Books By the Banks: October 2nd

I will be at Books By the Banks signing Little Red bat on Saturday, October 2nd. There will also be many other top notch authors and illustrators like Loren Long, Will Hillenbrand, Mary Kay Carson, C.F. Payne, John Maggard, Cinda Chima and many others. I do much of my holiday shopping there!

What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?

Books by the Banks 2009

Indiana Bat Festival

Close Up of Fruit Bat

Here are some images from the Indiana Bat Festival! Thanks to Laura Hohman and the Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation for being excellent hosts and the invitation. It was great fun!

I will have a link soon the the university photos when they are onine.



Rob Mies doing his Bat Demo with a Fruit Bat

 

Me Signing at my Table




One of the Cool Things About a University Science Department: Skull Displays!





Bat Shirts

Here are the shirts that will be available at Indiana Bat Festival Saturday! I will also have activity sheets and a variety of the books I have illustrated including Little Red Bat of course!!

Big Brown Bat T-Shirt Design

This is the other design for the festival. Big brown bats are so cute.

Yes, many people get these bats as visitors. It is a good reason to put out a bat box. Bats eat a LOT of insects and are extemely valuable to the environment but are unfortunately misunderstood.

Some species of bats are being wiped out by the white nose fungus which is still spreading and could be catastrophic...

Eastern Red Bat T-Shirt Design

I am doing several bat oriented events this fall including the Indiana Bat Festival. So, I am making a couple t-shirt designs to wear to signings and sell. This is the first. The next will be a large brown bat. I love their faces.

Has it Really Been a Month Since I Posted?

I am painting day and night on some really cool work that I plan to post soon. This is my messy painting studio. Look for some great releases in 2011 and 2012!

Also, I have some exciting book signings and events planned in the next couple months including the Indiana Bat Festival, Books By the Banks, the Buckeye Book Festival,  Bat Fest at the Museum Center and Blue Manatee. Stay tuned!

This is Agatha, the spider living outside my studio window. She is very active late at night

Seasons Series: Spring Sketch

A couple months ago, I posted the finish of the first painting in a series for the seasons. This is the sketch for spring with a lot of cherry blossoms, a big horn lamb, bluebirds and a bunny. It will be a long while before I can color this, but I can hardly wait. Here is winter: http://christinawald.blogspot.com/2010/04/finish-of-winter.html

Kenton County Library Children's Writer and Illustrator Workshop: Saturday, July 17th

Dave Richardson and I are doing a talk for writers and illustrators at Kenton County Library next Saturday.

Here is the description:

"Writer Dave Richardson and illustrator Christina Wald will lend their expertise to help those who are looking to publish work for children's books or publications. Discussions will cover topics such as writing for children's magazines, marketing your illustrations traditionally and online, and an overview of the process of illustrating a children's book from start to finish. Registration is required as space is limited."

Location: Mary Ann Mongan Library, 502 Scott Boulevard, Covington

Hope to see some of you there!

Additional information:

Anyone interested in registering for the workshops can call 859.962.4077 or email Patricia Richards at patricia.richards@kentonlibrary.org. If you are also interested in the writing portion with Dave, he is asking that they bring one page of a sample writing they have for kids.

Also, bring a portfolio if you are coming to the illustration portion.

Since the library doesn't open officially until 10, she asks everyone who registers to be here no later than 9:50-9:55, so that we can begin promptly at 10.There will someone at the front entrance of the library to let workshop attendees in ahead of time.

July Dr. Sketchy's

Great night at Dr. Sketchy's in Covington! The models were dressed as clowns and they were very good. (It was there first time.) They had really cute costumes (almost anime) and the turnout had some really good artists this evening.

Dr. Sketchy's is a monthly sketch group where the models pose in themed costumes rather than nude as is traditional for life drawing. It is way cool. The sessions take place at Leapin' Lizard in Covington every 2nd Thursday of the month.

Frozen Stare by Oneal Walters

OK, I really do have some new art to post. This is a book cover for a new book of poetry by Oneal Walters released today on Canada Day. He lives and works in Toronto and his company The Age Begins books is actively looking for poetry books that concentrate on women and world issues. Here is a link!

The art is showing a frozen rose starting to thaw. It was refreshing to do something more conceptual.

Deer and Squirrel! (Or a whole lot going on!)

I am really busy painting at the moment and I have a lot of exciting projects in the works but it will be a while before I can show any of it (next year) so in the meantime, a couple more cool paintings from Little Red Bat. I love the pose of red in the deer one, but she is very tiny...

Video From Yellowstone and Glacier

Here is a video Troy took of our trip. Pictures here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/14121972@N07/sets/72157624145282143/

Here I am by a bronze elk ouside of the National Wildlife Art Gallery. Behind me is the National Elk Refuge. It kind of looks like a fake background.

New Review for Little Red Bat!

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection Blog
http://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/little-red-bat-by-carole%c2%a0gerber/

Now available on the Bat Conservation International website!
http://batcatalog.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=392

Comic Side Projects: 12-Way with Cheese

In honor of 12-Way with Cheese being released, I thought I would show how differently things started.

