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For the last few weeks I've been slowly but surely making progress on a mural for the newest incarnation of our local bookstore -- congrats @trailsendbooks :) Its BIG, so you can't even see the life-sized polar bear and penguin over in the "arctic annex" of this photo, but its also bright and colorful and hopefully a nice complement to the kid's section in the great new space - hooray! Washington authors and illustrators be sure to reach out to Trails End to sign stock or schedule a reading when you find yourself headed to Winthrop. Summer and winter are the busier season's for sure, but they are really hoping to parlay the new space into bigger and better author events and excellent bookstore activities all year 'round. Happy holidays!
0 Comments on On the drawing "table" :) as of 12/14/2016 4:28:00 AM
Two thumbs up for the news that both the United States AND China have made their official commitments to joining the Paris Climate Accord. As the two largest economies and two largest carbon emitters in the world, this is a significant step towards achieving the required commitments by the end of 2016. Thank you to both President Obama and President Xi Jinping for your diplomatic examples to the world!
0 Comments on Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 218 - 9.3.16 as of 1/1/1900
Always exciting to see the final cover come together on a new project! And in this case, my first board book with the good folks at Sasquatch's Little Bigfoot imprint. On sale in February 2017!
0 Comments on Cover Art! as of 8/26/2016 4:11:00 PM
And on Tuesday of last week, July 19th, I celebrated a picture book birthday for the brand new LATER, GATOR! Alas, I was deep in the woods and my mountaintop celebration was pretty quiet... No polar bears in the book, but I drew one here for an appropriately themed Presidential Post Card :) You can find Gator at a bookstore near you or call my local shop for a signed and personalized copy: Trail'sEnd Bookstore (509) 996-2345
0 Comments on Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 197 - 7.25.16 as of 7/25/2016 4:43:00 PM
I've been scanning final art and color-correcting files this week for my first-ever board book project! If I Where a Whale by Shelley Gill will be published by the Little Bigfoot imprint of Sasquatch Books sometime in the not-too-distant future (I'm guessing early 2017). Marine mammals rock!
0 Comments on On My Drawing Table: Whales! as of 1/1/1900
A great weekend of coaching kids at the State track meet was made even better when I came home to find a few early author copies of LATER, GATOR! Its always fun to see the final product and Sterling did such a nice job with all of the little things like color corrections, spot varnish on the cover etc. Personally, I'm also super happy about the patterned endpapers as well -- which extend the story just a bit in important ways for both the beginning and the end.
Give your local bookstore a call and give them a head's up for the July 19th pub date. They can place their order any time. Pre-orders are also available right now on Amazon and just about any place else that you could order online.
Ciao for now!
0 Comments on Later, Gator! In all of its hardcover, final-copy glory :) as of 1/1/1900
Hooray for my first official book trailer! LATER, GATOR doesn't publish 'til July 19th, but I'm excited to start sharing it around :) And much thanks to my daughter for the lovely sound track!
0 Comments on Ta Dah! The LATER, GATOR book trailer! as of 1/1/1900
OK, this might not be totally, finally, and absolutely the final version... but its getting close enough to share! On the final day of little tweaks and nudges to the book and I really couldn't be happier with the way that its all turning out. And Gator, reserved and shy as he may look right here, can't wait to say hello in early July! Thank you Sterling Children's for making him look so great :)
0 Comments on Later, Gator! Jacket Art!!! as of 2/10/2016 5:54:00 PM
I talked about the process of creating new Dog Diaries cover art back in May, but I finally have a super nice comp from the publisher and I'm excited to see how smart these two look side by side :) Not officially available until April 16th, but add 'em to your list for spring!
0 Comments on Official Cover Reveal for the Dog & Cat Diaries Paperback Editions! as of 1/24/2016 7:56:00 AM
The illustrator copies of Beluga Whale, Grizzy Tales, and More Alaska Kidsnacks arrived from Sasquatch! It's ALWAYS fun to see the finished product for the first time, and these babies'll be cooking up a storm at a bookstore near you in March :)
Excited about lots of the images and the Alaska-themed patterns and borders in this one, but I've included two of my favorite page combinations below... plus a little "hidden Mickey" in honor of my dog Max.
