countdown to MFA exhibition...

Well I haven't been posting as i've been teaching and getting ready for my Grad Show (March 19!) which means postcards, frames, mats, and painting! In order to not look completely flakey, I thought I'd post my Cartooning and Caricature class demo- we took an inanimate object and gave it some personality! I showed them some quick ways of finishing, working on top of their xerox or computer printout. Crit is tomorrow, should be fun to see what they've done!

Sunday afternoon

It's been a week of summer here in the dead of winter. I dread it reverting because I've gotten used to being out gardening and sketching and running in shorts, gathering up my vitamin D. It's only a matter of time before it's 50 degrees and raining...

Anyhow, I've been neglecting my quick sketch skills as I have been doing so much comic book work. I saw the neighborhood kids going up and down the sidewalk in the wagon and had to sketch. I would have stayed and sketched the following football and then basketball games- seems like they are taking advantage of the weather as well! But it was my brother's birthday party and all I got was the wagon sketch.

surfside girls in HB

They're having the year-in-review ArtWalk in Huntington Beach tomorrow... 6-9, with a live band and a no-host bar. Sounds like a good time, and Huntington should be going off with the way the weather has been! I'll be there with my Burger Dude piece. I had a bunch of promo postcards printed up, so I thought I'd share. Come on by for a fish taco if you're in the neighborhood! PS have you checked out SurfsideGirls.com yet? I'm updating (and Sam's blogging) on Fridays.

surfsidegirls.com

It took a ton of blood, sweat, and tears, help from friends, and a definite neglect of personal hygiene, but surfsidegirls.com is live. Go, now! and check it out. I haven't posted in a while because it's all been going here! Enjoy. Maybe 2011 is the year you learn to surf? (you know you want to!)

Happy New Year

The holidays are over and my break is just beginning! Ethan is back in school, and I have no shopping/decorating/baking Christmas craziness to get after, so I have thrown myself into Surfside Girls Website Creation Mode (SSGWCM for you military brats like me.) I am itching to make art, too, so I've started on some cool things which I will post when I'm farther along. Because I've been computer-bound, I figured I'd put up the illo for our Christmas party. It's inspired me to do more black and white!

Kevin Wood of my writing group has declared 2011 The Year of Woody. I appreciate the sentiment, but actually get more behind making it The Year of Kim. It's very refreshing, and I recommend you try it. The Year of (insert your name here.) Tell people! And then accomplish it! Lot of potential energy in a new year... ride that wave!

the wave, realized

I posted this on Facebook, and forgot to post it here- Ethan as the wave, come to life! I am days away from Christmas break, and can't wait to chase some of the creative projects I haven't been able to get to because of school. The mantis with dragon armor has a destiny in Sculpey! I haven't worked in Sculpey since the Disney days, when we got to do figure sculpting in our down time, but I've heard that there's a great tutorial on Conceptart.org.

I found a mantis in the garden last week when I was cleaning up for the party, but it had gotten cold and he was dying. After a brief couple of hours trying to revive him under my desk lamp, I realized he was too far gone, and put him back to die in the fresh air as any wild thing should.

Oooh. Downer. Sorry. I hope everyone has a great holiday, whatever you celebrate. Stay tuned for Surfside Girls website, which will be appearing this break, and mantis sculpture updates...

collaboration

Collaboration. It's been the word of the day with me for about six months now, as I see the graduation light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel. In an animation studio, you get to drive to work and see a bunch of arty friends every day. The downside was I couldn't work on my own stuff. Oh, and I literally worked every day (the garden looked really bad in those days.) So, wanting my cake and to eat it too, I have decided I need to a. secure a really cool studio space, which I think I have in a really cool applied arts district in Long Beach, and b. convince my illustrator friends to stop working in various garages and coffee tables and actually help me pay for the space. The upside is we all get to hang out everyday, like in school, and the whole street has cool arty types on it. Plus, they have a rockin' street-wide Christmas party every year. The curatorial grad students on campus have figured this out already, and have formed the studio group Six Pack. They hung a great show last night on the Promenade in Long Beach.

So I have finished Surf Tip 5. These will get bound into a bitty book for my Illustration Special Studies class. Over Christmas break they will become part of the Surfside Girls website (or online experience, if I can learn Dreamweaver that well.)

magic day

It was really a cool day today. In the midst of the muddle that is thesis edits and end-of-semester wind-down, I got a scholarship, and a good one at that. There was a really cool lunch, and I got lots of hugs from my CSUF family. Happy happy day.

I finished up Surf Tip 6, though I haven't finished 5 yet. That's tomorrow's project. I had to rebel against linear thought... I think it's all that critical reasoning. After they're all done, I'm binding them into a How to Surf book for the end-of-class leave behind. The concept looks cool in my sketchpad- I can pull it off if I get thesis done (final final done.)

wish for St. Nick

I have a week and a half to finish my thesis (just got my edits,) two more Surf Tips, a sketchbook for class, and get the house ready for our massive, awesome Christmas party. So what happens? Along comes the opportunity to make Ethan another costume (for the "Walk Through California" fourth grade history thing.) Squirrel! Just like in "Up," give me something to distract me and off I go. I am making him a geographical feature of California, a wave. The drawings I made had me laughing out loud, though I know I'm easy to please. I hope you like them.

