Black holes in the blogosphere

Well, word has come from the publisher re spreads so far and cover idea and the answer is.....back to the drawing board. Oh dear. So, the next few weeks will see how this project progresses, if indeed it does, and if it doesn't then be prepared for the blog to become a black hole in the blogosphere as it is deleted.

Rowing on a sea of stars

So, while waiting to hear whether the book has a cloth spine or not, and which design to do, I started working on the last but one spread in the book. Working backwards!

Cover

Back to work after holiday. Two roughs for the front and back covers. The book has a cloth spine. Waiting to hear which the publisher prefers. James likes both. Back cover of bottom one would be same as above.
I think I prefer the more simple one. Any thoughts?

More sketches

Dummy book finished and in the post along with one spread so time to work on other things and wait for a reaction from the publisher.

In the Dragons Cave

It has taken a long time but at last I have completed the first spread for Starlight. The long picture above and the colour one from the previous post make up the top and bottom of the first spread. Time to do all the full size roughs for the rest of the book now.

Progress

Back to the drawing board

After a long period of absence from this book, partly as a result of working on other things and partly as a result of artists block on this particular project, I have gone back to the drawing board, reading the text, sketching and trying to relax into it.




Sketching is always a bit like thinking aloud and the first stages are very rough, s story board version.




Maybe this time it will work and I will not get distracted by hares and birds, but I have another story walking around in my head too, and have promised myself that I can only settle to work on that when this is more settled in itself. However life sometimes does not work out as we want it to, so will have to wait and see.

Patience

The patience f the publisher has finally run out. I have had a period of time of franticly working on other things, have failed to settle to illustration, have traveled to Paris and America promoting books and worked in schools and done Christmas and anything and everything rather than settle to produce roughs for this book.
So, this week I am off to the art shop to purchase a layout pad. I have a dummy book waiting, empty and blank, to be filled with images and I have to get at least on spread (3 in reality) done for the first week in March. Sometimes I have a real block on work, so here's hoping I can cut through it and produce something that dances in the dreams of a child.

Sometimes things take a long time.

It has been a long while since anything has been done to Starlight. Sometimes books are like this. James has been busy with his new Katie book for Orchard, meeting his deadline and producing wonderful work.
"Ella Bella Ballerina" is almost due for publication and I can't wait to see it.



I have been busy finishing Singing to the Sun, missing the deadline for the book by two and a half years, but falling more in love with the story than ever. It was hard work, some of the paintings had to be done at least twice and then there was the painting of the three girls that almost broke me!



And in the meantime our book "Can You See a Little Bear?" has been made into a little jewel of a board book that is just right! It should be published by December, which seems so late for a book that is so very obviously a stocking filler, but the vagueries of marketing in publishing defeat my intelligence. It has also been picked for Bookstart, the second time as it was chosen before in the paperback version. This time they have taken 100 000 copies, which is wonderful.
Snow Leopard is out and prowling and already up for an award in France. I have learned a thing or two about how to get past the slush pile and have manuscripts read by publishers and am hoping to have a contract for my first novel soon. Hoping, hoping.
And Barefoot are still waiting for a sample from me to prove that I can paint the book, the first two having been rejected. I feel dejected and lacking in enthusiasm for illustration. It could be the time of the year. It could be that after 20 years in publishing it would be nice to just get a contract and do the work without having to constantly prove myself. Neither James nor myself have had a contract for the book yet.
It could just be that I feel that I am at a crossroads in my career. I am waiting. I have no ideas or images in my head, either for "Starlight" or for "Tell Me a Dragon", the other book I should be working on. Occasionally an image comes to mind, but mostly I feel empty.

Some time later.

Still working on other things, mostly Singing to the Sun which was getting behind as I worked on things for Bologna Book fair, none of which were taken there.
Meanwhile have remembered the other wonderful book I saw in Bologna, The Arrival, by Shaun Tan. Shaun Tan is one of the most wonderful and original illustrators working at the moment, mostly for Lothian books in Australia. His website is to be found at
Shauntan.net.

