Student Successes: Rong Yuan Ma

Rongyuan (Roya) Ma won the Gold Award in the Children's Market catagory from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles 54th Annual Illustration Exhibition for this stunning piece of art.

She did the line art in ink, scanned it, and painted it digitally.
Congratulations, Roya! 

© Rongyuan Ma, "Daughter of the Dragon"

More Catching up: Student successes: Sarita Rich!

I'm trying to catch up with a few of the accomplishments of students from the RISD-CE Children's Book Illustration certificate program. Although the program is being discontinued, the students who went through the program are out there doing fantastic work.

Sarita Rich is one of those students. Her book, Hypnosis Harry, came out February 28, 2016, written by Catherine Bailey, published by Sky Pony Press. In the meantime, Sarita is busy working on more books and raising two daughters.

Hypnosis Harry, Illustrated by Sarita Rich

Want to read about how she got an agent?

Read the 7/11/16 blog interview ​
Author/Illustrator Sarita Rich travels the road of Persistence and Luck in acquiring a Picture Book Agent.
 
http://www.moniritchie.com/book-nook/sarita-rich-books-an-agent

Interior spread of Hypnosis Harry, Illustrated by Sarita Rich

Another blog about her first book, Hypnosis Harry:

https://taralazar.com/tag/sarita-rich/

Catching Up and Student Successes: Lesley Breen Withrow, Meg Sodano, Melanie Linden Chan

It's been a long time since anyone posted, but that doesn't mean that nothing's happened.

The biggest event was the the Children's Book Illustration certificate at RISD-CE was discontinued. We are finishing up with students who were already "in the pipeline," and those amazing students will be graduating this year and next.

Great children's book illustration classes continue to be offered.

And the grads and students who went through the program continue to do us proud. Here are a few of the folks who are out there creating amazing books for children!

One of our earlier graduates, Lesley Breen Withrow, had TWO children's books come on the market this year.

"Bunny Bus," illustrated by Lesley Breen Withrow

Here's what PW has to say:  

Bunny Bus
Ammi-Joan Paquette, illus. by Lesley Breen Withrow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux,
Public transit gets a springtime makeover as Paquette (Ghost in the House) and Withrow (You’re My Boo) introduce the Bunny Bus, an anthropomorphized conveyance with a fluffy tail, two large ears, and a bucktoothed grin. Dapperly dressed owls, cats, and other animals clamber aboard: “Room for more? Of course! Pile on!/ The Bunny Bus rolls on and on.” Withrow’s scraggly pencils, lined-paper backdrops, and splashes of color and pattern create an exuberant atmosphere that’s only briefly interrupted when the overloaded bus temporarily breaks down, sending carrots and painted eggs flying. It’s a novel spin on familiar Easter themes. Ages 2–4. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Chris Tugeau, Christina A. Tugeau Artist Agency. 

Interior spread from "Bunny Bus," written by Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Lesley Breen Withrow

And "You're my Boo," written by Kate Dopirak, published by Beach Lane Books (S&S). 

"You're my Boo," by Kate Dopirak, illustrated by Lesley Breen Withrow.

Meg Sodano, who has two certificates... one in natural science illustration and the other in children's book, has been combining her talents perfectly. Not only did she take an amazing trip to the Galapagos, teaching natural science drawing, but she has a new picture book out! 

 

Meg Sodono's illustrations grace "Lila's Harbor"

 To see more of Meg's amazing work, go to her website: 

https://msodanoillustration.com/

Melanie Linden Chan had quite a year. 

She signed a contract to illustrate a non-fiction children's pickturebook for Tilburyhouse. 

In the meantime, she built and moved into a house, and she and her husband created a beautiful, amazing, perfect baby boy!!!

I will post some more catch-up posts asap. Congratulations to our talented illustrators!!!

Student Success: Brook Gideon

CBI program graduate Brook Gideon illustrated the middle grade Azalea, Unschooled by Liza Kleinman, recently published by Islandport Press.

The book has been attracting attention, and was recently awarded a Gold Medal by the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award, for Best First Chapter Book.

Congratulations Brook Gideon and Liza Kleinman! 

Writer's Block: RISD class inspired author Kate Sullivan's book

Kate Sullivan credited her RISD class with the inspiration for her children's book, On Linden Square, in this Fall River Herald News article:

Writer's Block: RISD class inspired author Kate Sullivan's book

We're proud that the latest RISD-CE catalogue, Summer 2014 cover is illustrated by Children's Book certificate graduate Lauren Anton. Great work, Lauren!

cover illustration by Lauren Anton

Kate Sullivan's Book, "On Linden Square" to Debut in September

In 2010, Kate Sullivan brought her manuscript to The Book Dummy class at RISD-ce. She storyboarded and revised and did illustrations in watercolor, oil, acrylics, and pen & ink. Everyone in the class loved her quirky characters, humorous situations, and heart-warming story.

