I got this image in my inbox this morning from the talented designer Lindsey who blogs here.

I still get goosebumps to think that a little drawing that I created in the corner of my basement late on a Thursday night is the first thing a newborn baby will see when he wakes from his naps every day. I really love doing what I do!

Isn’t that print just perfect in that space? She has a great eye and has a lovely home you can check out here.

*Print is from my ETSY shop here.

Children’s books have more power in 32 pages than children even realize. It isn’t until we are older than we find ourselves saying, “Mom, remember that book with the one page that had a dog in the bed, but he wasn’t asleep…and then a tree at the end? What was it called again?It was my favorite book.” Our memory of reading picture books can be as vivid as our real childhood memories, because imagination and reality are one and the same to kids.  The pages of picture books allow a child’s’ mind and senses to make sense of the world around them and give them freedom to explore new places and feelings in a very safe way. It’s a beautiful art, and one that I hope to master some day. There is so much more that goes into a book than a simple “tree at the end” ending. But to affect the child in a positive way is the ultimate quest.

Marilka is one of those books to me. To be completely honest, my memories of reading this as a child have completely messed up my critical eye. This could be a lousy book (which it isn’t) but because I loved it so much as a child, I love it now. Do you have those kind of books? Books that as you read now aren’t that amazing, but to your 5 year old self they captivated you?

From the front flap:

“When Marilka’s parents think she is lost, not only are they miserable, but everyone and everything in the neighborhood is afflicted too. When Marilka reappears, joy is unbounded, and she knows that she is the center of her parents’ world. In gorgeous full-color pictures and playfully exaggerated text, Janina Domanska transforms a universal childhood experience into a work of art.”

Marilka (I believe) is out of print (Macmillan 1970) and can only be found here or in your libraries.

I’m in final art mode for A Christmas Goodnight (Fall 2011) and I thought I’d share with you some images I have in my studio to get the juices going. The book is full of wonderful color and texture, and though the characters in these images have nothing to do with the subject I am working with, the line and color inspires me.  It’s so important for me to have visual inspiration for the projects I work on. It gets me right in the mood!

Image via Bibliodyssey

Image via Bibliodyssey

Mauric Sendak from “The Art of Maurice Sendak”

This has been in my files forever….can’t find the reference! Let me know if you know!

EDIT: William Joyce from MY FIRST BOOK OF NURSERY TALES

Image from Kevin Henkes upcoming book via Greenwillow Press Blog.

Maurice Sendak, Moon Jumpers

Rosemary Wells, Original Art

And a little Van Gogh, Starry Night

This is the play by play at our house:

7:00 pm: Put the kids to bed.

7:30 Flop on the couch.

7:30:01 Feel the wave of exhaustion hit.

7:31 Snuggle my husband and chat pretending like the day is over.

7:50 Kiss him goodbye as he leaves to go work on the new house (tonight it was ripping up sicko-grosso bathroom flooring).

7:51 Ignore the pile of laundry and dishes.

7:52 Make myself some tea (tonight it was Bengal spice mixed with milk and honey)

8:00 Start drawing.

But since the exhaustion is still present from a day of crazy moving-ness, I warm up. A lot. And I love it. Because then I get excited like a little kid who gets to stay up all night and read. It’s just me. On the couch. All night. Drawing. The book is nearly done…but I still spend time doodling to get my hands warm. And my eyes engaged. Here’s highlights from tonight’s warm up.  Nothing special…but the time I get to doodle with no references, no deadlines and no reasons always excite me. Like waking with no destination. It feels good.

Conversations with a just turned 4 year old.

Ian: Mom, close your eyes and come here.

Me: I cover my eyes, hold his hand and walk across the room. I love these games.

Ian: Open!

Me: I open my eyes.

Ian: See, this is my art!

Me: ART. Junk as art. I love this. Cool Ian, tell me about it.

Ian: See, everything is balancing and it won’t fall down!

Me: Ok. That is art.

Balance. He’s got it down. I’m still figuring it out.  Real slow.

