Imdbman626@gmail.com, Author at Elana K Arnold

WHAT WOULD YOU BURN?

Posted on June 3, 2013

In anticipation of BURNING’s release NEXT TUESDAY (!!!), I have the pleasure of sharing guest posts by writers I know either in person or through the magics of social networking.

The first contribution comes today from my agency-sister Cal Armistead, debut YA author of BEING HENRY DAVID. It also happens to be Cal’s birthday!

Here is what Cal writes:

What would I burn/get rid of, if I could?

I love this question, in part because I’ve been to the Burning Man festival twice, and watching The Man burn was truly an awe-inspiring event, like some ancient pagan ritual. There’s nothing quite like an enormous bonfire to stir your primitive soul.

There’s even something in the bible about gathering the wheat (the good stuff) and burning the chaff (the stuff you don’t need). Matthew 3:12, to be specific. (Don’t be impressed. I had to look it up, even though I’m a bona fide preacher’s daughter.)

But aside from the pagan and primitive and biblical implications of fire, I love the thought of us asking ourselves: What do we need to burn off in our lives to make room for our new growth?

Although I could write an entire essay on intangible, figurative things I’d like to burn away (all those faults and flaws and weaknesses; those stubborn five pounds in my butt region), I’m going to stick with actual, physical items that I could hurl into a fire and watch with satisfaction as they burst into flame.

My partial list:

– Clothes that don’t quite fit. Anything that makes me think, “if only I lost five or ten pounds, that would look GREAT on me,” must GO. This includes the string bikini from my honeymoon, many years and two children ago. What am I holding onto that for? It only taunts me, and nobody should feel judged by clothing.

– Old love letters, from relationships that went south a long, long time ago. Why do I keep them? I never read them, and I recovered from the angst and pain years ago. Why be reminded of all that? Time to haul them into the fire and be done with them.

– Old diaries. Let’s face it, they’re embarrassing, not illuminating. Nobody is going to write my biography some day and want to include excerpts from my life at age 14. And holy crap, what if they did? I’d be humiliated! Burn those suckers. Let the past be the past.

– Anything in my basement or attic that hasn’t been unpacked in the 6 years I’ve lived in this house. Especially the boxes that weren’t unpacked in the 7 years I lived in the previoushouse.

Just the thought of burning these items makes me feel lighter. Not five pounds lighter in my butt region, but still, lighter in general. I might just feel inspired to do a spring clean purge in my house sometime soon. I think I will start with those diaries. Yikes…

Cal Armistead’s debut young adult novel, BEING HENRY DAVID, is available NOW from Albert Whitman Teen (at all the places where you buy books–but support your independent local bookstore first if you can!). It has received great reviews so far, including a starred review from Kirkus and a glowing write-up in The Boston Globe!

Visit Cal Armistead here, and wish her a Happy Birthday!

ARC, Anyone?

Posted on May 9, 2013

Bloggers?

Reviewers?

BURNING is available on NetGalley, and my publicist at Random House tells me there are still some available ARCs, too!

Please contact Lauren Donovan at ldonovan@randomhouse.com if you would like to get a copy.

What Would YOU Burn?

Posted on May 5, 2013

I am so excited that BURNING will make its way into the world on June 11, just five weeks from now! One of the things I love about this book is that it’s about choosing what to hold on to, and what to let go.

BURNING is set in the desert of Nevada, just near the Burning Man festival, where every year tens of thousands of people come together in a celebration of art, community, and self-reliance. At the end of the week, they ignite a giant wooden Man, and I like to imagine that when it burns, so too do many of the things people hold on to–fear, shame, ego, pain–and that the act of lighting that fire can be symbolic of freeing one’s self.

So, in anticipation of BURNING’s launch, I invite you to tell me… WHAT WOULD YOU BURN?

Please email me with your responses–one word, or essay length, or drawings or photos or poems.

I will be sharing your responses here on my blog in the days leading up to BURNING’s release. Join me in a celebration of freedom and new beginnings.

Elana

What Haunted Me at 17

Posted on March 21, 2013

At seventeen I lived in a haunted house, but there were no ghosts.

It was the nineties, and the economy had gone to shit. So had my parents’ marriage.