As I said, I have worked on this story concept for YEARS and could not get it to gel.

Below here is the first attempt...

 After I kept sketching and working on the story, I realized the art was totally in the wrong direction. As a result, I worked on new more cartoony concepts as seen to the left here. I even had a whole manuscript with a different story I tossed.

This is the final result:

You can see the rest here.

So, stay tuned now that the book is out for upcoming signings and events. There was even just an article about the book in CityBeat. Check it out!

I should also mention we just had a blurb in Imagine FX as well!

Speaking of anthologies, I am also in Allen Freeman's latest Slam Bang comic anthology lampooning fast food. See my contribution here!

Meeting Donna Love

I just got back from a wonderful trip to Montana, Yellowstone, Tetons, Jackson Hole and Glacier Park. While out west, I got to meet Donna Love. She wrote the delightful text for Henry the Impatient Heron and we are now working on a cool new book project together.

Here we are at the Loon and Fish Festival to sign books. I will post more images soon!

Below, Troy and I encounter the wildlife in Glacier Park. Donna has a cool book about Glacier Park coming out soon. I will do a post when it is out!

Claire's Night

Here are Carole Gerber and I at the unveiling of a painting from Little Red Bat that has been added to the collection at the Toldedo Lucas County Children's Library as part of the Claire's Night festivities!.

What an honor!

In the first picture are Julie and Brad Rubini who started Claire's Day in memory of their daughter who loved books and reading almost 10 years ago!

More phots soon! It was a great event!

Photos from Ohioana

Here is a picture of Carole and I at the Ohioana Book Festival a couple weeks ago posing with First Lady of Ohio Francis Strickland.

Ohioana Book Festival

I will be in Columbus Saturday with Carole Gerber at the Ohioana Book Festival. Hope to see you there!

We will be signing books with a lot of other talented authors and illustrators! Yes, I will be giving away magnets AND colorsheets!

More Glorious Samples!

Here is the March Scholastic News 1 and 2 see-through issue.

I just got samples in the mail today! Glorious! It is fun to see the them. When you hold the issue up to the light, you see hidden animals.

It can be quite a design challenge. Often, things do not show up well if there is a lot of texture-like the beaver dam. So it takes a bit of finessing to get it to work . Thank goodness for Photoshop! Below is the "hidden part", pages 1-4. Above is 2-3 where all is revealed! This is such a pastoral issue.

Finish of Winter

I was waiting to get feeback for the cover sketch on my next book and finished this up while waiting. It is part of a four illustration series based on the four seasons. Here is the explanation and sketch.

Signing-Blue Marble Children's Bookstore

The signing at Blue Marble Saturday went really well! Here are a couple pictures. More are here! Our next event will be at Ohioana Book Festival where we get to meet the first Lady (Frances Strickland) of Ohio!

Press: Article about Little Red Bat in the Cincinnati Enquirer

Thanks Lauren Bishop for this great story in the Cincinnati Enquirer!

Hope to see everyone at the signing at Blue Marble on Saturday from 2-4PM! Address: 1356 South Fort Thomas Avenue, Fort Thomas, Kentucky 41075

Ask a Writer! Interview: Carole Gerber

Carole Gerber wrote Little Red Bat! It is a wonderful bit of luck that she lives in Columbus, Ohio! It is the first time I live close to an author of any of the books I have illustrated so it is a treat that we will be able to do some appearances together starting with a kick off signing at Blue Marble Children's Bookstore in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky on Saturday the 17th of April from 2-4 PM.

Carole was kind enough to do an interview about Little Red Bat and writing. As an illustrator, the experience is quite different as I described on Scotti Cohn's web series several weeks ago. Carole has written many great books so check them out!


CW: Tell me a little bit about your background and how you started writing.

CG: I taught high school English for one year and then middle school English for another. Both were urban schools and I did not have the temperament to deal with all the problems. I applied to grad school at OSU early in my second year of teaching - was accepted to the School of Journalism and was selected for a fully-paid assistantship that required me to write two articles a week about OSU honor students. After earning my master's I held a variety of writing jobs - inhouse magazine editor, copywriter at an ad agency and hospital then went freelance when my daughter was born. Writing for children grew out of a couple of freelance assignments for a local publisher.

CW: How long does it take you to research and write a picture book?

CG: Depends on the book. It can take a couple of weeks to a couple of months. LITTLE RED BAT took more time because it required a lot of research - first on bats in general and then narrowing it down to red bats, which I think are so adorable and unique. I have other PBs for younger children (i.e., BLIZZARD) that required little or no research but - because they are told in verse - take more to put the words together.

CW: Are there usually a lot of changes from the original manuscript?

CG: Usually the basic story stays the same - whether in verse or prose - but the editor always wants changes and/or additions. These are easier to make with prose books - since most of mine are in verse, making changes requires a lot more thought. Also - before an editor sees it, I have revised it many, many, MANY times. Because of my background in journalism, I am quick to take valid suggestions and readily make revisions - and do both quickly. That flexibility is appreciated by editors who do NOT want to deal with people who won't take direction.

