October Celebrations

"The Popcorn Fairy always hops hops hops while she pops pops pops!" shouted Amanda while waiting for the school bus.  "And, do you want to know why I'm practicing to be the Popcorn Fairy for Halloween? ~ because October is National Popcorn Popping Month, sillies!!"

(Note: This drawing is actually of a toad)

The Frog

BY HILAIRE BELLOC

Be kind and tender to the Frog, 

   And do not call him names, 

As ‘Slimy skin,’ or ‘Polly-wog,’ 

   Or likewise ‘Ugly James,’ 

Or ‘Gape-a-grin,’ or ‘Toad-gone-wrong,’   

   Or ‘Billy Bandy-knees’: 

The Frog is justly sensitive 

   To epithets like these. 

No animal will more repay 

   A treatment kind and fair; 

At least so lonely people say 

Who keep a frog (and, by the way,   

They are extremely rare).

Happy Rejection Day!

We all experience rejection at some point.
The goal is not to get all worked up about it.
Here are some of my latest rejected sketches.

New point of view wanted, to include the driver.

Rejected scene. (I know those parents on the right aren't well done. I liked the rest, though.)

Just nope.

Eh. Keep moving. Do better. It takes a stack of paper a few inches high to create the art (and writing, when I'm doing the writing) for one book. Lots of ideas never make it into a finished book. Maybe all those ideas go play someplace... (Actually that little fantasy was part of a novel I started writing, a few years back. It was... rejected.)

-- Ruth McNally Barshaw

Hello New October Week

Samantha was celebrating Babbling Day, and she didn't even know it! ~ 

Happy Babbling Day on October 21st.  =D

~ Priscilla 

Happy Sweetest Day!

My scanner was giving me problems this morning and I didn't want to miss my post this week, so I tried to take a clear photo, even though it was a bit dark! We don't really celebrate Sweetest Day with, well, sweets, but who can say no to flowers? Flowers are fab every day!

Mr.Pumpkin Loves Fall!

Mr. Pumpkin loves a crisp Fall day!

I'm doing an inktober crossover today :o)

Have a lovely Fall weekend!
Joy

Lucy Doesn't Like Fall

Lucy does NOT like Fall...but she didn't always feel that way..

New Week of Fall Holidays

"Oops", she thought to herself. "Silly, happy me. 'Wear Something Gaudy Day' isn't until October 17th!"

Happy Columbus Day today!

Quick Like A Bunny

Busy as a bee over here, so I thought I'd share a little bunny love!

World Teacher Day

Sunday, October 5, was World Teacher Day.
Thank a teacher.
Here's a rare moment from me: I'm sharing work that isn't very good. This sequence is the thought process I went through in trying to illustrate one spread for a picturebook that comes out next fall.
My art mentor, SCBWI great E.B. Lewis, has been pushing me to see things differently, and now, after about 2 months of working with him I *finally* understand what he meant when he said I wasn't putting myself into the story enough.
I totally understand now that illustration is the same as writing.
I get it.
Because he's a good teacher.

 Wrong. All wrong.

A little better. But still no.

A little better but the reader isn't IN the story yet.

No.

No.

Yes.

This is just the rough pencil sketch -- the designer, art director, and various editors at the publisher will have their own opinions. But this is a lot better than I'd have done before taking art lessons. 

Thank you, E.B.!

-- Ruth McNally Barshaw

World Teacher Day

Cheers to you awesome Teachers out there!  World Teacher's Day is Oct 5th, and what better way to celebrate than with a made-with-love-and-admiration paper crown?

~ Priscilla

the joy of Fall leaves!

Anyone can enjoy a fun leap in the Fall leaf pile!! In CA, I'll be happy if we get the rain!

Have a great weekend!
-Joy

Taking Fall flight

Doesn't everyone want to take flight in a Fall breeze?