Check out this awesome website: http://www.readingstartshere.com/archive  Every day for a year, (starting in August) Candlewick Press are posting short interviews with a selection of authors and illustrators. They are wonderful insights into the process of creating children's books!

When beginning work on a new piece of art, I usually just launch into it without making any preliminary sketches and the picture evolves as I draw. It is very rare for me to practice an illustration beforehand. But this time, I'm changing my process.

After reading through the assessor's notes a few times, I've decided to produce some new drawings to  improve the storyline of my book. As a perfectionist, it is hard to restrain myself to quick small sketches - I want to keep working on the picture until it's completed! Then I have to remind myself it's all just practice and mistakes are fine.

So, here a couple of pastel sketches that I've drawn yesterday and today.

I'm also experimenting with the concept of creating a wordless picture book. I borrowed a selection of books from one of the local libraries the other week by authors such as: Jan Ormerod, David Weisner, and Barbara Lehman.
The artwork that impressed me the most was Ormerod's illustrations in her pair of books 'Sunshine' and 'Moonlight'. Without any words, she tells delightful stories and conveys a sense of humour, warmth and security. I love them!

The books had vastly differing styles and all were a great source of inspiration. I'm hoping to keep up the drawing momentum and get my collection of ideas down on paper so that I can figure out the best way to tell my story.

I've not done any work on my second book for several weeks now. This is partly due to the fact that the manuscript was away being assessed, and also because I have started a new job this month. Hence the lack of posts.

The manuscript has now arrived back, along with a report from the assessor, and I can return to the story. Vivienne (who has been looking at my story) sent me heaps of ideas and helpful comments - there's lots of work to be done!

But no matter how politely or gently it is delivered, a critique is always hard to accept. I automatically read the sections that point out potential changes and advice as negative comments. It takes several readings for me to think critically about the text and report and see that the suggestions are actually very useful.

I put the story and report away for two weeks to let the ideas marinate in the back of my mind without the pressure to rush into creating more illustrations and new text. Now there are numerous ideas taking form and I'm excited about looking at the story again with fresh eyes after my break.

I came across this image the other day and had to share it on my blog. Apparently this book fort is in the Trondheim Library in Norway. I want to go there! The only downside, is that you can't read the books.

For almost as long as I have enjoyed drawing, I've loved playing with Lego. (Note to my American friends: it is LEGO, not LEGOS.) Each of my brothers have their own treasured collection - and they are very careful not to get any of the pieces mixed up!

I stopped adding to my collection a number of years ago, but I still get a thrill from fiddling with the bricks and building new creations.

The weather has been wet, cold and bleak all week - not great for a house full of energetic boys during the school holidays, but perfect for playing with Lego. I'm pretty sure I heard the unmistakeable sound of thousands of tiny pieces being tipped out across the floor this morning.

It is very tempting to spend the day inside surrounded by Lego, letting my imagination run wild amongst the colourful bricks. But, no... there are commitments that must be met, so I will have to resist. Instead of actually playing, I will content myself with admiring creations from other Lego enthusiasts on the Brothers Brick website, who seem to have a little more time on their hands.

http://www.brothers-brick.com/page/8/

http://www.brothers-brick.com/page/2/

 

 

 

 

http://www.brothers-brick.com/page/10/

While perusing the TED website the other night, I came across this talk by Dave Eggers. The name was vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on why - maybe a writer of some description? I initially thought he wrote science fiction, but no - that was David Eddings. It turns out that Eggers is a writer, editor, screenwriter, publisher and advocate for students and teachers.

His profile on the TED website states:
Dave Eggers' first book, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Since then he's written two more novels and launched an independent publishing house, which publishes books, a quarterly literary journal (McSweeney's), a DVD-based review of short films (Wholpin), a monthly magazine (The Believer) and the Voice of Witness project.


