Archive for the ‘my art’ Category

This week I made another normal trip to UPS to send my illustrations to Harper Collins like I have been for months now. But this time….it was a special delivery.

The final art for Christmas Goodnight is in! DONE AND DONE!

Did you hear that? I have to keep pinching myself. For real? Have I really finished? Remember how this journey started a year ago? Yes. One year. And a great year at that. I have a completely new perspective of children’s books now. I’ve always known in my head how much goes into a picture book, but it wasn’t until I actually became an illustrator myself, have I fully understood the labor of love involved.

The actual final art took only about 6-8 weeks in the making. What takes so long is getting the vision, storyline and sketches just right.  Well, that and a whole bunch of big life events that I had to work around (having baby #3, moving twice and becoming a first time homeowner all while trying to make deadlines!) And though the book took longer than expected, it couldn’t have worked out better. In that year’s worth of work, I’ve also been given an education of a lifetime! For someone who kinda skipped the whole art school scene, this has been my Illustrating Children’s Book Degree. You guys, the publishing world is SO COOL and the people that get the books out there on the shelves are SO SMART and TALENTED and just plain AMAZING. I’ve been so lucky to work with such gifted mentors. There is so much that goes into getting a book to be at it’s best. I think I’ve gone through at least 15 revisions of just this short Christmas book. But getting the vision and the storyline just right, as well as all the visual details right takes patience and creativity, and I’m so glad I got to work with the kind of people that know creativity and ideas come when they come, and can’t be forced.

I will for sure post more about the book and it’s insides once it gets closer to publication. But, it’s not going to be for a good while. I’ve sent the art to the big guys in New York and there are a lot of color scanning and adjustments that they do, and then it’s off to press which takes several months all together.

So that’s that! Now it’s off to unpacking boxes and really moving into our house…and getting out some new art. Sorry guys…this blog hasn’t been very artsy lately…but that’s cause everything has been going to this book. Stay tuned for more art soon. There’s a lot bubbling up that’s needs to surface now that Christmas is over around here!

PS-If you are new to the blog, here’s the info about the book:

A Christmas Goodnight written by Laura Godwin, illustrated by Sarah Jane Wright

Published with Katherine Tegan Books, an imprint of Harper Collins Children’s

Coming to stores Fall 2011

Hello!

This is a special week here in the studio. Coupla things going on:

First, my stationary and prints were featured on our local news station. If you are visiting from KSL, Hello! Nice to have you visit!

It’s a great segment on the lost art of letter writing, and Sarah Jane Studios was featured as a great place to get stationery that makes you want to write to your loved ones more! Thanks so much Studio 5!Also featured were the lovely Sycamore Street Press, (who, coincidentally, is run by the wonderful Eva who was a freshman dorm mate of mine!) and another favorite of mine: Isabella’s umbrella. She is a fantastic illustrator and you can see more of her work here.

You can watch the segment below…my stuff is about 1/2 way through, but it’s a great feature so watch all!

And, also on the calendar this week:

A birthday. My birthday. I know…another year older. But frankly, I am excited. I really love birthdays…especially the breakfast in bed, favorite meal, and hand made cards it brings.

I even made myself a card. I am just in love with mermaids lately! I really can’t stop. This card is already in the shop here. Do you like it as a print too? Let me know…

SO: in honor of news worthy events,

We are having a SALE!

This week only, it’s another buy 2 get one FREE!!!

What you need to do:

• Go and visit the ETSY shop here.
• Order 2 items and place them in your ETSY cart
• MENTION the 3rd item you would like for free in the “Message to seller” box.
• Make sure that the 3rd free item is less than or equal to the least expensive item in your cart.
• Place your order, and we’ll ship it to you with a sweet note saying “thanks, we love you, you’re great…” You get the idea.
• SALE ends Friday July 16th.
  

OK! That’s a wrap up. I’m off to go finish the book. I am scheduled to finish this week! Wish me luck! It then goes to print and will be out next year. I simply can’t wait to show you more!

My sketchbooks are incredible works of art. And I say that completely without ego. See, I can’t draw in a sketchbook without 2 minutes going by when all my kids are surrounding me wanting to either 1) comment 2) color in my drawings with the nearest crayon or 2) share the chair and draw with me on the same page. What this means is that I go through phases of drawing with my kids. Sometimes it proves to be simply a supervised drawing session for them. Even though they have their own sketchbooks, they prefer to just draw in mine. But that’s wonderful too, because I see in them budding artists. Addie already is quick to tell me I am off a bit on this or that. And I have to tell you…she is very quick to say that she is the best artist in the ENTIRE universe. Don’t you think so? I thought you’d agree.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve added anything to the shop! And with the hot summer weather, and with a potentially second summer of not being in the ocean, I have needed to get these water images down on paper. I come from a long family history of mermaids. My Grandmother’s nick-name was “The Tan Mermaid.” My mother is a Mermaid, I am one when I am any body of water (meaning I don’t get out) and now, my daughter:

From the very beginning of my shop opening, my Addie hasn’t liked much of what I had to offer her. “Mermaids, Mom. I want Mermaids.”

