here- yay!
I thought a Spring-y desktop calendar was just right for this month. This spot illo comes from a spread in Skink on the Brink where Stewie travels through the changing seasons from his home pond to a far away pond. Along the way he also changes in colour from a juvenile black skink (with an amazing blue tail) to a grey adult skink.
To download this desktop calendar, please click on the screen resolutions above then right-click on " save to desktop" to download.
Enjoy!
With February drawing to a quick close, I have posted my new March 2015 desktop calendar a few days early.
This calendar features the entire extended gerbil family featured in my latest picture book, as illustrator, Gerbil, Uncurled( by Alison Hughes, Fitzhenry & Whiteside June 2015).
Let me introduce you to the horde. We have Grandpa, Grandma, Mama, Sister, Little Gerbil and her mischievous triplet cousins...and Teddy too, of course!
Alison and I have been pouring over the colour proofs this week, we are SUPER excited to see it all come together. Our editor, Cheryl Chen, has graciously given me the "thumbs-up" to share one of the interior illustrations for the book. I couldn't resist using it to create my March calendar. Please click on the screen resolutions above then right-click on " save to desktop" to download.
This picture book will be part of the Tell Me More Storybook series. It contains 2 pages of bonus non-fiction back matter. It also has fully illustrated end-papers! *squeals* SO FUN!
Here is the back cover copy: "Little Gerbil has learned all of the important Gerbil Mottos from Grandpa: Always Keep Your Whiskers Clean, Celery Tops Come to Those Who Wait, etc. But there is one motto that Little Gerbil just can't manage to keep: Curl Up Nose to Toes when it comes time to go to sleep. At the weekly Gerbil Circle meeting she knows she has to tell the truth. Little Gerbil discovers that she is not the only one that has problems following some of the Gerbil Mottos."
It's available to pre-order on Amazon here: http://goo.gl/jDPOIE
I hope you enjoy the calendar, Alison and I can't wait to share this book with you. Be on the look-out, it is due to hit the shelves in June!
Here is my January 2015 desktop calendar!
Let me introduce you to Little Gerbil. Her book, Gerbil, Uncurled, written by Alison Hughes (published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside) will be hitting the shelves later this Spring. We are so excited! and I can't wait to share some sneak peeks of interior art with you.
To download this calendar simply select the resolution from the list above, right click, and "save to desktop".
Wow, the last few months have been a whirlwind of activity.
In October I headed to Ottawa for the SCBWI CanEast conference. Lisa Dalrymple and myself were presented with the 2014 SCBWI(Canada) Crystal Kite Award for our book Skink on the Brink. We are still over the moon about having Skink on the Brink, along with I Dare you not to Yawn, by Helene Boudreau, chosen by our SCBWI peers.
In November I jetted off to the tropics to take part in the second annual Rainforest of Reading Award Literacy Festival. We traveled to Grenada and St. Lucia along with 8 other wonderful authors and illustrators, the OneWorld Schoolhouse Foundation, volunteers from the SJK IB programme and the MacLeod family. We saw approx. 6000 children over the course of 3 festival days. I can honestly say that this trip was a life-changing experience. The amazing memories and new friendships I made will be forever cherished.
Joyce Grant blogged about the trip, summing up our experiences so perfectly and eloquently.
Here are some pics from the trip:
(Lisa and myself with classmates from a school whom hand-made the best skink
costume ever! LOOOVE!)
(Another school in fabulous Gabby hair, holding up their passports.)
(Some smiley-girl who loved the co-pilot seat in the 7-seater plane "hop"
from Grenada to St. Lucia. Yes, my cheeks hurt the rest of the day...LOL)
(The entire 2014 Rainforest Of Reading crew!)
With 2015 comes fresh ideas, new possibilities and awesome opportunities.
Wishing everyone a wonderful, happy, and healthy HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Good bye summer, hellllooooo fall!
Wow, September flew by, didn't it? Yes, fall is in the air, the first colds of the season are making the rounds through our house, and the leaves are starting to change colour. There has been a flurry of activity here with the start of another hockey season for the kids, cadets for my eldest, and early morning cross-country practices. As for me, I am working away on the final art for another picture book as well as gearing up for the SCBWI CANEAST conference in Ottawa on Oct. 17-19. It also won't be long until I head off to St Lucia and Greneda for the Rainforest of Reading Festival in November.
