Sand Trial #1

Remember back in June when I posted this colorful little pony?

This sand art medium has still been on my mind all summer, and since Ohio isn't exactly brimming with beaches, it was recommended that I try the sand at Alum Creek State Park.  Oddly, I've lived in Ohio my entire life but have never been there, so my hubby and I took a road trip last weekend.  The verdict?

While it is a BEAUTIFUL place full of lovely trails and recreational activities, the beach may not be the most conducive for drawing.

First, we set up our beach towels and I drew in the dry sand.  I ended up with this:

I swear there's a turtle there somewhere!

Unfortunately, the sand was just too rocky to do much of anything.  Even after outlining the picture over and over again, my hubby declared, "I still can't see it!"

So, I moved my art spot elsewhere. 

The sand was much more solid next to the water, so I plopped down and tried there.  This time, I managed this:

Can you see me now?

Trial 2 was a significant improvement over the first, and my hubby even said he could see it this time.  However, I had to make the turtle over-sized and really dig into the sand to make him clear.  I was also constantly worried that the waves were going to come up and wash my poor turtle away despite my speed-scribbling.  My hands were stained bright orange when I was done, and people stared at me like I was bonkers the entire time.  Clearly, my second spot was not ideal, either.

I had hoped I might be able to do my Northern Ohio SCBWI calendar contest piece in the Alum Creek sand, but my two trials quickly nipped that idea in the bud.  So it's back to the drawing board!  (Or perhaps sand box...)

Even though my field trip for sand scribbling didn't turn out quite the way I'd hoped, it was still a lot of fun to spend the day walking some trails and sitting on the closest beach to home.  Of course, I couldn't let all that effort go to waste, so I still colored my little guy when I got home.  :)

Turtle says, "Glub, glub, glub!"

At least I know I can always go back to Alum Creek for little doodles from time to time! 

Now, if I could just figure out how to transform my backyard into a seaside art studio...  (Complete with palm trees and a beach cabana of course!)
 

2013 COSCBWI Gallery Piece

Today, I'm happy to finally show you the big project I've been working on:

My 2013 COSCBWI Gallery Piece!

On November 2nd, 2013, the Central & Southern Ohio Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators is hosting a gallery at Amy Clark Photography Studio in the Short North.  While the gallery may be a few months off, the illustrations are due now to give writers ample time to create their part of the project.  (Which is to choose an illustration and write an accompanying short text or jacket copy.  How fun!)  The text and illustrations will be displayed together at the gallery event for everyone to see.  The theme is, "Open a Book to Find the Road Less Traveled," and I had a lot of fun making my gallery piece!

I knew I wanted to create something with animals for this project, and these little mice just popped into my head.  They're ready to embark on an adventure, and have their trusty "Explorer's Guide" to lead the way.  (And I have a feeling they'll encounter plenty of shenanigans along the road!)

You may have noticed that this style is a little different from my usual illustrations.  I've recently wanted to experiment with textures, and this was the perfect opportunity to try something new.  I aimed for a "digital watercolor" look, using a variety of brushes in Photoshop and tons of layering.  I also wanted to practice painting fur, which is something that's always intimidated me.  I rather like this softer-style, and I definitely think I'll play around with it some more in the future!

And now you know what's been keeping me (very) busy over the last month!  I can't wait to see the other gallery illustrations, and read the writers' pieces, too!  :)

Now, it's time to move on to my next project!  (Or take a little nap first...)

Note: Art is (c) Kathryn Powers. Please don't use it without my permission. Thanks!

COSCBWI Meeting July 2013: Karen Kotrba Author Visit

This month's COSCBWI meeting featured author Karen Kotrba.  Karen teaches composition at Youngstown State University and is the author of, She Who is Like a Mare: Poems of Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service.  After seeing a photograph of Mary Breckinridge's horseback nurses, Karen became inspired to research and write a book on the Frontier Nurses.  While her path to publication was a lot of work, it was also a lot of fun!

