Illustration Friday - Book

An illustration I got to do for the extremely cute and well designed magazine LMNOP.  It was a great assignment, the focus being on libraries and books.  Since I frequent the library almost as much as a 13 year old frequents You Tube, I've come up with some observations.  Namely being the noise level.  Libraries are just so cool now-with crafty interactive a-la Melissa and Doug puzzle/castles/installations.   There are toys.  EVERYWHERE.  Puppets, blocks, swirly things that I thought existed only in dentist offices.  And the trains.  Kids go into mini-seizures when there is new Fergus, Benedict, Rutger (whatever) train on the train table.   Sprinkled and tucked amidst the playtime chaos are the books.  Books just laying around, asking to be read.  "That kid take your puppet?  Forget-about-it...Read me instead", "Hey!  Hey!  Little girl with the tiara!  I'm the new Tangled book!"  I think that the librarians love the noise (to a certain decibel) because kids are developing an association between libraries and fun.  It's probably in some Library Manifesto to put up "quiet" signs, merely just for show.

Brain, Child Magazine

Well, aside from curtain hanging and baby birthing I did some illustrations for an awesome magazine Brain, Child.  Each time they send me an essay to illustrate, I (admittedly) putz around, leave it on my drafting table to read and then get to it a day later.  I then force myself to sit down and read it while at the same time praising  myself for being such a grown-up and doing my work. And then it happens.

I'm a page into the essay and I'm bawling.  I'm in this writer's world and emotionally link to every word.  I'm reflecting on my life, my family, the choices I've made and now because of this essay I feel as though I've been emotionally tenderized with a magazine article mallet.  " I NEED to email this writer and tell her how much I love this essay!"  I scream in my mind.  Fantasies of meeting the writers spin through my head:  oh - there we are having coffee, oh - that's us shopping at Costco, there I am helping her organize a garage sale.  It just goes on...

Once I stop being imaginary BFFs with the writers, I  actually do get to work-

"The Sound of Us"  by Kristen Kovacic

"This Sucks" by Kelly Feinberg

So if you're in the mood for a good cry, pick up a copy of Brain, Child.

GO NOW!