New "Appearances" tab on my website!

I've been visiting K-5 classrooms and Universities for years but now, finally, I have put up a page on my website to help with booking my appearances. So if you are an educator be sure to stop by and drop me a note. If you know an educator that might be interested in having me visit their school, feel free to share the link. Thanks!
http://www.christopherdenise.com
Click on the "appearances" tab on the top menu.

Groundhug Day Props #2

Here is another prop that I designed for Groundhug Day, written by Anne Marie Pace. Like the telephone directory prop that I shared earlier in September, this prop was almost completely painted over in the finished piece. On the printed page, you cannot even read the newspapers!
I create these small details knowing full well that they will most likely be obscured and overlooked by most readers but still, I take great joy in including them. They make the painting all the more fun and, somehow, they lend an air of authenticity to the imaginary world of these little critters. I like to imagine that there are a few young readers who will spot these small details and enjoy them!
Look for Groundhug Day this December published by Disney Hyperion.

 

Groundhug Day props.

Developing book and world specific props is great fun. Although it ended up getting covered by a teapot in the final illustration, I had a ball designing this woodland directory to help these characters plan their party. This detail is from Groundhug Day by Anne Marie Pace, Disney Hyperion, Dec 2017

 

Lucy's Lovey release date countdown! Dolly #9: Doe

Meet "Doe". Day 9 in the dollie countdown to the release of Lucy's Lovey by Betsy Devany published by Henry Holt and Co, Christy Ottaviano Books. (9/27/16)

Lucy's Lovey release date countdown! Dolly #5: Sparkly Baby

Meet "Sparkly Baby." Day 5 in the dollie countdown to the release of Lucy's Lovey by Betsy Devany  published by Henry Holt and Co, Christy Ottaviano Books. (9/27/16)

Lucy's Lovey release date countdown! Dolly #2: Cry Baby

Mark your calenders! September 27th is the official release date for Lucy's Lovey written by one and only Betsy Devany, published by Henry Holt and Co. (Christy Ottaviano Books);

Betsy starts her hilarious tale: "Lucy had seventeen doll babies".  So I thought it would be fun to countdown to the release date and meet some of the cast of this wonderful story.

Doll baby #2. Cry Baby.

Happy Birthday Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast!

Be sure to drop by Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast and wish Jules a Happy Blog Birthday! She has been running this amazing blog about picture books and their creators for ten years this month.
If you are in the industry, a librarian, a teacher, a bookseller, or just into kids books and interested in the authors and illustrators that make them you MUST visit.

http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/

New book beginning....

New book. #kidlitart #childrensbooks #picturebook— with Anne Marie Pace.

Firefly Hollow development part 2: Curiosities.

This is part two of a short series of posts about the development of my most recent book, Firefly Hollow written by Alison McGhee. See my post from June 26th to read part one.

Putting a story together, or rather discovering one and unearthing it, is tricky business. Steven King describes it this way:

“Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible. Sometimes the fossil you uncover is small; a seashell. Sometimes it’s enormous, a Tyrannosaurus Rex with all those gigantic ribs and grinning teeth.” 

What parts of my story did I have? Not much. I had a few sketches that were resonating and some notes about the characters, but still no real sense of the story yet.

I tried asking myself questions about the characters: Who is this vole? Where does he live? I caught a few glimmers of things but any sort of narrative remained elusive.

So, I did what many illustrators do when they are stuck: Research. 

I started collecting images of voles, crickets and paintings of water that I really loved. I looked up rafts and boats, grabbing  anything that caught my eye. Some of the images I already had in a folder that is constantly updated called "curiosities".  In his book on creativity "Catching the Big Fish", David Lynch calls these collections "firewood". I love the term, and it is perfect the way he describes it, but I shied away from naming my folder likewise. I didn't want to burn through my material too quickly! I started putting things up and soon I had a wall of the shed covered in images. 

Writing is hard work, I happen to think that it is MUCH harder than illustrating though many of my writer friends disagree with me. Writing good picture books is particularly difficult, you will know this if you have ever tried. Trying, as I was, to write something like the final manuscript of Firefly Hollow Firefly...was....lets just say that it is like showing at Wimbledon and trying to compete because you beat everyone in your family at badminton. Nevertheless, I tried to write the picture book version of my story-numerous times. They were terrible; really, really bad. 

As an illustrator, I respond to a text and then begin to add my own voice. Ultimately, I try to create a corresponding visual narrative that enhances and supports the written word-basically creating a parallel emotional narrative. That is a summarization, and I don't think about it that way when I am working, but its the closest I can come to describing the process. I had nothing to respond to so I continued on with what I felt right...the pictures. I sketched little visual "notes" about things that I thought would be fun to paint. 

I was still on hold for the project in my desk so I scanned a few of the sketches and painted them up in Photoshop (just for the fun of it) as a color studies. 

Redwall art

Getting this Redwall painting ready to offer at my ETSY shop. I love drawing otters!

The beginnings of Firefly Hollow. A fortunate delay, a change of venue, the kindness of neighbors, and finally...taking my own advice

The fortunate delay.

It was one of those rare times in publishing where there was a lull in the constant demand of my production schedule.
I was waiting for feedback from a publisher on a final round of sketches for a picture book.
In the past, I would have begun feverishly scratching away at the waiting heap of work for the next book. But there was no heap of work. I had been turning down projects-waiting for and wanting something that I felt a particular type connection with. This could have been a bit nerve-wracking for any self employed artist.  Fortunately, I had other things that were demanding my attention.

