NESCBWI Spring 2013 Conference Poster Contest Winners

I am constantly astounded at the amazing talent that the folks associated with the Children's Book Illustration program have and the incredible work they produce. Faculty as well as current and former students won prizes in this year's poster contest at the spring NESCBWI poster contest, illustrating a challenging poem by Jane Yolen.

The poem reads:

Infirm Pachyderm by Jane Yolen
Elephant.
Elephaint.
Ele-phinished.
Eleph-ain't. 

RISD contest winners included:

R Michelson Gallery Emerging Artist Awards

Runner Up 

Joanna Lapati

Winner

Dave Bird

1st place Published
 Marlo Garnsworthy 

3rd Place Unpublished 
Mary Davison

1st place Unpublished 

Dave Bird

(see above)

Many other talented RISD CBI students and graduates submitted posters. I don't have images of all of them, but it was an impressive body of work.

RisD Class!
Last night was the 6th class for Illustration 4 -- the class that I am a teaching assistant for, with Judy Moffatt as the (fabulous!) teacher. (She really is the best critiquer!)

Latest labors of love..

I've been pretty quiet lately...thought I'd show my friends what I've been up to...combining my love of Herbology/Wildcrafting with Illustration and creating an herbal calendar.  Each month contains a plant found in New England, some info/easy recipes, an interesting quote, and the "spirit/fairy" of the plant...   LOVE doing this...in colored pencil on vellum...
Best,
Tina

2013 Tomie de Paola contest

Here is my entry for the Tomie de Paola contest for 2013. I chose a passage from The Yearling.
This illustration is done on scratchboard, with pen and ink and some digital paint. I really enjoyed working on this piece because I loved the passage in the book. Also it was great to get together with some of the people in this group for critique sessions!
 

2013 Tomie de Paola

posted by Jeanette Bradley

Here's my entry for the 2013 Tomie de Paola award contest. I chose the passage from Little Women when Meg goes to the ball ("Vanity Fair") and is mortified after overhearing a conversation about herself. After researching the fashions of the civil war era, I thought I would be mortified to be wearing one of those creampuff dresses with way too many ruffles, but not enough fabric on top, as Laurie points out.

"Meg at the Ball", Jeanette Bradley

The text reads:

"He glanced at her frizzled head, bare shoulders, and fantastically trimmed dress with an expression that abashed her more than his answer, which had not a particle of his usual politeness in it.
“I don’t like fuss and feathers.”
That was altogether too much from a lad younger than herself, and Meg walked away, saying petulantly, “You are the rudest boy I ever saw.”
Feeling very much ruffled, she went and stood at a quiet window to cool her cheeks, for the tight dress gave her an uncomfortably brilliant color. As she stood there, Major Lincoln passed by, and a minute after she heard him saying to his mother...
“They are making a fool of that little girl. I wanted you to see her, but they have spoiled her entirely. She’s nothing but a doll tonight.”
“Oh, dear!” sighed Meg. “I wish I’d been sensible and worn my own things, then I should not have disgusted other people, or felt so uncomfortable and ashamed of myself.”
She leaned her forehead on the cool pane, and stood half hidden by the curtains, never minding that her favorite waltz had begun, till some one touched her, and turning, she saw Laurie, looking penitent, as he said, with his very best bow and his hand out..."

Little Women

posted by Cindy Cornwall

This is my entry for the 2013 Tomie de Paola contest. Though I hadn't yet read it, I thought that of the three book options, I could relate best to "Little Women." And I did enjoy the book, after I got over the conventions toward women of that period. Thank goodness for Jo, who was the rebel of the family!

Art in full spread layout

After many versions, I did mine in pencil with digital alteration in Photoshop. It was fun to add pattern to the piece and (hopefully) not go overboard!

Art before layout

Overall, it was a learning experience working in just black and white. As an artist, I'm still working on balancing detail vs. overall composition and creating strong values that read from a distance.
As always, I enjoy seeing the variety of pieces that come out of the Tomie de Paola contest. There are so many wonderful illustrations that I can't imagine how he picks the winner!

Tom and Becky

posted by Marcela Staudenmaier

I  had so much fun working for the 2013 Tomie de Paola Contest!

My illustration was inspired by an excerpt from the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Chaprter VI). And, I decided to use my three-dimensional cut-paper technique. This piece measures 40" x 30" x 2" and it was done entirely with Canson MiTentes paper.



Tom and Becky by Marcela Staudenmaier
(click on the image to see more of my cut-paper work)

Double-page spread presented for the Tomie de Paola's Contest
(click on the image to see it larger)