Thursday, March 23, 2017

What is Black & White & Read All Over?

 I started illustrating historical fiction chapter books for the Young Patriot Series beginning with Amelia Earhart, Young Air Pioneer in 2000. Fourteen books and eight years later we stopped after Alexander Hamilton, Young Statesman. The books have continued to sell well, but Florrie Kichler, the publisher, became president of IPG, the Independent Publisher's Group and life got beyond busy for her.

Last year I got an email from Florrie introducing me to the new owner of the series, Carol Tulley, publisher of TEI Landmark Audio. Carol has lots of great ideas and is picking up the series where we left off. We're working on book number fifteen, Dan Beard, Boy Scout. So here's a few chapter interior illustrations and I'm working on the cover illustration now.
Chapter 2,
But after the four boys started working they found potato-bug picking was not so bad. It became a game.
Chapter 5,
They wished they might tell the Mosher twins about Traveler, for they were proud of the beautiful bird. Besides, there was plenty of good grain in the Mosher's barn and Traveler loved corn and wheat.
Chapter 6,
They decorated the den with feathers, picture writing and different kinds of bones and skins. Dan copied from his books the pictures of William Penn and the Indians and hung it on the wall.
March 2 we presented If You Love Honey for Storytime in the Dome at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Along with reading in the Dome and creating the adorable bee headband craft the kids went to the main gallery to explore the live bee exhibit and show off their dance moves on the Honeybee Waggle Dance Floor. It was awesome!
If You Love Honey for Storytime in the Dome
I'm honored to be the featured "Artist of the Month" in Ruth's Art Gallery at the Red Feather Lakes Library. I'll be giving a presentation on the last day of the month, Friday, March 31 at 1pm. Please drop by if you're in the area.
"Artist of the Month" in Ruth's Art Gallery at the Red Feather Lakes Library
Last, but not least, here's Desiree of Photography By Desiree, a wonderful photography studio out of Fort Collins. It's for a magazine shoot that you'll hear more about this summer!
Desiree being a wonderful photographer and making this a very fun shoot!
Desiree making me look good in my normally very messy studio space, normally wearing the same thing three days in a row...
Thanks for taking a look!