BUY ART!

I am happy to announce that the City of Providence 

has chosen me to be one of the representatives of 

the city wide "BUY ART" campaign this year!

(Me and the Mayor!?)

It is a campaign that hopes to alert the locals to all the wonderful art that is being produced, and is often available for purchase!

At various stores around town, (that sell original art pieces and products), these promotional pins will be available, with a piece of my art featured!

There is also a SHOW of the Original Art from all five pins, 

NEXT THURSDAY DEC. 6th at CRAFTLAND

(a very cool little store if you haven't been yet!)

The piece they chose for my pin is a diorama I built from the abandoned set pieces of a stop-motion animation I made called CORNELIUS AND THE SEA

If you are interested, 

here are some process pieces in the creation of that diorama...

CT BOOK FAIR 2012!

As many of you know, I was recently hired to teach Illustration at the University of Connecticut full-time, (which I am very happy about). And today I am on the UConn Today website looking very serious...

  (It was harder than I expected to be conducting my class normally while a huge clicking lens was moving around me. Reality television star is nowhere in my future.)

SO I will be at the Connecticut Children's Book Fair this year, but not as a presenter of my own work, instead I will be presenting my student's work for the RAAB PRIZE. This is an Annual Contest run by Susan Raab and Associates using the generously donated poetry of the one and only JANE YOLAN. 

This Year's Winners Are:

1st Place: Mikey Karpiel (Illustration Junior)

2nd Place: Anthony Russello (Illustration Senior)

YOU can come see the fabulous BARBARA McCLINTOCK critique all the entries during the Book Fair this Saturday at 2:30!

See You There!

BiG NaZo is NeXt!!!

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE DENISES for Coming out to

Kidoinfo Providence Storytime 

It was another beautiful day in Burnside Park!

It was amazing to watch Chris create his drawings!

We were also able to erect last week's lighthouse project!

The kids did an awesome job with those popsicle sticks!

THIS WEEK: local monster puppet lab BIG NAZO will have a dance party from                     

                                                                   10:30-11:30 

THEN, as always we will have Art in the Park from 11:30-12:30

There will be mixed media supplies for kids of all ages to participate. 

Remember, things do get messy! We provide oversized t-shirts for smocks, 

but you might want to dress your little ones (and yourself ; ) accordingly!

The Denises Are Coming!

Thank you all for braving the rainy weather!

And a BIG THANK YOU TO

 The ROOTS ART & CULTURAL CENTER 

for being Kidoinfo Storytime's RAIN LOCATION!!! 

Hopefully we will make it through the rest of the Summer without rain...

But IF you wake up Thursday morning and see it's raining outside,

come on down the street to the ROOTS! 276 Westminster St. Downtown

There was still plenty of room to make some art!

THIS WEEK: Local Author/Illustrator power couple Anika and Chris Denise 

                                                                      will read their books 10:30-11:30 

THEN, Chris will do a drawing demo for Art in the Park from 11:30-12:30

See You There!

THIS WEEK: Keith Munslow!

Thanks again to all you fabulous families for coming out to 

Burnside Park for Kidoinfo Storytime, 

and staying for ART IN THE PARK!

It's been so much fun seeing what the kids do with the art projects!

And it's nice to watch all ages working together and having fun!

THIS WEEK: Keith Munslow will be the performer from 10:30-11:30 with his special    brand of music, storytelling and hilarity. 

THEN, we will continue Art in the Park from 11:30-12:30

with more Providence and the Purple Crayon

An ode to Crockett Johnson's Harold books, featuring Rhode Island landmarks

  As always, there will be mixed media supplies for kids of all ages to participate. 

And remember, things do get messy! We provide oversized t-shirts for smocks, 

but you might want to dress your little ones (and yourself ; ) accordingly!

STORYTIME All Summer Long!

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMING
TO STORYTIME LAST THURSDAY!

Local Illustrator JEN CORACE and I had a great time reading our books...

AND making art with the kiddies afterward!

THIS WEEK: Storyteller LEN CABRAL will perform from 10:30am - 11:30am

THEN join me from 11:30am - 12:30pm for another large scale art project.


Dress your kids to get messy! And I'll see you there!

Storytime & Art in the Park!

It is time for Kidoinfo Providence STORYTIME 

in Burnside Park again!!!

Every Thursday Morning 10:30 - 11:30
Your favorite local storytellers and illustrators will be performing all Summer Long!


AND, This Year I will be organizing Art Projects for little ones: 
Art in the Park: Providence and the Purple Crayon
Immediately following Storytime 11:30-12:30

Inspired by Harold and the Purple Crayon, each week children will "draw their world" working together to create large set pieces out of foam core. At the end of the seven weeks all of the set pieces will work together to create a stage that the children can perform in!

Each project will feature a variety mixed media (crayons, paint, glue, scissors etc.), 
so there will be something for kids of all ages. Prepare your little ones to get messy, (smocks will be available : )

THIS WEEK: Illustrator Jen Corace and I will be reading our books,

                         and then Jen will stay and help me lead the art project after!

(Below is the schedule for the entire Summer)

Happy Birthday to BOOKS ON THE SQUARE!!!

One of my favorite local book stores is celebrating their 

20th Birthday Tomorrow! 

If you're not already familiar with BOOKS ON THE SQUARE

you should be!

COME BY TOMORROW (Saturday) 

and bring the kids! 

2pm-5pm they will have a magician, games, cupcakes

AND ME reading ; )

Or if you don't want to be around kids...