To download the desktop calendar please select the screen resolution from the list above then right click and "save to desktop". Enjoy!
I meant to post my September 2014 desktop calendar yesterday but it was my 3rd son's 9th birthday, so as you can imagine we were busy celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Little Man! Today is also the first day of school for my 4 kiddos- a day filled with a mix of hope, nervousness and excitement all rolled into one, for the kids and myself.
I am gearing up for a wonderful whirlwind of activity coming up in the next few months. I am working away on the final art for the latest picture book I am currently illustrating(see more on that below); on Sept. 21 I will be attending
Toronto's Word On The Street Festival, signing copies of
Skink on the Brink with Lisa Dalrymple at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth; I am prepping to attend the
SCBWI CANEAST conference in October in Ottawa(such a great line-up of speakers!) where Lisa and myself will be receiving our Crystal Kite Award for
Skink on the Brink; and in November, Lisa and myself, and a great group of Canadian authors and illustrators, will be travelling to Grenada and St. Lucia with the One World Schoolhouse Foundation to take part in their 2nd annual
Rainforest of Reading Festival, for which
Skink on the Brink is also nominated. So many exciting things on the horizon!
This month's desktop calendar features some sample art I mocked up for my editor( thank-you for giving me the thumbs-up to share this, Cheryl!). These little gerbil critters and I have really gotten to know each other over the past few months as I sketched them- I am quite smitten. I am pleased to introduce you to Little Gerbil and Grandpa Gerbil, two of the myriad of adorable gerbils from the newest picture book I am currently illustrating with Fitzhenry &Whiteside entitled, Gerbil, Uncurled, written by Alison Hughes, due to the shelves this coming Spring.
To download this desktop calendar please select the screen resolution from the list above, then right click and "Save to desktop".
Enjoy!
Firstly, I must send a HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY shout-out to my awesome (and second oldest) son. YAY!
With August arriving tomorrow, I'm sneaking onto the computer to quickly post my August 2014 desktop calendar, and then it will be time to " Assemble the Trifle!!" My son's favorite dessert. ( *note- this must be hollered in an "assemble the minnions!" Frau Farbissina
sort of voice, LOL).
I have been experimenting with adding mixed media to my Plasticine illustrations, and this month's desktop calendar features an illo that has a fun Steampunk-y flavour. I used a mix of antique-y map papers, watch gears, burlap, metallic paints and polymer clay. Ever since I created the Steampunk-y Infinity Coil medallions for the covers of
Marty Chan's YA novel,
The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles, Demon Gate, my head has been swirling with Steampunk inspired ideas. I have been working away on a picture book manuscript, featuring this little guy and his mechanical wings. It's not quite there yet, but it will be one day...
I've also been working away on the pencil sketches for Gerbil, Uncurled(Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Spring 2015), written by Alison Hughes. I love this stage. Well, I guess I love every stage of illustration :) The studio is a flurry of papers. I like to hang up the sketches all around me, for easy reference- I am getting very excited to translate these into plasticine. Here's a pic of one wall of my studio at the moment:
(Yes, I've blurred out the images,
we aren't quite ready to give any sneak peeks just yet. SOON!)
My day was made even more awesome when I saw that the first picture book I illustrated,
Skink on the Brink( Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Spring 2013, written by
Lisa Dalrymple) received a lovely
review in The Deakin Review of Children's Literature.
I hope you are all having a wonderful summer so far. To download the desktop calendar simply select a screen resolution and right click " Save to desktop". Enjoy!
Summer is here! To all of my Canadian friends and family, Happy Canada Day tomorrow! The kiddos and my hubby are now on summer vacation, and we are getting high 30C temps all week. I think it's time to hit the water park, or the cottage- adventure and fun times await. I thought this new illo of a boy on his own adventure(with his fun-loving elephant, of course!) was the perfect desktop to welcome July.
To download, simply click on a screen resolution above(*note that I have included a new size for those super-sized monitors) then right click and "save to desktop".
Cheers!
Hello June!
Now that the warmer temps are finally here and the days are getting longer, I thought this new illo would be a fun choice for this month's desktop calendar. Colourful, gorgeous sunsets always remind me of summer.
