Doodle #21-22 and Perfect Picture Bk Fri: Big Red Tub

Still having lots of fun with Alison Hertz‘  Doodle Day May.  The subjects today are ‘ shoes’ and ‘design a font.’  I dedicated the Circus font to Alison (if you don’t know why – you need to read her bio/look at facebook pics.)   The shoe doodle made me think of my little girls growing up.

Circus font

I sketched Circus first, then colored it in Photoshop.  I used colored pencils & ink on the shoes.

Shoes

Now on to my pick for Susanna Hill‘s  Perfect Picture Book Friday.

This book reminds me of when my girls were little and it was bathtime. When dad supervised it was always lively with lots of giggling, shrieking and splashing.  The walls were dripping, the floor was submerged and the bubbles were everywhere.  (When I supervised – somehow it never seemed as much fun.)

Title: Big Red Tub  (Note: Released as Big Red Bath in UK) 

Author:   Julia Jarman

Illustrator:   Adrian Reynolds

Publisher: Orchard Books, 2004

Genre: Fiction

Audience Age:  2-4

Themes/Topics: Bathtime, Imagination

Opening Sentences: Stan and Stella in the big red tub.  I splash! You splash!  Splash! Splash! Splash!

Synopsis: Dad is supervising bathtime. The children have lots of fun  especially when all kinds of animals join in.  Dog, lion, kangaroo, duck and even a hippopotamus!  And bathtime ends up going beyond the walls of the house….

Why I like it:  It’s  sudsy fun and the rhythm and rhyme are a rollicking good time.  The illustrations are big and bright.  Matter of fact they are so bubbly and soapy you either need a raincoat or a scrub brush.  When I read this to my grands they immediately wanted a re-read.   This is for a younger audience, but definitely a lively selection.  (You probably won’t want to read it at bed time, tho’ it is such a romp the kids get excited.)

Activities/Resources:   Ms. Jarman has a coloring page from her website here.   And an activity sheet .

 I could recommend something about hygiene, but that’s not fun…. how about   B U B B L E S ?  (Click and scroll down the page to find a dozen bubble activities.)

Availability: Barnes & Noble, Amazon

(Susanna Leonard Hill is the originator of PPBF and you can find all the other PPB recommendations and links  on her blog.)

Have fun enjoying the book.  Stop by tomorrow for another Doodle update.  Blessings on your day!

Laura (grandmamiller)

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Doodle Day May #13: Window

This was probably the most doodle fun so far – because I imagined the future…..

Window of the future

I looked at myself through the window sometime in the future.   Realistically,  my hair might be gray by this time….but no one will ever know thanks to my Aunt L’Oreal.

And I wish this moment for all of you too!

(Oh- just a side note:  I left yesterday’s doodle of my grandson’s hands taped to the wall.  It fell down – and all that now remains is part of the right arm and wrist….the bunny ate it (Click there and you’ll see why I should know better–scroll all the way to the bottom).  Glad I took a picture.)

This is all part of  Alison Hertz‘ (author of FLAP!) challenge to Doodle every Day in May.  Alison has created a FACEBOOK GROUP called DOODLE DAY MAY so join the challenge and the group.  It’s for ALL ages and ALL abilities.  You can even still join in the fun.

And….Don’t forget to stop by Susanna Hill’s blog to vote on your favorite jingle promoting her e-book.  Lots of prizes for the winners.  You can check it out here.  Voting  ends Thursday, May 16th at noon EST.

Thanks for stopping by and blessings on your creativity!

Laura (Grandmamiller)

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Grumpy Kitty Makes Debut In “Making Picture Book Magic”

Grumpy Kitty

Exciting News!! After about a year of dedicated effort, classes like How To Be a Children’s Illustrator by Mark Mitchell, mistakes, redos and learning from so many other fellow artists….someone bought some of my  illustrations!!!  And even more exciting….she’s a published author….like…she  knows real people who can do real illustrations…but she picked one of mine!

Okay – time to act more professionally….I’m sorry I can’t.  There’s still some giddiness left inside….

All right….I’ll try again.  Susanna Leonard Hill is a wife and mom, former

Susanna Hill,
Children’s Author

special education teacher and a multi-published children’s author.  She has written Punxsutawney Phyllis, April Fool Phyllis, Can’t Sleep Without Sheep, Taxi, and Not Yet, Rose (which was just printed in German) to name a few of them.   Her popular blog is a delightful, funny read in which she shares her passion for chocolate as well as what she does so well:   encouraging and inspiring fellow writers.  She is also the creator of  Perfect Picture Book Fridays in which I’d started participating to try and be a better blogger.