We lived in a mini-mansion in an expensive horsey community in Southern California; from our backyard pool, I could hear the horses whinny down at the equestrian center and listen to the hollow pong of the tennis balls on the courts nearby.

When my mother left, she took with her my two younger siblings, both of the dogs, and almost all the furniture. She left my father to try to sell the place, gutted and hollow. I stayed with him.

One day I moved my stuff out of my bedroom and into the empty formal living room. It didn’t have a door, but it was so big, and I thought it would be cool—funny—to make it my room. I had the entire downstairs to myself. My dad’s bedroom was upstairs, at the end of the hallway. When he was upstairs and I was downstairs, I couldn’t even tell he was home. Most mornings, my dad left a twenty-dollar bill on the kitchen counter, and sometimes that would be all I saw of him for the day—his money.

It echoed, the house.

My best friend Shayna and I rifled through my dad’s pockets and drawers and found his stash, smoked it out back on the swing set. We wandered stoned through the empty rooms, turning cartwheels and talking about how cool it was—the space, the freedom. The weed.

Eventually Shayna would go home to her family for dinner and I would microwave something or decide I didn’t need to eat anyway because it would be good to lose a couple of pounds, to touch back down under one hundred and ten. I would flip through books or turn on the television for company. I would visit my little sister’s and brother’s bedrooms. I’d stare at the indentations in the carpet, where their furniture once had been.

I’d listen for the tinkle of dog tags, for claws against the marble floor in the foyer, for laughter or bickering or anything. That was what haunted me, when I was seventeen—the specter of my loneliness. The weight of absence. And in the vast space of it, I tried to become a ghost, starving the fat from my bones, floating my thoughts away on exhalations of smoke. I dared myself to disappear, too.

SACRED Art Show… with Rodolfo Montalvo!

Posted on December 18, 2012

A trilogy of drawings:

E: You actually created three different images, all of which I love. How did you choose these images, and why three?

R: Whenever I watch a movie, read a book, or do anything that has to do with characters, a lot of the times my favorite scenes are the ones where the characters are by themselves. I think that when we get to see how our favorite characters act when no one else is around is when we sometimes get to know them best. For my drawings of Sacred I illustrated a couple of scenes that had those moments where we as the readers got to know Scarlet a little better. The image of the house was more of an establishing shot for me. There was another composition that I was playing around with that also had the house in view but it didn’t work out. So in the end, I tried to make the illustration of the house match the tone of the ones about Scarlett. I wanted to create another quiet moment between the viewer and the image.

The reason I made three drawings was because I knew I wanted to work in a semi-spontaneous way that would allow me to create a lot of finished drawings in a shorter amount of time. After I spent a lot of time thumbnailing my ideas, I had a few that I really liked. I gathered some reference material together and got to work. Basically I tried to make every line count and didn’t let myself erase on any of the images. All the drawings were done fairly quickly, but I did redraw them a few times to get everything in the right place with the right marks on the paper. Once I had the final drawings I wanted done I just took them into Photoshop and added the color.

E: Who and what inspire you?

R: Inspiration for me is something that is always shifting from one thing to another, or from favorite artist to NEW favorite artist. In relation to illustration there are many things that have inspired me since I was a kid. Mostly, comics, animation, film, children books, architecture, things like that and the many artists that have worked in those fields. Right now I’m really interested in and inspired by old travel poster art.

But if I wanted to mention something more constant within myself that inspires me it would have to be my desire to accomplish my goals.

E: What is a typical workday like for you?

R: Usually I’m up by 7:30 am and head to my desk right after breakfast. Most days I just have a quick cereal with some fresh fruit. No matter what projects I’m working on I try to warm up for the day with sketching on any of the sketchbooks I have going. Sometimes I start with a small watercolor piece, or a pen and ink drawing, or a sketch with pencil and color pencils. I like creating spontaneous pieces that I can take to completion in one or two short sessions before or after my main workload. I work from home and I like that I can shift from one project to another at any time. Depending on what stage of the project I’m in, I could be sitting in front of my desk all day, or on-line looking for reference material or researching the subject matter, or I could also be trying to line up the next project. The good days for me are when I’m in the middle of the project and I don’t need to be anywhere else except at my desk trying to finish whatever it may be I might be working on. I like to save the last part of the day for more personal projects or the warm-ups I mentioned. I know that the image of me at my desk is not the most exciting thing in the world, but that’s where I make my days count. The more time I spend at my desk, the happier I am. Sometimes I can get away for a bit and I’ll go out and sketch people out in the streets, or landscapes at the park or the beach, and every once in a while I’ll go to the zoo and sketch the animals.