Thanks to Alice for the great things to illustrate and to Tegan and Christy and the whole team at Sasquatch/Little Bigfoot for brining it all together!
0 Comments on While I was in Texas... as of 1/18/2016 12:59:00 AM
Ringing in the New Year by sending off my art for Later, Gator! -- HOORAY! It required a little extra push out the door (and 4 additional hours of driving) as a snow storm shut down the nearest airport for UPS/FED EX deliveries -- but Gator and friends have officially flown the coop. In addition to assorted other festivities, the last two weeks have been a process of final tweaking and considerations for the final art. As you can see below, the studio does get a little messy at this stage of the game, but cleaning up seems like a good New Year's activity as well :)
Front and center, the original Gator concept art was my steadfast little guide, and he still warms my heart -- even after months of staring into his earnest little eyes. Arriving in bookstore or library near you as early as July 2016, Later, Gator!
0 Comments on Later, Gator! as of 1/5/2016 9:06:00 AM
Between summer reading visits, weekly comics, summer sherpa duties, and a little running and hiking in the mountains now and again (although far less than ideal!) I've been cranking (hammering, laboring...) away at a new book project for Sasquatch. Its been a bit of a struggle, to be perfectly honest, as I am working with some ornate borders and in a sense "matching" the style of a previous book (different illustrator) that was published by the same author 10 years ago. That being said, I am finally feeling some satisfaction with the end results and there is indeed a light at the end of this tunnel. Wrapping things up the end of this week, and then I am going to SLEEP! And take a vacation. And breath...and sleep :) Oh yes, and just in case you missed the "foodie" aspect of these images, Beluga Whale, Grizzly Tales, and more Kidsnacks for Alaskan Trails (Alice Bugni, Sasquatch, 2016) is an excellent Alaska-themed collection of snack recipes for kids. "Bon appetite" and more for sure on this as we get close to publication!
0 Comments on On the drawing table! as of 8/5/2015 1:13:00 PM
My author copies for Eric Kimmel'sRunaway Tortilla (Graphic Arts Books, Sept. 2015) arrived yesterday afternoon. VERY excited to have these and so pleased again with all of Vickie's design work to pull this all together in such a great way. THANK YOU VICKIE! Plus, she put Señor Coyote's glamour shot on the back -- which is perfect -- so there you go :)
The this newest book is a milestone for me of sorts as well, as it is my first official venture into illustration with Adobe Photoshop. There's some watercolor texture pulled into the mix as well, but I'm excited by the results and the potential for future work. Check out a few additional images on my digital portfolio page. Enjoy!
0 Comments on The Runaway Tortilla Arrives! as of 8/5/2015 8:21:00 AM
TINO THE TORTOISE: Adventures in the Grand Canyon hits the shelves today! The author, Carolyn Ahern, did and AMAZING job with setting up a website for the book, so be sure to check it out and cross your fingers for more Tino adventures in the not to distant future :)
0 Comments on Happy Book Birthday, Tino Tortoise! as of 6/9/2015 1:10:00 PM
We hope that the next story will break out.
We hope that the next submission will sell.
We hope that the next revision will be amazing.
We hope that the next royalty check will be double.
We hope readers will love our stories.
Hope. It’s how we live. And I love it when Hope comes to live in tangible ways.
Carla Killough McClafferty, inducted into the Arkansas Writer’s Hall of Fame, June, 2015.
I went Friday to an awards banquet to honor my friend, Carla McClafferty. She was inducted into the Arkansas Writer’s Hall of Fame for her work in children’s non-fiction.
Brookins’s ‘Rise’ Goes to SMP
In a six-figure North American rights deal, Rose Hilliard at St. Martin’s Press acquired Cara Brookins’s memoir, Rise. The book, which Dystel and Goderich’s Jessica Papin sold at auction, is about Brookins’s experience as a single mother coming out of an abusive relationship, building her own house from the ground up. SMP said the author, a social media marketing expert in Little Rock, Ark., took on the massive DIY project “with only the help of her four children.” Rise is currently set for fall 2016.
That was hope come to life.