Around the first part of November  I received an email from Susanna .  The memo line said, “teensy question.” Oh-oh, I thought I’d done something wrong in one of my PPBF posts.  Turns out she had a teensy question that gave me such a motivational boost and validation….  She had seen an illustration on my blog of “Grumpy Kitty” and wanted to know if she could purchase it for a project of hers!!!!

Adventure Girl

——–YAhhhhhhhh-ooooooo————-(sorry)   someone actually wanted an illustration!  Who would have thought???  I know, I know,  that’s what I was working for….but…Ahhhhhhh!   Okay – I think it’s all out of me now.    But you see, I couldn’t say anything at the time, because the project was still in the planning stage and still a secret, not yet ready to reveal.   (Well—I did share with my family…sorry, Susanna.)  At last, I can share with everyone – but more importantly tell you about a GREAT, NEW WRITING COURSE by Susanna Hill.

Anyway – longer story short…..Susanna  was going to launch a fabulous online Picture Book writing  course (who better to teach than such an accomplished author?).  She was seeking about 10 artists to illustrate the course curriculum.  I was included in the pool of talent.  Then just recently, she came back to us and asked for more illustrations!!!! (She likes me, she really likes me, er…uh…I mean us!)

Pink Polka Dot Rainboots

Anyway, Susanna said some wonderfully encouraging things and asked for  a couple more of my illustrations, some of which I’m showing here.

Susanna’s online course, “Making Picture Book Magic”  is a 4 week course that will teach you how to write a picture book.  There are 20 lessons, each  designed to be completed in 15-30 minutes (how nice of her to fit it around our busy schedules – that is so Susanna).    Also there are 9 supplements to the lessons, membership in a private Facebook group, and opportunity for personal interaction and discussion with Susanna and other members of your class.  And at the end of the course Susanna will read your finished story and make some comments.   All of this is at a very affordable cost.  CLICK HERE to go to the direct link. Her first two month’s classes have already been filled.  (Smart people  register quickly!)

Also I must mention the 9 other uber talented illustrators who have contributed to Susanna’s course.  They are:  Dana Atnip, Dana Carey, Elizabeth Rose Stanton, Hazel Mitchell, Heather Newman, Julie Rowan-Zoch, Loni Edwards, Martha South, and Tracy Campbell.  Please visit these ladies and you will be treated to beautiful art and inspiration.

I’ve shared  all this to say …..if you have a dream, a goal, then pursue it!!!

Follow Your Dream

Do the work that is needed in any “teensy” amount of time you can squeeze it into.  Seek  professional advice from classes and networking, have an online presence….and work at your passion!   Along the way you’ll meet wonderful people like Susanna  and Mark  who share their talents and abilities and encouragement.  I waited til I was a grandma to pursue my real dream….now I’m determined to go all the way….

Imagine this commercial with me:    ” Laura Miller,  you just sold your first illustration…..what are you going to do next?   I’m going to ……….MY DRAWING BOARD and CREATE SOME MORE!!!!!

Blessings on your creativity!!

Laura (Grandmamiller)

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Marathon Complete!! (For Writing & Sketching)

Kitties Never Sleep

YAY – finished the challenges of PiBoIdMo and SkADaMo.  Congratulations to all who participated!!   This was my first time participating in both.  I must thank Tara Lazar of PiBo and Linda Silvestri of SkAD for their energy and talent.  I have learned so much and improved on my skills in writing and drawing.  I’ve been inspired and prodded to do better.

Here are the last of my sketches.  I did some character studies of kids and a couple illustrations for some poetry for my daughter (she’s working on an ebook).   I think my total for the month posted here was somewhere around 28.   I did sketch every day.  Some were just quick sketches to get an idea down on paper – others were for current projects – and some just for fun.  There are a couple I’m not showing because they are just ..um..bad…and since Linda said no rules I don’t have to show them  (thank goodness).

Anyway for those of you who may be brave enough  it looks like Linda and friends have come up with HoHoDooDa Day for the month of December.  The title just makes me laugh.  It’s another drawing challenge – again just for fun.

If you are interested in  any of my sketches you missed  you may click on the links below.

Sk#7     Sk# 8      Sk # 10        Sk #21      SkAD Update (8 sketches)

Update Too (7 sketches)

Prepare to Meet Thy Doom

Meowlrr

Character Studies

Charct. Study: Dance! Read! More Sugar!

