First COSCBWI Illustrator Meeting!

February 6th was a momentous day for COSCBWI--our very first Illustrator Meeting!

In case you haven't heard, one of COSCBWI's goals for 2013 is to create more events and meetings geared towards illustrators and their specific needs.  (Although ALL members are welcome to attend, of course!)  The endeavor kicked-off this month with the first Illustrator Meet and Greet (and Critique) Meeting!  As an aspiring illustrator, I made sure I was in attendance to see what the new COSCBWI Illustrator Coordinator, Nikki Boetger, has in store for all of us.

After introductions, Nikki opened the floor for a group critique session.  Critiques are just as important for illustrators as they are for writers.  Constructive feedback does wonders for helping artists grow and become more professional in their work.  I volunteered to be our guinea pig and offered one of my pieces up for critique.  I got great feedback from our members, and the critique setting let us all get to know each other better.  Their insights will certainly help me on my upcoming projects, and I'm sure our members learned a lot from the advice everyone had to share.  :)

The rest of the meeting consisted of a group chat regarding what members would like to see from the Illustrator Events this year.  Nikki has some great ideas, including on-site sketching around Columbus and talks by industry professionals.  She has some fun projects in the works, too, that involve working towards artistic goals, such as prepping illustrator postcards or working on individual pieces for the SCBWI grants. 

While places and dates may change by event, the current plan is to meet on the SECOND Wednesday of every month at the good ol' Upper Arlington Library.  (The same place the usual COSCBWI monthly meetings are held.  But remember, those take place on the FOURTH Wednesday of every month!)  And keep in mind: if you're someone who dabbles in art, likes to look at paintings, or has just colored in a coloring book once in your lifetime, you are still very welcome to come!  Illustrators and writers BOTH have a lot to gain from these new meetings! 

Be sure to check out the COSCBWI website at www.coscbwi.org for more information on upcoming meetings, and stay tuned to our Facebook page as well!  And if you couldn't attend the Illustrator Meet and Greet, feel free to give us your input on what you'd like to see from the group by emailing COSBWI at: coscbwi@yahoo.com.  (You can add a comment below this blog post, too.  I'll be sure it gets to the right people!)

I hope to see you at the next COSCBWI Illustrator Event!