In just a few short weeks and the kiddos and hubby( who is a high school VP) will be off for summer holidays. :) I will be busy working away on artwork for an upcoming picture book, in between our usual summer activities- swimming lessons, soccer games, 3x3 hockey and a few cottage trips(hopefully). Wishing everyone a safe and happy summer.
To download a copy of the desktop please click on a screen resolution above then right click and "save to desktop". Enjoy!
Hello May!
I have been experimenting with some new techniques with plasticine and polymer clay over the last few weeks. Here is one example of my playing..erm experimentation. I created this illo to explore colour and movement- together. What better way to capture those then to depict a flowing stream in Fall. I will definitely be returning to this technique. It was created by using my fingers and some clay tools, sort of like finger painting with think paint-such fun. I hope you like it. It is somewhat of a departure from my usual work.
To download this desktop, simply click on the required screen resolution above, and right click then "save to desktop". Enjoy!
By the way, right now over on
Goodreads there is a giveaway going on until May 22, to win a free copy of Skink on the Brink. Fitzhenry and Whiteside will be giving away 10 free copies. If you haven't had a chance to enter yet, there is still time.
And I wanted to share 2 bits of exciting, peel-me-off-the-ceiling, great news!
Lisa Dalrymple and myself are thrilled to have been nominated for the the 2014 SCBWI Canada Crystal Kite Award.We are honoured to have made the shortlist alongside such amazing Canadian talent.
I also wanted to take a moment to congratulate Marty Chan, author of The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate. He has has been nominated for the
2014 Aurora Award in the category of Best English YA novel, presented by the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association. Also, Tanya Montini was nominated in the Best Artist category. This is especially exciting for me as Tanya designed the beautifully cohesive and stunning cover, which includes my polymer clay-mixed media Infinity Coil medallion illustrations. I am so excited for them both!
Hello Spring!
I don't know about you, but here in Ontario we are most definitely ready for Spring. We've collectively "had it" with polar vortices, never ending snow shovelling, and the ritual morning kiddo snow-pant battle. But, even after just a few days of above zero temps the snow is quickly melting away. I think I even heard some chirping birds this morning. Yay!
So, to welcome Spring, I decided to create this month's desktop calendar from one of my all-time favorite illustrations from Skink on the Brink(Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2013). Yes, there it is up in my header- I do LOVE this illo. To download a copy please select the required screen resolution above, then right click and "save to desktop". Enjoy!
I also wanted to share some BIG news. I now am represented by
Patricia Ocampo at Transatlantic Agency. I am honoured and SUPER excited to be working with Patricia. We are already working on some of my manuscript WIPs ( yes, I am writing now too!). We got together last week for coffee to get to know each other better. Gosh, my cheeks were sore from smiling so much, it was a fabulous first meeting! I love the collaborative process and I truly believe that the best ideas often come from a great brainstorming session- it's where the magic happens. :) I think we will make a great team.
This month's calendar features some groundhog pirate characters and a stowaway orangutan (but of course!). I was sketching on Groundhog Day and these cute little guys ( and a few others) popped into my head. My kiddos have been watching Pirates of the Caribbean on Netflix, so I have had pirates on the brain lately too.
Sorry to keep this short and sweet today but with it being Saturday, all 4 kiddos have hockey games and/or practices, which translates into 8 hockey rinks/weekend- BRRRR! Yes, I'm usually a little hoarse on Mondays, form all my cheering. ;)
To download this desktop calendar simply click on the desired screen resolution above and right click on "Save to desktop".
Have a great March everyone.
This months desktop was my submission for the
HarperCollins Canada 40th Anniversary Alligator Pie Contest. The winner of the contest was the very talented Sandy Nicols. Congratulations Sandy! This contest gave me the great opportunity to brainstorm and stretch my imagination to put together a proposal for a true "dream project". It provided the chance to have my proposal (consisting of 2 sketches, one final art, and my written vision for the project) considered by the HarperCollins Canada executives- an amazing opportunity I did not want to miss. So, even though I didn't win the contest, I did get my work seen, and who knows, maybe sometime in the future another project will come across their desk, and my work will be the right fit. I am proud of my proposal and now I have a new portfolio piece that reflects a fresh and interesting twist on Dennis Lee's iconic poem. Plus, it gave me the chance to incorporate my favorite purple Converse sneakers into an illo! LOL :) Can you guess which verse inspired this illustration?