Bubba

Cissy

Big Sis

If I Had A Dragon

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SkADaMo Update TOO

Butterfly Wishes

AS promised here are a few more sketches from the SkADaMo challenge.  I do my sketches the ‘classic’ way(I prefer that to ‘old-fashioned’) w/pen, pencil and paper.  I’ve not made it to the digital age yet (thinking about it) and admiring of those who use that media.

Sir Reginald

I’m curious about how you get the pencil/sketch look in the lines.  When I try in my very basic photoshop elements the lines are very heavyhanded.  If anyone using digital would like to comment I’d love the education. (Hurry -while I can still make a birthday/Christmas gift request .

Lighthouse dog

Anyway  - here are a few more of my sketches from the past weeks of SkADaMo.   

The dog study is for a true story based on the German shepherd I grew up with.

The sketch on the post-it is for a scene about my uncle who was mentally impaired. He brought such love to our lives and lots of giggles too.

The bunny seems a little out of season w/Thanksgiving, but what can I say, the hat fit.

I did NOT flush the slippers!

I Hate This Hat!

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SkADaMo Updates

SkADaMo #27 “Cat Man” by Laura Anne Miller @2012

Above is yesterday’s SkADaMo project.  Whoooeee – what a whirlwind month.  Like many of you I’ve been doing PiBoIdMo, which has made 12×12 somewhat of an easy task, but just for fun I threw in Sketch-A-Day-Month too.  Also with this being November there were 2 large Thanksgiving dinners, and a funeral, a wedding and rehearsing with a dozen+ 2yr old-6th graders for our Church Christmas program.  (Bells, drums and ribbons [think rhythmic gymnastics--ha-ha, yeah right])

Needs More Sugar

So true confession –I’ve kept up with everything!!!   Er, uh… except the office stuff.  As in, posting all my sketches. I’ve only managed to post four.  I finally had a Saturday freed up to catalog the sketches with my camera. On Friday I gathered all the sketches from their various sources, sketch books, scraps of notepaper, post it notes, etc (I get inspiration and sketch at truly odd times).     Saturday was absolutely  dark and dismal gray outside, not a glimmer of sun.  So the one wall where I can post the art and snap a pic is in gloomy shadow.  If I use my camera’s flash it fades the pic.  If I don’t use the flash everything is gray….what to do….tried holding a flashlight in my mouth….yeah – okay I hear you snickering…..tried a sewing light…tried my desk light….finally found that clipping a reading light to the bird’s cage (much to his protest) gave enough light with out too many halos or glare.  So anyway  here’s some of the sketches for your perusal.  I reworked some older sketches, created some new and the last few

Toddler Recital

thumbnails below were from the first days of PiBoIdMo.  I had just made thumbnail sketches in my  Notebook- before I officially joined SkADaMo.    Normally I wouldn’t be brave enough to show such  ’rough’ sketches.    But since the very talented creative force of  SkADaMo,  Linda Silvestri assured us there weren’t any rules  - I’ve told myself that rough sketches are okay–they are also part of the creative process.

This has definitely been a fun experience, one which has forced me to be more creative and produce more product.  It’s also loosened me up some.

 

Sisters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having had to sketch and write everyday is a good discipline to remind me of my goals.

 

And I promise there will be more sketches tomorrow.  I’m working on that post after I publish this one.

Blessings on your creativity,

Laura (Grandmamiller)

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Give Thanks!

In Everything Give Thanks by Laura Miller 20112

Give thanks to God for all he has given you and may God Bless You today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Laura  (Grandma Miller)

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SkADaMo: #10

If I had a Dragon by Laura Anne Miller 2012

This is a guy that’s been rattling around in my head for years.  (Phew!! Glad he’s outta there – should have more room on the main frame now.)  Needs some tweaking.   I started by drawing all the scales….Te-di-ous!! So I erased and just went w/a few.  (I so admire those who will do all those beautiful details…but for just a sketch – this is what you get from me.)

My little girl underwent several hairstyles. She was ablond at first.  Tryed a simple bob (we used to call them page boys – but I wouldn’t want to date myself), then I went with semi-curly, then I tried black hair with a little flip – couldn’t decide if she looked like Jackie Kennedy or Laura Petrie.  Finally went with the braid.

I envision full color in purple, yellow, and green – the dragon not the girl.

OH – and for those of you who follow my bunny tales…look at the lower right corner.  I had it tacked to the wall to take a pic – the phone rang – it apparently fell down and when I came back ….RRR RABBIT!

This is November so Remember to check out SkADaMo at Linda Silvestri’s site.

PiBoIdMo at www.taralazar.com

and Picture Book Idea Month.

