Amy June Bates's Blog, page 3

Draw a Horse

If you have kids or are around kids or sit next to kids or observe kids from a distance, at some point they are going to ask you to draw them a horse.  That is just how it is.
I am not going to lie to you. Horses are not easy. They are beautiful complex creatures and it is going to take a little effort. And remember if at first you don’t succeed, try doing it the way I told you the first time.

While you are putting in the effort, I’ll tell you about going backpacking. Well, we went backpacking, and it was pretty- we had almost a 360 degree view. We had a big fire, and it was cold in the middle of the night. We woke up with a thin layer of ice on the sleeping bags. The morning was sunny and the sun warmed things up. The campsite we found was right on level with the turkey vultures that were making circles around us.

Are you done?
If you draw this for a child, they are going to ask you why you didn’t draw the whole body. Because you can never win. But we’ll die trying.

I love drawing. I wrote a book about my favorite subject. It is coming out this fall, and it’s called:
“When I Draw a Panda”

This horse is for Izzy and Jade. Those girls love horses.
#drawahorse
#howtodrawahorse
#horsesarehardtodraw
#amyjunebates
#howtodraw
#whenidrawapanda
@barrettfamily85
@johntedbarrett
@simonkids

Hedgehog in the time of Covid

Hedgehogs seem like a perfect mascot for the Anti-Covid league.  I like you and am friendly and also STAY SPIKE DISTANCE AWAY.

How is your cabin fever?

I have to admit that I personally have a fairly high tolerance for hiding and avoiding, but I understand that all people are not me. As a result of all people not being me, I am being forcibly evicted from my attic to go backpacking today.  Now I love the idea of backpacking. I used to go backpacking from time to time even though I haven’t been for a few years. However someone I love happened to go backpacking recently with old college friend which made person I love have many new thoughts about backpacking.

My worries and thoughts are:

Will I be cold?
Will my backpack be heavy?
Will I be eaten by snake?
Will I see a hedgehog? 

I hear all the time from people “ALL I can draw is a stick person” a million times I have heard this. What I wouldn’t give to hear “All I can draw is a hedgehog”

#anticovidleague
#hedgehog
#howtodrawahedgehog
#howtodrawhedgehog
#amyjunebates
#howtodraw
#drawahedgehog
#allicandrawisahedgehog

Are you feeling a little jelly-lumpish this morning? Stil...

Are you feeling a little jelly-lumpish this morning? Still in bed? Who am I to judge? Where do you think I am?

It is a misty moistures morning. Rosebud would like me to take her outside on a walk, but her insistence is more in the form of lying on the floor in my general direction.
If I get up then people will want things.
Sometimes a small act of anything feels like a step.
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? What do you do when you don’t know what to draw?? How do you get unstuck?
I draw a pig.
I have a few drawing recipes that I am posting, to get people unstuck if they need it, to get people started when they need a direction. They are just a base to add to.
I love to draw. AND I WROTE A BOOK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!! It is called “When I Draw a Panda”
For now though, what will happen if you draw a pig?

Have a particular animal you like? Mention it below?

#pig
#drawapig
#amyjunebates
#drawingrecipe
#howtodraw
#getunstuck
#whenidrawapanda

In our house, we have different sort of brains. Call them...

In our house, we have different sort of brains. Call them spectrumy, neurodiverse, different, awesome, surprising, refreshing or some kind of wonderful. All true.

I am often reminded by those in the therapy world that schedule is key. That there are people in my house that thrive on schedule.

It’s true. They don’t like their schedule messed with. THEIR schedule being the operative word. When schedules are messed with we can end up with a very sad jelly lump that won’t get out of bed and get dressed for days and days. We end up stuck.

All this to say that sometimes we get stuck when we don’t know what to do next.

I have been thinking a lot about drawing for the last few years. Because I love it. I love how every single kid loves to draw, and I am sad when they get old enough to be ashamed of and start to question their own drawings.

IN FACT I HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT IT AND IT IS COMING OUT THIS FALL!!!!!!

SO I have made a few “How to Draw” GUIDLINES. Merely as a jumping off point. To get anyone who needs a push to get unstuck. Anyone who has a “but I can’t” stuck in their throat.

And who does not love to draw a bear? No one. Bears are the best.
#howtodrawbear
#howtodraw
#drawingclass
#amyjunebates
#getunstuck











 

Picturebooking with Nick Patton

We had so much fun doing this podcast interview with Nick Patton
...and I had no idea that my Utah accent was so Utah accenty. My kids tease me about it, but I mean I thought they were just giving me the business.

Hope you enjoy!

http://picturebooking.libsyn.com/096-amy-june-bates-and-juniper-bates-the-big-umbrella

The Big Umbrella and an Interview with Romper

Juniper and I were interviewed about writing this book.

Click here to read it all.


I have a lot to say  about this whole book, and yet at the same time I want the pictures to do the talking.

I always do.

That said, this interview captures some of it.

Amy

we wrote a book. WHAT??!! WE WROTE A BOOK.

The Big Umbrella
by Amy June Bates
co-written by Juniper Bates

I am pleased and excited and over the moon.

Juniper, my daughter and I, wrote a book. We wrote this book, actually. The Big Umbrella.

It comes out Feb. 6, 2018.

It comes straight from the heart, and I have been waiting my whole professional life to do this.

More to come...

You are never really alone

A very short story ; Piggy looks for love: Parts 1, 2 and 3

Piggy looks for love