To download this desktop calendar, please select the screen resolution you require above, and right click, then "Save to Desktop". Enjoy!
I had the opportunity to attend the OLA Superconference this week.
Lisa Dalrymple and myself, signed free give-away copies of Skink on the Brink at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth this past Thursday. Then on the Friday we both took part in the CANSCAIP mass book launch. It was the first time I had attended this conference, and I can't wait to go again next year. Not only did I meet up with many kidlit friends and a few I had only previously met online, but I was super thrilled to lay my hands on some of the newest titles I'd been waiting to read. Canada has some truly remarkable kidlit talent! It was a fun two days. I will try to post some pictures once I get them.
Happy New Year!!!
It's been a whirlwind of a year, both personally and professionally. The kids are growing up so fast, with all the hockey/sports and activities sometimes I feel like, in the blink of an eye, another year has passed. It's times like these that I want to take a moment to reflect on all the awesome that I am blessed with - a wonderful hubby, 4 adorable kiddos, loving and supportive extended family, fantastic friends, and health and happiness.Yes, I guess I am feeling a little sappy and reflective, but due to recent events, like the sudden and tremendously sad loss of my cousin, in a freak car accident, just days before Christmas, it really puts things into perspective, you know? I am very thankful, and plan to live in the moment even more, hug more, snuggle my kiddos more, and just "make more time" for the important little things.
On the professional side things are moving forward in great directions. I illustrated my first picture book, Skink on the Brink, and had a fantastically fun Summer and Fall with Lisa Dalrymple travelling all over southern Ontario doing our "Stewie and the Plasticine road show" to promote our book. We had a blast presenting at Word on the Street, Pinery Park's Savannah Festival, and Lisa and her husband Marc even drove down from Fergus to join me at the opening reception of CANSCAIP's PYI Gallery Show at Humber's L Space Gallery, where a few of my original illustrations from our book were on display. I illustrated cover art for Marty Chan's awesome steampunk novel The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles, Demon Gate. I have an illustration contract for another picture book, and some awesome stuff going on behind the scenes that I can't share yet, so cross your fingers for me please ;).
I feel so lucky to be able to work from home in my little studio, so I am available if a kiddo needs homework assistance or just wants to chat and hangout on the floor while I work.
So, overall it's been a great year, thank you 2013!
2014, Bring it!!
To download a copy of this desktop calendar, simply click on the screen resolution you require then right click and "save to desktop". Enjoy!
Wishing everyone a great 2014.
Our first snowfall of this season arrived last weekend. Well...perhaps I should say snow "dusting", as we were spared the brunt of the huge storm that walloped most of Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the Eastern US.
I don't know about you, but the first snow always gets me thinking about previous winters and how much fun we have in the snow. So, for my December calendar I decided to return to an older illustration, one that hold a special place in my heart- my daughter making a snow angel. She must have been about 4 at the time, and this illustration remains on of my husband's favorites.
To download this calendar simply click on the above screen resolution you require, and then right click and "save to desktop". Enjoy!
This summer I had the opportunity to step outside of the box and create my first novel cover art. Not only was it my first project for a more mature audience(think older MG) but it was also Steampunk! I had been experimenting with some Steampunk ideas behind the scenes and I happened to mention this to my editor, Christie Harkin, while I was in her office going over the proofs for the final art for Skink on the Brink. As luck would have it, Christie just happened to be working on edits with Marty Chan for his new novel The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles Demon Gate. The main character, Ehrich Weisz has this mysterious Infinity Coil medallion hidden beneath his shirt, given to him by his brother Dash...well, I don't want to give anything away, but lets just say its REEEEEEEALLY important. Anyway, we thought that the Infinity Coil would look awesome created in 3D. So after lots of discussion with Marty, I got to work on some sketches.
At first we thought I'd just be creating the front of the medallion, with the Infinity coil, for the front cover. But after reading Marty's marvelous description, I just had to create both sides of it because both sides were so distinctive.