E: What other projects—both professional and personal—are you involved in?

R: Some of my more personal works are paintings and collages on panel, but I haven’t been able get back into that side of my work lately. The majority of this year has been spent on children’s book art. My wife and I have been writing a story for a picture book for over a year now. We’ve been working on it on and off and we are getting really close to begin putting a dummy together. I actually submitted the story idea along with some art from it to a critique panel at the summer SCBWI conference composed of Cecilia Yung, Laura Godwin, and Rubin Pfeffer, and it received great feedback. It was one of the highlights for me at this year’s conference. Aside from trying to put together the dummy, I try to always have a lot of other illustrations going to add to my portfolio, and of course also keeping up my sketchbook work. I love sketchbooks.

Professionally, I completed a couple of ebooks recently for FarFaria and I’m currently working on my first book with a publishing house. The project came about right after the summer SCBWI conference. An art director from Simon & Schuster who I met during a breakout session offered me the illustration work for a middle grade book about a week after the end of the conference. The project is going really well. I just recently finished all the jacket art and I’m currently working on the interior illustrations. You can check out a picture of the cover at the Simon & Schuster page here: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Contagious-Colors-of-Mumpley-Middle-School/Fowler-DeWitt/9781442478299

E: What advice would you give people who’d like to break into the art world?

R: I would say to work hard and give it your best shot, and also to not be afraid to reach out to others about your work. Staying focused, persistent and passionate are all things that I have in the back of my mind every day. For me, getting to work was always the easy part between creating the illustration and getting it out into the world for people to see. But slowly and gradually I have been able to push myself to get out there and “network.” And if you’re interested in children’s books I would highly recommend becoming a member of the SCBWI to benefit from all their great resources and opportunities to connect with the children’s book industry.

E: Do you have a web presence?

R: My website is at www.rodolfomontalvo.com, my blog is at www.montalvothethirdstudio.blogspot.com, and you can also follow me on my new facebook page Rodolfo Montalvo Illustration Works.

E: If you could meet any character in SACRED, who would it be and why?

R: I think it would have to be Scarlett. It goes back to the drawings I chose to do and the quiet moments that are part of the scenes that let us get to know her better. I loved being able to connect with Scarlett and sharing her journey in “Sacred.” I like the dark contrast she creates with all the other characters. Also, I would like to get to know Catalina Island some day, for me the island it self was also one of the most interesting characters in the story.

Thanks so much, Rodolfo, for being part of the Art Show! Here again are Rodolfo’s beautiful pictures.

SACRED Art Show Lives On! With Heather Anne Soodak!

Posted on December 13, 2012

Even though SACRED is now available to purchase, the Art Show lives on! I will be featuring a few more authors before we find an installation for the whole show… and when it’s up, I will share where you can go see these beautiful works in person.

Today I am so excited to share the work of Heather Anne Soodak.

E: I love the perspective in this piece, and the colors! How did you choose this image?

H: I love the “spark” that Scarlett and Will have, it reminds me of being a teenager again! This moment in the school library captures that yearning they have between one another: “I had thought I was subtle in my observation of him, but when Will looked up, he found my eyes at once.” I also chose the library scene because I like that the two are both well educated and have that connection of reading and seeking knowledge.

This piece does not demonstrate my typical, cartoony style but it seemed fitting for a more serious and magical moment.

E: How did you become an artist?

H: When I was three I started scribbling, and it took off from there! It did help that my parents were encouraging. I got my first rejection letter at ten years old when I submitted an illustration to Cricket magazine-that must have been when I was serious about being an illustrator.

An early Heather Soodak original

E: Who and what inspire you?

H: Animals mostly because when I look at them I see such character, and it just makes me inspired to write and illustrate stories of them! Childhood is also an inspiration for me, I try to remember how it felt to be a kid and then my imagination runs freely. Illustrators that inspire me are Quentin Blake for getting the expression and movement just right, Maurice Sendak for touching our hearts, and Peter de Sève for his humor, though there are many more!

