Julia Denos's Blog, page 7

New York/New Art

Last weekend in New York City went by in a whirl of wet snow flakes and taxi rides (pictures to come) I'm back and tidying up after a book I just finished before departing, called Letters to Leo by Amy Hest, about a little girl and her loyal pup in NYC (appropriately!) Every time I finish a project, I always pause on clean up:

It's a sweet and sad little moment. You've come to sort of live in that world while you go about your day, gotten comfortable in the neighborhood, befriended some characters and, as soon as you sort your pencils back into their cups, POOF, it's done. Like playing pretend and moping about having to clean up for dinner time...

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So cheers, Leo and Annie (more on this duo soon!) Their world existed on Riverside Drive facing the Hudson, so I went there last week to see it for myself:

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The Original Art

Hello lads and ladies! I'm headed on a little trip to New York City...

First stop: 128 East 63rd Street this Thursday night for the opening reception of the 2011 Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators. I have two prints up: a spread from Just Being Audrey and the cover of I Had a Favorite Dress (thank you, jury!). It's always a fun & booky night if you'd like to come, details are here. The show runs through December 29th. I'm so excited for a nose-close peek at this year's exhibit. Can't wait to see fellow book makers & book lovers, hope to see you there!

Also on the itinerary despite possible drear (it looks like rainy weather will be accompanying me to the city): a long-awaited visit to Bemelman's Bar for a cocktail with Madeline, a pilgrimage to the former Maya Schaper's Cheese & Antiques building on the upper west side (for silly fangirl reasons!), Riverside Park (which I've been drawing for an upcoming book with Candlewick, but have never been to) and a little visit to Books of Wonder...rain rain stay away!

Bicycle Busy

Hello hello! I've been busy drawing wobbly bicycles for a brand new book, but I will be back shortly! Hope you are doing fine.

Pop!

Fall color in the studio.
A lot of cheerfulness for $2.99 at the grocery store!

Complete with shy & mysterious black cat.

Faster Than the Speed of Light

It's probably silly that I was giddy as heck cranking up the radio to listen to THIS PROGRAM on my drive through town this morning. Have you heard about the recent discovery of the tiny little neutrino? The little thing that has supposedly finally broken the speed of light?

I love wondering how it (if this little neutrino does indeed topple our entire understanding of space, relativity and time) could change our world in a more imaginative direction. Time travel? Textbooks? The theoretical physicist on the program surmised that we'd have to recalibrate many things in our lives, including our GPS systems. Of course! I got goosebumps because, perhaps it isn't SO far in the future that we will need to not just know "where" we are but "when" we are?

Maybe it's because I've make my living by believing and imagining, or because as artists we are trained to imagine and extrapolate out in all possible directions, or I was raised on a hearty dose of Gene Roddenberry and mentions of string theory (thanks, Dad)... but "big picture" science, like language, and like genealogy, has always served as "caffeine" for inspiration. Whenever science rocks our world, my heart hopes and mind expands and I'm pushed again to create. OK! Back to Earth–work to do!

Brush Test

A little test before settling down with my book interiors today...
Hugs and thanks to all the folks who came out to MICE and made it a busy, happy day!

Quick Newsflash

I'll be vending at MICE Expo at my Alma mater this weekend!
Open edition and mini prints, picture books, and the surviving stock of Audrey greeting card sets, so get them while they last! I'll be at a table in the sea of artists, including fellow alums (Amanda Atkins, Valerie Arruda, Ellen Crenshaw, Barbara Geoghegan, Renée Kurilla, Keith MacLelland, Scott Murry, Chris O'Neill, Keith Zulawnik). I'd love to see/meet you if you happen to be exploring Boston this weekend (or traipsing around Somerville–my old town!)

Where:
Lesley University Hall
(Porter Square, Red Line)
1815 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA

When:
This Saturday, September 24th, 10-6

See you!

Almost Fall

Hey ladies & gents!

Been busy with art & life, so it's been a little quiet round the blog. Also, while we weren't looking... Fall has slowly whispered in!

I get the feeling that morning is when Fall does the bulk of its work...flavors the sun with "back to school" and adds a handful of crispy leaves to sidewalks, before slipping back under the shade of the trees and forfeiting the rest of the day to Summer. It's a fun in-between time of year when you can hear cicadas out the window, while biting into a Paula Red. Color is about to explode and sing all over the highways on our drives to and fro. Isn't it funny how we are amazed each time the seasons change over, as if it's never happened before? It's like a little spell cast on New Englanders.

Can't wait.

BBGB!

These very smart little video reviews were sent to me last week from the sweet folks (Jill and Jenesse) at their BBGB bookstore in Richmond...(another reason to visit Richmond!) It was the first thing I saw in the morning Friday and I think I smiled the rest of the week through : )


Hey! I think Joe's on to something here...Tally LOVE the bangles...



Thanks girls! Glad you enjoyed :)

HUGS & THANKS for your excellent reading, smart observations, Tally, Joe, Gracie, and Lotti! ♥

Crisis In the Horn of Africa

With the help of Audrey's kind friends and family over at the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund, we are offering the "Audrey & the Children" print to generate profits for UNICEF 's work in the deadly Somalia Crisis. The news coverage has been quiet but the death toll numbers are LOUD (outlined here ) and most of those numbers are children.











Audrey's very last mission for UNICEF was to Somalia. When this news story stopped my heart last week, her face came clearly to mind. These children occupied Audrey's heart, mind, and time until her death. She would be there in a heartbeat.



Limited Edition "Audrey & the Children" 13x19 archival signed and dated print with all profits to UNICEF via Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund. The children in the painting are dressed in the traditional garb of the various places Audrey served around the world. (Click to enlarge) :



Gratitude to Ellen, Rob, Sean and Luca and the folks at AHCF. Praying that Audrey's work can continue in Somalia ♥





LINKS:



PURCHASE "Audrey & the Children" print with profits to Somalia HERE.



DONATE to the Somalia Emergency at Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund HERE.



AUDREYHEPBURN.COM



UNICEF.ORG