Summer NESCBWI Banner

This week I was asked to create a banner for New England's SCBWI Facebook page. This was an honour and a lot of fun to do. What better than lobster and water on a day that was over 90F .. phew, Maine!

Here is the banner.

View it on Facebook at NESCBWI page

I wanted to keep it fun and lively, so it's one of my digital drawings straight into Photoshop, no sketching. It stops me overthinking and it's a style that is appealing to younger eyes. And older ones too I hope!

Right now I am packing to go to ALA (American Library Conference) in Anaheim, CA. This is my first time at a big library conference and it's exciting. I have two book signings, so if you are going, catch me at Kane Miller (with Anastasia Suen, author of 'All Star Cheerleaders') at 11am Saturday and at Charlesbridge's booth Saturday 2-3pm signing 'Hidden New Jersey'.

I am looking forward to meeting LIBRARIANS and catching up with some industry friends. So please come and say HELLO!

There will be photos ...

Right, back to packing.

Toodles
Hazel

On the bedside table:
A slew of Emily Gravett picture books
'Picture This' and 'What it is' by Lynda Barry - recommend highly.

Books in boxes!

Love it when a package arrives you weren't expecting!!

The next two books in the 'All Star Cheerleaders' series by Anastasia Suen, published by Kane Miller.
http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/Details.asp?ID=111768

Don't you love the colours the cover designer used? These are such fun stories ... I gave the first book to my little twin girl cousins and they devoured it, even though they are not into cheerleading. Testament to Anastasia's brilliant writing. She nails this age group on the head.

Well, one more to illustrate in this series ...

give us a 'C' - give us  'H' ... etc etc etc.

Toodles!

Hazel

Tick Tock Taylor!

It's very exciting to have 'Tick Tock Taylor' almost on the bookshelves!

This is the chapter book I have been illustrating for Kane and Miller Publishing, author Anastasia Suen and have been BUSTING to tell you about.

Here's the cover ...

This is the first in a series of 4 in the All Star Cheerleaders series and each one will feature a different member of the squad. I loved illustrating Anastasia's work. The inside illustrations are black and white, with tints added in photoshop. The ink work is done with dipping pen - which can lead to some big blots (so you have to start again), but gives a lively and varied line, because once it is done, it is DONE and there is no changing it. Well, except in photoshop of course. I love working in this loose, fun style and although drawing cheerleaders was a challenge at first (being English I know very little about the cheerleading world) I soon got into the swing of it.

Here are a couple of examples of the interior illustrations.

So if you have any little cheerleaders, or wannabee cheerleaders in your life, this is the series for them!

I hope to meet up with Anastasia at ALA next year to promote the books.

I will be starting on number two in the series shortly and I can't wait!

So for now it's bye bye from Tick Tock Taylor

And give me a W give me a B!
Tata from The Wacky Brit
aka
Hazel Mitchell

Oh ... I can't resist ... this is the teeny TINY squad ....