Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted
~ Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963
You can say anything you want, yessir, but it's the words that sing, they soar and descend...I bow to them...I love them, I cling to them, I run them down, I bite into them, I melt them down...I love words so much...The unexpected ones...The ones I wait for greedily or stalk until, suddenly they drop...
~Pablo Neruda
I hope some animal never bores a hole in my head and lays its eggs in my brain, because later you might think you're having a good idea but it's just eggs hatching
I started off calling this "The Roxy Challenge." My goal was to loosen up each day with a quick sketch of my bulldog, Roxy. She's funny, she's flatulent, and she sleeps 20 hours a day (mostly under my drafting table)--the perfect model for a children's book illustrator!
However, Roxy wanted no part of that modeling nonsense. She scratched. She fidgeted. She licked her toes. And she insisted on critiquing my work, nosing through all of my sketchbooks before finally resting her chin on my iPad.
Taking my "studio assistant" Roxy for a walk, I thought it would be great to mount a GoPro to capture Kailua Beach from a bulldog's perspective...if anything, as inspiration for a new children's book character.
My obsession with butterflies goes beyond origami...I do raise monarch butterflies at my home in Hawaii, using crownflower as a food source for the larva and lantana to attract adults. I'll write more about what goes on during metamorphosis on my Origami Page.
Talk story, learn more about writing and illustrating for children, stock up on your summer reading, or have books autographed for your favorite reader. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Friends of the Library. Spread the word!
Book signing schedule:
SATURDAY, JUNE 18
Sue Cowing, 9 a.m. - 12 noon
Christin Lozano, 9 a.m. - 12 noon
David Estes, 12 noon - 5 p.m.
Alina Niemi, 12 noon - 5 p.m.
Leslie Hayashi and Tammy Yee, all day
SUNDAY, JUNE 19
Sandi Takayama, 9 a.m. - 12 noon
Alina Niemi, 12 noon - 4 p.m.
Christopher Caravalho, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Leslie Hayashi and Tammy Yee, all day
My introduction to writing and illustrating children's books was Uri Shulevitz's guide, Writing With Pictures--I still have it on my bookshelf--and the thought of attending an SCBWI conference terrified me. I came away from my first conference overstimulated and overwhelmed, but also energized and inspired. Through the years, I've learned that there is no better way to meet other author and illustrators, develop your writing and illustrating, and learn from the best in the industry.
So if you happen to be in Hawaii this March, join us for our 2016 SCBWI Hawaii Conference:
Smooth Sailing in the Sea of Children’s Book Publishing
March 18 – 19, William S. Richardson Law School, University of Hawaii at Manoa
with
DAN SANTAT, Author-Illustrator, 2015 Caldecott Medal Recipient
SUZIE TOWNSEND, Agent
NAOMI LONG EAGLESON, Editor
KIRSTEN CARLSON, Local Author-Illustrator
Featuring workshops and breakout sessions for authors and illustrators, First Pages/First Look Critique Panel, industry tips and more.
If you would like to attend Dan Santat's Friday workshop, Art School in One Day, contact hawaii@scbwi.org.
FACULTY BIOS:
DAN SANTAT, Author-Illustrator, 2015 Caldecott Medal Recipient
Dan has been a proud member of the SCBWI since 2001. He has since published over fifty books for children, which include the Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series by Dav Pilkey, Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barnett which won the Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators, and the New York Times best-selling book, Because I'm Your Dad by Ahmet Zappa. Dan has also the author of the graphic novel, Sidekicks, which has won numerous state book awards, and is the current recipient of the 2015 Randolph Caldecott Medal for his book, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. He is also the creator of the Disney animated series, The Replacements. Visit him at www.dantat.com.
SUZIE TOWNSEND, Director of Literary Services & Literary Agent, New Leaf Literary & Media
Suzie represents all brands of children's and adult fiction. She is
actively looking to build her list. In adult, she's specifically looking
for new adult, romance (all subgenres), fantasy (urban fantasy, science
fiction, steampunk, epic fantasy) and crime fiction (mysteries,
thrillers). In Childrens' she loves YA (all subgenres) and is dying to
find great Middle Grade projects. Suzie loves strong characters and
voice driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their
genres. For more info on her clients and projects: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/sztownsend81/. Follow her on twitter (https://twitter.com/sztownsend81).
NAOMI LONG EAGLESON, Editor
Naomi Long Eagleson is the founder of The Artful Editor, a book editing
company based in Los Angeles. She helps writers improve and polish
their manuscripts for publication. She has an MFA from the Iowa Writers'
Workshop and has worked as an assistant editor at Manoa Journal and
as a manuscript reviewer at Mutual Publishing. She has edited over a
hundred books, including children’s books and young adult fiction. www.artfuleditor.com
KIRSTEN CARLSON, Author-Illustrator
Kirsten’s background in biology, scientific illustration and graphic
design lend themselves well to interpreting stories about nature for
children. In addition to picture books, her work as an
author/illustrator has also appeared in periodicals, including National Geographic and Phycologia. She
won the First Place Award for Realistic Portfolio at the 2003 and 2004
SCBWI Conferences. Kirsten is the Illustrator Coordinator for SCBWI
Hawaii, and a past Regional Advisor for SCBWI Germany+Austria.www.kirstencarlson.net
Interested in writing and illustrating children's books? SCBWI Hawaii is presenting several events that might be of interest to authors, illustrators, educators and librarians:
THE ART OF CREATING CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Free art exhibit and panel discussion at the Hawaii State Library Adult Reading Room
FREE PANEL DISCUSSION: SAT., FEBRUARY 27, 2-4 p.m. https://hawaii.scbwi.org/events/so-you-want-to-write-a-childrens-book-2/
Join us for a free discussion on getting started in writing and illustrating for children, and meet our panelists, authors and author-illustrators James Rumford, Scott Goto, Sue Cowing, Chris Caravalho and Vera Arita.
