Princess vs. Griffin

New project!

Here's an exploratory illustration for a novel I'm collaborating on. My friend, Noelle Carter, is writing. There's something I love about the world Noelle is creating.

Pony Is a Winner!

This is a little project I've been working on. Pony has a competitive spirit, but no matter how hard he tries, he's no match for a unicorn.





PONY IS A WINNER!


[Pony rises with the sun, and begins strutting around the farm where he lives.]

What a beautiful morning, FOR WINNING!

[Pony races past the lumbering cow]
I’m faster!

[He jumps over the wallowing pig]
I can jump higher!

[He kicks a hay bale out from under the chickens, and sends them flying]
I’m better at kicking!

I’M NUMBER ONE! [Full spread of Pony gloating, as the farm animals glare at him.]

[A farm truck backs into the pasture. Pony investigates.]

What’s this?

[A brilliant, sparkling unicorn springs out of the truck]

Hi! Want to play?

[Pony grins at his new rival.]

Do you want to lose?

I bet I’m faster! [In the pasture, Pony races with the oblivious, cheerful Unicorn.]
I love running! [Unicorn rockets ahead in a rainbow burst. Pony is furious.]

I bet I can jump higher! [Pony leaps over the pasture fence.]
Jumping is my favorite! [Unicorn jumps 50 feet in the air, surrounded by birds and butterflies.]

I’m the best at kicking! [Pony kicks a barrel through the air.]
Weeeee! [Unicorn sends a tractor flying.]

This is so much fun!
[Pony slumps, defeated. All the other animals watch with glee.]

[Unicorn notices something is wrong.]
What’s wrong, Pony?

I thought I was the best, but you’re better at everything.

That’s silly. I’m not the best at everything.

You’re not?

I can’t give milk like the cow. Or get as muddy as the pig. And I can’t crow like a rooster. I’m only good at Unicorn things.

I’ve never thought of that before.

What Pony things are you best at?

Hm. I’m little, So I’m good at doing tricks. And I can jump under the fence. And I like to hide in the grass like this.

I can’t do any of those things - I’m too big.

Let’s do something we’re both good at.

Like eating grass?

I bet I can eat more than you.

You’re on!

Tiff Sharkhammer!

I've been working with my good friend, Noelle Carter on a middle grade novel called "Tiff Sharkhammer". "Shark" because she has two rows of teeth, like a shark. And "hammer" because she's a fourth grade immortal, endowed with the powers of Thor. Her adversaries include Lucky (based on Loki) and Principal O'Denn (based on Odin). Tiff's not too bright, but she makes up for it by smashing things with her hammer – truly a worthy role model for all children.

More Fairy Art

Here's another sample I did for Midge and Sprout. A publisher is considering it for an early reader series. Fingers crossed!

Random

Back in January, I got it in my head that I wanted to make an iPad game. I had it all planned out, but in the end, I decided my busy life can't handle any more projects.

This is a rough mockup of the overall look. It's a detective game set in feudal Japan. Maybe someday I'll have the time to make it.

It's been a while!

Hey, blog friends. Sorry for the long hiatus. Here's a new illustration for your enjoyment.

Fully animated book trailer!

Cheer Up, Mouse goes on sale a year from now, in fall, 2012. In the mean time, I made this trailer to advertise it.

Another sample from "Cheer Up, Mouse!"

Discarded Sketch

Hey, y'all!

This is a sketch that didn't make it into the final book. I still love it, so I'm posting it here. Maybe some day I'll paint it up for my own satisfaction. The big blank areas are for copyright information.

I'm finally figuring this stuff out...

Friends! Exciting news. I figured out how to fake smudged pastels in photoshop. It sounds simple and silly, but it's a big deal for me. Here are some samples from a current project.

P.S. If any art directors are looking at this, please take note! I love doing cute little animals in clothes. The closer to Wind in the Willows, the better!

Cover for The Friend

This is my submission for The Friend magazine. Let's hope they accept it!

I FINISHED THE BOOK!!!!

Writing books is hard work, friends. Take this one for instance. It's called I SPEAK DINOSAUR, and I've been working on it on and off since 2008. Ouch.

Anyway, here are some sample illustrations I just finished. I love this book, and I know you will too! It comes out fall, 2012, from Harry N. Abrams.

*Gasp!* I'm actually posting!