Karen walked us through her research journey and gave advice for tackling a historical fiction project.  Some of her tips included:

-Talk to EVERYONE!  Museum workers and librarians have a lot of good information and stories to tell, and they love sharing that knowledge with eager ears.

-Pool information from a variety of sources.  For her book, Karen scoured articles, fliers, tapes, and even some memos from Breckinridge herself.  By taking in a variety of sources, you can get a better feel for the people, attitudes, and lifestyle of the time period.

-Think about what type of story you want to tell.  Do you want an overall picture of your subject matter, or do you want to focus on just one person or event?

-Do everything you can to make the era come alive on your page.  Incorporate smells, sounds, textures, and tastes that are authentic to the time period.  Little details will bring magic to your writing.

-Write about something that brings you wonder.  You're going to be doing a lot of research on your subject matter, so choose a topic that fascinates AND inspires you.

-Keep your eyes open for moments of inspiration.  You never know when a picture, artifact, or story will spark a new idea!

After Karen’s presentation, she answered group questions and read some of her poetry.  It definitely made the Upper Arlington Library feel like frontier Appalachia!

If you want to learn more about COSCBWI, you can check out the website at www.coscbwi.org or “like” the group on Facebook.   

You may have noticed I neglected to post an Illustrator meeting summary for July.  The meeting was actually cancelled due to power outages earlier in the month.  A critique meeting was held instead for members working on their gallery pieces, and Nikki said it went great!  (Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the critique meeting.)  If you're a COSCBWI illustrator working on your gallery piece, don't forget that it's due August 5!  You can find out more details in the flier below:   

There will be no Illustrator meeting for August, but I hope to see you at the general COSCBWI meeting on August 28th!

July Update

Oh geeze!  I can't believe a couple weeks have passed since my last post!  Sorry I've been MIA recently.  :(

Life got a little crazy after my vacation.  I won't bore you with all the details, but I will say that my day-job has been keeping me occupied with extra-hours, leaving less time for everything else.  And since there are only so many hours in the day, I've had to spend my spare moments working on my writing and illustrating for some upcoming deadlines.  (Plus, eating, sleeping, and having clean clothes to wear is sometimes nice, too.  Nobody likes a stinky Kathryn...)

I'll be around when I can for the next few weeks, but deadlines must come first.  (And then I can show you all the fun stuff I've been working on!  Woohoo!)

I'll admit, when I looked at the calendar today, I got a little panicky.  It seems like summer always flies by way too fast, leaving me feeling like this:

Hopefully amidst all the craziness, I can find a few moments to enjoy the sun (or what's left of it) before snow covers our streets again.  :)

I hope the summer is treating everyone well!  Now, get out there and soak up that sunshine while you can!


Note: Panicked Kathryn doodle was (obviously) drawn by me. 

COSCBWI Meeting June 2013: Liz Coley Author Visit

This month’s COSCBWI meeting featured YA author, Liz Coley.  Liz’s novel, Pretty Girl 13, was just released in March 2013.  Like many other authors, Liz’s path to publication was no walk in the park, and she started writing in 2000 before earning her first book deal in 2011.  Liz loves sharing her writing knowledge, and she has a great four-step cycle to help writers make their work shine before submission.

Some of the points she discussed included:

1) Story

-Does you story start and end well?  Does your first page and chapter hook the reader, and is the end satisfying?  Is there a strong story arc?  If your answer is "no" to any of these questions, you may need to work on your plot and characterization to tell the story in a more effective way.

2) Color

-Did you use enough words to paint your story?  Once the plot is solid, you need to make sure your writing is interesting and engaging.  You don’t want your story to be a laundry list of plot points.  (For example: Joey went to the store to buy eggs.  He forgot his money.  A nice lady offered to buy them for him.  Joey was happy.  The end.  BORING!)

-Look for places where you can integrate descriptions (people, places, etc.), and add in dialogue tags and beats that will bring life to your writing.

3) Texture

-Now that you have enough words, did you use the best ones?

