Thursday, May 14, 2009

May Book Reviews!

It's that time again - time for the "1/2 the month is gone already book review".

Got 2 GOOD - no not good- GREAT ones this month. Starting with an eagerly anticipated picture book by one of our house favorites. Yes restaurants have house dressing, house wine- we here in the Light house have house illustrators. And Peter Brown is the ranch dressing and perhaps the pinot noir on our menu. (he's a favorite but always tastes a little different depending on the main course) enough metaphors! On to the review:



"The Curious Garden" written and Illustrated by Peter Brown- pub by Little Brown and Co.

It is a story of how one person - a young boy- shows a little care to living things- plants in a city overcrowded and over polluted - and makes a difference. It blithely demonstrates the value of the enviroment to our well being and how the actions of one can have a chain reaction for the good of all. And the art - is stylish and juicy and makes me prop the book up on the front of my daughter's book shelf. - It's cover is in and of itself an awesome image. Can not wait for the next book. Altho- Flight of the Dodo is still my fave - flightless birds longing to know the joy of the mid air poo- can't beat that.


On to dessert - another book I was unaware of until it smacked me in the face with a frying pan of art. This is not a sticky sweet book- but a amazing feast for the eyes.



"You Never heard of Sandy Koufax?" written by John Winter and illustrated by Andre Carrilho. pub by Schwartz and Wade books

First- I'm not a baseball nut. So this book's art attracted a non sports lover. Second Sandy Koufax - is known only to me thru my friend Marc and his Dad's yearly argument over not working on jewish holidays. "Even Sandy Koufax wouldn't play on Rosh Hashanah!"

The art is what struck me first- I didn't read it for days, I just stared at the pages- the art is astonishing. Now- I hear all the time that my art is too animated- this is animated. I think I know animated since I've animated. This is animated. The cover has the motion effect on that plastic- I don't know what it's called. BUT essentially it's 3 key poses- animating Sandy Koufax pitching. The art is a combination of elegant line work/collage/photoshop and I think colored pencil/charcoal- it could be ps brushes- but it's like nothing I've ever seen. It's like the love child of Al Hirschfeld and Gerald Scarfe. I checked out the illustrators site- you should too. He's brought sophistication and elegance and cool to this book. - I'm a big fan now.

John Winter- I must say-when I started to read the book, you sucked me in. The book is written in the voice of a Brooklynite! A period- 1950's east coast voice will come out of the mouths of Iowans or Canadians, etc- when you read this out loud. You too can sound like Phil Rosuto! - Awesome job of adding personality when finding out about a personality. It's a great story of self discovery and learning to relax in to who you were meant to be. Kinda zen and the art of the knuckle ball.

So- I hope you busy yourselves and check these out as I busy myself on the continuing journey to get a book of mine out there. Now- I need to get some lunch, maybe a little Diterlizzi on the side...

Monday, May 4, 2009

Whew! What a weekend..



I am tired but happy. I had an art filled weekend and tomorrow more art to come. Friday night, I went to a an open house in Huntington Station, NY- to see some artists' workspaces/work. I met 3 of my fellow Artist Mothers -and we went for dinner after. Some of the art was really great and it's good for one art group to support another- especially here in Long Island where art groups are few and far between. An evening out with 3 of my favorite people - laughing- kvetching - and cocktails- good times.
Saturday I had a communion to go to- and had a lovely Italian meal - with the lovely family. - The food was so good- I'd call it art.
Sunday was a bimonthly CBIG meeting. It's a group I joined about a year ago. It's very informative- there's always an art director or editor brought in to speak and then we all put our names in a hat to see who's portfolio will be reviewed. Anahid Hamparian, AD at Marshall Cavendish was so gracious as to say- I'll just look at them all! So She was very insightful and gave out useful advice to each of us. AND she didn't say the word "Disney" when looking at my work or say it was "too" mass market or "too commercial" or "too animated". So - I like her.
Sunday night -I met up with Nancy and Laurel, 2 BNL "enthusiasts". Nancy is an animator who is on the board of ASIFA East - the animator's union. I was in ASIFA west when I was out in L.A. It was the annual animation Festival. It was GREAT to peek back into a world that I left behind so long ago. There was the woman I interned for in 1993. One of the films came out of the SVA program I did. - and I got to meet John Canemaker. So- Thanks to Nancy for saving me a seat. It was a fun night. Fave films: I did like Chicken Cowboy a lot- the talking NYC objects and Western Spaghetti. The grand prize winner made me cry- I was all verklempt. Bill Plympton had 2 films that won awards - he really is tuned into his own frequency- dude's crazy amazing.

Tuesday night I'm going to check out the Syracuse Illustration Senior Portfolio's. Info :
Tuesday May 5 & Wednesday May 6 at Lubin House,
11 East 61st Street in NYC from 10 AM- 8 PM Tuesday,
10-7 PM Wednesday,
Open to all Alumni and Professionals. Alumni event Tuesday, May 5th, 6-8 PM.

If any of you Illustrators will be around- check it out. SU - puts out some strong talent. I'm excited to see what the kid's are up to these days.- and already anticipating to seethe with jealousy..... at their chutzpah I wish I had at their age.

So - Art Art everywhere! S'good thing!