hello again

Is there anything sadder than a neglected blog?  I'm still around, busier than ever and blogging more than ever, just not here.  I'll have to change that.  Actually I need to refocus on my goals and illustrating.  When the bills are due, the beads sometimes take over.  But there has to be a balance between the day job and chasing after my dreams.

I went to the Texas Library Association Conference yesterday to their amazing exhibit hall.  It took me two hours to walk from one end to the other.  Tons of publishers, the big guns with their huge booths, the smaller presses with their beautiful, well designed selections.  Authors roaming about signing books.  I have a million publisher's catalogs now, what a great place to do some quick market research.  It was interesting to me that some of the smaller presses that I had written off based on their website, actually have quite a different selection when you see it in person.

One book in particular caught my eye.  Kevin Henkes new book, The Good Day.  The line work is so wonderful.  You have to see it in person.

Trends in children's book illustration: sketchy line work in both brown & black.  Nostalgic feel to the artwork.  As always, lots of watercolor but in more muted tones.  Or maybe that's what I noticed because that's what I'm into at the moment.