Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur A. Levine Books, hopped on a train from NYC to Andover, MA to give an informative talk recently to our children’s book writers’ critique group. She fielded questions we had previously submitted. She also read and gave Read More
Wendy Klemperer just sent me this link to A fascinating video of her extensive exhibit Re-Imagined at Maine Audubon near Freeport, that has been produced by her videographer sister, Joyce Klemperer. The exhibit, which runs until May, 2011, was curated by June LaCombe Sculpture.
Wendy is a sculptor adept at drawing wildlife in 3D. She creates scenarios rife with the tension between prey and predator, beauty and savagery. You can read an interview with Wendy if you scroll down a few articles on this page!
Last summer one of my sculpture installations: Potential 3×3, which consists of three eight foot tall steel, wind-kinetic elements, was installed at the new sculpture garden at Sanctuary Arts in Eliot, Maine. Someone who saw that nominated it for a Spotlight Award for Installation Art, which I am honored by. There is a public voting component and an event on April 14th at 7:00 pm at the Portsmouth Music Hall. Here’s more information.
Potential 3x3, wind kinetic steel
Black & White is a terrific concept for an exhibit – it’s so contrast-y. The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s upcoming show on that theme includes fifteen of my drawings. One is a graphite frottage, a technique related to rubbings, only more creative in that the textures are combined to make new images. I am also using frottage for a non-fiction picturebook. Another is a charcoal still life of moonsnail shells that’s part of a series where I try to make still lifes not so still. All of the others are delicate pen and ink drawings I did for Log Cabin in the Woods by Joanne Landers Henry. It was originally published by Macmillan in 1988, then eventually republished by Emmis Books. It brings to life the true story of eleven-year old Ollie Johnson and his family, who settled in the wilderness of Indiana in 1832.
You can read an article about the exhibit here.
Also included are works by Jill Snyder Wallace, Bruce Iverson, Bill Baber, Carolyn Vibbert, and Bill Paarlberg.
The scoop:
March 15 – May 17, 2011 Opening reception: Tuesday, March 15th, 5:30-7:00
Children’s Museum of New Hampshire
6 Washington Street Dover, NH 03820 (603) 742-2002
Have you been wondering how anyone could possibly read an entire book on an IPhone? On such a lilliputian screen, that’s like reading, say, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” while looking at it through a keyhole.
Wouldn’t it make sense to provide narratives chosen with the scale of the device in mind? After all, writers have developed everything from five minute fiction to weighty tomes in order to explore all possibilities in traditional print books.
Well, it is being considered. Here’s an article from today’s New York Times that will interest you.
Here is a message from Bob Emser, the noted sculptor, about an exciting new project he is initiating. The Winged Project aspires to install large scale art pieces Bob has designed in major cities in the U.S. He is working with USAproject.org, a Not-for-Profit art organization on the initial aspects of this project.
http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/project/the_winged_project
As with everything in this business, there are costs to cover. If you would like to be an “angel” in support of Bob Emser’s vision for this project, you can easily do so here:
http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/projectDonation/new/project_id/85
Donations are tax deductible. But you will need to hurry! The deadline for contributions is Feb. 5th.
This is an ambitious project at a pivotal point in Bob’s career. Additionally, it is an opportunity for you to support the work of an artist with an international resume.
Chicks Run Wild is a hilarious picturebook that will be released January 25, 2011 by Simon and Schuster. The pictures are by Ward Jenkins and the story by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.
The little chicks in CHICKS RUN WILD certainly think they know how to go wild – until Mama shows them how to really do it!
But we want to know … how does your class RUN WILD? Create a photo essay and win!
Kids and teachers: check out the Chicks Run Wild Photo Essay Contest. The class with the winning photo essay can win a PRIZE!
Currently I am working on a young adult novel based on an intriguing character and events set in 999 AD, Vikng era Iceland, Greenland and Vinland. It is based on two of the Icelandic sagas: The Greenlanders and Eirik the Red’s Saga. I had been using an anthology given to me by my son Eric and his wife Inga, who live in Iceland, but a friend recommended the versions translated by William Morris in the 1800s. Since I don’t speak Icelandic, I must rely on translations and have learned during research that they can be quite different. The following are excerpts from Eirik the Red’s Saga.
The tone of William Morris’s writing is appropriately heroic, reflecting a past era where the characters are larger than life, where magic, super human strength and superstitions are Read More
Today the New York Times writes about color e-readers in an article that describes this new avenue that publishers are utilizing. It lists some titles already available, including at least one of the Olivia books. The distinctions of the IPad over Kindle are color and the ability to show a double page spread at once, since it can display in landscape mode.