A change of venue.

At the time, my studio space was located in a revolutionary era merchant building. While it was charming, the roof had begun to leak and late nights of driving from Providence back to our little bay-side town were getting tiresome. Given my usual level of exhaustion, it was actually getting dangerous.
It was time to go.

The kindness of neighbors. 

Anika (see posts relating to Anika Denise) and I decided that it was time to to renovate our dilapidated garage.
But that process would take several months to complete so where was I to work?

This is the magical part, the part where the greatest gifts come out of the ether unannounced and without fanfare.

I asked for help.

I asked my friend and next door neighbor Doc Pete (he is really a doctor) to help me move some of the larger items out of the way so I could begin evaluating the task of rebuilding the garage.
Two minutes later I was looking at my new temporary studio, Pete's shed.
Doc Pete's shed was an eight foot by ten foot structure. It had a door, two windows, and electricity. Rent free. We cleared it out, opened the windows, and I could hear and smell the waves on the bay.
I was in heaven.

Taking my own advice...finally.

I taught at Rhode Island School of design for a few years.
Part of the job was handing out lots of unsolicited advice.
One of my favorite tidbits for aspiring illustrators was to use any "down time" they might have to create personal projects.
I had given that advice enough and now it was time to follow it. I quickly realized that this was quite a bit harder than I imagined.

But I had been given the gift of time, the gift of change, and a quiet place to accept those gifts.

I began to sketch and wrote this above my drawing.."Cricket and Vole"
This is what they looked like.

In this mornings email from Publishers Weekly!

http://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/firefly-hollow/index.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=8b43508648-S%26S+-+Firefly+Hollow+-+20150317&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-8b43508648-304460245

Firefly Hollow-WIP

A sneak peak of the current project! See my post from December 2nd to see a screen shot of this piece in an earlier stage. Blogger still seems to be automatically auto correcting the color. If you are interested, the color looks more accurate on my professional Facebook page-Christopher Denise Illustrator.

Limited edition print available!

Happy Friday from my friends at Tiny Showcase!
Gallery Night (featuring Providence, RI) print now available. Limited edition of only 100.
http://tinyshowcase.com/artwork.php?id=2292

Autumns final day at Redwall Abbey

Autumn at Redwall Abbey

A little autumn for The Redwall fans.
When I began work on A Redwall Winters Tale, I created a series of very small thumbnail sketches immediately after my first read through. This image came directly from one of those sketches. 
I have included a jpeg of the image as it appears in the book with Brian's wonderful poem. I remember that he read that poem to me over the phone and I knew what he wanted-how he wanted the piece to feel. I think it came from a shared appreciation of this particular time of day and season.
The Thistledown troupe and stray travelers of Mossflower are making their inside the gates of Redwall Abbey where the lanterns are lit and the fires are already burning. The warmth and smell of cooking welcomes the weary travelers inside as the light slips up the mighty walls and great bell tower. 
This original art is currently available, though probably not for long, at my Etsy shop.

Baking Day Birthday!

It's officially Baking Day at Grandma's. Move the furniture and start the music! 

Our new book releases today! Many thanks to all the folks at Philomel Books and, of course my wonderful collaborator- Anika Denise!

Learn more about Baking Day at Grandma's and check out the free downloadable goodies at 

www.anikadenise.com

Baking Day at Grandma's Book Trailer!

Check out the trailer for my new book!

Save the date! Baking Day At Grandma's book release party!

Join us for an afternoon of fun and have your book signed by both the author and illustrator!

http://www.northshire.com/event/saratoga-kids-anika-and-christopher-denise-baking-day-grandmas

Baking Day at Grandma's review in Kirkus!

KIRKUS REVIEW

A rollicking, rhyming salute to the grandmother-grandchild bond.

Three independent, bundled-up young bears set off across the snow and past the pond for Grandma’s cottage, all smiles, as “It’s baking day at Grandma’s!” Everything at Grandma’s house—from the fire and old-fashioned stove and Victrola to her pink shawl and the woodsy cabin decor—points to coziness and love....

Read the rest here:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anika-denise/baking-day-at-grandmas/

Sleepytime Me, new art-the back cover that never was.

Final cover for Sleepytime Me by Edith Hope Fine

The cover for my most recent book, Sleepytime Me by Edith Hope Fine, came together very quickly. Those of you who are in the business picture books know this is a rare occurrence. We all loved the image of the house and wanted to stay with that theme. I could have done a wrap but was enjoying painting the images so much that I wanted to produce another piece of art. I was so excited when I had the idea of painting the same scene after the kid went to bed and the moonlight and stars had shifted that I went ahead and painted it. I loved painting the moonlight on the leaves and having it dapple over the house. Sadly, the art was never used but the incredible designer I worked with, Jan Gerardi, came up with a wonderfully elegant solution. Her design was beautiful but even with that we almost had the cover changed on us at the eleventh hour. Fortunately, we were able to compromise and meet the needs of the marketing department by zooming in on the house and character. For fans of the book, here is a look at never before seen art! Which one do you like?

Original cover art ©2014 Christopher Denise. I remember stargazing from the bedroom.

Original back cover art ©2014 Christopher Denise. ".ooo..what a little moonlight can do..."

How it might have looked...

My proposal

Jan Gerardi's design. I loved working with Jan! Love her type on this version.