Here is the description from the book:
"Two gear wheels soldered together to form a figure-eight. Inside the twin loops, smaller gears connected to each other, getting smaller and smaller as if they could extend to infinity. An image of a lion with the head of a goat on its shoulders and a snake for a tail was engraved on the medallion’s back cover. What the Chimera meant, where Dash had gotten this strange medallion from, and why he had been wearing it around his neck, Ehrich had no idea."Tight sketches for Infinity Coil medallions
From here I began the final art. Because this was going to be a mixed media project, using actual watch components, I decided to use metallic polymer clay so that I could bake and harden the medallions before gluing on the watch components. And yes, those watch gear Infinity Coils are exact mirror images of each other! I then went a step further by rubbing a glaze of acrylic paint on top to give the medallions a rich, old-world patina.
Here are a series of pics of my process for the front side of the Infinity Coil medallion:
And here is the final art for the front cover:
Here it is on the designed cover. So Steampunk-y goooooood!
The back of the medallion features a chimera- a beast with the body of a lion, the head of a goat on it's shoulders and a tail of a snake. How fun was that to create?
Here are a series of process pics of the back of the medallion:
And here is the final art:
And on the back cover:
This project was an exciting challenge, and I enjoyed working with
Marty Chan very much. He has the official book launch for The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles Demon Gate on November 26th at 7pm, at Aubreys Books in Edmonton. He'll have the final art medallions at the launch and he'll even be sporting his funky Steampunk bowler and full Steampunk attire. Seriously, you know you want an excuse to get dressed up in your finest Steampunk outfit! I wish I lived closer.
I asked Marty for a few words to include in this process post. Here is what he had to say:
The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate
The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles is one of my childhood dreams realized. When I was a kid, I was fascinated with stage magic. I remember buying books on card tricks so I could learn how to cut a deck of cards with one hand or magically find someone’s card. I wanted to learn the magicians’ secrets so I could one day join their society. I could never quite pull off all the tricks in the books, but I never forgot about the magicians I admired, especially Harry Houdini.
A few years ago, I stumbled across The Bowery Boys, a podcast about New York History. One of their podcasts featured Harry Houdini, which reignited my interest in magic. I started researching Houdini’s background and discovered some interesting information. His real name was Ehrich Weisz. He debunked con artists posing as spiritualists. He ran away from home when he was twelve. I thought about the year he had spent away from home, and I thought it would be cool if he didn’t run away but fell through a portal that transported him to an alternate dimension. That was the spark for the novel.
Tidbits:
- My first crack at the novel was the “zero draft” I wrote during the 2011 National Novel Writing Month. That’s when people around the world try to write 50,000 words of a novel in November.
- To research the novel, I spent 4 days in the New York-Historical Society archives to get a sense of what New York was like in 1890.
- The original title for the first novel was Devil’s Island.
Working with Christie Harkin on the novel was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had as a writer. She had a way of telling me what was wrong with the manuscript without dousing my creative spark. We have a running gag about Star Wars because a plot point in the novel reminded her of Han Solo being frozen in carbonite.
Thanks Marty!
The book is in stores now. I am in the midst of reading it myself. It's fantastic!
Yes, you guess it- I'm going Steampunk for my November calendar, to celebrate the launch of
Marty Chan's newest book, The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles Demon Gate. And if you happen to live in Edmonton, Marty's launch takes place November 26th, at Audry's Books at 7pm.
I created the Infinity Coil medallion artwork for the cover and back cover. What the heck is an Infinity Coil, you ask? Well, you'll have to grab a copy of the book and read it to find out. I'd lend you mine but I'm still happily immersed. And boy is it gooooood! :)
The medallions are on the bottom left of the calendar. And I had to include the book, of course. Tanya Montini, the cover designer and Christie Harkin, our editor, did a smashing job on the cover- it's spectacular! And if you flip over Marty's book you'll see the chimera side of the Infinity Coil medallion. Mmmm... "chimera" such a cool word...I haven't gotten a change to say that word much since my days in the lab. LOL!
If your wondering... noooo, this isn't made in plasticine. I created both of these medallions in metallic polymer clay with actual watch pieces inlaid on various levels. Yup, mixed media!
Marty's description of the Infinity Coil in the book is fantastic, and it took me and Christie a few attempts to wrap our brain around his idea. But I think, after lots of sketching and discussions with Marty, I was successful in creating a visual representation of his idea. It was a such a fun project that I am now totally addicted to Steampunk. Maybe I'll do a Steampunk picture book one of these days? My sketch book is brimming with ideas...
