Tuesday, May 5, 2015

NESCBWI conference 2015




So much to say, where to begin?
I had a great time at the conference this year, learning new things, meeting new people, seeing familiar faces and great artwork.
This time around, I took workshops in both illustration and writing for picture books. It made for a more well-rounded experience for me. Also, I got to hear about the creation of I Don't Like Koala, which I saw first-hand at work the following Tuesday. Very synchronicity-like or something of that nature.
It wasn't a perfect event, I managed to leave the map light on in my car, hence draining the battery. And I didn't get a critique on my illustration at First Look. Oh, well...But I went with the expectation of learning and enjoying and I definitely did both of those things.
All the speakers (that I happened to hear) were great. Dan Santat, Kwame Alexander and Marv Terban were full of personality, vitality and pearls of wisdom. Though I only heard the last 20 minutes of her speech, Jo Knowles was very touching and had me choking up.
Now, I just need to put those inspirational words into action and get a dummy created/sent out!
Here's my submission for the Illustration Challenge this year with some in-progress shots as well:

Initial stages of "Don't worry I fixed it."
Alien and pet character study
Pencil rough
Finished piece