Julie Olson Books - Author/Illustrator: 2008

Release Date Scheduled

My next picture book to come out is called, "The Happiest Mommy Ever!" by Alice Furniss. It's published by Deseret Book and is their Mother's Day Picture Book for 2009. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The release date is April 1, 2009. That's plenty of time for you to buy one for your own mom before the May Mother's Day. Here's the cover and one of the interior sprea...

My hubby and I were out walking the mall after a nice dinner date, and we came across this display in a bookstore. And there was my most recent book I illustrated, "Christmas Love." It's a sweet Christmas story about the true meaning of Christmas. It was fun to see it on display and not stuck on a shelf among the millions of other books. It's a great little gift for Christmas. You can order yours...

STORYTIME

Just a little announcement...I'm doing storytime tomorrow November 8th at 11am for all the kiddies in the Children's Book Illustrator Exhibit at the Springville Art Museum. Come on down...http://sma.nebo.edu/calendar/events.h...

I got an email from my agent today telling me that FSG (Farrar Straus and Giroux) want me to illustrate a chapter book. Turns out there are chihuahuas in the book and I just happened to have inadvertently sketched a page of them about a month ago in my sketchbook. Looks like it's fate. I told the editor this when I accepted the job and he called up. He asked me to send him a scan of the page. I did....

Here's a little sketch colored in Painter. Obviously she's late...for class, for a test, for some school related activity. Ahh, those college da...

Last night I had a successful booksigning at Barnes and Noble bookstore. The author of the Annie McRae books I illustrated was there as well, along with other authors and illustrators in the area. It was educator night so a lot of teachers showed up and bought books. A lot of us went to dinner beforehand together and had a great time. Sometimes booksignings can be a bit slow and boring...it's always...

I love all the workspace I have on my new desk. I spent all day yesterday, printing out my drawings of a book I'm working on onto watercolor paper. Today, I laid out and taped down 6 of them and got to work...a little assembly line if you will. I'd do masking on all 6, backgrounds on all 6, skin color on all 6, hair color on all 6, then the rest of the details and ink on all 6. And today, I have...

Since my office flooded this past June from a plumbing mishap, I've been out of a home to call my own...as far as a studio goes that is. This last week, we finally got the replacement flooring in and I completely reorganized and revamped...new desks and all. I have so much more space now! More floor space AND more working space. I completely LOVE it! Now, I can full-out start the painting on a picture...

Soon to be an author too!

I just accepted a book deal for a picture book dummy I had my agent shopping around. It's one I wrote and illustrated myself. It's pretty awesome that soon I'll be able to say "WRITTEN AND illustrated by Julie Olson." It's not due out until August 2009 and I haven't officially signed the contract yet...just accepted the verbal offer. But I'm excited non-the-less. I posted sketches from it long ago. I've been working on it on and off for 3 years now. Yes, it's a long proce...

Book Sketches Finished

I finished the sketches for a book I'm working on late last night. Well, I finished them earlier, but then I took the time to put them all in a pdf layout. The art director emailed back that he likes them but that there will be a few changes. There usually are. I just always hope it's nothing major. Fingers cross...

So after the art show and a meeting with a rep from Albert Whitman Publishing, us illustrators and writers gathered at a local park to network and EAT! Illustrator WILL TERRY challenged illustrator GUY FRANCIS to a dutch oven cookoff and Guy's Wife Lorien vowed to sink them both. I can't say who won...they all tasted delicious...but Lorien's meat and presentation looked the prettiest for sure. The...

Here are pictures from the Museum Show Opening. It was great fun! And here's a link to a blog all about the show and the museum. They'll be featuring an illustrator at story time each Saturday so don't miss out.This is the opening title block...And here are all the books that have art displayed on the walls. See 2 of mine, one on bottom shelf and one on very top.My art on the wall...each illustrator...

Rarely does a museum in the west (not on a coast) get so many illustrators of picture books to participate in a mass art show. It's pretty exciting. I've been asked to hang 3 pieces in the show. I feel honored to do so since there are so many great illustrators participating. The Springville Art Museum is holding a festive show opening this Saturday, September 13th from 12-3pm where the illustrators...

Memories of Dance Class....actually, the memories came as I watched my daughter in her dance recital. I was never this decked out though. My costumes were much simpler...black leotard and tigh...

I did this little doodle as I was working on some black and white line drawings for workbook illustrations. I liked it so I slapped on color in Paint...