I am thankful to Christie for running with my ideas, and giving me the opportunity to show that I can do edgy, MG or YA artwork too.
Later this month, I plan to do a proper process post of how I created the artwork. This post will also feature a few words from the man himself, Marty Chan and lots of process pics. So please check back again soon.
To download your snazzy Steampunk desktop calendar, just click on the screen resolution you require above. Then right click and "save to desktop". Enjoy :)
October has arrived, and the leaves are starting to show their glorious colours. Oh, how I love Fall.
I thought this little spot illo from Skink on the Brink captured this feeling perfectly!
To download this desktop calendar please select the screen resolution above then right click and "save to desktop".
Enjoy!
Lisa and I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely and uber-talented Debbie Ridpath Ohi for her blog, Inkygirl. Thank you Debbie :) Lisa and I share the creative process behind the making of Skink on the Brink and our paths to publication. Please check it out.
(courtesy of Debby Ohi)
We had a super time this past Sunday at Word On the Street, Toronto. Lisa and I had a fantastic turn out of over 100 kids for our Skink on the Brink reading and plasticine "Make-Your-Own-Stewie" plasticine activity. They were a lively and super-talented group of kids. Lisa and I had a blast! Here are some pictures from the event.
Yes, that is THE Michael Martchenko at the Athour's signing table with us!
At the Fizhenry & Whiteside booth with Lisa Dalrymple, Editor/Children's Publisher Christie Harkin,
and Jan Dobly and Joyce Grant
While September ushers in another school year and signals the end of another fun-filled summer, September 1st is also a day of celebration for the Del Rizzo family. It happens to be my third son's birthday. He'll be 8 years old tomorrow- Happy Bday Little Man! I can't believe how fast they grow up....
So this month's desktop calendar is dedicated to him. He has a huge fascination with the animal kingdom and loves animal non-fiction books and TV shows like Nature and Wild Kratts. He wants to be a marine biologist when he grows up- LOVE IT!!
This is one of his favorite illustrations- it makes him giggle at the thought of a big camel nibbling his hair...what a sloppy kiss!
I hope you enjoy it.
To download, simply click on your screen resolution above, then right click and "save to desktop".
I have been meaning to post about my experience at my first SCBWI LA conference all month, but between a tight deadline with very cool steampunk novel cover project(which I will share in a post soon) and squeezing in some summertime fun with the kiddos before the summer comes to an end, the poor blog had to come a distant third on my priority list. Now that the final art is in, we have all our back-to-school shopping complete and sneaked in a few family fun-day treks, I am finally able to post few pictures and some take-away moments.
Overall I felt my first SCBWI LA conference was a very positive experience. But I must say I was blown away by the sheer size of the event. It was enormous! Just look...this is a snapshot of about 1/3 of the grand ballroom where all of the keynotes took place- humongous!
And being my shy self, it took me a few stomach churning moments every morning to thrust myself back in there. But I am proud to say that I pushed myself to talk to my neighbors and not keep my head down. I was so pleased to met up with new friends that I had met over the years via Twitter- that was indeed a highlight.
Priscilla Mizell, Alvina Kwong, and me
I also met most of the
Simply Messing About Blog and a bunch of the #kidlitart Tweet chat crew in person finally- Tracy Bishop, Laura Zarrin, Christina Forshay, Diandra Mae, Jannie Ho( who was also on the faculty this year)... gosh, I'm sure I must be missing a few. It was so hectic I am embarrassed to say I barely took any pics.
A major highlight for me was attending David Wieser's keynote and breakout sessions. I have been a huge fan for years, and it was a thrill to hear him speak about his craft and share his process, from idea generation to thumbnails, all the way to finished art. It was reassuring to hear that even he takes a long time(often years) to "get it right", for the story to come together. He reminded us all to " follow the story" and let it take you where it needs to go. Love it! He even shared his newest book, Mr.Wuffles, due out this Fall!
I brought some of Skink on the Brink to sell at the PAL book sale. I sold a few, which was indeed a nice surprise, and met some other authors and illustrators at the book sale. :) As an interesting aside... apparently nobody has heard of plasticine in the US. So, until I started saying " modelling clay" I got a look of confused looks. Huh? Who knew...