ART EXHIBIT: FEBRUARY 11 - MARCH 30 https://hawaii.scbwi.org/events/art-exhibit-the-art-of-creating-childrens-books/
What does it take to create a children's book? View the notes, rough sketches and final children's book artwork of SCBWI authors and illustrators. Featuring the work of Chris Caravalho, Kirsten Carlson, Sue Cowing, Scott Goto, Leslie Hayashi, Mariko Merritt, Elizabeth Oh, Esther Szegedy and Tammy Yee.
Join us for storytelling, crafts, book talks and book signing! Meet some of the authors and illustrators from the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) at Barnes & Noble, Ala Moana Center, on November 21, 2015, from 11:30 am-1:30pm. Booksigning from 1:30-2:30pm.
We work diligently at our craft, but what about the business side of
writing and illustrating? The Texas Chapter of SCBWI is hosting a
webinar this Tuesday, November 10 to help you structure your writing and
illustrating business, keep records, and understand sales tax and
deductions. The fee is only $10 for SCBWI members--one of the many reasons to renew your membership or join!
A revealing interview by author Ian McEwan (Atonement):
“I don't feel
confident at all. No I don't. Sometimes I pick up some work I finished
fifteen years ago and think, am I as good as that now? Could I do that
again? No, I think you'll find most writers are not confident they can
just turn out books...There's a great difference between that all that
public world of prizes and interviews and public readings and the
private world of the closed door, and the hiss of silence--and here we
are again, and what can you make come out of this of silence. And you
can't relax about it, you can't be certain that you can do it again."
So, fellow nerds, what's with this video circulating on Facebook and Youtube?
First of all, these are not spiders. They are harvestmen or daddy-longlegs. For those of you who remember the ol' mnemonic device for taxonomy, King Philip Can Order Fresh Green Salad (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species), these critters, like spiders, scorpions and ticks, are in the class Arachnida. However, harvestmen belong to their own order, Opiliones.
So what's the difference?
Harvestmen have a single cephalothorax and a single pair of eyes. True spiders have a narrow "waist" that creates two segments, the cephalothorax and abdomen.
Harvestmen have a single pair of eyes. True spiders most commonly have eight eyes, however they can have no eyes, or as many as 12 eyes.
Harvestmen are nonvenomous.
Harvestmen have no spinnerets, so they do not spin webs.
Harvestmen are older than spiders--the oldest fossil, from Scotland, is at least 400 million years old. True spiders are about 300 million years old.
Harvestmen are omnivores--they eat dead stuff, bird droppings, fungus and small arthropods and slugs.
Finally, the question every one is asking. WHY DO THEY DO THIS? They mass for defensive purposes, and to keep themselves warm. Harvestmen possess a pair of stinky glands called ozopores; when they mass, the combined smell can be quite disturbing. Swarming also makes them appear larger. When disturbed, the entire throng will sometimes bob and sway--a truly unsettling effect.
Video step-by-step directions for folding patterns from my new book, "Easy Butterfly Origami" featuring 30 bold full-color patterns designed to accurately portray the dorsal and ventral sides of some of the most beautiful butterflies from around the world!
Fun facts about behavior and distribution accompany each butterfly model!
From the vivid green Cairns Birdwing to the striped Tiger Swallowtail and the Blood Red Glider, these beautiful butterflies feature a kaleidoscopic array of colors and patterns. Includes simple instructions for folding, and perforated pages for easy removal.
Many butterflies have iridescent patterns on the top, and drab undersides for camouflage while they rest with their wings folded up. The origami patterns in this book are specially designed to highlight the diversity of species--when folded, the models accurately portray the variation in the insects' top and bottom views.
Each butterfly model is accompanied by fun facts about behavior and distribution. For example, did you know that the Mountain Alcon Blue butterfly tricks ants into feeding and protecting its caterpillars? Other caterpillars, like the Moth Butterfly, are carnivorous and feed on ant larvae and pupae.
The 68th Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale starts this weekend on Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21 at McKinley High School! Authors and illustrators from SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) will be selling and signing their brand new children's books and art work in the blue tent in front of the the cafeteria. A portion of sales will be going to support Friends of the Library of Hawaii.
The FLH Book Sale is an island tradition that attracts over 20,000 readers of all ages and backgrounds and features bargains and a selection of titles to rival any bookstore. Stock up on your summer reading, or just stop by to say hello!
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I started off calling this "The Roxy Challenge." My goal was to loosen up each day with a quick sketch of my bulldog, Roxy. She's funny, she's flatulent, and she sleeps 20 hours a day (mostly under my drafting table)--the perfect model for a children's book illustrator!