So, I guess you could say I've been too busy to post. Not all of it illustration...but plenty. We had family vacations and back to school to prepare for. All in all, it's been a busy August. I finished one book and am in the midst of illustrating another. In the meantime, I did a little banner for my hubby's hiking blog "100 Hikes in Utah" that coincides with a hiking book he co-author...

I love how they say opposites attract. I think it often goes for the physical traits as well as many character traits. Here's a couple I spotted at a ball game not long ago. The image was burned in my brain and I had to sketch it to get it out during the game. Think what you will, but I couldn't help but document ...

Here's a recent page from my sketchbook...done during my son's Kyukido martial arts class. I also brought along some fun watercolor pencils I've been trying out and added a splash of col...

I've never been able to actually go to the printer where one of my books is being printed because they are usually in CHINA. But the printer for the "There's Always a Way, Annie McRae!" book is actually located only an hour from my house. So I got to go do my first press checks ever on a book. Usually you have to rely on the eye of the printer to match the colors as close as possible. But I was able...

Art Representation

Well, all these years (10 since graduation) I've been going it in this business alone. Getting my own work, doing my own advertising, collecting my own payments. But now, I finally signed on with an awesome art rep... Tammy Shannon and Associates. They are pretty well known in the children's book publishing industry. I submitted my work and they accepted me into their group. I'm feelin' kinda good about that. It's nice to be in such good company with really talented illustrators that I admire....

Speaking at the Library

This friday, June 27, I'm doing a little dog and pony show at the Orem Public Library at 7pm in the story telling wing. So, if anyone is looking for something to do, come on by. You'll see how I work, some of my beginning artwork at 6 years old, and how a picture book is made. It's a show for all ag...

I have been away all day every day this week at a Children's Book Writing Conference, hosting author Kathi Appelt. I learned so much from her and from all the other speakers this week. It was amazing. I even met an editor from Greenwillow books and went over a dummy book with her that I wrote and illustrated. She gave me great comments and said to send it to her after I revise. I've been up late,...

Well, I finally (after 2 years of working on it) submitted my groundhog dummy book to an editor at Simon and Schuster...in the mail today. Now I just need to forget about it so I don't worry about it and wonder about it. I have plenty of other things to keep myself busy so that shouldn't be a problem (shouldn't being the operative word there). It's always hard not to think about a book or art you...

Well, I had a wonderful time at the Provo Children's Book Fair last Saturday, presenting on a panel, doing an illustration demonstration for kids, reading to the kids, and signing books. My friend is a photographer for the local paper and made sure to put me as the photo op even though there were far more noteworthy authors and illustrators there. Too bad he had to show it from an angle that exaggerates...

Fast sketch in the sketchbook. I'm getting closer and closer to this myself. Well, I'm still fairly young, but after finishing a triathlon sprint last Saturday, it's taken me longer than I remember to recover in my muscles and bones. Maybe if I keep wearing sunscreen I won't end up like this so soon though...rig...

I sketched these during church on Sunday. Don't ask me why or what they are looking so dazed about. They just came out that w...

So, I heard from the publisher that the new Annie McRae book ("There's Always a Way, Annie McRae!" will be out at the end of May or beginning of June. It was a tough book for me to do because as I've mentioned before, I had to revert to my old style of painting. I hid a boot in every picture and I put a lot of family names on books etc. I love doing that. Here's the opening spre...

So every once in a while, illustrators need to get off their butts or put down that brush and exercise or you just become stiff, arthritic, flabby, fat and lazy...believe me. I got a nike ipod chip to connect into my nano and started to run. It took me a while, but finally I hit the 100 mile mark. I don't absolutely HATE running anymore but I still don't like it. It shouldn't take me so long to hit...

So, I think I've recovered from the conference craziness (finally). I was on the huge planning committee for it, designed the brochures and the website for it, got the main guest for it, and hosted the main guest for it. Between delayed/late flight pickups, hotel back and forth runs, coffee runs, medication runs, workshops, and lunches and dinners, I wore myself out. But it was all worth it. Illustrator,...

I'm finally done with the Forum on Children's Literature (until planning starts for next year...in like a month). It was an amazing experience this year...better than ever before. David Small and his wife Sarah Stewart were perfect keynote guests and everyone learned from them and enjoyed their presentations. I'll get more into that in another post. But quickly, I just wanted to post a few sketches/notes...

