Turning down jobs?

So, for the first time in my illustration career, I had to turn down a job offer I actually WANTED to do. The money would've been good to add to the income, but I just couldn't fit it in. I just am too busy working on other illustration jobs at the moment. I've turned down a few before but those were ones I just wasn't interested in. I hope this is a sign that I'm starting to actually "make it" as an illustrator. It's kind of exciting for me.

I got the comments back on my "One Clean House" reader. Just so you know, when you work for the educational market, you often have many people to please as far as the art goes...kind of "art by committee." It's just one of the slight downsides to educational work. However, it's no big deal (click the picture to read comments)


Here's one of the 16 sketches for another reader I'm working on called "My Saturday Cat." I had to draw lots of kittens throughout (and wheelchairs...worse than drawing bikes)!

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Educational Reader #1 Finished

Well, I finished the first educational reader on my list of 4 to illustrate. Now, just 3 more for Harcourt Educational Division. This one was for another publisher. Anyway, I thought I'd post a couple of the final illos. If you couldn't figure it out...this is a reader to be used in the math classes.

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Janet Steven's Visit

Sorry to any of you who've been expecting posts. I've been living in a whirlwind this past month. Every spare minute is spent on illustrating and finishing our basement. I need my art desk OUT of my bedroom. It's chaos.

This week I had the opportunity of hosting Janet Stevens (Caldecott honor medal winner) at a Children's Literature conference at UVSC in Orem, UT. I had a great time getting to know her. She is HILARIOUS, fun, energetic and SOOOOOO talented. She was an inspiration to all who heard her. I snuck her away from the hectic conference for a few hours and we shared a wonderful lunch at Sundance Resort just up the canyon. I loved hearing about her story writing and illustrating process and was even inspired enough to come up with an idea on the way home from the airport. Now I just need to get started on it.

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Educational Readers

Well, I finished all 32 or so sketches for the 2 educational readers I'm illustrating and I got them emailed off so I'm waiting for client approval. One is for Harcourt and the agent on that one called me this morning saying she liked the sketches and wants me to do another reader for 1st grade. Yea! Here are 2 sketches...one from each book.

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Illustration Friday: simple

It's a good thing this was the topic for the week...too bad I didn't post til today. Here's something simple, drawn, scanned, and filled in with photoshop. My kids are better but I'm now hurridly trying to finish sketches for 2 educational readers due Tuesday morning. one is done...one to go (about 16 illustrations).

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Illustration Friday: Chair

Here's the final illo in color and changed a bit from the sketch. I made her hair frazzled (straw included) and put other things from her day by her on the floor. So, she plopped down and says "GOODNIGHT!" (for goodness sake). And look, it has a chair. And guess what....I'M FINISHED illustrating the book! I just need to get it all scanned in and packaged up. My oldest son is recovering well from the strep throat but now my poor 2 year old has a fever. The doctors say it's not strep and not an ear infection, probably just a virus. But the poor thing has a fever of 103 and isn't too comfortable. She's napping at the moment. Maybe I should go take a nap as well. Whew!

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