Sketches in Spring Grove

 It's no secret that Spring Grove cemetery is beautiful this time of year. Today some friends and I went biking and sketching to soak in the atmosphere. The spring flowers are gorgeous but unfortunately we missed the peak color by a couple days. All the flowers are early bloomers this year, and we also noticed their time with us was brief.

Here are some sketches and photos from our morning outing. It was a spectacular morning.

Next week we plan to do some longer plein air setups and paint for a couple hours (if the weather gods are kind).

Grave Statuary

I don't know what these wooden cage things were next to some graves, I could only assume it was a zombie containment unit.

Sketches in Ault Park

Today is the first day of spring and it feels like summer. We have had friends in town for the weekend and decided to go to Ault Park yesterday to see the weeping cherry trees and other spring flowers. I also did some sketches. Ioana always tells me the plant species. (We always joke that she could make up names of some of them and I would never know)

It was absolutely gorgeous!

Afraid of how hot summer will be... On the flip side, I hope there are no freezes so my new blackberry plants I planted last year are not frozen out.

Below are some photos close to sunset.

Studio Pictures

Childrensillustrators.com recently added a "studio" feature. I was not very comfortable with it because my studio is often such a disaster. I usually am working on several things and the battle with entropy never ends...

But I recently tidied everything and took pictures. My painting studio needs to be painted and there is always room for improvement, but this is where I stand now...

Making Pysanky

Teresa's amazing collection!

Theresa is the master! The electric wax pen 

really makes the process easier.

I spent the evening over at my friend Teresa's making pysanky, otherwise known as Ukrainian Easter eggs. Or, in my case 'egg'... They take a long time and I am still a beginner.

My feeble attempt... I hope to be good at it one day.

Dragon Birthday Card

I have been mega-swamped but have a ton of new art I will be able to post soon.

In the meantime, a quick birthday card for my nephew I did this evening between sketches... The next dragon I illustrate will be Dash from Wordsworth and the Dragon!

Coming Soon! A Warm Winter Tail

Special Sneak Peek! Part of a spread from Warm Winter Tail  by Carrie Pearson out from Sylvan Dell in the Fall. This reminded me of the weather today! Nothing is more lovely than the snow first coming down...

More as we get closer to the book release. Also, stay tuned for the book trailer!

New Web Comic Comic Coming the End of March

Pop Smoothie, Strange Tales from the Blender will debut the end of next month. It will be the zany stuff I like to do for Slam Bang's anthologies.

The Ultimate Extreme MEGA Meal-Bot

Iron Giant Chef

The Hungry Housewives 

The first stories will be Dance Mom Wars and The Fairy Godfather. Stay tuned! Also, I will have a URL soon...

Studio Helper: Why Cats and Paintings Sometimes do not Mix...

I should have a lot to show you but here is a photo of Spike, new studio helper. He likes lounging on my paintings while I work, unfortunately... It is a good thing he is cute... (Also a sneak peek of art in progress for Warm Winter Tail)

Cover Design-a-palooza: Time to Vote!

This is concept 6!

Here is the whole set:

Vote and comment here:


http://wordsworthdragon.blogspot.com/p/cover-art.html

It is Year of the Dragon!

I have been really swamped and am tardy in posting. So, I doodled this today while waiting for my giant files to save. Happy Chinese New Year!

In case you are wondering, I was born in the year of the monkey.

More Wordsworth and the Dragon: Cover Design-a-palooza Week 5

Featuring the redesigned cavabok! The whole lot: http://wordsworthdragon.blogspot.com/p/cover-art.html

Interview with Carrie Pearson, author of A Warm Winter Tail...

 As I put finishing touches on the art, an interview with the author in Children's Book Insider...

http://cbiclubhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/2011-12.pdf

This book will be so fun. Here is a sketch teaser:

Pencil sketch

Final painting

Happy Holidays from Christina Wald Design and Illustration!!!

As I finish up Warm Winter Tail, animals in snow are on the brain! I love drawing Arctic foxes so I just started doodling and this is the result!

Since I am really swamped this holiday season, just a quickie card this year. Next year I will have something elaborate!