Another Arkansas friend, Monica Clark-Robinson recently sold her first picture book. Here’s the listing on her agent’s site:
Children’s: Picture book: Monica Clark-Robinson’s LET THE CHILDREN MARCH, an historical picture book told from a child’s point of view about the Children’s Crusade, a series of civil rights marches that took place in 1963 to protest the Jim Crow Laws, to Christine Krones at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s, for publication in Fall 2017.
That was hope come to life.
Each time a friend realizes a small portion of a dream—from the beginning of a career to a career at the top of its game—we need to stop and rejoice with them.
Why? For many reasons—friendship shares good news.
But for today’s purpose, rejoicing over someone’s good news builds my reserve of hope. I know the hope isn’t futile; someone else’s hopes came to fruition and that leaves me with a renewed hope that mine may also.
I often end a speech or a retreat with the words, “Send me your good news.” It’s not hollow words, and it’s not bragging on your part. It’s sharing a joyful event. And really, I’m being selfish: I want my hope recharged.
I just recently finished some new cover art for a paperback edition of Dog Diaries (Henry Holt, 2007). It doesn't officially published until April 2016... but it's a popular choice with school visits and I'm very excited to have a paperback version in the mix.
Why a new cover? Well, as much as the good folks at Holt (and hopefully the authors!) liked the first cover, they actually liked the cover of Cat Diaries (see below) just a little bit better. Since there will be a simultaneous paperback release of both books, the art department wanted to create a "companion" cover of sorts that was a little more focused on a single dog.
Just like the original, the new cover was painted with watercolor, ink, and colored pencil. Scroll below for a glimpse of the process -- from early sketches and options to final art -- and I'll remind you again when the books are available next spring :)
LOTS of sketches... some pencil and some digital.
And then revisions to the consensus pick of the Macmillam Art Department and on to final sketches...
...and then the final art :) A little mock-up here on my part, but it should be pretty close in the final version.
0 Comments on Cover Story: Creating new DOG DIARIES cover art! as of 5/18/2015 7:03:00 PM
You can only keep that pent up energy bottled up for so long :) VERY glad to be done with my most recent book illustration project, excited to see who it comes together with the designer typefaces etc., and ready to start the next -- GRRR!
0 Comments on Harts Pass No. 239 as of 2/12/2015 1:09:00 PM
Finally, after way too many years, I have published an update to my portfolio pages... and I actually have samples from recent books! By switching to Flickr as host, I get away from the more time consuming coding and javascript that was pretty much keeping me from adding new work to my old site... and this should be smoother all around with respect to flexible platforms for viewing. There are a few ads scattered amongst the artwork for now, but I hope to eliminate those by sorting through their subscription plan in due course.
Click on the links above or find the portfolio link consistently listed in the "pages" near the top of this blog. I'll be adding additional items as we start the new year, but am excited to at long last be representing a broader cross-section of my work.
Cheers!
0 Comments on New Portfolio Pages! as of 12/23/2014 3:30:00 PM
An EXCITING week ahead with the annual Methow Valley Elementary Young Writers Conference - ALL day Friday at MVES -and I am pleased to say that our keynote speaker/special guest for 2014 is the award winning and very excellent David LaRochelle -- all the way from the great state of Minnesota!
David (left) pictured here with equally excellent illustrator Mike Whonoutka and their MN Book Award winning hardware for MOO!
David's voice and sense of humor offer just the right mix, and his experience of becoming a writer -- of the work and dedication to his craft -- will be a terrific compliment to the writing and illustrating that our students have been doing in their classrooms throughout the year.
In addition, MANY 15-20 if I remember correctly, writers, illustrators, actors, musicians and cartoonists from the local community will be sharing their styles of writing and communication in a variety of kid-centric workshops and breakout sessions throughout the day. AWESOME!
And please don't miss the Celebration on Thursday night (5:30-7:00pm) where student work is on display and students get a chance to read from stories of their own. Its a really great night and the kids love it!
