COSCBWI June 2013 Illustrator Meeting: Postcards Part IV

 

This month's COSCBWI Illustrator Meeting was both informative AND fun!  The meeting started with group critiques of WIP and finished postcard pieces.  (If you're just tuning in to the COSCBWI postcard project, you can find summaries on the multi-month process here, here, and here, as well as my own final project here.)  It was so wonderful to see how everyone's pieces are coming along!  The group has such a wide variety of talents, and all the illustrations are so unique and beautiful.  (I must say, it's been quite inspiring to see the different artistic processes of everyone over the past few months, too!)

 

As we wrap up this project, Illustrator Coordinator, Nikki Boetger, introduced the group to a new project: the COSCBWI Member Exhibition!  The premise of this exhibition is to have both COSCBWI illustrators AND writers create works interpreting the theme of, "Open a Book to Find the Road Less Traveled."  It's also a collaborative project.  Artists will first create an illustration, which will be posted online for all members to see.  The writers will then choose one of the illustrations and write either a brief story OR jacket copy for it.  The illustrations and writing pieces will be displayed at Amy Clark Photography Studio on November 2, 2013, for the Gallery Hop in the Short North, and then move to a second gallery exhibition in January 2014 at Ohio University Lancaster.  (More information will be given on this exciting project at the upcoming COSCBWI meeting on June 26, or you can check out the flier below!)  

 

 

With this announcement, COSCBWI illustrators can now start brainstorming and sketching their ideas for the gallery project as they complete their illustrator postcards!  Nikki asked for members to bring their finished postcards to the next meeting, as well as postcard mailing lists AND questions/ideas for the gallery project!  (The gallery pieces are due for illustrators on August 5, so we better get sketching!)

 

The meeting wasn't all business, though!  While Nikki talked about the gallery, we did a fun rapid-sketch activity.  Nikki passed out short prompts and gave everyone 30 minutes for drawing.  Each sentence entailed the writing elements illustrators face when considering a page of a writer's manuscript.  (Mainly a noun, verb, adjective, and tone.)  My prompt was, "Way up high atop the sailboat mast is the pirate's grim flag."

 

Tentacles says, "Arg!"

 

I just couldn't help drawing Tentacles from my own middle grade manuscript, Pirate Ferret!  (The prompt was too perfect!)  Everyone's sketches were just adorable, and the room was filled with laughter at the silly prompts and different interpretations.

 

You can find out more about COSCBWI at www.coscbwi.org.  The next Illustrator Meeting will be on July 10.  Be sure to bring your finished postcard AND gallery piece ideas!  I hope to see you there!