Heather’s dog Darwin

E:What is a typical workday like for you?

H: I start the day teaching art part-time to elementary and high school students, which I love. It is rewarding sharing the excitement of art, to pass it onto young ones that create masterpieces of their own! Then, usually run errands or go home to walk my little brindle mutt Darwin who excitedly bounces about when I arrive, how could I resist? Then I have a snack, and then relax by reading, yoga, or watching a favorite show. Then I cook a nice large dinner (my favorite meal of the day) for Chris and myself, and then at about 9 or 10 I like to lose myself in the current illustration project (I am a night owl). Sometimes I do murals and work all weekend, it varies depending on what projects are coming up! That’s what makes the Illustrator’s life exciting!

Heather’s workspace

E: What other projects—both professional and personal—are you involved in?

H: I am currently working on a commission to draw a lovely librarian’s two adorable cats, promotional postcards to send out to publishers, holiday cards for family ands friends, the Picture Book Idea Month Challenge, a story about a girl and the ocean, pieces for an upcoming art show at the Art Exchange in Long Beach, organizing everything, designing my art website, and training my new puppy Darwin. Phew!

E: What advice would you give people who’d like to break into the art world?

H: If you can narrow down what you are about in one idea, (find your niche) and learn how to promote yourself for that, it will help a lot. Don’t give up, if you love it, and know you are meant for it, do it! What else is life about?

E: Do you have a web presence?

H: Check out my artwork at www.heathersoodak.com. Working on the new site, so enjoy current work on http://hsoodak.blogspot.com/ for now.

E: If you could meet any character in SACRED, who would it be and why?

H: I would want to meet Will, how could a girl not? So insightful and mysterious<blush>! And, the animal character I want to meet is Delilah of course; she seems like a nice and gentle horse. Both of these characters helped Scarlett through a difficult time.

Here’s Heather’s lovely piece in sketch form:

…and in process:

…and, once more, in all its final glory:

Thank you so much, Heather!!

SACRED Art Show… With Casey Larae!

Posted on November 13, 2012

It’s so exciting to include a photographer in the art show! Here is the beautiful work of Casey Larae:

E: I love this so much. How did you choose these three images?

C: I chose these three images because they are what stuck in my head visually, Scarlett and her different connections – her horse is #1; her recurring nightmare and brothers death, #2, represented by being buried / sinking in the sand; #3, connection to a boy, Will. These three seemed to give a good idea about what is represented in the book specifically focusing on love, fear & hope.

E: Tell me about the process of a finished photograph—from snapping it to printing it.

C: This took a while to complete from conception to printing, arranging for a 17 yr. old hand model – a local relative, but both of us are without cars, me by choice her by situation being as she’s 17. So we had two shoot days as we ran out of light the first time as we were relying on public transit and had limited options for days/times to meet up. I had already decided I wanted to keep it simple and just focus on a hand in each image, her hand in different vignettes so that’s what I did, picking three significant connections or emotions. When it came time to edit the images, I first tried a variety of sepia toned gradients and colors to try to evoke more feeling but after a several iterations I decided I liked the look of the images with a slight wash or faded effect so they are not vibrant & strong but more subdued and hopefully reflect a more hazy/dazed emotional state of mind. I chose to print this piece on metallic paper so it has a strange, reflective & shiny quality, which I think inspires curiosity from a distance and helps draw viewers in.

E: How did you develop your business? Word of mouth? Advertising?

C: I worked as an apprentice for a top OC wedding photographer for 4 years then when out on my own about 5 years ago. I initially focused on weddings and pregnancy portraits, but I enjoy variety so have been shooting whatever comes my way since then. If I had more of a focus I might advertise, but I don’t yet want to be anchored down into one type of photography so all my business has been Word of Mouth. Referrals are a huge part of me being able to do photography professionally, and I am so grateful to the people around me for keeping the cycle going. I would love to do more editorial work and book covers, so I will be pursuing that this coming year and can’t wait to do more fun projects more in line with the documentary style photography that I enjoy.

E: Who and what inspire you?