Kate left front with fellow 2010 Book Dummy students

But Kate didn't stop when the class ended. She opened The Children's Writers' Market agent section and started with the A's. Anna Olswanger of Liza Dawson Assoc. in NY responded.

Anna asked her to do revisions, and Kate spent six months working on them. Then the agent shopped the dummy around, found a buyer, and Kate was on to more revisions and finished art.

Now, three years later, the book is coming out, published by Sleeping Bear Press, and everyone can read about Stella Mae Culpepper, her mind-your-own-business city neighbors, and the blizzard that brings marvelous changes to
Linden Square.

Congratulations, Kate, for your talent AND perseverance.

To pre-order a copy from Amazon, click here. 

To see more of Kate's wide artistic repertoire, including music, painting, and acting, click here.

RISD CE Children's Book Illustration students and instructors celebrate at opening for "Picture This!" at the Danforth Museum in Massachusetts

Roya with her artwork, and Emilie and Marcela at the opening of "Picture This!".

Emilie and Marcela with her beautiful cut paper illustration.

CE Instructors Dara and Emilie also had art in the show. Here celebrating with Marcela.

CE student Linda Norman-Lyman with her lovely illustration.

Tomie 2013

posted by Brook Gideon.

Here is my entry for the Tomie DePaola contest for 2013. I chose to work from The Yearling. I did my piece in linocut and watercolor on hot press watercolor paper.  It was fun to create and participate. As always, the Tomie awards are very random, he often chooses simple over complex and the styles he likes and the winners he chooses, he states they are "HIS" choices. Congratulations to the winner, Sandra Ure Griffin and the runners-up, Brent Beck, Anni Matsick, Bradley Cooper, Stephen Ingram, Sarah Dvojack, Alice Ratterree and Andrea K. Lawson!

Tomie does explain that black and white is very hard to master successfully. He stated that some actually used bits of color, a no-no, and others were very muddy in their execution. I agree and it is definitely something I would love to work more on perfecting!

You can certainly get a better ( and bigger) look at all the entries on the link Cheryl posted!

NESCBWI Poster Contest

A Whole New World.

That was the title of the 2012 NESCBWI conference in Springfield, MA. Two students from the RISD-CE Children's Book program placed in the poster contest, but many of our students produced and entered  fabulous art. I hope more of you will post your entries.
Congratulations to everyone.

Here is a piece by Cindy Cornwall, who graduated from the program last year:

© Cindy Cornwall, A Whole New World

To see the poster by Caroline Gray, go to her blog: http://carolinegrayillustration.blogspot.com

Marcela featured in Illustrator Saturday

Marcela Staudenmaier

A few weeks ago, Marcela Staudenmaier, a RISD CE Children's Book certificate student originally from Argentina, was featured in Kathy Temean's terrific blog, Writing and Illustrating.

It's a fantastic interview, with tons of Marcela's amazing art, and step-by-step techniques. Check it out.

Congratulations, Marcela!

Here's the link:

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/illustator-saturday-marcela-staudenmaier/

The New Yorker: Your Eustace, 2012

"Drawn by Rea Irvin in 1925 for the first issue of The New Yorker, Eustace Tilley has appeared—in some shape or form—on the cover of every Anniversary Issue since. In recent years, readers have submitted ingenious riffs on the iconic dandy for the covers contest. For the 87th anniversary, readers were invited to create a book-bag version of Eustace Tilley."

To see my three submissions to The New Yorker's contest and to read more about it, please visit my blog.

"The Tilleys" by Marcela Staudenmaier

A RISD-CE grad is signing her books!

Cathryn Housley has illustrated a book for Pelican Publishing, The Christmas Cats. You have three more chances before Christmas to get a book signed by her.

We're proud of you, Cathryn!!!!

Saturday Dec. 17,  2-4 pm
The Providence Athenaeum
reading and workshop
251 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903-2709

Dec. 20th, 3:30 to 4:30pm
reading and workshop
Rochambeau Library
708 Hope Street
Providence, RI

Dec 22  7-8pm
Providence Public Library
The P.J. Story Hour
150 Empire Street
Providence, RI

New Promotional Post Card Mailer

This is my latest promotional post card. The image was originally used for the cover of a private school graduation in the Boston Area. Every three months I send out a different post card. Before I send, I always double check that the Editor or Art Director is still with the publication.