Saturday, December 15, 2007

Today's Inspiration

Maira Kalman trolls for ideas on the streets of New York and The MacDowell Colony celebrates 100 years of providing artists studio space in the woods, no interruptions, and a picnic basket delivered to the cabin door.

Does your family run for the hills when you ask if they want to hear your children’s book manuscript?


Is your spouse afraid to come near you because you’ll ask, “Which sounds better?” and then repeat three seemingly identical sentences with only the slightest changes of punctuation? Then join a writers’ group. Your family will love you for it!

(Tales From The Crypt illustration from http://myfonts.wordpress.com/2006/10/)

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Tomie dePaola

"Matisse is my favorite," he said, "because he didn't want the viewer to see the hard work that went into his painting. He would start out with a rendering, then simplify and simplify. I try to be as clear and simple as I can be in my illustrations, so that the child can tell what is going on and what the emotions are."

Click on this link Strega to hear the story (via the Canterbury Public Library)

Thursday, December 06, 2007


Sylvia van Ommen

Who is Grain Edit?

Grain edit is focused on classic design work from the 1950s-1970s and contemporary designers that draw inspiration from that time period.Site content includes interviews, articles, designers’ libraries as well as examples of rare design annuals, type specimens, Ephemera, posters and vintage kids books from our bookshelves.
Grain edit is based in Oakland, California and is operated by a guy who works way too many hours and loves orange juice.
Found some material that you think grain edit readers would like to see?
Send us your post ideas. We would love to hear from you.
Enjoy the blog!
---- Dave

Thanks, Dave, for posting this video tribute to Paul Rand:

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

From the Society of Illustrators 2007 Fall Lecture Series:

WHAT’S SO FUNNY? Video Stream: Click Here

With Dilys Evans, Harry Bliss ,Betsy Lewin, Joanna Cotler, and John Grandits

Note: The audio goes out for a few minutes at the beginning--it returns. Also, it's really hard to see. (I guess you had to be there.)

Monday, December 03, 2007

Auction 3 opens today!


Bid on one-of-a-kind, snowflake-shaped works of art handcrafted by children's book illustrators to benefit sarcoma research at Dana-Farber. Auction 3: Dec. 3 - 7 For more information visit: http://www.robertssnow.com/


(Recently I've been reading about the overuse of CT scans, and the possible harm CT scans could cause.)