0 Comments on This Week: The Methow Valley Elementary Young Writers Celebration & Conference! as of 1/1/1900
With the last of my Kickstarter rewards finally in the mail, I've been taking steps to make the book available to a larger audience. As noted earlier this week, I did a small release party Trail's End Bookstore, and copies are also available at:
A Book For All Seasons (Leavenworth, WA)
Village Books (Bellingham, WA)
Winthrop Gallery (Winthrop, WA)
The Confluence Gallery (Twisp, WA)
The Mazama Store (Mazama, WA)
I will update this list as additional locations are added to the mix, but thanks in advance for supporting your local bookstores and gallery spaces!
I'm working on a broader placement with help from book distributor Partners West, and I will make that information available to any potential booksellers when I get final approval.
Books can also be ordered RIGHT HERE, so follow the PayPal link below if you'd like a book mailed straight from the source. Fill in a name to the "autograph" field and I am happy to personalize!
Personalized autograph to:
Thanks so much, and remember to stay up on the weekly comics at www.hartspass.com. GRRR!
0 Comments on Where can I find Welcome to Harts Pass? as of 5/8/2014 4:26:00 PM
About ten days ago, my Kickstarter project took one final (major) step towards its ultimate conclusion as forty boxes - hot off the presses - arrived safe and sound in my carport. My studio space will be happily crowded for a bit as rewards are being shipped just as quickly as I can get everything safely repackaged and sent off in the mail. Reports thus far are GRRRand :)
Trail's End Bookstore in Winthrop, WA has signed copies on hand, and I'll be doing a local launch for the on May 4th -- when my school visit schedule has finally settled down a bit. Stay tuned for an Etsy Shop/paypal button etc. so that I can do at least a little bit of business in online sale and thanks again for helping me to make this book. Cheers!
Erik
0 Comments on The Harts Pass books are in... and heading out the door! as of 4/4/2014 10:49:00 PM
SLOW DAYS, FAST FRIENDS went out of print in early 2012. However, through the wonders of modern technology (and the reversion of rights clause in these older boiler plate contracts of mine!) I can now self-publish for fans of the Barnes & Noble NOOK.
OCTAVIUS BLOOM & THE HOUSE OF DOOM met a simliar fate in 2010, and is currently selling more than every before. Three cheers (for this part at least) of the eBook revolution!
1 Comments on The Slow Days, Fast Friends eBook!, last added: 2/2/2013
Who Has This Tail? comes out October 16th, and I just received my author copies in yesterday's mail. The book looks great, and once again the design team at Holt did a wonderful job of making sure that my watercolors stayed true to their vibrant and radiant selves -- not always an easy thing to do!
In a simultaneous debut of sorts, the Scholastic Book Club copies of Who Has These Feet? are also primed and ready to go. Stay tuned to your local book fair and check it out alongside the over-sized erasers, and Justin Bieber posters :)
0 Comments on Who Has These Books? as of 10/3/2012 4:56:00 PM
By: Erik Brooks,
on 12/6/2016
Surprised by nearly a foot of snow in the driveway on Tuesday morning. Winter indeed! YES!!!
Between summer reading visits, weekly comics, summer sherpa duties, and a little running and hiking in the mountains now and again (although far less than ideal!) I've been cranking (hammering, laboring...) away at a new book project for Sasquatch. Its been a bit of a struggle, to be perfectly honest, as I am working with some ornate borders and in a sense "matching" the style of a previous book (different illustrator) that was published by the same author 10 years ago.
By: Darcy Pattison,
on 6/8/2015
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I just recently finished some new cover art for a paperback edition of Dog Diaries (Henry Holt, 2007). It doesn't officially published until April 2016... but it's a popular choice with school visits and I'm very excited to have a paperback version in the mix.
You can only keep that pent up energy bottled up for so long :) VERY glad to be done with my most recent book illustration project, excited to see who it comes together with the designer typefaces etc., and ready to start the next -- GRRR!
With the last of my Kickstarter rewards finally in the mail, I've been taking steps to make the book available to a larger audience. As noted earlier this week, I did a small release party Trail's End Bookstore, and copies are also available at:
Introducing Logan! Who is a little chagrinned by the results of his first experience with record keeping...
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SLOW DAYS, FAST FRIENDS went out of print in early 2012. However, through the wonders of modern technology (and the reversion of rights clause in these older boiler plate contracts of mine!) I can now self-publish for fans of the Barnes & Noble NOOK.
Congratulations:)