Julia Denos's Blog, page 13

Facebook+Dresses

Hello on this grey little day. So I just wanted to let everyone know about my Facebook page, because I don't think I've ever made a real post about it. I'll be using it a bit more frequently than the blog, for the day-to-day wonders and news, so if you are a Facebooker, you can join me

HERE.


Life continues at a fast clip. See you very soon with art from the new book coming in 2011, I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn! Do you want to take a quick peek inside the closet of the little girl who lives in the book?...

DOTTY Giveaway!

Good morning, it is wonderful, magical Friday already! And wonderful, magical Sarah Jane of Sarah Jane Studios is graciously hosting a Dotty book giveaway today!

Check out the DOTTY giveaway here. There are stickers involved :


While you are there, become inspired by her cheery blog, check out her shop, and especially her darling new line of "travel" art, called Children Around the World (see below for her latest installment). She's also working on a textile line and picture books, so keep your eye on this talented lady. Thank you for having Dotty over to visit, Sarah!

Au revoir!

So I've gathered necessities (paper, chocolate, etc.) around me to hibernate and finish art for a number of book deadlines. We will be constructing (with the help of a contractor) my in-house studio at the same time too! It's gonna get wild!
[image error] There are some exciting outside-world events to pepper the worky weeks ahead. One: The Society of Illustrator's Original Art reception next week! It's a magical night bursting with original art from picture books of 2010/wine/cheese/publishing industry stuffed into two small rooms on East 63rd street. Come and see! Here's their FB event page. Grandma's Gloves made it in this year, thank you to the wonderful folks at Candlewick and the jury at the Society ;) Sidenote: my #1 NYC goal: find Madeline in Bemelman's mural at Bemelman's Bar.

Au revoir for now! I apologize in advance to the family, friends, grocers, pedestrians I come across in the meantime...I'll probably resemble a small hurricane.

Enjoy the rest of fall, soak it in!

Meet Rose Casson

I'm repackaging a series with Simon and Schuster by Hilary McKay, and I'm in love. It's a brilliant jewel of a series about a quirky British family with children named after colors (Permanent Rose, Indigo, Caddy–for Cadmium–etc.) In a list of adjectives because I am at a loss for words, McKay's writing is inventive, complex, sarcastic, poignant, and hilarious. I feel as though I've always lived in that chaotic Casson house, and I am especially blue (moved to tears!) that I've reached the end of the last book. I'm comforted to have the series of covers ahead to continue living among the Cassons for a bit. The first cover I finished was for Forever Rose . Painting soundtrack: Let Your Love Grow Tall by Passion Pit


Wild (and Permanent) Rose Casson wormed her way right into my heart. She is the youngest of the Casson children: fierce and vulnerable, passionate and real (sort of reminds me of the rose in the Little Prince, if the rose were a little girl, of course!) She has her own blog. She is also a blossoming artist, creating murals on the kitchen walls, tagging along to her artist mother's "young offenders" art class for misguided youths (where she steals her infamous "Crime Pays" tee) She holds grudges, will not wear her glasses since she prefers to see the world slightly blurred, eats paint to taste color. Rose Casson is fab. Here's a sketch I did of her on my own time (click to enlarge):


And, as if she needed to do more to win me over, she exhibits flawless taste in picture books on page 277 in "Forever Rose" (it's Lauren Child's I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato) . Here Rose describes drawing with charcoal in such a lovely way:

"My charcoal is made of willow sticks. It is a dark and silvery gray color. The sticks are so light that you cannot feel the weight of them in your hand, but they are solid too...The sound of it drawing on paper is like a rustle. Like an echo of leaves. If you look carefully at a stick of charcoal you can see where the leaves once hung; they have patterns like grains of sand, as if a minute bubble burst there and left its shell behind. It is lovely stuff to draw with. You can layer it into darkness or brush it away like a dream. You feel like you are drawing with shadows."

I urge you, reader of any age, to PLEASE go and meet the Casson family straight away! You will fall in love too. Next up: Indigo's Star.

Fall Is Here

Yes! It is officially FALL! Here is a painting on wrinkly computer paper because I had to capture the feeling without any good paper around...one of those absolutely cozied-out moments, I think McPartland's cover of "A Ship Without a Sail" was on, smell of possibility was in the air, bright colors floated in my mind, left over back to school jitters shivered. I tried to capture it via a lime-yellow park, school bus, Mary Janes and composition notebook. Ohhhh there is nothing like Fall in the ...

Thank You!

Just a quick note to say thank you for all who bid and participated in the Eyewitness Reports auctions for 826LA. Over $5,500 was raised for the kiddies! It will be put to good use on expanding writing skills and creativity...I love this 826 Time Travel Mart video. Many thanks again!

ROUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE...

(Paper snow for a picture book spread)

Twee-dle-dee-dee

The (mostly British) word "twee" has been following me around. I think I could use it in place of "cute"– yes? no? Hm. I scanned these little shoes in for the book I'm working on. I daresay things are getting rather twee over here.

Breakfast at the 7-Imp Diner

The magical Jules Danielson interviewed me at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Click here if you want to read. I am so honored to be sharing the breakfast table with her! A million thanks, Jules. Surprise treat: also joining us are lovely authors, Cecil Castellucci and Erica Perl!

P.S. Breakfast regret: I have since acquired a grown-up coffee addiction so I'm bummed I ordered mint tea and didn't get to drink out of that imaginary little coffee cup (above) she always puts on each inter...

Art Auction TODAY-September 3rd

Auction Part 2 of the Eyewitness Reports project is on TODAY!

"Winning bidders receive the winning art piece along with an official police report filled out by the artist, a copy of OH NO! signed by Mac Barnett and Dan Santat, and an exclusive limited edition print." Proceeds go to fund 826LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring center for children, an amazing place that fosters creativity.
So, why mayhem/destruction/robots? check out my blog post about the theme here. My painting features Dan'...