Erik Brooks's Blog, page 45
July 30, 2016
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 201 - 7.29.16
Not at the beach... but down in Los Angles for the 45th annual SCBWI Summer Conference. Soaking up writing and illustrating inspiration and trying to paint a few polar bears while I'm at it!
July 28, 2016
Harts Pass No. 308
More wolverine news from down in California!
July 27, 2016
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 200 - 7.27.16
Some MAJOR inspiration here from the cover of Kwame Alexandar's THE CROSSOVER. No polar bears in this story -- and far from it in fact -- but its an amazing book for your summer reading list, and Kwame is an incredible advocate for student writers and readers all over the world. As a book quite literally built around basketball, it might seem pretty far removed from the Arctic ocean and polar bear country, but in certain North Slope Borough schools, basketball is where its at. As a coach, father, and sports fan, this book also had a special resonance, and it won a Newberry Award in 2015 so there's that. Enjoy!
July 26, 2016
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 199 - 7.26.16
My inner bear (and lack of proper tools!) took control in the garden this past weekend. Replacing rotten fence posts only to remember that 18 inches of concrete anchor them to the earth. BIG ROCK. SMASH! This time I'm using treated posts and not pieces of timber salvaged from the woods.
July 25, 2016
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 198 - 7.25.16
Backpacking bears! A "day-in-the-life-of-the-artist" theme coming up for the next little bit. Enjoy!
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 197 - 7.25.16
And on Tuesday of last week, July 19th, I celebrated a picture book birthday for the brand new LATER, GATOR! Alas, I was deep in the woods and my mountaintop celebration was pretty quiet... No polar bears in the book, but I drew one here for an appropriately themed Presidential Post Card :) You can find Gator at a bookstore near you or call my local shop for a signed and personalized copy: Trail'sEnd Bookstore (509) 996-2345
July 24, 2016
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 196 - 7.24.16
GRRRAAAA!!!! Pretty much how I felt as I forced myself to listen to last Monday's Republican Convention coverage on the 2 hour drive home from Wenatchee... Thankfully, spending the rest of the week on a backpacking trip with my daughter and friends - and away from any and ALL media coverage - might have tipped my soul back into balance.
July 19, 2016
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 195 - 7.18.16
Keeley's second excellent postcard contribution for the week. A full day of summer school visits yesterday and then we spend three days backpacking in the North Cascades! We'll keep a look out for wolverines and other wild Washington critters, but there will be a little lull in my post card posts. Stay tuned for a deluge when we return!
Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 194 - 7.18.16
A 12-hour day on the road for Wenatchee-area school visits plus my daughter's violin lesson left very little time for post card painting... Thankfully, Keeley jumped into the fray again to help keep the project on track :) I kind of LOVE this fantasy hybrid polar bear creature that she painted while I was drawing with Cascade and Grant Elementary summer school kids :) Something about the colors and the shading reminds me a bit of Sophie Blackall's amazing work. Thanks a TON kiddo!
July 18, 2016
Teaching Comics in Wenatchee... and look out for LATER, GATOR!
Down in Wenatchee today teaching a comics workshop in summer school! Drew last week's comic on the iPad Pro enroute back home from Boston. Not my usual routine (I normally ink with a brush and color in Photoshop) but it worked out pretty slick AND you can watch it happen!
Oh, and LATER, GATOR! debuts tomorrow :) Come say 'hi' to the little Gator guy at my hometown book release party: Saturday, July 23rd. 2pm at Trail's End Bookstore
