(You know what i mean)
Playing around with ideas for a new rag doll. Since that’s such a productive use of my time…
(You know what i mean)
Playing around with ideas for a new rag doll. Since that’s such a productive use of my time…
Obviously, I am deeply saddened by this horrific event, but I am also discouraged by the reports that the gunman aligned himself with Muslim beliefs.
With the coming election, this tragedy will be paraded out at every opportunity as evidence of each candidate’s opinions. I imagine this may prove to be the most grotesque part of the attack.
Please. If you truly wish to honor the memory of all the beautiful souls we lost, please remember the only lesson that can be found in this devastating event.
Don’t waste your time and energy hating. It is understandable to be angry with a singular person who has caused harm, but please don’t hate a group.
No matter how you choose to segregate society, there will be members of each group that cause harm. Equally true, however, is that the vast majority is made up of wonderful, kind, and prismatic individuals. They love freely. They believe truly.
And they do not hate.
Well, I could probably draw one thing a day, but I doubt I would post them. I’m pretty bad at this whole “blogging” thing, so I decided to challenge myself to post more. The hardest part will be overcoming my ego. The main reason I don’t post more of my work is because I don’t think most of it is good enough. There is this intense pressure to deliver awe-inspiring work as constantly as possible. However, this is probably an unachievable goal. So for now, I’ll try to post AT LEAST ONE new doodle a week.
So I’ve been developing Shivering Snivels in many ways, one of which was through workshops hosted by the philanthropic production company, Imaginese. While most members pay dues, I worked out an arrangement with them for a membership in exchange for event photography! These amazing and inspiring artists devote their time to teaching and mentoring public school students in the Los Angles, when they are not developing their own impressive productions.
This week they hosted a filmmaker’s Expo where they previewed their writers humorous and poignant work for industry artists. A night filled with laughter and great constructive critiques!
And it was my pleasure to photograph the fun-filled event.
Just because I act like a kid, doesn’t mean I can’t grown-up when I need to. Lucky Charms for breakfast and still getting things done. Boom!
I know, as a young author, I need to be blogging as much as possible. However, I struggle to know what’s worth blogging about in the first place. Perhaps it’s my visual arts background that makes me feel that if there’s nothing worth looking at, there’s nothing worth reading. The process of writing a children’s book, while challenging, is not very visually stimulating.
However, until we have new art, I thought I’d give you a peek at the writing process.
One thing I wish more authors did was show us there crumpled up piles of rewrites. It’s easy to assume that the amazing book you just read was written in just one sitting. As if god was speaking directly to the author who only had to transcribe each perfectly placed word.
In reality, for most of us at least, writing is a long and grueling process. Similar to chiseling away at a sculpture, and wondering if you’re even using the proper hammer.
The biggest challenge for any children’s book writer is deciding whether or not to rhyme.
Yes, if you can manage to craft the perfect meter and rhyme, your book will be beloved, at least by relieved parents. However, a clumsy attempt can ruin your otherwise delightful tale.
So for the last few weeks I tried my hand at a completely rhyming draft of Shivering Snivels & His Shadow. It was not far off in the first place, since I found many of my lines were already beginning to rhyme.
Since I majored in Filmmaking, not writing, my first step was to study rhyme and meter. Then I broke down my manuscript (as is) into all of its respective parts.
How many words are in each line? How many syllables? Is there a pattern?
(Because there should be)
Then came the crafting. Taking the lines that didn’t fit the pattern and rewriting them, over and over again, until they fit with the rest.
Now I have to ask myself, “Is it good enough?”
Is it close enough that a little editing will bring it home?
Or should I go back to an earlier draft?
So I decided to make some neat found-art collages for my friends. They turned out a lot cuter then I thought they would, so I decided I’d share them here!
So send some love to your friends! Let them know this Valentine’s Day that, no matter their dating status, they are adored.
Feel free to copy and share! The soul of found-art is the free exchange of materials. The base of these images are from my favorite cards at the store. Then I layered them into multiple editing programs and added my own type and shapes on top.
Some are better than others, and none are even remotely what I SHOULD be working on. However, sometimes an artist needs to take a break from making something “good,” and just have fun.
Hope you enjoys these little pieces of e-art. I know I enjoyed making them. And, remember to give yourself a break now and then to just do something for the fun of it. Even if the stuck-up art critic in your head hates it!
Here’s your chance to take a closer look at the amazing trailer art. Kara Jaskolka, our amazing artist did the line work and I did the fill work. We managed to create a wonderful trailer in just 6 weeks!
Kara and I are still playing with the style, and excited to start working in color, but these will go down in history as the first official incarnation of our spooky tale!