I'm also posting Surf Tip 4. I have decided that all I want for Christmas from "St. Nick" is a book deal. Keep your fingers crossed, folks.

re: artwalk

I need a nap. Last night was ArtWalk at Huntington Beach, tons of fun. Thanks to all my friends who came out, and thanks to Robin Ott, awesome cookie-providing librarian. I hope you took advantage of fish tacos and HB Brewery as well. I would have if they weren't CLOSED when I was done! I got really good feedback on Surfside Girls; I had it up next to one of the framed interior pages. It was cool to watch the little people pick it up and read it, even if it is just 20 pages. They all wanted to know what happened next... woo hoo!

It was also fun to watch people read Surf Tip 1: Goofy or Regular? and see adults do both stances and then exclaim, "I'm goofy!" Wish I had a video camera on it.

I just got done trying to teach six Cub Scouts (nine year-olds) how to draw portraits. I don't know what has me more tired- ArtWalk or Scouts. Couch, here I come.

I finished the warrior mantis and fairy piece and I called it Alliance. Wow, they both were really telling me their story as I worked! I had a fuzzy idea what was going on, but it seems to be rolling now. I don't know what I want to do with it, except I needed some story framework to produce pieces for my grad show. I want to utilize some epic storytelling devices, higher contrast than I'm used to working. I finished this piece and am very happy with it. I busted it out in 6 x 6 format for a show at Memphis Saturday night, put together by some of our curatorial grad student buddies. It already sold before it got hung! So excited!

dead flies and fairy warriors

Woo hoo! A new distraction from thesis! I've been invited into a little group show by, actually, some of the curatorial students in thesis class! And with my total commitment to collaboration with friends, how can I say no? Although, I'll have to work fast, as the whole first draft is due in two weeks... Anyway, this gives me a chance to explore my mantis warriors a little further. I had to include the dead fly sketch. In what universe does an artist need reference of a dead fly? I love this job...

Raina Telegemeier spoke at CSUF yesterday. Thanks to the Pencil Mileage Club for making that happen! She illustrated Scholastic's Babysitter's Club into graphic novel format, and has just put out "Smile Raina." She gave a great talk; really clear, entertaining and honest.

She will be at the Long Beach Comic Con this weekend, as will my awesome friend Woody, his beard, and his comic. See you there!

re: sketch day

Well, the SCBWI illustrator's group had another amazing, inspirational sketch day yesterday. Thanks, Veronica, for coordinating, and thanks Marilyn, the Toymaker, for offering your (always clean, well decorated, inspirational) home as the venue. It rained lightly, but not enough to spoil things. The costumed kiddos played with blocks on the table out back, and we sketched them in action. Quite a funny sight to have a minion playing blocks with a zombie! Love Halloween! I came away inspired by Marilyn's latest projects on wood, and Margaret's amazing lit scenes in boxes. I've been wanting to work large lately, after having been confined to graphic novel parameters and thesis brain ache, and I think that even if it has to be late nights and another cup of coffee, I must carve out some time to do so. Here a couple of my sketches. The other artists did some beautiful work; I will post them if they send them to me (hint hint!) It's so cool to see how people interpret- some are soft and delicate, some have amazing likenesses, some capture the energy and the action. So glad to know y0u all!

running and painting

Waaa. Huntington Beach Art Walk was canceled for tonight, which means I've got 15 pieces of artwork matted and framed, and nowhere to go... Well, we need the rain, so I can't be too upset. And my plumeria and most of the other potted plants are gloriously happy.

Sunday was a great day! I ran, and finished! the Long Beach Half Marathon (and I can still walk, as long as it's not down stairs,) and my illo came out in the LA Times. Not a bad day! I have used three of my neighbors in this illustration. They've been really fun projects. It's nice to get someone else's story, and not be responsible for the words too, for a change.

I will be at next month's Art Walk, and I'll post that date when I get it.

go Sam!

I just finished a piece for the LA Times Kids' Reading Room. I'm really happy with how it came out! I used all warm, Halloween themed colors, and it has put me a totally Fall-ish mood. Let's just hope the summer we never got in California doesn't come late! I'm all about the sweater and crisp, clean breeze right now! I'll post the piece after it publishes October 17th.

I thought I'd throw this up (on the blog, not actually upchucking); I particularly like this drawing of Sam, out in front of the cave, and wondering what to do. Going through will change her life. Ever feel like that? What if I go in? Will I be a different person when I come out? Life is just cool like that, huh?

Hey, I will be putting a bunch of paintings up in the Huntington Beach ArtWalk on October 20. If you're around Surf City, stop into the library and say hi! The librarian has especially requested some of the Surfside Girls pages, so I'll frame some and put them up. Preview of the grad show..!

re: thesis...

