The Studio - Girl Scouts of the USA

Do you know about The Studio? Every week the Girl Scouts showcase inspiring storytellers of all kinds, offering an inside look at how they do what they do. It started with authors, has now expanded to include illustrators and soon the girl scouts will be able to upload their own work. The goal is to create a community of creative work shared by the girls and professionals working in a variety of creative careers. I'm honored to be showcased this week, along with illustrations I've done for the Young Patriot Series.

Nature Recycles by Michelle Lord

To say this year has been busy is an understatement. I'm quickly wrapping up illustrations for Nature Recycles by  Michelle Lord, published by Sylvan Dell Publishing. Wish I was quicker, five more spreads to illustrate, but it makes it more doable as I really like the story. I'm currently working on the spread which focuses on Asian elephants and how they recycle. I'll post it and the others as I get further along. But wanted to mention Asian elephants because that's where I'm heading in a couple of weeks - Bangkok Thailand! My husband, Andy Brown is working there for most of the summer, creating communication centers in that area so I'm excited to visit and see another part of the world I've never experienced. When I come back I'm starting a new book about dinosaurs. More about that one later.

Here's two additional images I cropped from Nature Recycles. Three more to go and I leave for Bangkok in just over a week. Lots to do before I go. Also wanted to add "Happy Memorial Day!", especially to my son, Evan and all his Navy friends.

So here's two more cropped images. I'm working on the last one and leave late tomorrow - will I finish before I go? Or am I destined to always carry work along on my vacation?

Kindling Words UK!

Kindling Words UK Workshop/Retreat was the best thing I've done for myself in years. I made new writing and illustrating friends, many whose names I recognized, but now can put a face with the name. I shared a room with New York Times best selling fantasy author Cinda Williams Chima who was such a fun room mate. I'm hoping just a little of Cinda's talent rubbed off on me. We stayed at Lodore Falls Hotel in the Lakes District, ate amazing food and hiked the surrounding mountains and lakes. Above is a photo of one of Mary O'keefe Young's plein air water color classes on the grounds of the hotel.

We had several afternoon trips to choose from; the slate mine at Holister Pass, Wordsworth's House and Museum in Cockermouth, Beatrix Potter's home, Hill Top in Ambleside, historical Hadrian's Wall, Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria, Castlerigg Stone Circle and of course a pub or two. What really amazes me is that on top of all the fun and traveling I got a lot of work accomplished. Both Alison James's workshop, "Entering the Dreamspace" and Mary Lee Donovan's "Picture Book Creation" workshop were great and I have to thank them for being wonderful, inspiring teachers. And also thanks to expat Terie Garrison for graciously sharing her home and Sally Wilkins, both for being great tour guides and driving us up, down, and all around on the wrong side of the road. I learned a lot in a short time and look forward to more Kindling Word Retreats in my future.

Kindling Words in the Lake District of England, here I come!

Just wanted to post a couple of cropped images from a children's picture book I'm illustrating. Nothing's approved or finished yet so no doubt these images will be changing. Details and more images will follow shortly.

But my BIG NEWS is that I'm leaving in a few days to attend Kindling Words, a workshop for children's book creators. In celebration of their 20th Anniversary this will be the first overseas retreat in Manchester, England. I'm really excited about it, especially since I've barely left my home except for work, walking the dogs or a trip to the grocery store in Fort Collins the last three years. So this should be a life altering experience. I'll post photos when and if I return.

Beatrix, Beverly & Bevan, the Three Little Beavers in Action

Wow, these beavers are pretty amazing animals! Who knew? I need to check out Jean Heilprin Diehl, she's really good....

Beatrix the beaver longs to be good at something. Her brother Bevan is an expert at repairing the lodge with mud and twigs. Her sister Beverly is a superb swimmer and underwater gymnast. What makes Beatrix stand out? One day, she runs away by swimming up the creek and finds some fresh garden plants to eat, and tasty trees to gnaw. When her siblings set off to find her, all Three Little Beavers wind up trapped! It takes some simple engineering on the part of the humans who set the traps, and Beatrix's discovery of her special talents, for the people and beavers to finally find a way to live in harmony.

Konnor loves Three Little Beavers and wants to read it again and again. Here's the book trailer created by Andrea Brown.

And Sylvan Dell Publishing always includes a Creative Minds section with cross-curricular teaching activities aligned to each state's reading standards, free reading quizzes, lots of fun stuff.

I wanted to give you a sneak peek at a new book I'm illustrating for Sylvan Dell Publishing - my third book for them. The Author is Michelle Lord and I wasn't familiar with her work until now. I can tell you she's a wonderful writer and I'm so happy to be working on this book. It's scheduled for a Spring 2013 release, sounds far away but it'll be here before you know it.

Also I'm a presenter at the 2012 Colorado Council International Reading Association which I'm excited about. So there's a lot of behind the scenes preparation going on. More updates coming soon.