Riding high in Virgina City

Yes, yes I can never resist a good pun. This weekend ... NV SCBWI mentor programme and conference in Virgina City. I have been looking forward to getting here, and it is so much more than I hoped for. First ... the location. Never dreamed I would be out in the Wild West. And Virginia City has more than enough charm and authenticity left. It's a little rough a round the edges, but so much the better. It was worth the 3 plane hop to get here. It was even worth the anti-English abuse from a lady of the 'Southern' persuasion, who informed me on the plane in Los Angeles that 'You will find in THIS country we do things a little differently', (This because I was already in the aisle of the plane disembarking, and hadn't immediately thrown a cloak in front of me so she could join the queue. Not at all sure why she chose to berate me in particular when about 1,000 Americans had already walked past her. Perhaps a grudge from the revolutionary war?)

This is a special weekend, and one I will remember for a long time during the cold winter months to come in Maine. On Friday the group of 30 mentees gathered in an historic old hospital, (now an arts center) and met with our mentors. Great energy ... laughter, sharing, it is totally like coming home. The faculty is wonderful - Harold Underdown, Priscilla Burris, Emma Dryden, Terri Sloat, Emma Hopkins, amongst others.

Such fun to just sit at the big old kitchen table and chat with aspiring and published authors and those with such a knowledge of children's books. For me this feels like a home coming. I have been to several conferences this year, and all have been inspiring. But this is truely like being with family and I know that there will be friendships forged here that will last for a lifetime.

The city wraps you up in it's old charm, and good humor prevails. In between meetings and lectures we have wandered up and down the wooden-sidewalked streets, giggled at the shop window displays, popped into bars that have seen gunfights and bawdy dancing (but none of that this weekend right!) ambled around the tombstones in the cemetery on the top of a hill, gazed over the ranges of sienna frosted mountains into the aquamarine distance. We have considered our dreams and desires for the future. In the morning the sun shoots up surprised and blazing and pierces the soul. It feels good to be alive and part of something that takes no account of money or position.

Today the conference begins proper with workshops and so forth. Portfolio showcase this afternoon, and tonight an evening of reading and music. After the last few weeks with nose to the grindstone it's nice to relax, be away from the computer and have a real good laugh!

Yesterday I had my first mentor session with Priscilla Burris. Really helpful. She is very intuitive and I feel she really understands were I am at right now. It is so amazing to have someone to talk to about all the niggly questions and fears.  My main question at the moment was whether it is timely for me to seek an agent. With everything that I have going on right now, and after discussion, that's going to be my main goal when I get back to real life. Exciting!!

Also an informative and validating portfolio review with Terri Sloat. I put the pieces I most like in my portfolio and I think it showed. So I felt really validated with her critique and ready to stop worrying about my style amd have more confidence. I am going in the right direction. Just what I needed. Sometimes you just need to hear it from the mouths of others! Also great advice was to give myself a 'retreat' occasionally and create art just for me with no purpose other than exploration and to feed my soul. Thanks to both Priscilla and Terri.

So there we are, it's all about feeding the soul. Otherwise we all whither inside.

Did I tell you my good news? Email last week with the offer of a book to illustrate for a Boston publisher. Whee!! I am excited about this one. Thank you Face Book, as this is where they found me. More information on this soon, the deal ain't done yet, so don't want to jinx it.

Corrections are back on my other project, so as soon as I get back to Maine I will be into the next round on that.

No piccies this week, as blogging on my cutesy little notebook. I WILL try and do some sketches of the hills and post them later.

Brekky time! Have a great, peaceful, awe-inspiring weekend where ever you are and what ever you are doing.

Toodle pip
Hazel
aka the Wacky Brit.

KID'S CORNER - NAME THAT DOG!

Every week on Mondays I post a colouring/activity page for you to print out and give to children - yours, someone else's or to use in a school or library. All I ask is that it is not used for commercial purposes.

Simply click on the image below and print  for your children to colour and NAME THAT DOG!.

Don't forget to follow my blog so you will receive the latest Kid's Page on a weekly basis.
Hazel
aka The Wacky Brit

I joined the Darkside

I said I wasn't going to do it. I said  blogging and facebook was enough. And then, suddenly, in between morning toast and the long dark hours till elevenses, I broke down and joined Twitter. Why? Why? I think I was being tweeted subconsciously. So now here is another thing to add to the more-things-to-use-to-procrastinate-with list. And I don't even understand it. I don't even have a mobile phone (really!!) or an i-anything.