C: Go getters inspire me. How do they do that? Like Richard Simmons, where does he find his energy and gusto. I like it and his strong sense of self. Random I know, but I just heard him interviewed and they told a story of him on a plane and how he shifted the energy of the plane, got everyone interacting and laughing… what a great strong being he is, positively affecting the space around him. I of course love artists and musicians and photographers and writers, comedians especially – they put themselves on stage – open and vulnerable and honest. As a photographer I think I could walk around all day every day and photograph anything in nature backlit, with light shining through the leaves or branches. This inspires me, makes me curious and yet serene.

E: What is a typical workday like for you?

C: It’s improv every time. I have an idea of what I want to do, but no idea exactly what I will shoot. I always use natural light, I shoot on location, no studio, so I only get natural–hopefully more genuine–images of people. I try to create a calm and playful environment so that everyone is as at ease as they can be in front of a camera and we move, we walk, we play, we sit still once in a while, and I do my best to capture the essence of people in their environments.

After a shoot I spend double the amount of time editing – the process of downloading the images, editing out those that don’t work, then making any color adjustments and converting raw uncompressed images into JPG files for printing and sharing online. I love playing with color or black & white or sepia tones to see what colors best represent the images, and once I get to see them printed I am so happy as I get to help people preserve a sweet moment in time.

E: What other projects—both professional and personal—are you involved in?

C: Professionally, I prefer doing maternity and newborn portraits, but I also shoot weddings and some family portraits throughout the year for variety and, quite frankly, to stay in business. Personally, I have a few projects going. The one I have shot most is the ‘Artist Process’ series where I visit artists/craftsmen (focusing on handmade goods from Southern California) in their workspace and interview them about their process. I have posted them on my photography blog with all the other professional shoots so they are mingling among the clients.

Casey Larae

E: What advice would you give people who’d like to break into the art world?

C: No idea – I’ve heard work begets work, so work work work… and as an artist I like to think of it as play… so Play more.

E: Do you have a web presence?

C: caseylarae.com or caseylarae.blogspot.com

E: If you could meet any character in SACRED, who would it be and why?

C: Will or his Dad – I’d enjoy a philosophical conversation with Mr. Cohen, but I’d enjoy a date with green-eyed Will.

E: That makes two of us.

Here are Casey’s lovely images once again:

And if you’re in the LA area, please do visit the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in Redondo Beach tonight, November 13 at 7:30, to visit with the great artists who are being featured on my blog and to hear me read a bit from SACRED!

SACRED Art Show… with Erin O’Shea!

Posted on November 10, 2012

Today I have the pleasure of sharing the work of the artist whose idea it was to do a SACRED Art Show in the first place! Erin O’Shea suggested we do a show and she introduced me to most of the wonderful artists whose work I’ve shared on my blog.

And here is the haunting piece she created:

Elana: Wow. Tell me how you came up with your vision for this piece.

Erin: I was really drawn to Scarlett’s relationship with her mother, or her initial persistence in wanting connection. Her mother’s way of dealing with tragedy is what sets the stage for Scarlett’s experience. I really wanted to show that Scarlett feels like she’s just part of the scenery. Scarlett’s form of self-destructive grief is overpowered by her mother’s drug addiction, which permeates their home. I wanted to capture the last time she stepped toward her mother and because her mother continued to choose pills, their home was full of her absence. I also wanted the pills to look enticing, because to someone facing tragedy, escape in any form is tempting.

Elana: I know that you work in many mediums. Can you tell me about some of your favorites?

Erin: I love relief printmaking which is what my current portfolio is full of, but I also love watercolor and am trying to find my visual language in this medium.

Elana: What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being an artist?

Erin: Making the time to grow is the biggest challenge for me. I could continue making work like the work I’ve already done, but there are other styles I have yet to birth and want to explore, but this takes extra time. Not just time to work, but time to play with my art. Which is difficult with multiple jobs and children and that feeling of guilt when you spend time “playing.” It can be very counterproductive to feel like every minute should be spent being “productive.” Honestly, the space between my ears is my biggest challenge!

Elana: Who and what inspire you?

Erin: My soul is inspired by time spent in nature, I feel like anything is possible when I’ve had quality nature time. So it’s a priority for me to spend time floating, climbing, digging and hiking. Artists that inspire me right now are Jen Corace, Nikki McClure,Yuko Shimizu and Tomer Hanuka. The palette for this piece was directly inspired by Tomer. They all have distinctly different styles and create incredibly beautiful work. Music is also a big part of my creative experience, and I love having the right type of music to support my studio time.