Meanwhile, Eggers has established himself as a philanthropist and teacher-at-large. In 1998 he launched 826 Valencia, a San Francisco-based writing and tutoring lab for young people, which has since opened six more chapters across the United States. He has extended his advocacy of students by supporting their educators, instituting a monthly grant for exceptional Bay Area teachers. His TED Prize wish is for more poeple to follow him into getting involved in your local school -- and talk about it -- through the website Once Upon A School.

I knew nothing about him prior to hearing the video, but his talk at the TED conference has piqued my curiosity. The idea Eggers discusses and promotes is brilliant. In the past, I have studied and worked as a Teacher Aide and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Dave Eggers understands the benefits of one-on-one tutoring and has put a unique spin on the concept.

So, here is the video.

This morning I received a copy of the latest Magpies Magazine. With great excitement, I tore open the envelope and flicked through the magazine until I found it : a review of 'Custard and Carriages'.

  "This small but nicely produced book was a delightful surprise, with its simply told recollections of going to visit Grandad, with delicious custard squares to enjoy, then playing with the toy railway set while he tells stories about his day driving trains. The stories are followed by a visit to the station to see some real trains. Back home there's comforting honey toast and being tucked up into bed with memories of the trains taking the small child to dreamland. It's a warm and comfortable story: you can almost feel the tickly beard and the tightly hugging arms as the grandfather holds the child securely out of harm's way. The pastel illustrations are well acquitted and provide shapshots of the different trains being talked about, and of a man who obviously loves both his job and his grandchild." 

There was a huge grin plastered across my face after reading this! Some of the other books that were reviewed in the magazine were from New Zealanders such as Dave Gunson, Jenny Cooper and Jennifer Beck. It was a real thrill to see my book alongside those talented and experienced authors and illustrators. 

Thank you very much Magpies Magazine for reviewing 'Custard and Carriages'!

Below are some photos that Gill North took when I was talking to her students at Sockburn School.

And this is one of the shots that Rachel Holden took as I was speaking to her class in Room 12. There are a few more of her photos on the school website.

Over three days, I visited all the classrooms at the primary school and spoke to the children about the process of writing, illustrating and publishing a book. The kids were a great audience!

Half-way through reading my story to the first class, I discovered that somehow I had blue-tacked the wrong words onto the back of four pictures. Not a good start! Fortunately I remembered most of the words, was able to quickly shuffle the illustrations into the correct order and finish the story in the right place.

Thanks to Rachel for organising the visits and to all the other teachers for making room in their schedules so that I could come in to speak with all the kids.

Finally, I have finished all the illustrations for book number two - what a great feeling! It was a bit of a race in the end because I needed the pictures finished by last Friday before I went away for the weekend. I was putting the final touches on several of the illustrations that morning and then rushing outside to cover them in the fixative spray. They were lined up on the ironing board to dry, while I finished packing my bag.

All of the images are now scanned and I am in the process of making another dummy book so that I can see how the flow of words and pictures work together. I enjoy arranging the illustrations and gluing them into place alongside the text - it makes the whole project seem real when it is all put into a book format.

No ideas for a title yet. That is always the hardest part. I didn't even have a title for my first book when I initially sent it to the publisher. Even though the story was about my Grandad, I didn't want 'grandad' or 'grandfather' in the title. The book needed something a little different. Thankfully, a friend of mine suggested 'Custard and Carriages' after seeing the illustrations and reading through the manuscript and it stuck.

And while I'm on the subject of the first book, this afternoon I was looking through some of the old photos of Grandad that I used as reference shots for my illustrations. I came across several pictures of him when he was driving a big black steam engine (J1211), which I seem to remember was called the Crunchie Train. It was touring around the country and when the train came to Greymouth MY Grandad was the driver and I got to ride in it with my cousins. We were all terribly excited!

I think this train was the one connected to the Crunchie bar ad that aired on tv a long time ago, during a promotion for Cadburys in the mid-1990s. And because it's an awesome advert, take a look.