But I was always stumped. Mermaids just didn’t seem to “fit” in the shop, yet at the same time, all the illustrations of mermaids that were available were Disney or the like. Why can’t there be sweet vintage Mermaids? Well, they are here now, and I can’t wait to do more.

And with mermaids, whales have been on my mind a lot lately too. We’ll see how many I get out between final art pages. But these are serving as warmups, quite literally, since the book I am illustrating takes place at Christmas…and I am starting to get really cold!

Expect to see them in the shop next week! Stay tuned…..and have a wonderful summer weekend!

When you put your life and soul into something, it’s only natural to want to share it with the people you interact with. I mean….what mother can’t keep her mouth shut about the cute thing her toddler said, or the sleepless night spent with a teething infant? It’s just how we are made. We were meant to share things.

I for one, and not naturally a ‘secret keeper.’ I can keep a secret when there is a specific reason behind the withholding…like this book I’m illustrating for instance…but any one who knows me, knows that I’m a rather transparent person. I wear my feelings and thoughts on my sleeve.

But…the book is getting closer. Closer and closer to being done! It’s taken a bit longer than initially anticipated:  mostly due to my buying and selling and remodeling a house, having a baby and mothering 3 under school age children while trying to learn the industry of picture book making all at the same time. Whew! But thankfully I have the best editor in the entire universe (Yes, YOU Molly!) and I’ve been granted a lot of strength and help from my family…namely my incredible and good-lookin’ husband.

I’ll save all the thank-you’s for when I’m actually finished with this baby. But it’s been an AMAZING journey…one that I can’t wait to share more of. I can’t share it all now…I still have a bit more time before it goes to press…. but the lessons have been invaluable. I’m completely in love with the Children’s Book industry, and illustrating picture books is the hardest yet most fulfilling and wonderful work! I feel so, so lucky. It’s such an amazing opportunity and I am so humbled to be involved and learning!

A CHRISTMAS GOODNIGHT (Fall 2011) written by Laura Godwin and Published with Katherine Tegan Books, and imprint of Harper Collins Children’s Books,  is a simple goodnight story which mixes the traditional Christmas story with the story we make for ourselves every season. It is a classic treasure!

Stay tuned for more!

I got this image in my inbox this morning from the talented designer Lindsey who blogs here.

I still get goosebumps to think that a little drawing that I created in the corner of my basement late on a Thursday night is the first thing a newborn baby will see when he wakes from his naps every day. I really love doing what I do!

Isn’t that print just perfect in that space? She has a great eye and has a lovely home you can check out here.

*Print is from my ETSY shop here.

There is a pregnant Robin that has been making a home somewhere on our property…I can’t tell where yet. But I see her, lugging that big belly around, and wonder when those babies will hatch.  Every morning, she finds a crooked twig in front of our breakfast window, and sings a little tune and then dashes off to find more twigs and dry grass. Is this her first hatch? Does she get scared? Or does she simply get lost in the present moment of a beautiful sunrise? This time last year I too was lugging around a big belly, and had only a wish of being as spritely and light as Little Robin Redbreast. By the size of her belly, and if my timing is right, I am thinking that she will have a very special Mother’s Day.

Yahoo! I have been so excited about this.

NEW IN THE SHOP!

Embroidery Patterns are coming….and we’re starting with the “Her Month By Month” set.

You can purchase a PDF Download or the Paper Copy here.

Have any favorite images from Sarah Jane you’d like to see as embroidery patterns? Comment below and let me know!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend….and just for fun….

I’ll be extending the SALE to Tuesday. Purchase $50 and get a free Sketchbook.

Enjoy!

Paper Dolls, Paper Dolls. We do a lot of paper dolls around here, and it’s high time for some new wardrobes and activities, yes?

And it’s wet and rainy here this weekend, so this is going to be our weekend’s Pretend Play activity.

This April Showers outfit comes complete with umbrella and Finn, Amelia’s pet lamb. Can Amelia keep Finn out of the rain today? Cut it out and see!

If you don’t already have the paper dolls, you can go here in the section labeled ‘Paper Dolls’.

Oh, and the best part is this is a FREE DOWNLOAD for you to print off and make today. Amelia can be found here, and this little scene can be downloaded FREE here.

(Click the image to download the PDF file)

The download even comes with rain drops if you want to make your own scene. glue these down to paper and display, or prop them up with cardstock and tape the raindrops to string for the ultimate diorama experience! Or  just play dolls. Have fun with it!

Well, Sarah Jane, isn’t about time? I’ve been meaning to get this in the shop for oh….a year or so?

I have a list out the door of prints to add to the shop. They get finished one at a time…and drag in slowly these days! But isn’t she so cute? I want curls like that.

You can find them here. Enjoy!

PS: don’t forget about the FREE GIFT available in the shop this week!