Edmund Dulac

There are certain images that have inspired me over the years for any number of reasons: storytelling, color, technique, composition, feeling, drawing, etc. Usually some combination of theses elements keeps me coming back to a given piece of work again and again.
If one of these pieces has inspired you-let me know!

New website is now live!

Please stop by the new site and let me know what you think!

same address: www.christopherdenise.com but you might want to empty your cache.

I will add a few more pages for sketches and Press materials soon!

Working a few nights on the new website-should be up soon!

from Sleepytime Me by Edith Fine, Random House, May 2014

Happy Halloween

Yes-its true, I am the illustrator behind Mr. Pig of the fabulous Little Crooked Cottage blog. I dressed up Mr. Pig especially for Halloween last night-he was very excited. AND, by the way they are running an awesome book give away-check it out!
http://thelittlecrookedcottage.blogspot.com/

Could be of interest

I love seeing photos of other illustrators studios-to see where they work is great but often find that I am more interested to see what sort of books they have lying around. So I have added a small sidebar section to the blog to share what I have been listening to (audiobooks and music selections) and reading when I am done for the day. When I am in the middle of a long project I can't share any of the images I have been working on so I will continue to post an occasional desktop grab and the inspiration series-images that end up on my desktop project after project as sort of touchstones.
Sorry that I do not have any current shots of my own to share just at the moment but I will soon!

In the news, new book deal!

From this weeks Publishers Weekly Rights Report-thank you Emily van Beek! This manuscript is laugh out loud funny. Can't wait!

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/59340-rights-report-week-of-october-3-2013.html

Inspiration series

N.C. Wyeth

http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/collect.html

There are certain images that have inspired me over the years for any number of reasons: storytelling, color, technique, composition, feeling, drawing, etc. Usually some combination of theses elements keeps me coming back to a given piece of work again and again.
If one of these pieces has inspired you-let me know!

A look at my desktop earlier this week.

Classically inspired digital pastels. Like the days of Redwall without all the dust!

Hey look-the cover is up already!

My next book, Sleepytime Me by Edith Fine is now available for pre-order! The publication date is set for May 27th. Pre orders through Amazon or your local independent bookstore are so helpful in getting the word out there about a title and making sure that it is seen. I have lots of great content to post in the coming months about the making of this cover and the interior art. Thanks for your support!

Inspiration series

Beatrix Potter

There are certain images that have inspired me over the years for any number of reasons: storytelling, color, technique, composition, feeling, drawing, etc. Usually some combination of theses elements keeps me coming back to a given piece of work again and again.
If one of these pieces has inspired you-let me know!

Remembering and Giving, We Art Boston.

Redwall Original Art for benefit auction

I spent part of this afternoon unpacking a shipping crate containing several large works from a book a made with my old friend Brian Jacques. It had been a few years since I looked at some of these large pastel paintings created for  A Redwall Winters Tale. As I peeled back the layers of wrapping and foam core, memories of my late friend and our work together rushed in. All of them good, but I do miss him.

This unpacking was not just an exercise in nostalgia but for a very good cause, one that I know Brian would have appreciated and undoubtedly supported. Friends and former teaching colleagues from RISD have banded together in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing to create "We Art Boston".

"We Art Boston" is a fundraiser/auction of children's book art to benefit Boston Children's Hospital. Online auction opens Oct. 10. Family event Oct. 20 in Boston. They are the real deal and all the folks involved in this drive are in it for all the right reasons. Please take a moment to like their page and share with your friends and family.

More information and events here: https://www.facebook.com/weartboston?hc_location=timeline

I appreciate it, and I know that Brian would as well. This one is for the kids at the hospital and to you my friend.

Redwall Original Art

I try to post new art on Fridays but I had a moment to get this one posted. Enjoy and please share!

"This large scale portrait of Hypericum Hadduck Hare was created for pages 18-19 of A Redwall Winters Tale by Brian Jacques and published by Philomel Books in 2001. Hypericum was the leader of the rag tag group of minstrels and clowns named The Thistle Down Troupe. I jumped at the opportunity to research the costumes for this Shakespearian, slightly down on his heels, but still larger than life character. I think I could have created another whole book just focused on the troupe!
This is the original pastel and charcoal painting and it is quite large. I was creating all the artwork at 133% of the reproduction size. The live art area measures 13 1/2" high and 12 1/2" wide."