Hi, fellow inter-nerds! It's been far too long since my last post. But I was up all night doing a sample illustration for a client, and it turned out pretty well, I think!

Here she is. Isn't that little chipmunk so CUTE?

Taking a Break.

Someday, I will publish a series about these two.

Long Overdue Update

Hello, friends!

I know it's been a long time since the last post -- a lot has happened in the past month.

I've been working nocturnally on "Cheer Up, Mouse!" Here's a sample image from the book. I hope you enjoy!

A NEW PICTURE BOOK DUMMY!

Hey, friends! I think a lot of my ideas from the picture book marathon could be made into viable books. But you have to start somewhere, so I decided to do Let's Talk about Feelings first. Here is my first draft!

Please vote for your favorite picture book idea!

Hey, friends! Thank you so much for your ideas and encouragement during February's Picture Book Marathon! I'm deeply interested to hear what books you liked best! Please take a second to vote for your favorites on the survey in the left column of the blog.

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If you have any specific remarks, please leave a comment! Thanks again!

Day 26 - I finished!

Just some more cuteness to finish up the marathon.

Day 25

As a kid, I always wondered what it'd be like to take old George Washington on a tour of his country. What would he think of the place?

Day 24 - the end is in sight!

After seeing the crazy success of Fancy Nancy and the Pinkalicious series, I decided to dive into the saccharine pink pool of frosting myself.

Honestly, I have more fun drawing unicorns and dolphins than most things. They're almost as cool as dinosaurs.

Day 21, 22 & 23 - a triple feature!

I'm playing catch-up to make it to the finish line, so today is a threefer.

First book:


In this book, a girl travels all over the world, and tries to bottle up the whole experience. Conversely, all that luggage just weighs her down in the end, and she has to choose between keeping all her junk, and going to have new adventures.

Second book:


I'm still trying to figure out a twist on trains. Kids love trains. Unfortunately, I might have gone a little too scary on this one.

My monster train is HIGHLY inspired by the Cat Bus from "My Neighbor Totoro".

Book 3


Yeah, this is more of a fun drawing than it is a book idea. :)

Day 21 - RARR!

Tiger is a tame cat, down to his last stripe.
He eats his peas, and plays nice.
He takes naps and never fusses.

But every once in a while, he goes jungle-running, scramble-scratching, TIGER-WILD!

BOOK DEBUT!

Hey, friends! The very fist book I ever illustrated, "Pick a Pup" came out yesterday!

I went and found it at the local book store, and it's GORGEOUS!


Check it out on Amazon!

Day 20

It's been a bumpy couple days, and I've missed one more day than is allowed. For that, I apologize.

Back to work!

Here's a book with several appealing elements: Christmas, toys, trains, and candy! But what happens when mischievous mice try to ride the train too? I imagine it going a lot like The Nutcracker, only with less tights.

Day 19

I illustrated a book a few years ago about how the Transcontinental Railroad was built, mostly by Chinese and Irish immigrants. It was fascinating to learn about the price these newcomers to America paid to create a life for themselves.

Rest Day!

I'm technically allowed 2 rest days during the month of February. I declare today to be such a day.

Day 18, and a solid WTFreak

I told you these last few miles would get messy! I guess I just wanted to draw a scary Russian cat pirate. Don't we all?

Day 17

Day 17 - the picture book equivalent of Mile 17 in an actual marathon. This is where people start dropping in their own vomit. My graceful stride and my controlled breathing vanished miles ago. Now my goal is just to finish with as much dignity as I can muster!

Here's a fun idea to put some spring back in my step:



This boy's super power: SUPER WORDS!

COMPLIMENTS make even the grumpiest villains smile.

LONG SCIENTIFIC WORDS make my big sister's friends think I'm smarter than her! Even if you don't know any, just make them up. COAGULATE! INFERNAL COMBUSTION! GARBANZO!

Words like I'M SORRY can turn foes into allies.

ENDLESS QUESTIONS melt my parents brains into goo. Why is blue fire hotter than red fire? Why are there penguins at the South Pole, but not at the North Pole? Why can't dogs see color?

And don't forget, lots of PLEASE and THANK YOU.

Day 16

Dr. Dog and Cat, M.D. use their scientific training to determine opposites.

They're still just as clueless as when they tried to pin down emotions.