Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Take a Chance~


Have you hit the WALL?

Creating art is an experience that magnifies your feelings to such an extent that when you hit that 'wall' it seems like you can never climb over it.

But in looking back at my work which extends pretty far back, I admit, I do see the progress and the subtle differences in the work from years ago to the work I am creating today. The simple shadow on a chin, the light in an eye, the tone over the shoulder of an animal help me to realize that I have learned and noticed and watched what is going on around me.

If you are truly in a rut, take some time away for the 'soaking in' of life. Watch the leaves turn in circles when the wind blows, walk in a puddle in your bare feet after the rain, go far afield from where you usually hang out... see new faces, get new perspectives - literally - by viewing things from as many different angles as possible. Stand on a bridge, look through a keyhole, swing on a gate.

This may sound too mundane, but believe me, if you are in a rut the best way to leave it behind is to leave it behind and give yourself permission to take a break. Actually "Take a chance!" and just to make sure you don't miss that inevitable breakthrough, bring along a sketch book.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

TAGGED.......seven weird things........so who's next?


Kathleen Reitz sent me into the back of my brain today to find 7 weird things about me that I must share with others.
1.) I really like dragons...all kinds
2.) I love stacks and stacks of clean paper
3.) I will draw or paint on any surface that invites me
4.) I don't stay up to late, but I usually want to get up about 4:30am
5.) I don't like sweet drinks of any kind...
6.) I will sit for ages just looking at how the wind blows through leaves and at the patterns made by tree bark
7.) I am a picture junkie... and constantly spend time in bookstores looking at (and buying) picture books

Somehow I think I have been tagged with this subject before and may have tagged at least 7 others in the past, so if you want to play, this is open to all of you...just leave your website address here and if you 'build it, they will come.'

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Sunday, May 13, 2007

CREATING A DIGITAL FILE CABINET



Let's just say you have some sketch books. Let's say you have DOZENS! You save them because your sketches are important and you never know when you are going to need just the right one for a piece you are creating, or a book you are illustrating.

Right. So HOW DO YOU FIND THAT ONE perfect sketch that you need. You know you created it. It was a keeper!

Recently I wrote an article for the New England SCBWI newsletter outlining a plan for creating aDigital File Cabinet for all your sketches, whether digital or traditional. If you are interested you can take a look at it here.
"Creating A Digital File Cabinet"

Saturday, May 12, 2007

The Newest Installment


The latest chapter of Winston the Wonderhound is online. Our fearless Pup is on his way to ......????

Friday, May 11, 2007

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ CITRUS



After working for a while on the image of the Student Driver I decided to expand it into "CITRUS"
©Ginger Nielson 2007

Student Driver

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Take a Look....



Time for a change. I redid my Website Portfolio. Some new images are there along with some old ones.
This is Zachary... he is the little tyke in a book I illustrated that is due out this June, "the Adventures of Cali" by Dr. Michele Lallouz Fisher.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ NEIGHBOR



While elegant neighbors sip their tea
Something quite small is bothering me
And if I decide that I should speak up
Would Mrs. Matthews just drop her cup

Should I nudge her a bit gently
Or stare quite intently

Will her saucer just clatter
Or won't it much matter
If she spies that wee mouse
And runs back to her house

Thursday, May 3, 2007

CD Cover


I like to keep CDs of my favorites with me for driving long distances, or to play when I work at the book store. But I prefer to make my own CD covers for them and for any artwork I choose to save to a CD. This is the cover I designed for a classical Benny Goodman CD of his concert of Mozart works at Tanglewood.