-Check for any overuse of adverbs (sadly, happily, angrily, etc.), and replace with stronger verbs.  (“She said meanly,” can be rewritten as, “She growled/snarled/snapped/etc.”)

-Cut your “waffle words”—those non-committal words that make writing weak.  These include words like almost, nearly, tried, began, etc.  (For example, “She began to walk,” can just be, “She walked.”)

-Don't forget to check for any other words you may overuse.  (I'm often guilty of overusing "looked!")

4)  Mechanics

-Now that your writing shines, did you get the grammar, spelling, and punctuation right?  (You don’t want to send any work to agents or editors that is full of mistakes!)

-If you aren’t skilled at self-editing, ask a trusted friend or colleague to proofread it.  Reading your work out loud will also help you catch more errors.

Liz said that once you complete this cycle, your work should be squeaky clean!  But sometimes, changing your work during one step (like the story) can result in other changes that you’ll need to make to your manuscript.  Don’t be afraid to wash, rinse, and repeat this cycle!

After Liz’s presentation, she answered group questions and talked a bit about her writing process.  (She also showed the collection of foreign book covers for Pretty Girl 13.  They were fascinating!)  Now, the group members are ready to get back to their manuscripts and apply Liz’s revision cycle!  

You can find out more about Liz and her books at www.lizcoley.com.  If you want to learn more about COSCBWI, you can check out the website at www.coscbwi.org or “like” the group on Facebook.  I hope to see you at the July meeting!

Artistic Experiment

This is just something goofy that I wanted to share with you.  Remember the sand pony I posted a few days ago from my trip to Hilton Head?

Well, my first week back in town has been rather chaotic due to several things that are beyond my control.  I've been feeling stressed, and happened to have that pony piece up in Photoshop.  Ponies make me happy, so I started tweaking it.  After a few minutes, I thought, "Hmmm...I wonder how this would look with color?"  And the next thing I knew...

BAM!

I had Twilight Sparkle at the beach!

Now, I know her anatomy is wonky and the style is all wrong (I did scribble this in the sand, after all), but I think this is hooves-down the most fun I've ever had with an art piece.  It's simple and silly and rough around the edges, but I rather like the end result of this combination of mediums.  (And since it wasn't planned and nit-picked to death, I ended more relaxed than when I'd started!)

But the biggest surprise of all was that the piece just felt like me.

I honestly hadn't set out to achieve anything with that original sand scribble, but now I feel like I've stumbled on something kind of cool.  Unfortunately, Ohio isn't the ideal place for pursuing a beach-based medium, but I think I'd like to keep exploring this technique in the future.  If nothing else, at least it'll bring a smile to my face.  :)

So what do you think?  Is this a neat, new style, or does it look like something a five-year-old made?  (I suppose my inner child will be pleased with either answer!)

Now, I just wish I'd thought to make more sand doodles while I was still at the beach!

Note: Twilight Sparkle and My Little Pony are (c) Hasbro.  The photograph and art were done by me.  And yes, I think the "Friendship is Magic" series is delightful. You should watch it. ;)

Back from the Beach!

After a week of fun in the sun, I am back home in Ohio!  (And just a wee bit crispy.)  I had a nice, relaxing time in Hilton Head and thoroughly enjoyed walking along the beach and watching the waves.  (We even saw a few dolphins off shore!)

Pretty!

Highlights of the week included eating the best baby back ribs EVER, slurping delicious gelato, nomming on peanut butter fudge, and gorging myself on a pirate buffet.  (Um, the food may have been my favorite part of the trip!)

Of course, no beach vacation is complete without some sand pictures!  While the sand wasn't ideal for scribbling, I did draw a bubbly seahorse...

Neigh!

...and my favorite cartoon pony!

My little pony...my little pony...

Now, I'm all rested and ready to get back to blogging!  (Although I certainly wouldn't mind eating another pirate buffet...)

Note: All art and photos are (c) me, Kathryn Powers.  Twilight Sparkle (the pony) is (c) Hasbro.