Dog on a Blog (with a Storybook Ending!)

Everyone has a story to tell... sometimes you need to tell it yourself. However, if you only speak "dog" you need someone else to tell it for you. This is what PET TALES is: The stories of art studio pets living their best lives with their creative owners in the studio and on the road. 

Click the image box to get the full story in What Women Create Magazine's Pet Tales! Biscuit's story is from Summer 2023 edition.

And now for some work-in-progress! Here's illustrations from three books, all very different stories and in various stages of development. 

The image below is from "Bumblebee, Bumblebee." The author I'm working with unexpectedly lost a baby last year. She's developing this touching and hopeful story to help other families going through the same trauma. You can find more through the Share Program which provides information, education and resources for bereaved parents and siblings.

Nancy Oswald and I continue to tweak "Wilma's Worm". We've submitted to a few publishers and gotten feedback which we take to heart. Writing and illustrating a book, revising, submitting is a long process. As Wilma's character and story evolve we love her a little more through her journey.

Here is a super fun, new picture book that's very near and dear to my heart. It's in the beginning stages and as you might guess is about an Alphabet Garden. I'll tell you more as we get further into the project.

I'm excited to be a part of Fort Collins Nursery's first ever Storytime and Crafts event on July 15!  A wonderful group featuring seven local children's books authors and illustrators will be on-site to read their fabulous stories. We'll gather on the outdoor patio, nestled along the banks of Dry Creek and the Cache la Poudre River surrounded by beautiful plants, trees and wildlife. 

It's a FREE event that also features fun crafts, activities and door prizes for kids and their families. Signed books will be for sale by The Crowded Bookshelf.

Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and well-behaved pets are welcome. You might even meet my pup, Biscuit there! That's the life of an art studio pet.

Click on the graphic for the full line up of presenters and details coming up for Storytime at Fort Collins Nursery.

Thanks so much for checking out my blog. I have more events coming this summer. Follow me on Instagram where I'll post about them. 

Storytime and Crafts at The Bookies Bookstore in Denver, 10:30 on July 11

Storytime in the Dome at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery at 10am on July 19 where we'll read "The Prairie that Nature Built" by Marybeth Lorbiecki. Afterwards we'll head downstairs to the live black footed ferret exhibit with conservationist Kim Fraser. Did you know black footed ferrets were considered extinct until they were "rediscovered" in 1981? Kim will tell us about that and lots more. In the meantime check out The BFF website!

Storytime and Crafts in the Park at the Wandering Jellyfish in Niwot, 11am on July 22

Storytime and Crafts at Second Star to the Right Books in Denver, 10am on August 3

A second FCMoD Storytime in the Dome presentation on August 16th reading "If You Love Honey" by Martha Sullivan

And finally, looking forward to "A Journey To St. Thomas: Tales for Our Time" by Josiah Hatch book launch party at New Terrain Brewing on Nomember 8. Fulcrum Publishing is hosting the event and they know how to have a good time!

Happy Summer!

Cathy

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!

Happy New 2017!

Thank you to Lydia Dody, the publisher of Style Magazine and journalist, Elissa J. Tivona for the article featuring "Storytime in the Dome" at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. This magazine reflects the heart and soul of life in Northern Colorado and it's an honor to be included.

Style Magazine, January 2017
Click on Style Magazine's cover to get the Flip Book online magazine

Storytime in the Dome at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Click on the above logo to go the museum's site.

Everybody at the museum works hard to put this program together - hopefully it's a labor of love. Ben Gondrez, the Digital Dome Manager takes the files from my creative nonfiction picture books, digitizes and animates the page turns to be read and viewed on the gigantic 35 foot dome screen. He adds sound effects, bringing the experience to life. Sarah Kinard, the early childhood and special learning lead makes it all happen. She comes up with the crafts and activities that the kids will create that relate to the book. We head up to the theater escorting a group of cute, literary-loving kids along with their adults where we read the story. Afterwards we head down to the learning lab for art! Both publishers I work with, Arbordale Press and Dawn Publications have generously donated rights to the books since this is an experimental experience. So far it seems like the local families are enjoying it. The article below explains it much better than I do.

Stories Come to Life for the Whole Family

My messy desktop

And I'm making progress on a couple of projects. Here's the "during" and "after" shots for If the Mummy Could Talk.... Below I've placed some type to get a sense of how the cover will look. The book designer will choose the actual font and make it look much nicer. This helps me to visualize if I've left enough room for type, plus it's fun to experiment with various fonts. I'm excited to be working on another book with Rhonda Lucas Donald and Arbordale Publications!

If The Mummy Could Talk... coming Spring 2018

It's a good way to start a new year!
Thanks for taking a look.

Storytime in the Dome

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

I'm a volunteer at the Museum of Discovery in Fort Collins. Volunteering there always brings new experiences, plus it's fun. On opening day I was behind the cash register in the gift shop. I work with the educational department greeting school groups on field trips. Last fall I helped with garden maintenance, pulling weeds and pruning plants. One of my favorite things is being a docent in their Historical Heritage Courtyard program.  

Storytime in the Dome at FCMod.org

This month I am totally excited and honored to kick off Storytime in the Dome. This opportunity began in a brain storming session when they were opening the new Tot Spot exhibit. Here is the software program they are using to create the big interactive picture book we'll be reading and discussing. The event will begin with the kids creating an art project that relates to the book, a nature pendent. Then we'll head upstairs to the digital dome where we'll read and talk about The Prairie That Nature Built. I want this program to succeed so we can bring a lot more books to life and get more book creators involved.

Thank you to whoever took this photo!

And I want to report that our first ever "Storytime in the Dome" was amazing. As we were preparing and rehearsing for this event I'd ask how ticket sales were doing. A couple of weeks ago 10 sold, then 37, then the morning of the event I heard 55 tickets had sold. As we were getting the materials together for the art project and passing them out people continued to stream in. We actually sold out all the seats which equalled a dome-full of 80 plus kids and their folks. It was great to see families excited about this and I'm very encouraged.

Thanks to Sarah, the early childhood lead for working super hard to make this a success, along with Ben, who created the digital show, Jason, the museum director who brainstormed the event and kept us all enthused and on track, to Amy for creating a great display and book signing area in the gift shop and especially thanks to Holly who really believed in me and this book. Did I mention I love being a volunteer at the museum?

Red Feather Lakes Community Library

On the same day as "Storytime in the Dome" I have an afternoon presentation at the Red Feather Lakes Community Library where we'll talk about illustrating creative nonfiction children's books. This is part of their Summer Reading Program. It will be a day of more talking, less drawing which makes me a little nervous with four book deadlines looming this summer! Here's a photo of the exterior of the library where they're putting in new landscaping. It already looks great. Flowers sooth my extreme deadline anxiety.

And just so you know I'm really working, here's the Common Loon illustration from Baby on Board.

The little loon's thick feathers hold body heat inside, So it can climb on Mama's back as they go for a ride.

Thanks for taking a look!