I have now been living in Casebrook for just over one year. That is the longest I've spent in one location since 2008. In the last four years, there have been a lot of moves, back and forth between Hokitika and Christchurch and around different suburbs here in the city.

It's a lovely feeling to be settled in a place and I enjoy the neighbourhood in our small cul-de-sac. But there is one thing in particular that I miss about Hokitika: the river.

During the summer, I would often spend afternoons along the banks of the river, exploring streams and fossicking for aquatic life. The strangest creature I ever found was a bright electric blue lamprey, which looked sort of like an eel, but with two blue stripes running down its body on either side of the dorsal fin. My friend and I were thrilled to find it, but we had no idea what it was - we had to take it to the local aquarium centre to get it identified.

I had many other adventures at the river, sometimes fishing, sometimes exploring the surrounding bush. Now that I'm on the East Coast, I will have to make an effort to investigate some of the rivers around Christchurch in an attempt to sate my longing!

These are photos of one of a couple my favourite spots.

Lynne Chapman is an award-winning illustrator. I follow her blogspot and enjoy watching her short videos. Here is a clip where she explains how she ended up becoming a children's book illustrator. Well worth watching!

Last week I had to spend the day in hospital for a simple routine operation. I was in by 7am and discharged a little before 5pm. Despite the fact that it was not 'major' surgery, it still feels like it deserves that title!

While I've been resting, I have had lot of time to read. One book in particular caught my attention: Play Pen, New Children's Book Illustration, by Martin Sailsbury.

I found it in the library a few weeks ago and checked it out with a bunch of other books. It is divided up into four sections that explore the artwork of 36 different children's book illustrators from all over the world. Before reading this book, I'd never heard of most of the artists. Now I am aware of some stunning, creative and diverse illustrators. Here are two that really impressed me.

Istvan Schritter, from Argentina. On his method of work: 'I never use a computer, except for writing or scanning as a way of recording. I cut everything with a pair of ordinary tailor's scissors, down to the tiniest circle for the tiniest pupil of an eye. The larger pieces are stuck with solid glue and the smaller ones with liquid glue and tweezers. Sometimes there are twenty or twenty-five layers of paper.'(pg.56 PlayPen, by M. Salisbury, Lawrence King Publishing)

(image from: istvansch.blogspot.com)

(image from: newhousedesignmapstuff.blogspot.com)

Noemi Villamuza, from Spain. Her use of pencil, especially in black and white, is gorgeous - it captures beautifully a sense of liveliness and wonder in childhood. As I have so much difficulty with it myself, I particularly admire the way she draws children's faces. She conveys the roundness and youthfulness of the child so vividly.

(image from: bibliocolors.blogspot.com)

(image from: filustra.com)

This is one of the illustrations that I've been working on for some time. I had a lot of trouble with the facial features - I've lost count of how many times it's had to be fixed.

I thought I was getting very close to finishing the picture earlier this week. When I compared the drawing to others from the story though, it was obvious that the child's age in this image (on the left) was too old to fit in with the rest of the illustrations. So I had to start again.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts, I finally came up with a version that I'm happy with. The photos here are not the best quality - I need to scan them properly - but you can sort of see the difference between the two illustrations. They are actually the same basic picture, I've just reworked the face and torso/legs. In the picture on the right, the child looks younger and fits in much better with the rest of the illustrations.

Now I have just one more illustration to finish and then I'll be done. The text still needs work, but its feeling much better than a few weeks ago. I can see where the story is going and that is such a relief! For so long the words refused to be written and that was very uncomfortable. Soon it will be time to pass the text on to the manuscript assessor for her to help craft the story.

On a totally different note; today is Nelle Harper Lee's 86th birthday. The name may be a little confusing, as she is more commonly known as simply Harper Lee. In 1960 her novel To Kill A Mockingbird was  published and I read it for the first time when I was about fifteen. Over the last ten years I've read it four times and it has become my favourite novel.