Bologna Bookfair

I have been home now for a few days, have updated my website, helped the cats with their blog, and tried to settle back to work, and all the while in the back of my mind the bookfair has lurked like a monster.
Difficult to shuffle my thoughts on the fair into order, but will try.
First, after twenty years in publishing I was glad I went. Thanks to Barefoot for inviting me, wining and dining both myself and Robin and introducing me to wonderful people, including Brigitte Leblanc, Iolander Batalle, Anne and Margaret. Jo and Tessa were wonderful company and Tessa has the key to the best restaurant in Bologna. I enjoyed sitting in the square watching life passing by, walking and trying to keep up with Tessa, eating and drinking and watching them pass on their enthusiasm for books.




The Bookfair was such an experience, and felt mostly like a huge giant waiting to consume people.
Walking around I realized that while I have worked for many many British publishers, Faber, Macmillan, Egmont, Oxford University Press, Frances Lincoln, Evans Brothers and many more, which made me feel like a bit of an illustrating tart, I was on the whole anonymous. This anonymity was not helped by the fact that the MD of Frances Lincoln failed, yet again to recognize me, despite having worked with them for 15 years. Thankfully every time I walked back onto the Barefoot stand they recognized me, so I did not completely loose myself there.




As well as many publishers from ll over the world all buying and selling there were would be illustrators and writers pitching projects and trying to get their work seen, some for advice, some hoping for book deals. Some were good, some better than others, but for all it was a bit of a thankless task. It was a wonderful place to see what the publishers had to offer, what books were being pushed and who did what. Not the best place to try and get interest in your own work. The picture above is one small part of the illustrators board with notices and pictures, people looking for work.
In such a tidal wave of hopefuls it could be so easy to get washed away, especially by a callous remark made by a tired and bored successful illustrator who felt they had seen one portfolio too many and who were looking forward to a large glass of something fizzing and alcoholic. What kept me going in the early years of touting my folder from one publisher to another was the knowledge that their was work out there, someone had to do it, so it might as well be me. There are always people better than you, and always people not so good, but if you really want to work you need to concentrate on your own game, your own work, technique, work hard and follow that dream.

But at the end of the day, I think the image above sums up the fair. Someone had obviously read him a good bedtime story.

Highlights of the fair for me were some stunning books from Iran, a totally different sense of design than the European books.
Also some books from a publisher called Lemniscaat, with dressed up animals. Sounds naff, but is beautiful.
More beautiful books, especially The Stone Lion, were at Heryin books.
But my favorite of all was Rebecca Dautremer. With wonderful colour and shape and design, huge books on thick paper, everything about these book said quality and made British publishing look penny pinching in many ways.
And what of Starlight? Well, despite the work I did it was considered to early to show it, though it was mentioned and Tessa did tease a few people with it.
So, time to pick myself up and dust of my traveling shoes and settle down to paint. But my head is full of stories, and a wolf with a cloak of stars. I do not want to paint. I want to write.

After a long silence.

Over the last few weeks I have been working on other things, though muddle headed and feeling like I am not getting much done. To see what has been achieved you need to look at my website.
Meanwhile the artwork has all been sent back for me to rethink. The characters need to be better worked, and I need to finish all the roughs and establish a stronger feel for the book.
At first my heart sank into my boots at having it all returned, but I know the weaknesses in it and need to address them.
Meanwhile James had a digital camera for his birthday and sent through a photo of his studio for the blog. Like many writers and illustrators ( Roald Dahl, Philip Pullman, Dylan Thomas etc) he works in a shed in the bottom of his garden. Lovely in the summer, a bit cold in the winter.
In the absence of any work for Starlight I thought I would put some of James's work on today so here is a rough for a reworking of the contents page for Stories From the Opera, published by Barefoot,


and a spread from Ella Bella to be published by Orchard.


Back to the drawing board for me as this week I try to finish a card for the MBF, do a spread for Singing to the Sun and find some children running around in my head and write an article for The Western Mail on my walking cats who are growing in fame.