Pirates cover

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Here are 2 rough sketch ideas for the cover, the tight sketch, the color sketch and the painting in progress. Pirates Go To School is available tomorrow! 

Pirates hit the bookshelves

Ahoy, cullies—Pirates Go To School is finally in all the quality bookstores!  If any of you happen to be putting villages to th' torch and sword over in Massachusetts, why not drop anchor during author Corinne Demas' book signing events?…

Pirate kids

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Here are the character designs for Pirates Go To School.  I originally envisioned the pirates as grownups, attending a school that looked like a pirate ship.  After seeing the initial sketches, Ken, the art director, asked me to draw them…

Pirates at storytime

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Pirates Go To School drops anchor in bookstores next Friday! It's been a while since I've posted about the illustration process, so let's review.  I draw rough thumbnail sketches, design the characters, gather visual reference, draw beautiful…

Summer reading in Oil City

Hey, what are you doing Tuesday June 28th at 10:30? Please come join me at the Oil City Library for their One World, Many Stories summer reading program.  I'll be reading and drawing and painting and maybe even singing.

More ART!

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[slideshow]

Some really big letters

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When you come up the stairs to the second floor of the National Transit Building (where us artists are) you're greeted with gorgeous woodwork and beige walls.  It looks office-building-ish. And so we're letting everyone know in a big, big…

Some character sketches

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It's been a busy place around here.  I'm painting 2 books and my bookshelf/storage cabinet project is finally finished. April & May were full of many fun visits to elementary schools and a couple of literacy conferences. Luckily I have…