The characters who appear in Mockingbird are real and powerful - I never tire of submersing myself in their world and reading about their adventures. So, Happy Birthday Nelle!!

                                (Photo: Birmingham News)

It seems to be party season at the moment. Since the end of last year, there have been numerous celebrations - engagements, weddings, birthdays - in Christchurch and spread out across the South Island. The most recent occasion was my sister Olivia's 21st party on Saturday night.

We rigged up a decoration of fairy lights and white cloth, which was carefully twisted around and over the veranda.  We moved couches from the lounge to the concrete patio outside and placed them directly under the tulle and lights. Dad managed to borrow two large outdoor gas heaters from his work and another smaller brazier from friends. These provided warmth during the party and a very necessary deterrent to unwanted nocturnal insects.

Olivia is a talented seamstress and she made the dress that she wore for the evening. She looked stunning! She was also kept busy in the week leading up to the party with creating all the desserts and cakes for supper. I think everyone was very impressed with the spread she provided! Here she is with two of her cousins.

And now the first cut into the birthday cake.

Once supper was finished, the games began. Currently, there are two games that seem to be favourites: Articulate and Dutch Blitz. Both are great fun, but when you try to play Dutch Blitz with sixteen players, it can get very cramped! It was a massive game with two full sets of the cards in use.

The entire evening was fantastic - I'm not naturally a night owl at all, but I didn't get to bed until 1:30am! Awesome night!

Sometimes being an artist is irritating and troublesome.

I've spent most of the day working on one illustration - and it's been incredibly frustrating. The part I'm stuck on is a face and as it is only about the size of a ten-cent piece, the process is turning out to be quite difficult and time consuming.

I started on that illustration months ago and got stuck on the same area, so I put it aside and worked on other pictures. Now that pretty much everything else is finished, I am back to that hard illustration.

I turned the whole picture upside down in order to trick my mind and pretend that I wasn't looking at a face. It seemed to help, but I've still got a lot of work to do on the piece.

Now that I can see the end of the project, I am relieved. Just two more pictures to finish - and the remaining parts on each are faces. I can't wait to finish, but I also know that I can't rush it or I'll end up with a disaster. Must be patient!

Very busy week!

After a long, bumpy drive (lots of roadworks and potholes due to earthquakes) around Christchurch to Ferrymead, I arrived at the Heritage Park a little before 10am. I went to the wrong area of the park initially, but after directions from the helpful volunteers I eventually made it to the correct place just outside the information/ticket office.

There were two other stalls already set up under the shade of autumnal-coloured trees, so I  found a spare semi-flat section and put my table up. Although it was a brilliantly sunny day, the position of my table meant that I didn't really get to enjoy the sunshine. After a few hours of sitting in the shade, with a coolish breeze blowing, I did end up very cold, but that was the only downside.

Thanks to the lovely lady from the stall next to me who offered to keep an eye on my table, I was able to look around some of the heritage park. There were hundreds of people milling around and ambling through the historic buildings, a brass band was playing on the tram and someone was playing ragtime music on a piano in the old hotel.

Beside the main train station was a small but very full bookstore which stocked all sorts of books and magazines relating to trains. After speaking with two of the people who were involved in running the shop, I was able to sell them some copies of my book. Now the store stocks Custard and Carriages too!

The rest of my week, from Tuesday - Friday, was taken up with FAB club. Twice a year a bunch of committed volunteers plan and run a holiday program for kids, with the main focus being Fun and BIBLE (hence the name). I've had the opportunity to help out on previous occasions, but this time I was able to make it to the program every day. It was awesome to be a part of the organised chaos that is FAB week!

Despite some major disruptions that we had to work around (double bookings, wet weather, faulty micophones and noisy roof repairs) the program was a success, with everyone pitching in to see that things ran as smoothly as possible. Here is a sample of action from the week

This weekend the Ferrymead Heritage Park here in Christchurch are having an Easter Extravaganza, which means that the park will be open for all four days of the Easter break. I've never been to the park before - it looks like now is the time for a visit!

