Lightly Sketching

Sometimes I think the key to drawing is knowing when to stop.

Merriness to All!

Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators

It was a great honor and thrill to be included in this year's Original Art show at the Society of Illustrators in New York. I finally made it up to see the show and it really is wonderful. If you are in New York, you still have until December 29th to catch it.

The Intern was duly impressed but my piece did not receive the same reaction as a certain turtle. Upon seeing the painting in question, she let out an extremely excited shout of "MELVIN!!!!!" which echoed throughout the historical Society of Illustrators building.*

A special thank you to the wonderful people at Candlewick Press for the lovely frame.

* The Intern was of course referring to Melvin and the Boy by Lauren Castillo which is our favorite picture book of the year. Look for it!

Original Art SALE on Etsy!

Critters in Sweaters!

Need a nice gift for the knitters, critter lovers, and sweater aficionados on your list?

I have 10 pieces of original art for sale at my Etsy shop. They're small, but so is the price. Each critter is drawn on Cartiera Magnani Italia Acquerello paper with water soluble pencil, crayon, and a bit of watercolor here and there. Each is 6x6 inches (15x15 cm).

 Details at my Etsy Shop!

Storm in the Barn MOVIE News!

I'm very happy to announce that The Storm in the Barn has been optioned for a feature film! Grady Twins Productions is developing the book for a live action movie. Marti Noxon, writer/producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mad Men (two of the best shows ever), is producing and David Goodman (Fringe, Angel) is writing the screenplay. I'm involved in a sort of advisory way. Everyone at Grady Twins has been great and I'm convinced that Storm is in the right hands.

It's a long road to the silver screen, but we are certainly off to a good start.

Wells Library Fundraiser

On October 22nd, the Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid is hosting a fundraising event for the Hurricane Irene-devastated Wells Memorial Library. There will be a silent auction of more than 50 items, including this pencil & watercolor sketch I drew for the occasion. Event details are HERE.

If you are in the area, please stop by and help out a great cause. Thanks to author Kate Messner for spreading the word and helping to organize the event.

Around the World Has Launched!

Initial cover sketches.

My new graphic novel AROUND THE WORLD is finally available! The book is based on the true stories of three intrepid adventurers who circumnavigated the globe alone at the end of the 19th century. My own journey to tell the stories of Thomas Stevens, Nellie Bly, and Joshua Slocum felt, at times, as arduous as trekking across the earth. In the coming weeks, I'll be posting some tidbits about how I came to create this book. I hope you'll check back for the journey.

Abandoned "travel journal" concept.

A fine way to procure this volume is through your local bookstore (if you are lucky enough to have one of these rare emporiums in your area). How do you find one? Try Indiebound's nifty store locator or order online from any of the indie stores. You can also order directly from my publisher Candlewick Press, or find it at your online purveyor of choice. And don't forget your local library!

Final cover sketch.

Cover painting of the three. Makes me want to write a fictional team-up.

Ta-da!

And just for fun, here's the trailer once again (and yes, that is me on the ukulele) ...


 

HUZZAH!