More Wordsworth and the Dragon: Cover Design-a-palooza Week 4

After this week, two more concepts to go and then voting begins! See the others here: http://wordsworthdragon.blogspot.com/p/cover-art.html

This one is Dash-centric with a whiff of "C"

More Wordsworth and the Dragon: Cover Design-a-palooza Week 3

 

See the first two designs here: http://wordsworthdragon.blogspot.com/p/cover-art.html

Slam Bang: The Hungry Housewives

The series is finally finished! It will be in the Slam Bang Comic Anthology Femme Fatales issue in 2012. (I will have a link up soon.)

It is the Hunger Games meets The Real Housewives in a series I would so watch on television. The Real Housewives show has an almost Othello quality where everyone is the character of honest Iago.

Also, kudos if you get the sci-fi movie reference on page 3...

The jokes just write themselves... Yes, my dream is to be a writer for the Simpsons or work for Mad Magazine...

Other comics for Slam Bang:

The Ultimate Extreme MEGA Meal-Bot

Iron Giant Chef

The Hungry Housewives, Page 1

The Hungry Housewives, Page 2

The Hungry Housewives, Page 3

The Hungry Housewives, Page 4

My self-portrait for this issue keeping the theme in mind!. There is also an interview!

Why you should never leave your purse open on the floor...

Wild animals might get in...

Review: Annie Jump Cannon in the School Library Journal

The review for Annie Jump Cannon Astronomer just came out from School Library Journal!

From the review:"This inspiring picture-book biography of a trailblazer in the field presents insight into the challenges of women interested in science during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... The realistic illustrations capture the time period and complement the text. They’re scientifically accurate, including a physics equation on the professor’s chalkboard. Some of the pictures have helpful labels to inform readers that the building is Harvard Observatory, the man is Edward Pickering, or to make a scientific explanation understandable."

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissue/currentissue/892676-427/preschool_to_grade_4.html.csp#nonfiction


The reviewer even noticed the equation on the blackboard! It was by a famous French female mathematician.

Here is more about the art in a previous blog post http://christinawald.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-trailer-annie-jump-cannon.html

Also, cool news: Carole heard from some relatives of Annie's who enjoyed our book!

More Wordsworth and the Dragon: Cover Design-a-palooza Week 2

Here is this week's cover design. This will be a little more graphic in execution. Also, Chapter 8 is posted!

Just in Time for Black Friday!

 In case you did not notice, I added a bunch of tabs to the blog with art and links. Today I added a tab with toys and games I have done illustrations for that are available this holiday season.


From Tek Nek Toys:

All About Elephants

I illustrated the books for these plush Encyclopedia Britannica toys.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10860489

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10860488

All About Chimpanzees

From Wild Planet:

I did the package art for these Crayola games...

Crayola Doodle Match Memory Game

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4072688

Crayola Guess My Picture Game

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4460224

Crayola Color Mix-A-Roo

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Crayola-Color-Mix-A-Roo/15257331

More Wordsworth and the Dragon: Cover Design-a-palooza Week 1

I am working on cover concepts for Wordsworth and the Dragon. Above is the first design. We will post a design each week and then we will hold a vote to select which will be the final!

New Furry Studio Gremlin

His name is Spike and he loves knawing on art books and terrorizing Miffy and Boris.

Hopefully, eating paintings will not be in his repertoire...

I suspect there will be a lot of cat hairs in the paint tho...

In other news, I just signed up with a sketch journal group through the Art Academy going to Taos, NM in June to take in the atmosphere and draw. I will keep you all posted. It is helmed by Amy Bogard who does really lovely journals of her life. I have been inspired by sites like http://www.urbansketchers.org/ and http://www.theydrawandtravel.com/

I recently posted my Greece Sketchbook. I am hoping that this will be an excuse to do more travel sketching and different techniques.

Pictures from Greece Uploaded!

Finally!  Here they are: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14121972@N07/sets/72157627982573615/

Because everyone loves holiday snaps! "And this is Uncle Ted even nearer the side of the house, but you can still see the front."

Cool Blog: The Girllustrators

 This cool illustration blog interviewed me for their illustrators and technology spot.

http://girllustrators.com/post/12210120234/childrens-book-illustrators-and-technology-q-a-with


While you are there, check out the rest of the site too: http://girllustrators.com/