When I near the end of illustrating a picture book, I'm done with it...I mean DONE! In the beginning it's exciting, it's fun, it's fresh, it gets your creative juices flowing. By the end you've thought about it, dreamed about it, spent hours creating it, and more hours changing it, and the ever-nearing deadline just looms over your head until you put on that last brush stroke. Then you have to send...

Art Lessons

Someone asked me how to teach someone art lessons and whether or not they should do it. Here's what I told them.I taught an 11 year old girl in my home for a year (before I moved to Michigan) and this is what I did. I started with the basics. I taught her the elements of art (line, space, color, texture, shape, form, value, balance). I taught what each one was in different lessons and she did drawings to incorporate each element. line- line drawings, how thick line comes forward, thin recedes. vertical...

My "multiple" is MULTIPLE BOOKS. This is the cover I just finished (without the title of course...and red stitched edging...the graphics team does that) for the second Annie McRae picture book I'm finishing up. I think it'll be out this Fall. I really like how it turned out. Author and illustrator names go in the lasso. The book is called "There's Always a Way, Annie McRae!" (my flatbed scanner isn't...

Well, I haven't posted a ton of ACTUAL drawings or art recently because I'm trying to finish up the sequel to the first Annie McRae book I illustrated. I'm about 2 weeks away from finishing. I also illustrated 2 workbooks on the side during this last month of the painting palooza. But the other night I went to a little lecture at my church which was supposed to teach us how to help gather information...

Already Asleep Video Trailer

So I just found out this cool new advertising thing from another illustrator...a video trailer to promote your book. I put it on Youtube too. But here it is for you...This is for "Already Asleep" by A.D. Tarbox, illustrated by me and published by Moo Press (Keene Publishin...

Part of being an author or an illustrator in the publishing world is speaking engagements and book signings. This past Saturday I spoke to a great group of kids and a few adults at the Nebo Young Writers Conference. It was for aspiring authors etc. ages 9-17 and a few of their parents tagged along. I spoke along with 2 YA writers and an editor. I taught the kids the process of making their own dummy...

Here is a list of all the artists hanging pieces in the BYU Alumni Show at the Utah County Justice Building. I linked everyone's sites to their names if I could FIND a site.Robert T. BarrettBobbie BerendsonTravis BraunSpencer BuddDavid DibbleKim EdwardsAmber ErdmannJoe FloresAdam FordDouglas FryerSuzy GerhartEmily GordonHeather GrahamShari GriffithsDarren GygiLayne HaackeAlisa HaggardRichard HullTravis...

A GREAT CONFERENCE for a LOW price

CALLING ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO BE CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHORS OR ILLUSTRATORS!!! THIS IS THE CONFERENCE FOR YOU. I am so excited to be a part of the committee planning this conference. We're bringing in great guests and an editor from Simon and Schuster. IT'S 2 FULL DAYS OF NETWORKING WITH PROFESSIONALS IN THE BUSINESS, INSTRUCTION, AND INSPIRATION. A CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST AND SIT DOWN LUNCH ARE INCLUDED EACH DAY.ALL THIS FOR THE LOW PRICE OF $99 IF YOU REGISTER BY MARCH 1, 2008. THE FEE GOES UP AFTER...

Art Show

I have a couple of pieces from my Already Asleep book in the BYU Alumni Show at the Provo City Justice Building. The show opening is this Friday, February 1st, from 6-9pm (151 S. University Avenue, Provo, UT). Would love to see you there! There will be some amazing talent displayed and beautiful art for sale. Don't miss out! Click here for the Utah County Art Board's website (it needs an artist to design it, that's for sur...

Well, in honor of my 100th blog post, I'm posting a sketch from the 2nd page of my current picture book "There's Always a Way, Annie McRae!" which is a sequel to my VERY FIRST picture book "Hip Hip Hooray for Annie McRae!". I'm working hard to finish it sooner than later. I'm trying out a new method to painting acrylics. I'll have to let you know about it IF it works the way I'm hoping. Watch for...

Well, a trip to Paris is anything but PLAIN. but my drawings from it kind of are (...plain...that is). Just some Black and whites for ya today.My husband and I took a week long trip to Paris for our 11th anniversary. We just got back. I'm still a little jet lagged, but I thought I'd quickly post a few of the sketches I did in my newly purchased adorable sketchbook from a Paris bookbinder. We got some...

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