6pm-8pm will be "adult time" with trivia, raffles, and Summer reading suggestions

COME ON DOWN!!!

(It's at 471 Angell St. in Wayland Square, Providence)

ICON 2012

There are a lot of exciting things happening in the streets of Providence this week...

 (like Michael Townsend's tape snake taking over the Renaissance Hotel)

ICON 7 (the coolest Illustration Conference around) is in town!

(Poster illustrated by Risd grad, and my awesome former professor, Chris Buzelli)

The streets are flooded with art and artists! If you're not registered for this event, take advantage of the free bazaar Friday. 
It's call the RHODE SHOW, and it's Friday, June 15, 6:30-10pm
Renaissance Hotel, Symphony Ballroom

5 Aveneu of the Arts, Providence

HAVE FUN!

Get REAL!

Reading Aloud in Rhode Island (REAL) will kick off the 

2012 Statewide Summer Reading Program 

at the Providence Children’s Museum

Friday, June 1st

5:30 – 7:30 pm

Local children’s book authors and illustrators, Linda Crotta Brennan, Anika Denise, Chris Denise, Terry Golson, Kara LaReau, Peter Mandel, Jamie Michalak, Kelly Murphy, Ammi-Joan Paquette, and myself, will be reading our stories aloud, answering questions, and selling and signing our books. While local children’s librarians will be offering engaging book-related activities and giving recommended booklists.

Hope to see you all there!

Reading with Robin (with Kara : )

Yes, it's true, I've agreed to wake up with the early birds and guest appear on local radio show READING with ROBIN!


The ever-so talented children's book author Kara LaReau, my friend and neighbor, is actually filling in for Robin while she's away, and I get to be her guest! 


So, if you're in the RI area, and you're an early riser, tune in to 
920whjj talk radio this Saturday morning 7-8 am. (You can even call in with [book related] questions: 1-866-920-9455)


Would love to hear from you!

UCONN BFA SHOW 2012!

The University of Connecticut 

BFA Senior Show  

is this FRIDAY 6-8pm

at ARTSPACE Gallery

480 Main Street,

Willimantic, CT

The show will of course include work from my graduating Illustration class, along with pieces from the design, painting, photography, and sculpture disciplines.

They were all there for hours this week installing the show, 

(it gave me flashbacks to my Senior year...)   

SPRING BREAK 2012!

Teaching at UCONN has given me a lot of things, 

but one thing it's given me that I haven't had since my schooldays 

is a Spring Break!

Not so much partying these days... 

just a lot of sunshine, and a lot of time to draw!

What more could one want?!

Stay tuned for more drawings from my new book...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

The Horn Book online gave us something to celebrate today 

by putting SUNDAY LOVE on it's short list of 

Favorite Valentine's Day Stories! 

Also mentioned is my friend Kara LaReau's book MR. PRICKLES, illustrated by Sunday Love's own art director, Scott Magoon! XO!

This Valentine's Day, Don't Forget About Bruno...

Why not tell that special someone you love them 

with a helpless romantic burglar named Bruno?!

Makes perfect sense to me...

XO

Have a Happy Holiday!

This year I had the pleasure of designing my rep., 

(and former employer), 

Studio Goodwin Sturges' Holiday card!

(We embedded the vid in the company's Constant Contact newsletter, 
but here's a condensed preview)

Owner Judy Sue Goodwin Sturges and I decided that an old fashioned stop-motion animation would suit both our likings. 

And so I began!

  cutting and jointing...

penning and inking...

and before you knew it...

I had a Winter Wonderland.

Thank you Judy Sue for letting me have so much fun with this!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

The Wonderful Elicia Castaldi!

Last Tuesday, my Advanced Illustration class at UCONN 

had the pleasure of meeting my friend, 

Author/Illustrator Elicia Castaldi!

Elicia gave a lecture about her work,

and even stayed to critique the student's work!

Elicia discussed her new book due out next year,

This is the long awaited sequel to 

MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF

Written by Jennifer L. Holm 

(EIGHTH GRADE IS MAKING ME SICK is due out Fall 2012 from Random House)

THANKS AGAIN ELICIA! 

(We'd love to have you back any time : )

David Macaulay is the Best!

A Huge THANK YOU 

To The Great DAVID MACAULAY!

I don't think I have to explain what an honor it was to have such a talented author/illustrator take the time, after lecturing and signing books all day at the Book Fair...

 to stay and guest critique my UCONN Advanced Illustration class !

It was a thrill for the students, and it was a thrill for me! 

David was an incredibly insightful, and generous speaker.

His past years teaching certainly showed; 

and I personally learned a lot from his style of critique. 

THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US!

UCONN Book Fair 2011!

I will be at the Connecticut Children's Book Fair again 

this weekend!

But, I will not be presenting... 
Instead I've had the pleasure of teaching the talented Illustration Students at UCONN this semester!

Illustration by Robby Tuttle '13 (SFA), Poem by Jane Yolen, © 2011 All rights reserved 

I want to congratulate Robby Tuttle, a Junior in the Illustration Department, for winning the RAAB PRIZE this year! (You can read more about it in UCONN TODAY : )


A Special thanks to Jane Yolan for contributing the amazing poem, as always! 

There is an amazing line up at the fair this year!

Tomie dePaola, David Macaulay, Mo Willems, 

Grace Lin, Jane Yolan, and Salley Mavor, 

just to name a few!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!