I'm planning to set up a stall at the park on Monday to sell and promote 'Custard and Carriages'. My plan is weather dependent though - the stall will be outside, so I won't attempt to set up if its raining. Selling books in the rain does not sound like a good idea. Metservice is predicting a fine day with a high of 23. Hope it turns out that way.

So, if you have some free time on Monday come along for the day! Here are a couple of photos from the website showing previous Train Extravaganzas.

 

(Photos from Ferrymead Heritage Park website)

There have been a number of libraries around the country that have bought 'Custard and Carriages'. Today I decided to search some of the online library catalogues to see if I could find my book. This is a sample of what I found.

Christchurch City Libraries

Wellington City Libraries

Feilding Public Library

Invercargill City Libraries 

Napier Libraries

Taupo District Libraries

So, if you're a member of any of these libraries, head down to your local branch and check out 'Custard and Carriages'!

This week I finished illustration number 12 - only one more to go! That's the good news. The bad news is that I have no idea what the last illustration will be like. I've written out all the text, except for the final page, so I know roughly how the story is meant to progress, but I don't have the image in my mind to work from.


I made up another dummy book as well this week so that I could see how the pictures and text work together in a book format and alter parts as necessary. It was looking great ... until I glued what will hopefully be the final illustration onto the second-to-last page. Grrr - now my system is all messed up. Oh well, it should be fairly simple to repaste the correct picture over the wrong one.

On a more positive note, a number of public libraries around New Zealand have been very supportive of Custard and Carriages and have bought copies of the book. It will be such a thrill to see the book on a library shelf when I go into one of the local Christchurch libraries.

I love book sales! While away in Nelson last weekend, I visited a book store in the local mall. After about 15mins of hunting through an assortment of battered cardboard boxes, I had to finish up because, by that stage, all the others were waiting impatiently for me back in the car. But I managed to find 14 books to buy. I was very pleased with the result of such a rushed search.

Then, as some of my family members were going back to the mall to buy groceries the next day, I tagged along so that I could have a more lengthy browse of the boxes to check if there were any good books that I missed the first time. It turned out that there were a few that escaped me. I ended up buying another four books.

The majority of the books in the boxes were Young Adult fiction, with a selection of children's books thrown in. Usually when I borrow books from libraries, I tend to steer clear of YA fiction. However, there are a few authors that I do enjoy reading and will look out for their books on shelves or in shops - authors such as Joan Bauer, Richard Peck and Gennifer Choldenko.

During the hunt at the book sale on the weekend, I came across another author - Jean Fritz. She is a children's author and although I didn't have any of her books I recognized her name. There were about ten different books of hers in the sale, and I bought all of them!
They were all from a series written by Jean Fritz which focused on famous historical figures or incidents and were illustrated by numerous talented artists like Tomi DePaola and Trina Schart Hyman. I was just as excited to examine the pictures as I was to actually read Fritz's words.

Jean Fritz was born on 16th November (my birthday too!) and is now 96 years old. She has been writing since the mid 1950s and has an impressive list of titles to her name. I can't wait to read through her series of historical books.

While I was away in Nelson for a week, this article appeared in the Mainland Press in Christchurch on Thursday 8 March. Sorry about the quality of the image - I didn't use a scanner but instead just took a photo so the newsprint is a bit blurred.

I had trouble sleeping last night so I listened to the radio for a while. It didn't help me to fall asleep, but I did tune in to a BBC arts program which had a section about a fascinating project that took place around the world yesterday. To celebrate World Book Day (1 March) a group of 24 writers from 4 different coutries worked together to write a novel in 24hrs. Here is an excerpt from the website:

On Wednesday 29 February 2012 Spread the Word is bringing together four teams of writers and editors in London, Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Vancouver, to create a unique novel. The project is an experiment in collaborative writing, using digital technology. The book, which will be written by multiple authors, operating in different time zones and countries, will be launched at noon on World Book Day, Thursday 1 March 2012.