CW: With most of my books I have illustrated, I have not had contact with the author. Do you ever get any input into the art or sketches when working on a picture book?

CG: Yes - the illustrator's sketches (even yours!) were sent to me and I did have input through the editor/intermediary. Some changes are always made and others are not. One of my previous illustrators lives here in Columbus, so we were more of a team in putting the words and images together. I have been delighted with the illustrators editors have chosen to make my words come to life - a writer always hopes the illustrator's vision is similar - often it is even BETTER! That is a joy.

CW: What was your inspiration for writing about red bats?

CG: The publisher of several of my previous books put out a book about bumblebee bats a couple of years ago in a Q & A format. I thought the Q & A approach was uninspired and also thought it unlikely that children would ever actually SEE a bumblebee bat. I decided to common research bats and find a pretty one that had unique characteristics - and I also wanted to tie it to migration, hibernation and adaptation - the three way animals get through the winter. Little red bats fit my requirements AND did I mention they are adorable? Also important - because I always think about the pictures that go with my words - they are solitary. This means the illustrator could concentrate on what ONE bat looks like in the beautiful outdoors instead of trying to draw dozens of bats in a dark cave.

Naturally, I could not submit to my previous publisher since they already had a bat book. I felt the manuscript would be a good fit with Sylvan Dell and editor Donna German thought so, too.

CW: People seem to have a strong reaction to bats. What has the general reaction been when you have done visits and readings so far? Do the talks seem to change the attitude of those may fear them?

CG: I have my first school visit the first week in May, so we'll see. Bats are so incredibly important to our ecosystem. If they didn't eat all those mosquitoes, we'd all get a lot more bites each summer. :) Seriously, nature is like a complex puzzle the way all the different plants, animals, and insects fit together in a habitat, Learning about all the fascinating critters in God's creation puts my own little life in context. I, too, am just a little piece of that puzzle - and I am humbly grateful to be able to research and write about what I learn.

CW: Did writing the book change your attitude about bats?

CG: I never gave much thought to bats until I researched them. I didn't have a bad attitude - I was just ignorant. I still don't know much compared to the highly educated bat experts out there, but I know enough to be impressed with what little red bats can do. Hey, how many humans can roll up like furry pine cones?

CW: What are you working on now? What will it be out?

CG: My next book is also about nature and it will be out in 2012 from Holt. The title is SEEDS, BEES, BUTTERFLIES, AND MORE: NATURE POEMS FOR TWO VOICES. It's pretty hilarious - among the poems is one where seeds talk to one another about the ways they travel (yes! nature has a plan for even the smallest among us). The manuscript was literally "plucked from the slushpile" by the executive editor because - in her words: "It's funny, fun to read AND teaches a lot of science facts."


I am always working on new manuscripts - most of which never get "born." Sob! I won't tell you about all the ones still out there searching for a birthplace, the ones laying forgotten on an editor's desk, or all the "pre-born" ones flitting about in my strange writerly brain. Seriously, I am superstitious about talking about my writing until the deal is done and the contract is signed. It's tough to get published!

Thanks so much Carole! It is so interesting to hear from the author's point of view! I totally understand the "superstitious" feeling. Hope to see many bore books in the future!

Check out Carole's Website!

Also, the books that she has written that are available in the "books" section of her website!

Visit us at other joint appearances including Ohioana Book Festival May 8th in Columbus and Claire's Day May 15th in Toledo!

Little Red Bat Fun Sheet

Here is a hand out that I will be giving away at my signings. I love activity sheets! They are so fun to design. I did not use all the dangerous animals listed in the book but I think kids will get the idea.

More Spring Celebration!

Here are my spring e-mailers this year. Above is the style I plan to use for my graphic nover version of Six Swans and below is a spring painting. I kind of love painting bluebirds. I hope to and photograph some this summer when biking!

On the top picture, I snuck in a pysanka egg. I am learning to make them from my friends Theresa and Paula. They are really good at it-I have a long way to go...

Easter Promotion

In honor of Easter, a mailer that I licensed my art to last year. Hopefully a lot of people donated to them when they saw it!

Winter Sketch

This is a sketch for a series of paintings I am doing for the seasons. The plan is to make some sort of 2011 calendar on one page with the four paintings. The New Yorker did it so why not?

This is winter so the palette will be mostly monochromatic. Her dress is the hoop underskirt representing the trees without leaves. Fall will be her dress in oranges and reds and tattered and so on... I promise sketching this did not summon the bit of snow we got last night ;)

Prints on Etsy

I will be adding prints to my Etsy shop all week. Stay Tuned!

Concept Sketch: The Six Swans

I am toying with doing a comic version of The Six Swans. I thumbnailed it the other day and it came to 21 pages! I am pretty booked so I will probably not be working on it for a while but here is a start of the first page. 20 to go! I may shorten it.

The adaptation is extremely loose.

I am setting it in a Rococo time period. I saw Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland last night and really enjoyed the costume design-especially in the courts.

Nice Review of Little Red Bat!

Check it out! Bat World Big Apple wrote a really nice review of Little Red Bat!