*My favorite part: See that Mr. Incredible’s figure hanging for dear life on that rope over there? That’s me. But it’s all good. There is a Fisher Price fire engine just on the other side. Pretty good planning for a 4 year old.

So, Day 8 into the new year, and I have managed to draw every day. What is so hard though, is that the art that I am working on (my first picture book CHRISTMAS GOODNIGHT with Harper Collins Publishers) really can’t be shared. It’s just the way it is! But I can share the models that I use, right? It sure is nice to have live models for Baby Jesus, and others. If only they’d sit still a minute!

But I will say, that most of the art I have done so far won’t ever be used. It really is an amazing process. In book art making, you never get what you want on the first try!

It’s like how I finally get to the point when I am trying to tell my husband why I am upset about something: It takes a lot of talking about every which thing before it finally comes out! (Come on…You know it’s like that…it’s amazing how much has to come out of your mouth before you say what you really need to say!)

Well, same with art making. Or at least my art making! I have sketch books full of stuff that just doesn’t work. Or is completely random and has nothing to do with the book I am working on, but just happened to come out while I was working (like those conversations, you know?) But it all ends up being necessary to get what I am ultimately working towards.

It’s really amazing to see how illustration births itself. It’s the coolest thing ever. I love it!

I plan on having the book art done by May, and then comes the just as long production work. So cool. I get to work on Christmas all year:)

I am still digesting my Thanksgiving dinner, as I suppose you are too. But while these lazy days last a bit longer, I wanted to pop in and say Thank You for all the blogging friendship and support! I love reading all your lovely comments, and wish I could respond to each and every one. I try to…and I am just thankful this weekend  for all your kindness! I am thankful this season for really the good, wonderful people in my life.

Progressive Pioneer posted an interview with me on her blog. She asks some really great questions, and it was actually quite a good experience to answer back. It gave me some time to reflect on motherhood and my business, and everything in between. It’s a journey which still keeps me on my toes!

Wishing everyone (American and not) a wonderful weekend.

xo

sarah jane

It was painting time with the kids yesterday, and there were papers all over the floor to dry.

“Let’s hang these up all over the house, Mother!”

I love that she calls me Mother

“Sure. I’ll cut the tape for you. Put them where ever you want.”

She was giddy with excitement (as usual) to find the perfect spot for each of her masterpieces.

Minutes later, I went to my bedroom to feed the baby, and I looked across at my door, just a step away, and I saw this: taped up on my door at Addie’s eye level, a masterpeice.

It was one simple brush stroke, maybe two, but some how (can you see it?) it is the face of a woman….with an almost DaVinci expression.

Ok. Let me help: I am being told it’s not as easy to see as I thought. Thus my post on perspective:

Did she know? Could she see it? Did this face just appear from her genius, or was I, in the artistic mood of the day, looking for her face?

She is perfect, this face, and it was all with a swift brush stroke of a child. Age 4 almost 5. And it stole my breath away.

Spontaneous and miraculous beauty.

It is for me, the perfect gift of this Thanksgiving Holiday: Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Do you see the beautiful face, or is it just a splash of muddy green on paper?

It’s all in how you look at it. And this weekend, I am grateful for the choice.

Enjoy your day of Thanks!

Last month I was interviewed by “Babies and Moms” website, and was asked to talk about a favorite topic of mine: turning your passion into a business. I had a great time with Nancy Cajun, who has had many business successes herself with her company Sign Babies and now her Babies and Mom podcast. It was actually she who inspired me to get started when I heard her speak at a Startup Princess Seminar about turning an idea into a business….and I was so honored to now get to have her ask me questions!

I am on about 8 minutes into the podcast, and we are talking about how to make that passion of yours…that hobby that you can’t stop doing…into a profitable business. I also get to share bits of my own personal story on how I got started….which is always so amazing that I got through those first few months (OH they were nuts!).  We also talk a good bit about balancing your creative passions while raising young children. These are great women I’m chatting with.

Anyways, tell me what you think! I’d really love to include more discussion of the business side of things here on the blog…but would love to know your interest.

Thanks for listening:)

You can listen here.