Ruth Sanderson's Blog, page 7

Cinderella’s Coach for Shanghai Disney World.

I recently finished an assignment to create a mural for the new Disney World being built in Shanghai, China. It took many months of sketches and many months to complete the final painting. This will be reproduced to over seven feet wide and will appear on the wall in the ballroom of the grand hotel.

Posters are available from Cafe Press, and a signed limited edition print is available in SHOPS.

The CATS Have Arrived in the Castle!

Announcing…
A Castle Full of Cats BOOK GIVEAWAY!
To celebrate the release of my new picture book. Simply leave a short comment about  why you love your cat at the bottom of this post to enter.
(or email ruth@ruthsanderson.com if the log-in process is too annoying)
(25 words or less if possible)
All comments must be posted/emailed by February 21st,
and the winner will be chosen by me.
The winner will receive a signed copy of the book, inscribed with a sketch of your favorite cat (you’ll need to send me a photo)


The winner will be posted here on February 22nd
 You can get get your immediate cat and kitten fix HERE

Or order from your local independent bookseller.

They are also in Barnes and Noble

Here are some nice reviews from Kirkus and Booklist:

“Wouldn’t anyone be happy with a castle full of cats? “Once there was a queen / who kept a castle full of cats. / She loved the pretty ones and the plain ones, / the sweet ones and the brats.” She pampers them with abandon; everyone has fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The cats are confident in her love, but they want to win the king’s, too. “They tried their best to please him / in oh-so-clever ways, / and left him charming little gifts / to brighten up his days.” (These gifts include a mouse in his shoe). They warm his chair in the morning and try to satisfy his love of music and art (with serenades at the piano and claw paintings on the walls). When he becomes upset, the queen just tells him they are only being cats. When he’s had enough, he storms off and returns with his idea of the perfect pet: a drooling bull mastiff! Could this be the end of kitty cat fun and games? Not quite…the cats love the present he’s brought them. Sanderson’s 18th-century king and queen and their adoring brood of pussycats come to life in each detailed, double-page spread watercolor. The palatial rooms and rococo decor will entrance readers, and the purring masses of cats offer plenty of humor for repeat readings Charming, expressive and surprising.”  -Kirkus

“From the cover crawling with cats to the endpapers showing 37 felines, this is a cat-lover’s dream. Told in rhyming text, a bewigged and beribboned queen loves, loves, loves cats. Her affection is obvious—feline portraits and objects d’art adorn every room. However, the king’s disgruntled face shows his lack of enthusiasm for his wife’s cat-infested household. To win him over, the mousers bring him gifts of fish skeletons and dead mice. Stomping off in a huff, the king retaliates by returning with a Great Dane. Does this spell an end to the fun? No indeed, the menagerie finds the canine to be the purr-fect pal! Sanderson’s artwork depicts beautiful castle interiors filled with light and gilt and glamor. The queen and king are attired sumptuously, and each cat has its own personality with antics to match. Their various colors and breeds make for a fun romp as children can follow each one as they creep and pounce, play and snuggle, and perform mischievous tricks.”

— Lolly Gepson   -Booklist

 

Meou!!

Ruth

NEW HORSE SERIES

HORSE RESCUE: TREASURE is the first in a series of horse stories inspired by real horses and horse rescue facilities. TREASURE was written by my daughter, Whitney, who is the author of two books in the Random House HORSE DIARIES series–GOLDEN SUN and DARCY, which I illustrated.

A few summers ago Whitney volunteered at Little Brook Farm in Old Chatham NY,  the oldest horse rescue facility in the US.  She was greatly impressed by their work, especially the theraputic riding, and the field-trip programs for urban schools. Whitney decided to write a book inspired by the horses there. Like the HORSE DIARIES, this story is told from the horse’s point of view.

I was pleased to create the cover illustration for the project, based on a photo of the horse that inspired the story. Whitney generously plans to donate half her proceeds to Little Brook Farm. I encouraged her to publish using Create Space, the Amazon self-publishing arm, so she can control the price and also print books inexpensively for the farm to sell.

If you’d like a poignant read for yourself or a young horse lover, and would like to help support horses in need, here is the link to ORDER THE BOOK.

NOTE:  If you purchase TREASURE on Amazon along with either of  her other books, DARCY and GOLDEN SUN, which I illustrated, people who buy those on Amazon in the future will see TREASURE listed and more people will find out about it. Since this is self-published, that and social media/word of mouth will be the best ways for people to find out the book exists.

If you are interested in a digital copy — Here is a link to a Kindle version.

The BLACK STALLION

In 1977 I painted the very first paperback cover for the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. These were my favorite books growing up, along with fairy tales, of course. I was thrilled to meet Mr. Farley in New York at the publisher’s office at Random House, and he offered to take me to the racetrack to do research and take photos. I was right out of art school and very shy, and I regret to this day I never took him up on the offer.

 

 

For fans of the Black, I offer limited editions prints of this iconic picture in the Prints section of my Shops, and I’ve just added a $20 high-gloss poster on my CafePress Store.

WINTER SALE

All my out-of-print books are on sale for $20-$25. These are collectible signed first editions available in limited quantities and are usually priced from $25-$40.

 

 

 

 

I’m also offering a Print Special – The Snow Princess and the Polar Bear with a free SNOW PRINCESS book for $75. And A Merry Christmas to All print with a signed book for $75.

CLICK ON THE SHOPS TAB above and go to the book and print sale pages.

Happy Holidays,

Ruth

 

 

CASTLE FULL OF CATS lovely review

I was pleased to just receive a great review from Kirkus, who are known for often being tough. The last phrase in the review is “Charming, surprising, and expressive.” I couldn’t ask for more. Over twenty years off and on working on this one.

The book will be released in January.

JINGLE BELLS

This is lovely little holiday story for horse lovers–a Random House Special Edition.

The story, set in 1917, is about Horse Power vs the Model T. The horse and sleigh come to the rescue during a snowstorm on Christmas eve.

I had fun illustrating the story, as well as some “extras,” like a how-to-draw-horses section. When I was growing up, the Walter Foster book on drawing horses was my favorite. I even held a Saturday morning class in fourth grade for my friends and taught them how to draw horses, too.

 

A Castle Full of Cats cover

HAPPY FALL!

New Scratchboard

A few years back I took some photos of my daughter at an old mill where I had a studio. I’ve been wanting to do a scratchboard piece of this for years, and finally did it! The shadow of leaves on the wall is my addition.