You can buy the book directly from the publisher (Magical Child Books), at amazon, or your favorite retailer. If the store doesn’t carry the book ask them to order a copy!

Last week’s Illustration Friday prompt was paisley. I haven’t done an IF post in forever, so I thought I’d do this one. I did draw paisley but the scan in was so small, the paisley is kind of hard to see. I had fun in any case, so it was a successful doodle session.

Visit IF to see what other artists around the world are doing. The new prompt is satellite.

Last week was chock full. On Saturday my grandson had his 12th birthday. I can’t believe he is nearly a teenager. His mom was telling anyone who asked how old he was he was turning 4. Guess she just doesn’t want her babies to grow up yet.

Sunday I traveled out to Salem, MO were a week long event was happening. I was one of several guest authors/speakers and lucky for me, they had us set up in an air conditioned cabin. And we needed it. It was hot with a capital H. Temps averaged low 90s with highs around 98° and lows not dropping below the high 70s.  I would head out to my scheduled events, do them and then head back to the AC cabin to collapse and cool down before it was time to go back out again. I don’t do heat. Really. The event was wonderful in spite of the temperatures. I signed over a dozen books and made many new friends and was able to connect with old friends I had been missing and hadn’t seen in a while.

The event was scheduled until the 27th but I skedaddled out on Thursday because the youngest son got married on Friday and there was no way I was going to miss the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was held at our favorite local fine eatery. They closed the place down for us and served their wonderful specialties buffet style. After dinner was dancing. It was quite humorous to see the less than 5 foot daughter dancing with the over 6 foot son. The bride stood next to me watching and asked if her husband was looking that awkward on purpose. I told her I didn’t think so.

Shibaten

There were some truly awesome musicians at the event in Salem. Of them all, I think Shibaten is my new favorite! He is SO talented. I watched him preform and I still can’t believe one man can play all those instruments in one song. He sounds like a full ensemble. He told us the story of how he learned to play the didgeridoo, one of the instruments he uses. He said he bought himself one, and flew to New Zeland with only $400 in his pocket. His plan was to learn to play it well enough to earn enough money busking to get himself back home to Japan. I hope I have the chance to see him preform again. Amazing.

There are lots of other good things happening on the writing front. None I am at liberty to write about here yet. But I will be hiding away in the studio the next couple of months to work on some of the projects and hopefully be able to share information about them with you soon.

I have also decided not to continue with my illustrator interview series. Tracking down willing illustrators and nagging them to get the answers and images to me so I can post the interviews has just become too much of a time suck that I would rather be using in creating new artwork. I hope you have enjoyed the illustrators who have shared their process and art here. Maybe I will start the interviews up again when my to-do list is not quite as thick as the NYC phone book. You never know.

daily doodle for May 18, 2010

I just realized it’s been nearly a month since I did a daily doodle. So much for the daily part!

It seems to me that the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life tends to pile up more when I am out on book signings than when I am in the studio. Yes, I have to do the nitty-gritty stuff every week, but for some unknown reason it piles up deeper and faster when I am out of the studio. Plus, all the packing, unpack and repacking takes forever, especially when the heat and humidity hits one full force in the face like a used gym sock.

I am considering packing up for PSG in bits and pieces starting today. I head out Sunday. The weather wizards are proclaiming a heat wave until July. I think a trip to the store for a battery powered fan is in order.

I have been doing other artsy things even if I haven’t been doodling.

©2010 W. Martin

I decided I needed to get out in the world more in the capacity of rest and recreation. I am becoming rather one-dimensional with all the time I send creating, thinking and tweeting about kid’s books. Don’t get me wrong, I love that I can do this, it’s a wonderful blessing that my dream work is also my professional work, but I feel as if my brain function is in a rut.

So I ordered an ashiko and will be learning to drum. There is a monthly drum circle at Pathways, and I plan to attend. All things being equal, I wanted a drum that was unique. So I drew the rampart lion pair to the left for the drum maker to place on my drum. I am 99.9% sure I will be the only one with winged lions on my drum. I wanted the drum to be stained aquamarine but the drum-maker didn’t have that color, so I am settling for purple. The next drum circle is on the second. Hopefully, my drum will be delivered in time.

Header art for the mixed-up files web site

The group blog I am a member of, went live two weeks ago. Our first post had over 200 comments by the end of the day. Last time I checked it was edging toward 300 comments. The 2 dozen members of the group were all hoping for a good reaction but the hue reception we have received is beyond our wildest dreams. The blog/site has already been noticed by industry mover and shakers, several of which have either linked to us or emailed us directly. In fact, we even have been given an award. Yes, at two weeks old.  It seems as if the time was ripe for all things middle-grade and we began the harvest with a bang! After such a miraculous and huge launch, it’s going to be a tall order to keep up the momentum. My first post will appear on the blog somewhere in late July/early August. I have some rather huge footsteps to follow in. In keeping with my illustration background, I have decided to focus on graphic novels. Visit the site at http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/. The post up today is all about dog books.

daily doodle for May 24, 2010

The weather has become entirely too hot, entirely too quickly. All I want to do is take cool showers and eat ices. Lime ones.

Today was a paperwork day. I made my heap and mounds of papers smaller, but they are still glaring at me from corners demanding attention. It’s a short week as I head out to Kansas for the next appearance on my book tour at week’s end. It will be nice to catch up with people I haven’t seen in a few years.

daily doodle for April 27, 2010

daily doodle for April 28, 2010

daily doodle for April 29, 2010

There are no doodles for the 30th and the first because everything was entirely too soggy and I didn’t want to take my sketchbook out and risk it in the weather. It was bad enough that we decided to pack up a day early and drive back to St. Louis Saturday evening. Pulled in and collapsed back at the house around 1:30 am Sunday morning. Unpacked this morning and am getting all the camping gear washed/repacked to go out to the next event on Thursday. PLEASE, whoever orders the weather for these things, no more rain. Please?