There are four illustrator’s events that we’re planning for this coming year.

Tuesday February 9th (or one day that week)
Tuesday May 11th (or one day that week)
Tuesday August 10th (or one day that week)
November 5th or 12th (annual conference at Greentree Radisson)

The plans are to meet at Brentwood Library, restaurants and other libraries. We have speakers that we’ve been talking to that are willing to come and share with us…and we could also spend time viewing and critiquing one another’s portfolios and just chat and enjoy one another’s company with a cup of coffee and snacks.

The Tomie dePaolo DVD showing was a very interesting evening…and we’ll try doing some things more like this.

If you have any suggestions please leave a comment.

All members of the WPaSCBWI would be welcome to come…and depending on what we decide to do there may be a small fee.

I would like to have the year’s schedule complete by January 15th and everything will be posted right here on the blog.

Rose

PS: Bonnie Funk said that she would consider stepping up and taking over the leadership role at the Barnes & Noble Critique Group meetings. So, thanks to Bonnie; this group will continue to meet the first Tuesday of every month at the Barnes and Noble at the Waterfront in Homestead.

John Hinderliter’s design won the LAPEL PIN CONTEST. It will be available at next year’s conference.

We have a smaller challenge this year that I would like to involve all of the illustrators in…
Designing a Lapel Pin:
it must have the date: 2010
it must have W. PA SCBWI (in any readable form)
and a simple graphic to somehow symbolize children’s books

…..the possibilities are limitless!

You could add a quote or ‘saying’ if you’d like. But obviously it must be small and simple, the pins will be approximately 1” to 1.5”. The shape can be most any shape…the longest part being approximately one to one and a half inches.

For presentation purposes make the design larger than the actual pin on a 7.5”x7.5” white paper. They will be displayed at the conference and voted on by all attending members.

Have fun with this…and good luck!

Please send the designs either to my mailing address (or electronically to my email address) before October 25th. (addresses below)

The winning pin will then be made for the conference in 2010 to begin collecting on our tote bags.
Rose

PS: the winning design for the HOPE CARD was by Anni Matsick. (we’ll show it at the conference in November.)
Congratulations, Anni!

See previous posting for all of the entries, including Anni’s!

Kelley Cunningham, the Art Director for HIGH FIVE magazine will be our main speaker for the illustrators during the Western Pennsylvania Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Conference.

The dates are November 6th & 7th, that’s a Friday evening and all day Saturday.  If you haven’t received your information yet you can visit the website. www.WPaSCBWI.com

There will also be more information here on our blog closer to the conference dates.

“Do you prefer “natural-white” watercolor papers or the “bright-whites”?  This may be a silly question; because its actually very personal taste.

But; why would I choose either?  I was just online, and Jerry’s was having a sale on Arches watercolor papers.  I was stopped dead in my tracks when I had to make the choice.

I automatically thought that I would use natural…but, because the work that I am doing will be for print, would it be smarter (and would I get a truer color) if I used bright white?

I posed the question to John Manders, and he commented that he used the natural-white.

He said: “I like my pictures to have a slightly antique look, but I’m probably kidding myself.  By the time a picture is finished, there really isn’t any of the paper showing through—I use gouache, which you know is opaque.  Whenever I do a spot or a vignette I silhouette the image with gesso, because the natural-white paper scans at 5% yellow. “
and then he added; “Maybe we should have a discussion on the WPA-SCBWI illustrators blog?”

So, there it is!

…up for discussion…please leave a comment and let us know if you have any preferences…or if any printers or art directors have cautioned you to use one or the other.

I may have missed this particular sale, but I’m sure there’ll be another and I want to be prepared.

Thanks in advance…can’t wait to hear,

Rose

PS: Check out John’s new blog     http://johnmanders.wordpress.com/

I apologize but the Critique Group Meeting will be cancelled for tomorrow evening.

Please leave comments here, and maybe if there are a few interested members you could still meet together. But, I am unable to make it.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer.

Be well,

Rose

Remember that tonight’s meeting will be the Tomie dePaola DVD showing at the library in Brentwood, instead of the Barnes & Noble at the waterfront.

The cost is: $12 and there are seats still available.

see you there,

Rose

Jackie Adams sent this information:

PENNSYLVANIA FELLOWSHIPS FOR ARTISTS http://www.midatlanticarts.org/funding/artists_programs/fellowships/PA2010_Guidelines.pdf

The deadline for 2010 Pennsylvania Fellowship applications is 4:30pm on Monday, August 3, 2009.

PCA awards these Fellowships in fixed amounts of $5,000 or $10,000 to eligible Pennsylvania artists of exceptional talent to enable them to pursue their artistic goals.

There isn’t much time, but; if you’re interested, click on the link and read all about it!

I know I will.

~Rose