Hoo boy. I have come to that place in my education where I have to write the thesis. Not fair. I mean, do they make the math grad students hang an art show? Does computer science have to have a cohesive visual display, with cocktail shrimp and champagne, of their thesis? The professor, who is very nice, and a walking encyclopedia of obscure art knowledge, asked if we had any questions. I didn't feel it would help my case to have her define critical thinking... Anyway, to console myself, and while the graphic novel is (gggglk, anxiety and nausea) off at a publisher being looked at, I'm going to pursue a series of paintings I've wanted to do for a while now, of warrior fairies mounted on dragon-armor clad mantises. And build the Surfside Girls website, with my new friend Priscilla. Stay tuned. Oh, the lobster tail was at our Cabrillo Beach campout with Scouts- tons of fun!

We had such a great day yesterday! Linda from my illustrator group suggested a sketch day in San Juan Capistrano. She had free tickets to the Mission, and it was "Historic Days," where people are moving about in period costume. Yesterday was Zorro day. I've always had a thing for Zorro; so mysterious, with the Latin accent and all. We never actually saw him, which was probably a good thing, since we were there to be serious artists and he would have made quite a distraction. It was an amazingly beautiful Southern California weather day, and we all had a great time making little pictures. I'm very inspired to go back! Lots of early Californian history.

The L.A. Times Reading Room illustration published Sunday, and the colors looked great! Thanks, Jennifer, for that great opportunity. My son was so proud; he is, of course, always my model, so he's told everyone he knows that "he was in the paper." We're in the process of updating his bedroom- he wants his decor to be a combination of Despicable Me Minions (I picked up a bunch of cut-outs at ComiCon,) Mom's art, and Star Wars. Yes, I have a pop-culture child, and yes, I am proud of that. Anyway, I put a little frame on the original piece, and that will be up in the room.

I mentioned in the last post about this cross-platform media stuff. I find this endlessly fascinating, and am embarking on getting Sam (my graphic novel's mystery solving surfer girl) up and running on the internet. I love the added depth and reality this can add to a story. I came across this article in the online magazine Script, put out by Final Draft. The link follows:

http://www.scriptmag.com/2010/07/28/transmedia-and-writing-starlight-runner-goes-the-distance/.

There is probably a more elegant way to do that, but I'm just learning this linking business. The article made me flash on a memory I didn't know I had, of myself as a four or five-year-old at Disneyland. There was a board, and on this board were a bunch of labeled phones. You know, the old style kind, with the metal cord and ear and mouth bulbs between the handle part. These phones were labeled "Mickey," "Minnie," "Donald," etc. You could pick up the phone and "call" these characters. Fast forward to today, and I imagine Mickey tweets! Same concept. Disney was always ahead of the curve, especially in those early days. I do remember the sense of awe, knowing that Mickey was talking to me! I am only slightly less naive now...

re: website!

kimdwinell.com is up and running! I know I've been a bit slow off the blocks with this digital stuff, but now that I'm in, I'm really excited, and look forward to more. John Sciezsa, at the SCBWI conference, talked extensively about his SPHDZ project, which is a multi-platform middle grade novel. What that really means is that the characters in his book, and their classroom, all have facebook pages and websites. Among other projects I'm on right now is getting Surfside Girls' website up and running, with a trailer. Woo hoo! Back to my film roots! This is honestly the best of both worlds. It's a great tool to make a fictional world that much more real.

I've attached a screen shot from the website. Enjoy!

re: SCBWI

I am back to reality after an amazing four days at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (yes, a mouthful) conference in Culver City (LA.) Exhausting, emotional, overwhelming and inspirational, I am recharged for another year of chasing the dream. So today I am taking the day off from anything creative, and doing that miserable task of getting my house back under control. Really, it's ridiculous the state it's in. Try leaving a man, a boy, and a puppy home alone for four days with no woman supervision. If you are a woman reading this, you are nodding your head and sympathizing right now. However, in their defense, everyone still has all of their limbs, and the house isn't burnt down.

I had a very clear "I will remember this moment as long as I live" kind of moment at the conference- I was out on the dance floor at the Heart and Soul Ball under the stars, dancing next to the awesome Lin Oliver, who runs the show, in addition to writing awesome books, and Gail Levine of Ella Enchanted fame. My friends were also all around me, shaking booties to "I Like Big Butts," and for a surreal moment I had a sense that this was my tribe. Odd and looney, but my tribe nonetheless. If writing or illustrating for little people is what you want to do with your life, this summer conference is something you shouldn't miss.

Let me also put in a word here for my friend Kelly Light. She is a fellow illustrator and happy, saddle-shoe clad gal, who took the gulf oil spill tragedy to heart and started Ripple. So far she has raised $10,000 for the cause, all money going to bird and animal rescue organizations on the Gulf Coast. You rock, Kelly. Check out ripplesketches.blogspot.com.

I compiled doodles, words, and caricatures from my weekend conference notes/ sketches and thought I'd post them. Now back to cleaning...