Carry On

                  This is how I felt this morning after receiving news that I didn't get a book project
I really really really wanted and had worked hard on for the last few months. I flipped open my

                  gratitude notebook and read this. Instead of writing I drew and somehow that little page   helped me move into what I know I need to do...continue. 

and then I read this-
http://www.jonathanfields.com/the-tyranny-of-always/
which reminds me AGAIN to carry on doing what I love.

Inky Ink

One of my favorite drawing tools is this ink pen. Have them in every bag. I love to squish them and watch the ink bubble at the top and flow out. The only problem is that they run too quick.

3 inspirations

it's been awhile, too long since I've posted anything here. Especially inspirations. I wish I could say that I'm going to do this every week, once a week, for months and months and months. But I know that is not true. It happens when it happens.

1. Love Love Loved this book. Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King. I think she may be my new favorite YA writer. Besides the cover grabbing me, the voice of the main character pulled me in with her honest, funny, truly unique perspective. There are so many great lines and passages that flow like awesome beat poetry. check this book and writer out. http://www.as-king.com/

2. For years I have admired and been inspired by the artist Isidro Ferrer. He uses many materials working as artist, illustrator, designer, whatever you want to call it, he knows the way.
www.isidroferrer.com
here is a video of him talking a little about his philosphy
https://vimeo.com/33728475

3.Leonard Cohen's quote.  "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."

Enjoy the weekend!
K

Gaining new momentum

     Sometimes it is challenging to get myself to where I want to be. I am learning that my WHERE is more an internal place, WHERE involves me being deeply focused and engaged in some form of making/discovering creating process.  After a few lazy August weeks, September so far has been about me claiming my WHERE again which involves me planting my heart and ass to sit with the tine it takes to discover the scribble inky path to my WHAT.


  

Make Art That Sells Manifesto

cool, I totally forgot that I submitted this image. Turns out I was a runner up. 

http://makeartthatsells.com/2016/04/04/mats-manifesto-competition-2016-winners-announced/

Color fuels me!

 

Color is all around and I am in continual search and delight to witness it's glory.

If I had to name one thing I receive greatest pleasure from (art making creatively speaking here)

I would name Color as number one. 

 

UpperCase Magazine

Coolio!!!! Yesterday I opened my studio mailbox and was looking through my new issue of UpperCase Magazine and saw something familiar. My oodle, doodle, scrooble was featured on the page under Glimpses into the subconsious minds of uppercase readers-love that. I had forgot all about submitting this awhile ago. It was a lovely surprise and was fun to share the pages with so many awesome creatives. If you don't know about this magazine, CHECK it OUT! http://uppercasemagazine.com/

catch and release

practice

new collage

Dipping into time, experiencing time differently lately, feeling both fully present and also this sense that time is moving beyond my grasp, feel an urgency to share my work, and also make new work purely for the time spent making it. This collage above is pieced together from images that were in a pile and for some reason wanted to be next to one another.

Discovering the What

 

Most often the only way I can discover the WHAT (i want to make, say, share, ultimately CREATE) is by somehow moving into that space, traveling through and reaching for what seems like it doesn't exist. Like right now, I'm writing and then erasing, writing and then erasing, writing and then erasing so much, like a dance that is tripping over its own feet. I am attempting to find the WHAT it is I am wanting to say. See this whole creating business is tricky. The only way I can discover WHAT it is I want to say under this image that says Step into discovering the WHAT is exactly that. 

There is no short cut to finding your creative WHAT, get on in.

sketchbook images

Today I am having troubles concentrating so I was looking through some sketchbooks. Oh, I love sketchbooks, can't seem to ever finish one without picking up a new one but I love them for the time spent drawing, writing, scribbling feels fresh and like today when I need a boost I can find something I did without too much thought and it brings me some joy again. Here are a few.

collages, one new one that's been hanging around

new drawings

 

 this is something I need to remember

3 inspirations recently

1.http://www.brainpickings.org/tag/neil-gaiman/
this talk by Neil Gaiman, story telling, and his voice, the actual sound to his voice soothes me.

2. Gorgeous illustrations from these two graphic novels.
Isabelle Aresenault, Jane,the Fox, and Me http://www.isabellearsenault.com/2yo0xb2on13tbjux8mio9w0mp0irbx
Love this blog - http://blog.picturebookmakers.com/post/122843304761/isabelle-arsenault

This One Summer
http://jilliantamaki.com/books/this-one-summer/

3. Dan Santat's Caldecott speech
http://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecott2015-speech-lores_final.pdf

Big Lion Little Lion

SCBWI NJ conference- Thank You!

This weekend I went to the New Jersey SCBWI conference. This was the image I showed in the illustration show. When I learned about the theme for this year I got a bit huffy and puffy. 

Talked to my computer. More like complained.

"Ugh..., Once Upon a Time, I do not, do not, do not like it."

After a few days when the theme remained the same, I felt 

 my pencil, my computer, my sketchbook,  someone- something, was talking back. 

"So you don't like it, well what are you going to do about it?!" Somehow this was an invitation and a command at the same time. Turns out I can use my huffin' and puffin' to flip things around.

See ya later big bad wolf!

Thanks to NJ SCBWI for putting together an amazing weekend with so many opportunities to learn, connect, share with other illustrators and writers. Every time I sat down I met someone new and enjoyed hearing where they were on their children's book making journey. 

huge bonus-Thrilled to say that I won the pre-published illustrator award.

Here are is a link to see all the illustrations from the Once Upon A Time show.

https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2015/06/20/illustrator-saturday-njscbwi-art-show-showcase/

Clues to when you are in the Making of something you really want to be making

Began this quick list one day in a notebook. I have been thinking about this lately, this sense that there are clues sometimes subtle sometimes overtly glaring in my veins, to when I am fully in the Making of something I truly want to be making. going to expand on this soon but for now...here are the few notes

sometimes

new illustration