My sculptures use the body language of animals to express a feeling or state of being, with motion conveying emotion. – Wendy Klemperer
How did you arrive at your very expressive signature method of drawing in space with previously used rebar?
Over the years I have experimented with many sculptural materials, and also painted a lot (I still do, sometimes). I worked with clay, wood, stone, plaster, wax, bronze, resin, and all kinds of messy mixed medium collage things that fell apart, and then I started making sculptures out of tree branches. I had been working with wax to cast in
River Elk Swimming
bronze, and then added sticks here and there for support. I liked the color and texture of the wax, and made pieces that were just wax and sticks, but they were always delicate. I wanted to work larger, and found that I could use the sticks alone and get a linear, gestural effect. I developed a technique of wiring the wood together by drilling a hole first, then pulling the wire tight with pliers. It was actually a tedious and annoying process; I Read More
Like many other writers, I committed myself to the National Novel Writing Month website’s competition on November 2 and started a new young adult manuscript now titled What else is there?. The goal for each of the thousands of writers who also took the plunge was to write a 50,000 word novel between Nov. 1 and 30. Well, I only got to 26,000 words because life does get in the way, but NaNoWriMo did give me the excuse to get a good beginning going. What else is there? is about a young Norsewoman and is set in Viking era Iceland, Greenland and the new world. More on that later. Â Â
Stephanie Sullivan
The other day I was showing some images of sculptures by various people to Stephanie Sullivan and she expressed her surprise that there isn’t more public sculpture in the U.S. as there is in Europe and other parts of the world. She is a nineteen-year old who has the right idea. I asked her to write her feelings on this and so, she has:
American towns and cities would do well to have more public outdoor sculptures and artistic expression. For one thing, the way a culture expresses itself affects its people, and the same is true in reverse. This is to say that the more sculpture is available to the public eye, the more people will have the opportunity to appreciate art and perhaps enhance and value their own creative life. In a country where millions are caught in an eternal rat race for money and security, people could vastly benefit from a more intuitive outlet.
In America, cities and towns are primarily bereft of art and sculpture. A simple Google search for images of Italy and another for images of Boston shows just how lacking America Read More
Large scale sculpture is expensive to make, a challenge to move and difficult to sell, none of which deters Dale Rogers. His business acumen and energy level have propelled his career as a successful sculptor, allowing him to make an excellent income doing the work he loves. His work has been purchased by sculpture parks and municipalities all over the U.S. and by hundreds of private collectors. There is also a book about Dale’s sculpture in the works.
Dale’s formula for success? He keeps his prices low and works hard on design, construction and promotion of his sculpture. Dale’s name is on every piece, he does everything he can to get big pieces in high visibility locations, and 35% of his business is face to face selling through high end juried shows. Dale is fun to talk with; his enthusiasm and vitality are infectious. He is prolific and spends
G Swirl by Dale Rogers, photo by James Garfield
fifteen or more weeks a year on the road. He keeps his prices down by buying steel in bulk, has it laser cut to minimize labor time when fabricating and carefully plans out his designs using Form Z software to minimize waste. His works are priced from $3,000 to $30,000 or more. He sets a personal goal of selling fifty $5,000 pieces a year. Last year, in spite of the economic meltdown, was his best year ever. Dale produces.
American Dogs – Dale Rogers. photo – Egils Zarins
Dale has been promoting his Big Dog Show, a grouping of 20 to 100 large scale, 500-600 pound Corten steel dogs with 150 pound bases that have already been shown at several public spaces, sometimes earning funds for humane society work. He has been known to load and Read More
Update on 11/5/10 – Nathan Bransford sent a message today that he is no longer an agent at Curtis Brown. He will now be working in the technology industry. What a total surprise, disappointing many people, myself included.
Original post:
Agents, like all other publishing professionals, come in a variety of flavors: sweet to salty and good for you or not. There are lots of useful tools to help writers figure out who to target and how, from books to websites. Some agents are affiliated with big agencies, some are strictly independent; some are in the NYC milieu, some more local or international. There are agents who are trade book focused, and others who zero in on the commercial arena.
One important factor is what that person is like, since connecting with an agent will mean Read More
Monday, November 1, 12:01 a.m. it starts. Smoking keyboards. Tsunamis of words. Bloodshot eyes. Yes, it is National Novel Writing Month and the annual ritual of writers worldwide trying to complete their 50,000 word novels before November 30th. There are some interesting statistics (including a list of whose books were published).
Are you going to join the frenzied?
Recently, the New York Times declared that picture books are essentially dead.
