Postcard Chat tonight on Twitter

Looking forward to the #kidlitart chat on Twitter regarding postcard promotions. Here are my postcards to be reviewed. I look forward to seeing everyone's cards and hearing valuable feedback. Love this group!!! See you at 9!

More detailed information can be found of on Kidlitart Blog: http://kidlitart.blogspot.com/2014/01/postcard-boost.html

Tomie dePaola Entry 2013: Sneeze

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - © Kelli Thrasher-Brooks - - - - - - - - - - - -

I finally put down the pen & watercolors & sent in my entry last week... I thought long and hard for a month or two about this composition, and in the past month the image really came to fruition. She had 3 different style pony tails until they made sense... the animals sitting at the table transformed from several different characters until they seemed to balance out and made me smile... and I went through several canvas boards and paint until I found the perfect hue and grain/texture to use as a foundation for this digital painting.

I originally created the Illustration for the 2013-2014 Tomie dePaola Award Competion, but it was more of a personal challenge for me, because I have been trying to add more narrative into my Illustrations since I got back from the Highlights Advanced Illustrator Workshop in August. It's a win for me no matter what the outcome is. I really appreciate and look forward to Tomie's challenges each year because they really get you to think outside the box a little and push you even further from your comfort level! Can't wait to see all of the creative submissions and interpretations of this poem!!

#NY13SCBWI Recap:

So many wonderful experiences, not sure where to start. There are so many agents and editors and publishers that people are trying to get in front of, but the heart of this conference is all of talented people that make it all possible. I took a train in on Thursday hoping to have some free time in the city. After getting settled it was time for Pre-Gaming in the bar, as David Diaz phrased it. There were not a lot of people, so he and I just chatted for a while and I had a Ceasar Salad.

"Lunch" © Kelli Thrasher-Brooks


Friday was the Illustrator Intensive. Shaun Tan, David Ezra Stein, The Hilts Brothers, Barbara McClintock, Mark Teague and my mentor from the Advanced Illustrator Workshop: Floyd Cooper were all there to share their stories. So much wonderful advice was shared. Too much for one blog post, but I left feeling inspired and doodled a few characters along the way. Who knows maybe they will branch off into stories down the road.

Friday evening was the Portfolio Showcase. Before we were able to pick up our portfolios at 9, a couple of friends and I hopped in a cab and headed up to the Society of Illustrators for the 55th Annual Awards. My other mentor from Highlights, Kelly Murphy was there and had a piece in the show. It was great to see her! We made it back to the hotel around 9, just in time to review other portfolios as well. I loved watching some people go by and flip through my portfolio, then pick up a postcard. Some read through my entire book dummy, giggled and then took a card. Others just grabbed a card, smiled, and moved on... I really enjoyed seeing other friend's work too. Such a talented group of people!

Saturday & Sunday was filled with wonderful speeches from Meg Rosoff, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, Mo Willems, Shaun Tan again and a wonderful Panel who talked about the future of books, and what is the current trend. In the evening before the Gala we had a very casual portfolio showcase. I shared a table with Keith Frawley who was there with Rob McClurken. Both of them have talent beyond their years!

After the 2nd showcase there were cocktail parties and break out groups. I left the hotel with some friends around 8 to go to a private party not far away down on Park. It had just started snowing and walking down Park Avenue in the snow was absolutely amazing! Couldn't recreate that feeling again if I tried!

Sunday felt a little rushed because I was nervous about catching the train home and had to head directly to a Superbowl Party. It is now Thursday already, and I'm still processing everything. So much great advice and direction, and the most important thing to remember is that it is about the children... the messages that we are putting out there for them and the stories that are being created.

Well I think that's about it, I didn't get into all of the details of the conference (Not enough time in a day and that's why you have to pay to go... top secret good stuff! Just kidding, but it was VERY helpful!). There was so much going on, but every part of each day was wonderful. I highly recommend going to either the NY or LA conference as well as as many local conferences that you can join.

Please check out the links of a few very talented artists & friends: Lori Nichols
Debbie Ohi
Moira Birch Swiatkowski
Marcela Staudenmaier
Elizabeth Stanton Rose
Jessixa Bagley
Nancy Armo
Ruth Sanderson
Floyd Cooper
Kelly Murphy
Keith Frawley
Rob McClurken
Mike Curato
Fred Koehler
Kelly Light
Renee Kurilla
Jen Hill
David Diaz
The Brothers Hilts
Barbara McClintock
Caroline Hadilaksono.

There were so many more, but this should keep you busy for a while!

Looking forward to the NY Winter Conference next year again! Special thanks to Lin Oliver, Steve Mooser, Sara Rutenberg, Priscilla Burris, all of the local RA's from each regional division and especially Tomie dePaola for adding the "I" to SCBWI. We would not have experienced such an amazing weekend if it wasn't for all of you and everyone in between!

Components of a Picture Book Dummy

I have been working on a picture book off and on for the past year for our daughter. It's a story I made up for bedtime (although I'm not a writer by any means), and she giggles every time I tell it. So over the past couple of years images have started to fill my mind with images to support the words.

For her 6th Birthday I am trying to get this picture book completed. Right before her Birthday is the SCBWI NY conference. I'm hoping to wrap up all of these storyboards, character concepts and words before then to include in the Illustrator Showcase. Here is a glimpse of a couple of the many components. It is further along than this photo, but it gives an idea of part of the process.