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SHOW NOTES:

Blog Action Day aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion. On October 15, 2008, thousands of people are posting on the topic of POVERTY.

The Book of Life is participating with this podcast episode, in which authors Davis and Kimmel explore themes of generosity and the tradition of tzedakah (charity). We also get an overview about Blog Action Day itself. The line-up includes:

> Cyan Ta'eed, cofounder (with husband Collis) of Blog Action Day, FreelanceSwitch blogger and director of Envato

> Aubrey Davis, author of Bagels from Benny (interviewed by our Canadian Correspondent Anne Dublin!)

> Eric Kimmel, author of The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story


AUDIO:

Click the play button on this flash player to listen to the podcast now:

Or click MP3 File to start your computer's media player.


CREDITS:

Our background music is provided by The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band. Additional background music in this episode is courtesy of The Klezmer Company Orchestra. Listen to our upcoming November 2008 podcast for an interview with Aaron Kula, Klezmer Company Orchestra leader, about their CD Beyond the Tribes.

Books mentioned on the show may be borrowed from the Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel. Browse our online catalog to reserve books, post a review, or just to look around!

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to [email protected]!

Action on the floor, Originally uploaded to Flickr by wkpspier


SHOW NOTES:

What's new in Jewish picture books? Follow me around the 2008 Book Expo America conference to listen in on publishers and authors talking about their new and forthcoming titles! I gathered so much audio that I'll be posting it over four episodes. Part 2 will be books for children and teens, Part 3 will be adult books, and Part 4 will be books (for all ages) relating to the Holocaust.

Part 1, Jewish Picture Books:

Tricycle Press
The Yankee at the Seder by Elka Weber

Marshall Cavendish
Cakes and Miracles by Barbara Diamond Goldin
The Hanukkah Mice by Steven Kroll
The Rabbi and the 29 Witches by Marilyn Hirsh

Tanglewood Press
The Miracle Jar by Audrey Penn

Sleeping Bear Press
A is for Abraham by Richard Michelson

Kar-Ben Publishing
Jodie's Hanukkah Dig by Anna Levine
Harvest of Light by Allison Ofanansky
Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride by Deborah Bodin Cohen
Sammy Spider's First Day at School by Sylvia Rouss
Sarah Laughs, Benjamin and the Silver Goblet, Miriam in the Desert by Jacqueline Jules

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Built By Angels by Mark Podwal

Blue Apple Books
Hanukkah Haiku by Harriet Ziefert

Holiday House
The Mysterious Guests by Eric Kimmel

Yale Strom, author:
The Wedding That Saved a Town by Yale Strom (Kar-Ben)

AUDIO:

Click the play button on this flash player to listen to the podcast now:


Or click MP3 File to start your computer's media player.

CREDITS:

Thanks to Yale Strom for permission to record and podcast his violin performance at Book Expo. Our regular background music is provided by The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band.

Books mentioned on the show may be borrowed from the Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel. (Or if they're too new to be in the library now, they will be once they are published!) Browse our online catalog to reserve books, post a review, or just to look around!

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to [email protected]! Or even better, if you know of any new Jewish picture books I missed seeing at Book Expo, please post a comment!

2.5 x 3.5
Polychromo Walnut Brown on PAPER
ebay

I bought some Rives BFK print paper last time I was at the store, and thought I'd better try it!
This is a HUGE departure from my usual illustration board. HUGE I tell you.

I've always loved illustration board for its durablility (doesn't crease easily, its more sturdy) and versatility (you can use all kinds of media on it).
But you can't see through it. That's a major drawback. It makes it really hard to transfer finished drawings, especially for colored pencil work (if you do the usual "lay the drawing down on top and trace over it to transfer it" it leaves a groove in the board, no matter how light a pressure you use, and that's not a good thing for pencil work.)

What I've been doing with the board is this labor-intensive "scan the drawing, clean it up in Photoshop, then print it out really really really really light onto the board with my Epson 2200 printer".
Well, that works, but its kind of a drag. And the printer only goes 13" wide, so if your board is wider than that, then what do you do? You can see the problem. (Except for all of these little pieces ~ I just draw them freehand directly onto the board. I'm talking about more involved illustrations.)

So this paper works with a lightbox. YAY!

And I like the paper. Not as well as the board, but its OK. It doesn't take many layers of pencil. I think it will be good for this monochromatic kind of work where I don't have to do too many layers anyway. But I think for really heavy handed many-colored and layered kinds of work, it wouldn't hold up.
The paper is soft and lovely, but that's the problem. The tooth squishes down too fast (if you do colored pencil you know what I mean by that.)

The other interesting thing is that the Walnut Brown color looks different than it does on illustration board.

Do you see the difference? It looks softer on the paper, and it also doesn't go quite as dark.
I used cream colored paper ~ I think. I know that sounds stupid. I remember there was a grey (which I didn't want) and this. I know they make both white and cream, and I'm pretty sure what I have here is the cream. I guess I get to go back to the store and check, or order some white from online someplace. (I've already searched online, and when looking at the little color swatches of both colors, what I have here actually looks like something in between the two, which is no help at all!)

Remember when art was easy? You just had your little box of crayons and some construction paper?

To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.

2.5 x 3.5
Polychromo on illustration board
ebay

Uno mas. Back to my Polychromos. This was done with "Walnut Brown". Funny, I thought the Sepia color would be darker, but nope. I actually like this a lot.
Wouldn't it be funny if after all this trying out different brands I came back to my Polychromos after all?
(Remember, this was all about finding a warmer alternative to just black.)
I think I might do one or two more, then decide which way to go. I have to get started on the piece, a private commission, that inspired this search in the first place!

To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.

Polychromo colored pencils on illustration board.

An oldie but goodie. All Stockinette Stitch.
I'm trying to get myself participating in Illustration Friday, 'cause all the cool kids are. But I can't seem to find the time to do anything new. At least not yet. So this is my offering, and forgive me if you've seen it before.

I think its interesting to see how colorful this is compared to some of the yarn pieces I've been doing lately. I'm using the muted Graphtitints more, and I'm also not burnishing so much so my technique has changed too. Have I evolved? Hmmm. Jury's out on that one I think.

Back to some art. Boy it feels good to just sit and fiddle with my colored pencils.

This was done with Derwent Graphitints, NOT Polychromos (GASP!).
I was trying to capture the mood of the day, mostly the weather. It was just grey grey grey, drizzly and cold, with muted plant colors and lawn and trees. It also reflects how I feel, kind of.
The holiday is over, its time to do year-end reflecting, all that stuff. I was also sad today because I learned my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Talbot, who I ADORED, passed away a few days ago.

I did this on illustration board like I usually do. But instead of leaving the background the 'board white' I did a very fine layer of grey.

I love these Graphitints (the image in my logo was done with these as well). They're really just tinted graphite, and the colors are so muted. I used Cloud Gray, Steel Blue, Shadow and Juniper.

I want to start framing some of these little pieces, and am using this cool place online to test framing ideas. I kinda like this:



It would cost $25 to do. Not sure if that's good or not. I guess so, considering its custom. Now if I can figure out how to add it to my ebay listing... (oh, did I mention, I put this in my ebay shop which I emptied out after Christmas and am now starting to restock).

I would love to do one of these a day, or every few days or something, like a journal. I know I won't be able to, but wouldn't that be cool? If they only took 20 minutes, sure, but they take a couple of hours. Well, maybe I'll try to at least do one a week. We'll see.

I'm babbling... Read the rest of this post