What an intriguing idea! I'm very interested to see the result of their efforts. But I don't think I would work well under those sort of time restraints. Sometimes the words I need when I'm meant to be writing seem to vanish in all directions and I end up spending most of the time trying to pin them to the page. And anyway, how come I've never heard of World Book Day before? It is an excellent chance to celebrate books, but how has it eluded me up until now?

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, its possible to catch some of the action. On Thursday 1st March you will be able to watch a selection of authors and illustrators, together live and online for the first time from the comfort of your computer screen!

March 2012 is NZ Book Month! 

Not long to go now! Take a look at the website for more details about what's going on in all the different parts of New Zealand. There are heaps of events happening! Go to your local library and check out some awesome books created by NZ authors and illustrators.

Last week I had an informal photo session at my neighbour's place. Although I don't naturally feel comfortable in front of a camera, my neighbour was able to get some great shots. Here are a few of them.

One Year Today

Exactly one year ago the structure and face of Christchurch was dramatically changed. On 22 February 2011, a massive earthquake hit just before 1pm, destroying much of the central city and claiming 185 lives.

At the time of the earthquake I was not in Christchuch, but living on the West Coast - over 280 kilometres away. The house was shaken by a strong tremour but we (those of my family who were at home) did not know where the quake was centred. Because there had been a 7.1 magnitude quake in Christchurch five months earlier, we suspected that the city would again bear the brunt of the violent shake.

One of my brothers had just moved over to Christchurch two days previously and our initial thoughts were of concern for him and his fiancee who was visiting him in the city for the day. We didn't have to wait too long before receiving a text to say they were both fine.
As we found out later, they had been in one of the malls and when the earthquake hit, items from the shelves fell down around them, covering the floor of the aisles. Thankfully neither of them were injured and they were able to exit the shopping centre soon afterwards.

Although we were listening to updates on the radio, we didn't have a tv (long story!) so were unaware of the extent of devestation around the city. As the afternoon progressed and more aftershocks jolted the area - several of which we felt - we began to realise that the aftermath of this event would be much worse than the earlier September quake.

We gathered at a friend's house to watch some of the footage coming into the news stations and saw the surreal images for the first time. Much of the footage was raw and because it was coming straight from the devastated areas, the numerous injuries and the destruction of buildings were vividly portrayed. I couldn't watch very much - it seemed too unreal and bizarre.

In the days following as more images and information filtered though, the severity of the event really hit home. Even though I did not personally know any of those killed in the tragedy, and I remain largely unaffected by the earthquake, it still had a big emotional impact on me.

There have been more quakes since 22 February 2011 and it is unnerving to see people around me panicking, to hear massive sheets of glass window panes creaking as buildings sway, and to live with the uncertainty of if - or when - another major tremour will occur. I do not know the future or how long I have on this earth. But instead of despair or fear, I can be certain of Jesus Christ, my sure foundation.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

It doesn't feel like we've had a proper summer here so far this year. When the sun does come out we have to make the most of the opportunity to enjoy the heat outside. Although I much prefer sunshine to rain, it has been a blessing to have bursts of rain a few days every week as that means we avoid droughts and water restrictions.

Because of the many earthquakes around Christchurch in the last year or so, some of the water reservoirs were damaged and the city's capacity for holding the necessary huge amounts of water for its population is limited. In the long run it's good that there we haven't had a long hot summer - that's what I tell myself anyway.

There was a few beautiful fine days last week and on one of them, I decided that the driveway could do with some bright designs and drawings. The rest of my siblings thought that was a great idea- they actually made it outside and started on their pictures before me!
Before long numerous colourful doodles and patterns appeared on the concrete. As the drawings progressed, quite a lot of the pastels we were using made their way onto the limbs and faces of the artists. Some of the boys were beginning to take on a distinctly blue tinge by the time we finished.

