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I recently attended an incredible guided tour of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA with the Eastern PA Branch of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. The capital is amazingly beautiful! (Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so these shots were taken with my flip phone.)
 "Designed and manufactured by Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930) of Doylestown, the floor is interspersed with close to 400 mosaics illustrating the state's history, animals, industries, occupations, and modes of transportation."  "When Theodore Roosevelt attended the dedication of the building on October 4, 1906, he said, 'This is the handsomest building I ever saw.'" We also got to meet and visit the studios of Jonathan Bean and Lauren Castillo, two incredibly talented, award-winning authors and illustrators at The Millworks. Here are a few of their book covers (below).
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 I am honored to have another poem and illustration of mine appear today on the #LoveMadeVisible blog event sponsored by the EasternPennPoints blog, the official blog of the Eastern Pennsylvania region of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). #LoveMadeVisible is a month-long blog event with the theme being "LOVE - in any and every form". Check out all the awesome contributions during the month of February! Click here for my poem.
 I am honored to have another poem and illustration of mine appear today on the #LoveMadeVisible blog event sponsored by the EasternPennPoints blog, the official blog of the Eastern Pennsylvania region of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). #LoveMadeVisible is a month-long blog event with the theme being "LOVE - in any and every form". Check out all the awesome contributions during the month of February! Click here for my poem.
This illustration and poem was inspired by our beloved bunny, Tyler. I am honored to have a poem and photographs of mine appear today on the #LoveMadeVisible blog event sponsored by the EasternPennPoints blog, the official blog of the Eastern Pennsylvania region of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). #LoveMadeVisible is a month-long blog event with the theme being "LOVE - in any and every form". Check out all the awesome contributions during the month of February! Click here.  Cookies in Heaven
by Kathleen Rupff If God were a baker You’d be his “special of the day” His top-secret ingredient His favorite flavor His cherished recipe You’d be the chocolate chips The “only the finest ingredients” You’d be – organic If God were a baker Every day would be a special occasion To share you with others He’d make you for friends And mail you to distant relatives He’d have you first thing in the morning And last thing at night He’d rave about you all day long And finish each sweet crumb With a sigh of satisfaction If God were a baker He'd share your goodness with the world You’d bring healing and wholeness Wherever you went Your tenderness lighting up the darkness Your aroma reviving the faint Your sprinkles bringing laughter Your frosting making dreams come true And joy would fill every belly
 Check out Douglas Florian's work! He's a children's author illustrator who's poetry and pictures are laugh-out-loud fun!!
His latest books include: UnBEElievables Poem Runs: Baseball Poems Dinothesaurus lizards, frogs and polliwogs Click image on left to visit his blog, and read some of his amazing poems! For his tips on how to write poetry, check out his thought's on Katie Davis's blog. And/or listen to her podcast interview of him, which is how I heard of him.... Also, per an email I received from him -- He's also very nice!!  "Sweet Inspirations" given out with little candies at the conference! I think this was my third SCBWI big conference, and WOW! another awesome experience. I wish I had the time to share ALL my notes here, but will limit them to a few... (Please note, these may not be exact speaker quotes)
ILLUSTRATION: Very special thanks to Laurent Linn and Amy June Bates for their phenomenal workshops and all the great advice, encouragement and suggestions regarding my illustrations! Amy June Bates, "We can't just wait for the magic to happen. We have to be brave and embrace our vulnerability now." Amy also shared an inspiring quote from Chuck Close, one of my all-time favorite artists. Click here for his advice to young artists... Laurent Linn, shared that the computer is just another 'medium' now, like watercolor, paint, or pastels. He showed us many samples of current artists he's working with and the class very often couldn't tell if it was digital or traditionally-created. There is NO prejudice against digital illustration these days. Cool! Laurent also stressed that everything in the scene is a character - the clock on the wall, the flowers in the pot, the shoes on the character's feet etc. Laurent sees each picture book as a little 'movie'. As illustrators we are costume designers, set designers, etc. And of course, the child reading the book IS the main character.....! "Make every sketch a story!" WRITING: Laurie Halse Anderson. First time hearing her speak (AMAZING), and she autorgraphed Wintergirls for me! Laurie encouraged us to give ourselves the gifts of: Time, Space, Art, Craft, and Permission. She also suggested we each do an analysis of how we spend our time for one week, the challenged us to follow this "ideal ratio for creative people": "For every 10 hours of creating, spend 5 hours reading (other writers, studying, research, etc.) and one our of play (internet)." And ask ourselves, "How is internet time helping my dreams??" Turn the computer OFF when creating, so won't get distracted. Kay Winters, "Sometimes we think we write for one reason, but it's really for another." :) Deb Heiligman. Also heard Deb speak at the Rutgers One-on-One Workshop in 2010, and was blessed to sit next to her at lunch on Saturday! She encouraged us in a variety of wonderful ways to "get over our fear, write from our hearts, and trust the process." She shared that in this business, "what we write is really the only thing we have control over!" She shared about our focus now should be spending time working on our craft, not necessarily developing a media presence. etc. She ended her talk by sharing from Uri Shulevit'z The Treasure... "We don't have to leave home to find our treasure. It's IN US...! WOW! GREAT CONFERENCE! For anyone interested in children's book writing and illustrating, I encourage you to get involved with your local SCBWI chapter!!! Day 344: A Photo A Day • Authors and Illustrators Jerry & Eileen Spinelli and Ted & Betsy Lewin4/2/2012  At a book-signing this past Saturday with (l-r) Jerry Spinelli, Eileen Spineli, Ted Lewin and Betsy Lewin Special thanks to Kathy Temean and her blog for the heads-up about this booksigning with the Spinellis and the Lewins at Booktender's Secret Garden in Doylestown, PA. I was expecting a HUGE crowd for these distinguished guests and was suprised that it was a relatively small affair. To my delight I got to ask all the questions I wanted and boy, was it a treat!
For more on these awesome authors and illustrators, visit their websites: www.jerryspinelli.com www.eileenspinelli.com www.tedlewin.com www.betsylewin.com If you're ever in the area, please visit: Booktenders’ Secret Garden Children’s Bookstore & Gallery 42 E. State St. Rear, Doylestown,Pa 18901 Phone number: 215-348-7160 ellensbooks@gmail.com  I'm currently listening to this on audio-book and loved this 'prayer': "To the extent of my brainpower I realize Your Presence and all it is in me to comprehend Your power. Help me to learn, even this late, the lessons of Your wonderful creations. Help me to unshackle and expand my soul to the fullest realization of Your wonders. Almighty God, make me bigger, make me broader...." Chapter 12, Katharine Comstock (upon viewing the development and life cycle of a beautiful moth) A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter |
Thank you for landing on my blog! This a collection of photos, art, poems, thoughts, and other stuff on my creative journey since 2010.
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