Artists who inspire Erin

Elana: What is a typical workday like for you?

Erin: Well, my three kids take classes two days a week and are home/unschooled the rest of the time. I also teach at a local college and the high school of the arts, so finding time to do my work is a challenge. I fit in as much as I can in my studio on the days they’re in school and I stay up late to work when the house is quiet. But Sunday is my holy day, as it’s the only full day I have set aside for illustration. A perfect Sunday is breakfast with the Fam, then cycle to my studio and come back whenever I feel like it!

Erin’s workspace

Elana: What other projects—both professional and personal—are you involved in?

Erin: I’m working on a wordless picture book with Joel Harper that I’m very excited about. He has published an environmental children’s book about ocean pollution, and we are now working on a story that encourages children to not only clean up their beach, but to make art with the trash they’ve found. I’m also a part of a fiber arts collaborative that knits and crochets large installations, so I always have something on my needles. I’m currently knitting large white “gauze” bandages for trees whose limbs have been violently removed. That project it titled “Amputrees” or “Arborgeddon” Not sure yet.

Elana: What advice would you give people who’d like to break into the art world?

Erin: I’d like to know the answer to that too!!! I try to say “yes” to every opportunity that presents itself, as well as seek out locations for shows, participate in contests and attend publishing/illustration events. For some it’s a quick thing to be a success in this field, but I’m going at the pace my family can handle. I’m usually fairly unsatisfied with how little time I have to make stuff I love, but I think that’s part of being creative and always wanting to discover that next idea/project. Being an active member of an artistic community is also very important and helps to keep me motivated, engaged and always learning.

Elana: Do you have a web presence?

Erin: Yes indeed, I do: www.erinoshea.com.

Elana: If you could meet any character in SACRED, who would it be and why?

Erin: I would love to make and share a meal with Will’s dad Martin. He was such a solid presence and I really enjoyed his whole character. I think I want to adopt him!

Here’s a photo of Erin’s piece in progress:

And once more, here’s the final piece. Thank you so much, Erin!

SACRED Art Show! With Christina Forshay!

Posted on November 9, 2012

Lots of SACRED is dark and emotional… a good clue to its tone is that two Sylvia Plath quotes open the book! But there are light, funny parts too, and Christina Forshay has focused on one for her fabulous piece. Here it is:

E: I love how lighthearted and fun this picture is! Can you tell me why you chose this scene?

C: This scene really grabbed my attention because of its fun qualities. I always think I want to do a dark or serious painting, but my subconscious always seems to want to create the more lighthearted imagery first.

Here are a couple of those lighthearted images:

C: Plus, this scene also totally reminds me of something my friends and I totally would have done in high school.

E: Really? Tell me about something crazy you did in high school!

C: In this scene, Lily is enjoying playing “secret agent” and hoping to not be spotted by anyone who might recognize her and Scarlett. Well, one evening, my friends and I decided we were going to go “incognito” to a fancy restaurant in Laguna Beach. BUT, to “up” the excitement, we created fake fancy names for ourselves and pretended like we were rich, fancy ladies with European accents sipping tea. It was pretty ridiculous, but a great memory nonetheless. I think my name was Mercedes for the night!

E: How fabulous! I would have loved to have joined in. Were you always an artist? Do you remember any one moment when you decided you had to create art?

C: I’ve always craved art. Since before kindergarten, one of my favorite things to do was open a brand new box of crayons. Nothing better than that “new crayon smell”! I was always coloring, or making clay creations with my dad, or drawing. From about elementary school to high school I thought I wanted to be an architect. But I realized at some point that architecture was too structured for me. Then, I dabbled in graphic design which was “ok”, but still too structured. And finally, after a couple of years spent thinking that I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, I finally listened to my heart and made the decision to major in illustration. So, some form of creativity has always been at my core.

E: Who and what inspire you?

C: I’m inspired by a lot of things: my kids, the morning sun glowing through my kitchen window, and even something as silly as watching that really big guy ride his really tiny bike down the street. And music. Music is always an inspiration for new ideas and almost always acts as motivation while I’m painting. For example, I listened to a lot of Edith Piaf while painting this piece. It just felt like it made the perfect soundtrack for this scene.