I was attracted to the fuchsia flowers that were growing in the garden alongside the driveway and attempted to draw one with oil pastels.

The others each created circular designs with chalk pastels. Here are some photos of the afternoon.

The new issue of The School Library (New Zealand online newsletter for schools across the country) has just come out. I've been waiting for this issue for a couple of months because I was hoping that it would review 'Custard and Carriages'. Back in October I sent a copy of the book to the reviewer of the newsletter and then just had to wait. Finally I received an attachment of the newest issue and yes! my book is in it. Check it out for yourself.

Those last two illustrations are proving to be very difficult. I've written out the text, and although it still needs changing and editing, I know the general direction of the story. But trying to finish the final pictures is hard. It's not that the process of drawing is the problem - it's figuring out how the illustration is going to look in the first place.
 The way I've worked with all the previous pictures, has been to find a photo that I want to use as a reference, then edit or crop the image until I'm happy with the composition and then start on drawing the illustration. I'm not good at working from my imagination - that's why it has been so wonderful for me to have access to a variety of family photos.

Sometimes I get to the point where I'm itching to start drawing but don't know what to produce when I sit down at the desk. That feeling was creeping up on me the other day.  I desperately wanted to play around with my pastels to create something, but still didn't know how to tackle those final illustrations. I was given a new set of pastels for Christmas and the bright new colours were tempting me to try them out.

Before I started I knew that it needed to be a quick drawing, full of colour and movement. Sketching a pain-stakingly detailed pencil portrait was just not going to work on this occassion. I found a photo in one of my DK children's books and clipped it onto my desk. It took me about three and a half hours spread over two or three days to complete the picture - for me that is fast!

 

When I look at this picture, I see all the places that aren't quite finished or could have been done better - but it captures the vibrancy and colour that I was after, so I'm pleased with it.Don't know if it will help me to attack those last remain illustrations though...

It was a busy day yesterday with several appointments at preschools to promote 'Custard and Carriages'. As I'm not naturally inclined towards public speaking or trying to talk up my product, I do get very nervous before these sort of meetings. But I made it to all the preschools on my list for the day and each person I talked with at the various centres was encouraging and was impressed with the book. It is such a boost to hear that people actually like it. Plus the managers of some of the centres gave me ideas for further promotion which I am very grateful for. Every little bit helps!

While the marketing side of things is beneficial and necessary, it does mean that the time I spend on my next book is limited. And, sometimes I just lack the motivation to sit down at the desk and draw. However, 10 of the illustrations for my second picture book are completed and number 11 is almost finished too. The text is still taking some time to work through. I know the general idea of how I want the story to unfold, but getting the exact words down on paper is the hard part. So far there have been about four attempts at writing the text each a little different from the last. I'm still not sure which version I like best or which one to work on further - but that's where a manuscript assessor is helpful!

Here are some of the photos that I'm using as references for the illustrations, plus my grandmother has sent me a stack of photos from her own albums for me to use.

 

 

Summer at the farm - awesome!!

SUMMER!!

One of the benefits of working from home is that I can arrange my schedule to include maximum outdoor enjoyment. This morning I was lying in the tent that is set up in our backyard, while I revised/edited my writing projects. Perfect spot!

Early last week - I forget which day - we all went out to a local fishing spot with several large ponds full of trout and salmon. Only children under the age of 17 are allowed to fish there, so I couldn't have a go. Instead I took a camera and explored the surrounding area. The day was particularly hot - towering trees shelter the grounds and bushes and other smaller shrubs grow up around the ponds, so there was barely a breath of wind.  While we were fishing, a number of other groups of young fishermen and women circulated around the lakes, but I didn't see anyone actually catching anything.
One of my brothers told me afterwards that the group who was fishing in the spot where we set up landed a fish just before he got his line in the water. Maybe they caught the only fish in that pond. Anyway, I enjoyed myself!