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Mother, Mother, I Want Another-Perfect Picture Book Friday

SkADaMo Day 8: Prof. Ziggy by Laura Anne Miller 2012

My little bunny above was our first pet house rabbit (well-minus the glasses…he just looked scholarly sitting on the books so I added the glasses) I was looking through my ‘Inspiration Folder’ and pictures we had of him inspired not one, but three ideas for books.  YAY!

This has been a productive week for me.  I’ve actually posted 3 times (a record), kept up with Picture Book  Month reading and  PiBoIdMo, joined up with SkADaMo,  and now I am TiReD.  That said, I now have to edit my husband’s doctoral paper (that’s my FuNFrIdAy ).

Lovely Susanna Hill is host of  Perfect Picture Book Friday where participants review a favorite picture book.  My recommendation this week is a humorous little story of misinterpretation:

Title:  Mother, Mother, I Want Another

Author:   Maria Polushkin Robbins

Illustrator:   John Goodell

Publisher:  Dragonfly Books: 1978, 2007

Genre: Fiction

Audience Age: 3 & Up

Themes/Topics: Bedtime, Family, Humor,

Opening Sentences: It was bedtime in the mouse house.  Mrs. Mouse took baby mouse to his room…But as she was leaving, baby mouse started to cry.  ”Why are you crying?” asked Mrs. Mouse.  ”I want another Mother.”

Synopsis:  A lovely bedtime routine begins –  until baby mouse asks for another mother!   Mother is aghast, stricken, but diligently begins to search for another mother for her baby.  She brings in a mother duck, a mother frog, a mother pig and even a mother donkey.  They each in turn sing a lullaby only to have baby mouse say, “I want another mother.” This is a delightful comedy of errors that resolves to a surprise and satisfying ending.

Why I like it:  This is an older book that was re-released and newly illustrated.  The art by Jon Goodell is what originally caught my eye.  When I read the delightful story I had to buy it and add it to my “grandma collection.”  The scenes in the mouse house are warm and cozy, and the other mother

Mother Mouse by Jon Goodell

animals are darling as well. I felt so sorry for Mrs. Mouse when she hears the dreaded words, “I want another Mother,” that I rushed to the end to find out what happens.  My grandgirls (2 & 4) actually get the joke on mother mouse and ask for the story over and over.   When it turned up missing in the house for a while, they kept asking about it.  It is definitely a favorite.  They even like to do an impression of Mrs. Mouse based on this drawing.

Activities/Resources:  Our family loves to act out this story.  We narrate while the grandkids act out the different animals, their voices and lullabies.  I think this could even be made into a play.    Also Dragonfly/Random House has a PDF w/ classroom activity suggestions.

Availability:  Hardbound & Paperback

Have fun reading & blessings on your creativity!

Laura (grandmamiller)

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Pink Polka Dot Rainboots & SkADaMo

New Boots by Laura Miller 2012

This was from an idea I had today for PiBoIdMo and SkADaMo (more in a minute).  When I was in 5th grade I wanted a pair of pink polka dot rainboots.  Another girl in class had a pair.  She was a beautiful girl, with blond hair, smart and just perfect. ( I thought.)

I had just gotten braces and glasses.  I did not feel pretty.  I knew if I had a pair of boots like hers everything would be different.  I never asked for them tho’.  I knew they were not in my family’s budget.  The boots were not a necessity, they were a want.  *Sigh*

But, I’m over it.  I survived without them.  And I was greatly loved – I knew that.  So – here I am some    ____years later with a GREAT STORY IDEA ABOUT THE BOOTS – who knew!!

Say – what did you want as a child?  Did you get it?  Was it what you thought it would be?  Tell me in the comments.

Now for an explanation of SkADaMo and other illustrators that might be interested…SkADaMo = Sketch A Day Month.  The very talented Linda Silvestri challenged herself to do  a sketch a day a few years ago.  Then she invited others to the challenge.  As she says “This is just a very easy, breezy, unorganized thingy. No rules, unless you count no rules a rule.”  So if you want to join in the sketching fun  click on the links above.

I have to put up my first 6 sketches that I was also doing with my PiBo ideas.  (Just haven’t had the time to scan.)  Love to see all your sketches too.  You can put your link in the comments and/or click on SkADaMo to see the other participants.

And don’t forget to hop on over to Picture Book Month.  So many great GREATs are writing there.  I’m getting Star Struck.

Blessings on your day & your creativity!

Laura (grandmamiller)

P.S.  if you would like a devotion about wants and needs click here.

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