Friends

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#fireflyhollow #christopherdenise #illustration #kidlit #kidlitart #art #artwork #photoshop #kids #artstagram #draw #picturebook #picturebookillustration #childrensbooks #instaart #illustrator #best_of_illustrations #ncwyeth #alisonmcghee #firefly #sketch #drawing #draweveryday #sketchbook #sketching #dailydrawing

From Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Christopher Denise

Green

From Firefly Hollow written by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Christopher Denise

With the book wrapping up I’ve really enjoyed spending a bit more time outside and taking in all the green and the light. 

#fireflyhollow #christopherdenise #illustration #kidlit #kidlitart #art #artwork #photoshop #artstagram #draw #picturebook #picturebookillustration #childrensbooks #instaart #illustrator #best_of_illustrations #alisonmcghee #windinthewillows #illustratorsoninstagram #green #cricket #summer #sunlight #peace #simonandschuster #instaart

Black and white work

A friend was just asking me if I make black and white work-I do! This one From Firefly Hollow written by Alison McGhee, Athenuem Books.

from Firefly Hollow written by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Christopher Denise

#fireflyhollow #christopherdenise#illustration #kidlit #kidlitart #art#artwork #photoshop #kids #artstagram#draw #picturebook#picturebookillustration #childrensbooks#instaart #illustrator#best_of_illustrations #ncwyeth#alisonmcghee #firefly #sketch#drawing #draweveryday #sketchbook#sketching #dailydrawing

Catching up on sharing some Instagram posts......

This from March 23rd:
With the (hopefully) last Nor’eastor behind us, I am looking forward to warmer days ahead!
From Firefly Hollow written by Alison McGhee, Atheneum.

Art from Firefly Hollow written by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Christopher Denise

#fireflyhollow #christopherdenise#illustration #kidlit #kidlitart #art#artwork #photoshop #kids #artstagram#draw #picturebook#picturebookillustration #childrensbooks#instaart #illustrator#best_of_illustrations #sketch #boat#alisonmcghee #windinthewillows#peaceful

Unexpected

Interesting little aside. A few months ago the folks over at Netflix asked for the rights to use Firefly Hollow (text and images) in an episode of House of Cards. Never sure how these things go, scenes are cut ect. But if any of you binge watchers catch it, be sure to let me know!

Interview with the wonderful Alison McGhee

From MPR news:

"Firefly Hollow": The children's book that began with a painting
In the publishing process, children's books typically begin with a story — then the illustrations follow. But that's not how "Firefly Hollow" came to be.

Writer Alison McGhee, who has published several books for both children and adults, received a package on her doorstop six years ago. Inside were full-color paintings of entrancing creatures: A mouse-like character in a sailor's outfit and a cricket curled up with a cup of tea. The illustrated companions were adrift in a small boat, sailing down the river....

listen to the full interview here

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/12/28/books-firefly-hollow-alison-mcghee

Publishers Weekly Q&A with Alison McGhee

from Firefly Hollow, Atheneum Books for Young Readers 2015 

From a wonderful interview here with Alison McGhee author of our new book, Firefly Hollow.

PW: "What, in a nutshell, do you hope that young readers take away

from the story?"

Alison: "No matter how lonely and misunderstood you may feel, there is a place for

you in this world, and there are people who will love you."

Read the interview here:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/67659-q-a-with-alison-mcghee.html

Alison McGhee on the writing of Firefly Hollow

If you have had a chance to read Alison McGhee's Firefly Hollow, and hopefully liked the book, then you may enjoy this wonderful post she has written on the creation of the story. In it, she shares her own thoughts and struggles in the writing of the manuscript with inspiring honesty and grace.

"The long and winding road that led to my novel Firefly Hollow began with some photocopied paintings that arrived in the mail one day. They were by an artist named Christopher Denise, and I spread them out on my big wooden dining table and stood there studying each one. 

The idea was that I would write a picture book to go along with them. I love an assignment, but this one intimidated me. The paintings were just so damn beautiful. There was a vole wearing a little sailor's cap, and there was a cricket, and there was a boat and a river. There was the night sky and moonlight and the colors in each painting were like jewels.

Could I write a picture book worthy of those paintings? I wanted to, and I tried. For about a year and half, I tried. But everything I wrote—and I wrote a lot—kept spiraling out into more story than a picture book, with its tiny word count and strict page limit, could handle."

Read the rest of her post here at the Pippin Insider:

http://www.pippinproperties.com/blog/entry/conjuring-firefly-hollow/?comments

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. 

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 detail-revisited

Back on November on November 18th, I posted a sketch from the work on my desk that day. I just remembered that I planned to share a glimpse of the same part of the finished piece. 
Both are details of a larger painting from my forthcoming book Firefly Hollow written by Alison McGhee. 
Cheers.
Chris

Deadlines!

Be sure to visit my facebook fan page, Christopher Denise Illustrator:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Denise-Illustrator/385062757194

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.

Firefly Hollow work.

Different approach with this book. Working up the drawings in charcoal (digital) and layering in color. The designer and I were looking for a jewel tone range of soft colors. Takes a fair amount of restraint not to just rush in and try to paint over things but seems to be working!

Perhaps little updates are better?

I have been updating my professional facebook page, Christopher Denise Illustrator, but keep putting off updating my blog so I may try a new approach.
I had been posting some sketches and there seems to be some interest in process. I had been thinking about a longer post on the delights of drawing in my digital charcoal space but it may be some time before I get around to it. I think Ill just let out little bits here and there and go back later (summer 2015 probably) and sum up some thoughts.
In any event, I have found myself drawn back into a world of miniatures. It takes a certain mindset to stay in the right place and I have been helped along by the music of Jonsi and Alex-specifically Riceboy Sleeps. The duo are best known for their amazing work as Sigor Ros. 
So today I put on the headphones again and begin working up this aerial nighttime drawing. It be painted up in the next day or two. Here is a little detail.  I can't share full pieces just yet. If you guys like it...maybe I can try to check in once a week and show little glimpses and let you know what I am listening to.