I participated in the portfolio showcase as well. The caliber of art was just incredible. I also attended some great breakout sessions with US art directors, like Laurent Linn, and Giuseppe Castellano. And it was very cool to see Laurent discuss our friend, Debbie Ohi's fun book I'm Bored. Yay, Debbie! I just happened to be sitting beside her at this breakout session when this image came up-*quiet squeals of delight* came from our general direction, LOL.
Laurent Linn
The only drawback I found with attending SCBWI LA was that, due to the large volume of attendees, I found it very hard to find a moment to approach an AD, to give them my business card/postcard, or have any sort of chat. I didn't want to be one of those people who swarmed the speaker after their talk, or jumped into an elevator convo- that just isn't my style. So I think for me anyway, I will aim to attend a smaller conference next year, where there may be a better chance to make more connections.
Speaking of conferences, the SCBWI CanEast Montreal Conference( Oct. 4-6th) is coming up. I reeeeeally wish I could attend this year because the line-up and illustrator stream looks fantastic. To find our more about it, check out all the
SCBWICanEast "The Art of Story" conference details.
Stay tuned, tomorrow I will be posting my Sept. 2013 desktop calendar. :)
Wow, July has flown past at lightning speed. Maybe it felt that way because Lisa and I have been on the road almost every weekend for various launches and events to celebrate Skink on the Brink. I guess you could say it's been a super-SKINKTASTIC month!
Before I share some of the photos of some of our events, here is my August desktop calendar.
As always, to download one for your computer simply select the screen resolution you'd like, right click and "Save to Desktop". Lisa had mentioned how much she'd love one more Stewie themed desktop calendar...so Lisa, I made this one specifically with YOU in mind ;)
The official book launch of Skink on the Brink took place at Story Planet on July 6th. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to share in our celebration. As you can see, a good time was had by all and the plasticine activity table was a bit hit with the kiddos!
On July 20th Lisa an I had the honour of taking part in The Pinery Park's Savannah Festival. Lisa gave a stellar presentation and reading in the amphitheatre.
Then after lunch, Lisa and I spent the afternoon in the gazebo doing plasticine activities. We were very lucky to have Tanya Berkers(the field biologist that was Lisa's primary contact for her skink research) on hand to answer the children's lizard related questions. But I must say Lisa did a fabulous job of quizzing the kids to get their Savannah Festival passport stamp, she's quite the skink expert herself now.
Last weekend we were in Lisa's hometown, Fergus Ontario, at Roxanne's Reflections for the Fergus launch. We were both tickled pink...no make that "Stewie-blue", to have such a warm reception and fantastic turn out. And I want to send a special thank-you to the many sweet author and illustrator friends who made the trek to Fergus to join us. We felt very blessed. :)
And tomorrow I am hoping on a plane and heading to the SCBWI conference in LA. I'm feeling nervous, anxious, and super-excited all rolled up into one. I can't wait to share that experience(and lots of pics) with you too! :)
It's summer time, the kids are out of school and it's a lovely long weekend here. And with the start of summer comes the start of July. Boy, didn't June just zip by? It's been an exciting month, with the release of my debut picture book, Skink on the Brink, written by
Lisa Dalrymple, published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside.
I must say, it was such a thrill to walk into my local Chapters and see our book on the shelf, for the first time "WEHOOO!". And my friends and family have been so so sweet to send me images and info of our book on the shelves of stores across Canada.
Lisa and I have been busy prepping for the official book launch next Saturday, July 6th from 1-3pm at the
Intergalactic Travel Authority( Story Planet). If you are in the area, please join us! We have another launch and some exciting signings coming up as well in July/August and some great interviews that I will share in series of upcoming posts, so stay tuned. I have some of the
upcoming events posted in the News section of my website.
This months calendar features another interior spread for our book. It's one of my favorites...OK, they are all my favorites, they are my babies, after all. This foot-tapping, bug-dancing, jubilant illustration is just right to celebrate our book's release and upcoming launch activities.
To download, simply click on the required screen resolution above,then right click and save to desktop.
Please check back for more info on our upcoming events, printable activities and even a few interviews...there's lots to share :)
Happy Canada Day!!
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By: Suzanne Del Rizzo,
on 4/30/2015
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