Twitter

Starting up my twitter feed and should be able to post a few daily tidbits once I get the hang of it. My wife told me that a monkey could use twitter and I am considering adopting one.
Anyway, here is the address if you follow twitter-thanks!
https://twitter.com/cadenise

Following Grandfather, Sneak peek #2!

I don't care what you say, I like the Backyardigans.

I love this kind of thing-it cracks me up. Development for this show would be hoot. Bill Murray from "The Life Aquatic" and Pablo and Tyrone from "Into the Deep". 

Is the show still running-anyone out there know?

A very good thing indeed.

Tiny Showcase is a fantastic company to work with! Beautifully produced prints, very cool people, ...AND a percentage of every sale goes directly to a charity of the artists choice. 

You can view the listing by visiting Tiny Showcase

Vacation

Just back from a long and long overdue vacation. I was ready for it, I was fried. But now I am ready to see where the projects take me. Its always odd to come back and look at a bunch of work recently completed when you are only a little separated from it-not working on it but still somehow attached. Like the way that you remember a conversation that you had recently and suddenly see it in a whole new light. A preview from "Following Grandfather" to come soon.

       I was chatting with my friend the incredibly talented Kelly Murphy recently about deadlines and the long hours we each spend in the studio. Long hours in which we are concentrating but also looking for material to occupy that part of your brian that is trying to get you to stop what you are doing. That same part of your brain is responsible for that annoying and monkey like specter of self doubt that you can find knocking about the corner of the studio after a good few hours if you are not careful. You need to give it something to keep busy so it does not notice that you are doing good work.
      Well if you find yourself on deadline or are facing a decent drive, Neil Gaiman's audio edition of the Graveyard Book is just the thing.
      It was hands down fantastic, touching, poignant and entertaining. You will notice the medal attached to the cover right over there so it should not be difficult to find eloquent and descriptive endorsements of this book.
      I  did miss the Dave McKean illustrations, as I am a huge fan of his work as well. But the reading was not to be missed. You will need to buy both.

Deadlines and the final stretch

 I wish that I could remember the quote concerning the end of long projects that came to mind late last night...or even exactly how the quote went......but as I mentioned...it was late.....and I am back at my desk today...early. In  any event, the quote was from someone at a well known animation studio talking about the final stages of a film and how it often feels as though they( the team) really get a good handle on a project when it is nearing completion. Nothing feels more true right now. While I will welcome the addition to sleep into my routine once again I will miss that feeling of flow that some books take on. Like a well suited travel companion. But I have a few more weeks on this the caffeine fueled trip. Anxious about the deadline? Sure. But I think if you look really closely at the guy on the clock you see a hint of a smile.

Friday, June 1, 5:30 - 7:30pm: Summer Reading Kick-off Event at The Providence Children's Museum.  Hear 10 children’s book authors read their stories aloud, followed by a book sale and signing. Come to the event and find out how the whole family can participate in Rhode Island's 2012 Summer Reading Program! http://www.childrenmuseum.org/calDetail.asp?date=6/1/2012

Sneak peak, my next book due out this Fall!

I just received a stack of bookmarks from Candlewick Press announcing my new book due out this Fall. The piece was really nicely printed and designed (thank you Candlewick!) and features the cover.

I have had the incredible opportunity to work with one of my heros in the picture book and Y/A world, Rosemary Wells.

Ok, so my last post was about storytelling and so is this one...just a different medium.
I had the good fortune to see the incredible Jake Shimabukuro this evening at "The Narrows" in Fall River, Massachusetts this evening.
If you do not know his work, click on the link attached to his name above and be prepared to open Itunes and be amazed.
Jake played for about two and a half hours and told as as many and complex stories as any feature film while only speaking briefly in between songs. He does not sing but allows his original compositions and his arrangements other artists songs  to build his narrative structures with clarity and artistry that the audience of one hundred or so were absolutely silenced hanging on every note.
Before he played a new piece called "five dollars unleaded" he described, in brief, the sensation of driving along and loving it on a semi full tank of gas. And then the process of looking for a gas station, fueling up, and jetting off again. A cute little story but his music told the FULL story. Windows, open, sunlight, etc. Illustrated with music.
His arrangement of George Harrison's "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" is well known and tells the story as well the beloved original. Artful illustration and storytelling through choices made by an artist living in the joy of his work.
Still unconvinced? Sample his version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Its all there. He gets it.
Now if film and book makers could take note and allow us to tell stories without so much exposition and talking, believe in the intelligence of their audience, we might connect with each other.
In the meantime, we should all continue to tell our stories in one way or another. Tonight its storytelling through two feet of wood and some nylon strings. As Jake has said "If everyone in the world played ukulele the world would be a better place"

Cheers,

Chris

Storytelling

Wonka!

Fantastic projects have been keeping me up late at night and, of course, I can't share any of it. But I did remember that I was going to post some pics of a side personal project.

Two years ago I was swept up in the enthusiasm for my kids school play and volunteered to help produce the sets for the next show. The date of the show was approaching and I was essentially out of time but the good folks at Arts Alive had applied for and received some grant money and suddenly we had money for printing-large scale printing! Large scale as in 15 feet high and 30 feet long. I did a bunch of 8 foot square panels as well. Two nights of photoshop painting, a very accommodating large format printing company and ta dah! A show!

The amazing and fearless kids made the show a smash hit. But I look at the backdrops now, a year later, and I think they still look pretty good!