Really? Take a look at this:
Does that look dead to you?
As a primarily-picture-book-author like me, the idea that picture books are done for is a terrifying prospect. But rather than cringe on a corner of my bed and cry (before starting work on the novel I’ve always intended to write), I’ve been wondering if the problem is not so much that parents don’t want picture books anymore for their kids, but perhaps that parents don’t know how awesome the newest generation of picture books truly are. (For proof, please watch my trailer above again!)
The competitive nature of the picture book market really has led to an overall increase in quality. Today’s picture books are leaner (by which I mean shorter), meaner (by which I mean cooler), better books than their twenty-year old counterparts. As author and illustrators, how do we get that word out to buyers?
Increasingly, the answer has got to be to use high-tech tools to heighten interest in our low-tech products (books).
Most authors have websites, ranging from the basic to the byzantine. Many authors have blogs (or at least mean to). But for my most recent picture book, QUACKENSTEIN HATCHES A FAMILY, I went a little bit further: I had a book trailer made. Read More
Tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Courtney Booth of Sotheby’s will be auctioning off the sculptures of Simple Gifts: Contemporary Artists Celebrate at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA as part of a celebration of the HSV’s 50th Anniversary. My wall sculpture Hancock Shaker Triptych is among the works to be auctioned. See the article here. For more information call 413-443-0188.
David Davies with Synthetic Bond
Synthetic Bond by David Davies
Permanent outdoor sculpture is big and expensive, so how do artists show new work without spending a fortune? This may not be an issue once your reputation and client list are golden, but meanwhile most artists make small maquettes for proposals. David Davies has been working on another solution.
His two pieces in a recent sculpture show at the Pingree School in South Hamilton, MA made powerful statements about color and form, yet neither was as expensive as the same forms in steel or bronze would be. Still, an art patron or collector could easily see what kind of Read More
Yes, writers and illustrators in other countries produce wonderful children’s books, as we do. And why shouldn’t we consider those too? A number of years ago I started collecting children’s picture books from other countries I visited. When friends or relatives went somewhere exotic, I sometimes asked them to bring one home for me. I looked for books written and illustrated by locals that seemed honest to the culture, rather than imitative of the American outlook. Now I have nearly thirty. Not an enormous number, but from a good range of countries of origin. Maybe I should travel more!
I can’t read many of these beautiful books due to the language issue, and I am sorry to be so language deficient, but the illustrations make up for that.
Here are three that all have dark elements, in the literal or figurative sense. Edmond le Prince des Ratons by Christiane Duschesne and Steve Beshwaty, which is from Quebec, Canada and Pohadky, povesti a legendy by Adalbert Stifter, which is from Prague, Czechoslovakia are both illustrated with a technique that appears to involve underpaintings in dark colors (often black) upon which the glaze colors are applied. They both involve interesting textures, though the styles are very different. The story of the raton is lively and cartoony with a wonderful overall rhythm of white eyes with tiny black pupils throughout. The Czech story looks like a series of traditional folktales that have a peasant-flavored mood showing domestic animals, people in humble clothing, and rural landscapes. This book has a lovely three-piece hardcover binding with gold lettering on the spine and a ribbon bookmark.
Le Garcon Scarabee, by Lawrence David and illustrated by Delphine Durand, was inspired by The Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka. Although the artwork is bright and childlike, ala Myra Kalman, the theme has its dark side, of course. This book is from Gallimard Jeunesse publishers, France, the illustrator is French, was first published by Random House, NY and is inspired by Kafka, who was born in Bohemia and wrote in German. How’s that for global!
Chakaia Booker uses a lowly material to make elegant, intriguing sculptures that have rhythm and varied textures. They are durable for outdoor exhibits and environmentally considerate. She uses recycled common tires, cut up in various ways to yield textures that suggest scales, feathers, hair, basketry and other surfaces. These are wrapped around wood and steel armatures in evocative, black-surfaced forms. The largest exhibit to date in this country of her work was held this summer at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Here are further images of Chakaia Booker’s work from that solo exhibit. Booker’s work of the past ten years is appealing on several levels. It echoes her African heritage in the way that the configurations and surfaces remind one of African patterns, handiworks and general aesthetics. The color – native to the processed rubber of the tires – makes her forms imposing, many with a poised grace. And her inventive use of the different repeated cut shapes in sometimes spontaneous, almost living, forms or staid compositions of elements that converse with one another makes a satisfying experience for any viewer.
Middlesex Community College students with Chakaia Booker sculpture on 10-10-2010
The Conversationalist by Chakaia Booker at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