OH ... tweet me at 'thewackybrit'.

But still, there are lots of scrumdidally illustrators and writers out there tweeting and the Twitterness kindly suggests I follow them so I do. I even have, to date, 27 followers, and I feel guilty as I have not tweeted anything in the least interesting as yet. But I am sure I will learn something, meet some interesting people and perhaps figure what it all means. I have to say I am mildly attracted by the fact that tweeting sounds a bit rude. But then the British are the masters of innuendo.

If you hadn't noticed (or maybe you  live in New Zealand) it's FALL. Or Autumn (let's not go too Americaspeak). How did it get to be October so flipping fast???

I looked out of my window (a treat this week as I've been glued to the pencil layouts for the BOOK, which I am delivering Monday morning ... sigh of relief, as the deadline moved) and took a photo or two. You have to remind yourself there is a world beyond the studio at times. Here they are ...




There is a lovely little river beyond the trees. (In England we would have called it a major water source). You never know maybe next week I will open the front door and go outside and take some shots. But can't over do it, or I will be in therapy.

No drawings to show you this week ... can't post any of the pencils I have been working on as under wraps still. How exciting!!

I did escape from the drawing board today though. I went over to my friend Russ Cox's house for the day. And guess what we did? Hired a life model and did some drawing! It was a lot of fun, even though I didn't think I'd feel like drawing squat. However when you get going you forget you've been drawing 10 hours a day all week and  just want the capture what's in front of you. We had a great model. Wish I could post some on the blog ... but keeping it child friendly, just in case. Also had a lovely lunch ... nice to have cookery friends!

Blimey guv, it is only 4 DAYS until I hop over to Nevada and Virginia City for the SCBWI mentor programme meet up and conference .... it's going to be a HOOT! Looking forward to spending time with like minded crazy folks of course, meeting some experienced illustrators and getting lots of  information. My mentor is Priscilla Burris, and she is such a fun person. I know we are going to have a great time.

Still to do ... layout the other 2 picture books in the math series, I really would like to take them with me, but time is running out. And I haven't touched my portfolio ... groan ... I fear the midnight oil will be a burning.

Trying not to worry about the fact that on Nov 1 I have a photography exhibition opening in Bangor, ME for a month. GULP. I have decided to hang the pieces dry mounted and raised from the wall. The reason for this, let's not beat about the bush, is money. I took the first 5 to the framers and they dry mounted and laminated them. Went to look at them today ... not good. The lamination had bubbled and they looked bloody awful! PANIC!! So decided just to dry mount the others, so hopefully will be ok. But still have to get the spoiled one's printed again and running out of time. No pressure right?? All will be well .... (repeat and believe).

I was really happy to see that the Children's Corner I've started on the Wacky Brit's Blog is going well. I have had more people visit the pages on Mondays than any other day since I started blogging and lots of good feedback from folks using them in schools, libraries and just to give to their own children and grand-children. Hope you will make use of the pages every week! Please let me know if there is something special you would like.

Things I have to do:
1. Finish set up of the Illustration GLOG ... had no time last week.
2. Register for the New York SCBWI Conference in January 2011 ... (note to self: earn some money first)
3. Do illustration for Tomie dePaola award and maybe that might pay for conference cancelling out point 2.
4.  Do some mail outs!!!!!

YAWN. Sorry to be rude and do that in your face ... going to have a bit of down time with 'im indoors and then an early night. No rest on Sunday or Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday - I will be working hard to get all I need done, done. (Note to self sleep on the 3 planes that will get you to Reno. Hopefully)

Thanks for reading ... next week join me for the blog from the WILD WEST in which I will tote a Winchester and down several whiskeys as they slide down the bar. Well the second part might happen!

OH! I am on Blog radio again ... tune in Monday 11th at 4pm EST  You know you want to.

See ya later, y'all!
Hazel
aka The Wacky Brit.

PS I went to the library this week and this is what I am reading:
HEADS - Matthew Van Fleet (so so cute!! Can't imagine how they put it together.)
THE ODIOUS OGRE - Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer ... ( Didn't do much for me really)
CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS - Peter Brown ... (very engaging ... love Mr Brown's work)
WE ARE IN A BOOK -ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE - Mo Willems (LOVE LOVE LOVE)
IT'S A BOOK - Lane Smith - (Very funny and apt. Unusual illustration style and colours).
WHEREVER YOU ARE MY LOVE WILL FIND YOU - Nancy Tillman (very poignant ... one for the parents I thought and a gift book, but beautifully illustrated.)