E: What is a typical workday like for you?

C: Well, given my family dynamics I don’t have any kind of typical workday. It’s usually just whenever I can squeeze in a bit of time here and there. I’ve got a son who just started kindergarten, a two year old, and a firefighter husband with a very crazy schedule. If I’ve got a deadline, my most productive time would be after everyone else is sleeping at night, which makes for some really late nights! I’m always trying new ways to find time to work during the day, but so far night works best.

Christina’s workspace

E: Do you have a favorite type of art to create?

C: Fun, bright and colorful art naturally pours out of me. Cartoons were a HUGE influence on my creativity growing up and I think my art reflects that. I like to create visual worlds where I think, “I want to jump into this painting and live there!”

E: What other projects—both professional and personal—are you involved in?

C: I’ve got a picture book I illustrated coming out in Spring of 2013 called “Goodnight Baseball” through Capstone Young Readers. I also recently finished up some designing wine labels for a good friend who has her own vineyard. The past year was so crazy with illustration deadlines, that I’m currently taking some time to explore my style and get back into painting with actual brushes versus digital brushes.

E: What advice would you give people who’d like to break into the art world?

C: It is important to be brave and courageous. Put your work out there! You can’t go anywhere in the art world if you are too filled with fear to show your work. We all have self-doubts, but we shouldn’t be paralyzed by fear of rejection.

E: I agree completely. Also, do you have a web presence?

C: I do! My website and blog are at www.christinaforshay.com.

E: Do you have a favorite character in SACRED?

C: Oooh, that’s a hard one! I like all the characters for different reasons, but my favorite has to be Lily. She is super confident and comfortable in her own skin. I wish I had those qualities when I was her age. Heck, I could probably use more of both of those attributes now!

Me too. Once again, here’s Christina’s wonderful piece:

SACRED Art Show… with Annie Ruygt!

Posted on November 6, 2012

Today’s beautiful piece comes from Annie Ruygt. Behold the fall beauty of her vision:

E: Looking at your Scarlett is like looking into my own imagination. Can you tell me about how you came to create this piece?

A: The moment when Will and Scarlett first meet is quite beautiful and it felt like time stopped around me when I was reading that chapter. I knew I had to illustrate it! I imagined soft colors and whirling leaves. I felt like watercolor would suit the moment just fine.

E: I’ve looked at several of your pieces, and many of them seem to share a certain sensibility, a kind of simple, quiet… something. How would you define your aesthetic?

A: I like to think my art reflects a little magic, solitude, and reflection in each piece. I love the feeling when you understand the whole world as you look up at the stars. I try and add a dash of that into the illustration.

E: Who and what inspires you?

A: I’ve been goo goo about quotes and poetry lately. I love Mary Oliver, Mark Twain, and Maya Angelou.

E: What is a typical work day like for you?

A: I teach art classes 3-4 days a week, but I work on art in the mornings at my little white desk, sketching, painting, or just playing around. I’m currently working on a couple children’s book ideas. I’ll sketch, do some research, facebook, then sketch again.

E: Do you have a favorite type of art to create?

A: There’s nothing more fulfilling than whipping something up completely on a whim. That’s my favorite kind; the kind where it’s truly inspired and as soon as the idea hits, I have to do it.

E: What other projects—both professional and personal—are you involved in?

A: I’m doing all the posters and website graphics for my band, Good Girls and Smokers. It’s been fun branding the band and designing merchandise. Besides that I have my two children’s books that have become back burner regulars but I still love taking them out and working on them. I have a hard time rushing the children’s books I work on… they mean too much to me.

E: What advice would you give people who’d like to break into the art world?

A: I would only say– if you love it, then make it a part of your life, have fun, and opportunities will surface for you.

E: Do you have a web presence?

A: I do! I have a website, blog, Facebook page, pinterest board, and you can find me on a few other business sites.

E: Do you have a favorite moment in SACRED?

A: By far my favorite moment is the one I illustrated. It was mysterious and electric! I’m still reading SACRED, so I’m sure several moments will top that one soon, but until then, it’s a lovely scene and it has left me wanting and wondering!

And here’s Annie’s SACRED piece once more. Thank you, Annie!