Recently I was contacted by a firm in the UK that specializes in wall murals and prints. 

Here is a link to the images that I have contributed to the site.

Azutura.... displays

 Once in a while I have time for creating a book of my own. I approach this very carefully because I always want it to be something both children and adults will enjoy.

The story of Bjorn and Refur is retold from an old Norse legend. Today bears have short tails. They are rather stumpy and insignificant. But of course that is not the whole story.  Once, long ago, they had great, bushy, luxurious tails.  Bjorn, the bear, and Refur the sly fox have an encounter that leads to consequences for the bear.  

I am not saying Bjorn was stupid, or anything like that. He was simply so trusting and hungry that he was easily fooled by the lie that the fox told.

The book, Bjorn and Refur, should delight young and old.  It should be out by Spring of 2021.

Lenoxx ~ Creating the Book ~ Printing and Publishing

Creating a book from start to the finished stages and having it in your hand is a very rewarding experience. But it is work!

The ideas I had were formed into text and word after word had to be examined. Do I need it? Can I do without it? I needed to remind myself that the best picture books can tell a story with the fewest or no words at all.

When I began the Lenoxx book it was in rhyme, not very good rhyme, and far too long for a picture book. Over several years, I wrote and rewrote and sketched and discarded many pages. When I thought I was ready I used a layout program to piece it all together.  In Design allowed me to view the pace of the text, change it where it needed to be changed, and/or cut out portions.

Once I was truly satisfied with the text, I began the long process of creating the images that had
been dancing in my mind for years.  Of course, some images needed to be revised to match the newer text, and vice versa. Sometimes the images dictated newer text changes. That is the beauty of using a layout program, at least for me, so that I can see the progress in real time.

Having finally finished all the illustrations and reading through the entire layout program, I realized that the reader might find a gap within some of the pages and the story telling. New illustrations and a bit of text needed to be inserted to solve that issue.

Once ready, the layout was converted to a PDF ready for printing. I submitted that to a printer, and once the files were uploaded and approved I had a chance to review all of the work before allowing it to be printed and distributed.

The book is done and out there now and time will tell if it is enjoyed as it is meant to be.
I still have the original pencil sketches from years ago and did use them as reference for the new full color illustrations.

Working as an author/illustrator has many challenges.

Working on a new book... this is the longest I have ever spent trying to finish my own work. Each time I get started, a new assignment comes along.
I am always happy for new work, but in between those great opportunities, I really want to move along with this story.

Update to Website

Some things are working and some are not. But as I try to figure out the problems I will keep at it.

http://www.gingernielson.com

I really want to add the STORE page, but right now the server is not cooperating.  Of course that could mean I need to approach the learning curve differently.

NEW BOOK ~ FLY BUTTERFLY by Brian Halla

Fly Butterfly by Brian Halla is the true story of the newest adventure of the twins, Gabe and Abby.
Their story involves the friendship with a caterpillar and the days that follow.  As they search for their friend, "Buster" they witness the changes that take place in the life cycle of a Black Swallowtail.
A dangerous situation for the newly emerged butterfly involves a timely rescue and successful release.

The book will be released through Amazon.com and other outlets as well as in your independent bookstore. The ISBN  978-0-692-78023-7 or the title will be enough for your bookseller to find the book.

Help us "END 68 HOURS of HUNGER" for children

A word or two about the Coloring Book for All Ages:

Our church is producing a coloring book for families to enjoy together.

The purpose of the book is to raise funds for END 68 HOURS of HUNGER. That is the 68 hours from the time a child receives a free lunch on Friday until the time that child gets a free breakfast on Monday morning during the school year. Unfortunately too many children in America are in this category. Our book is designed with families in mind, and is not necessarily a religious book, but more of some of the life sharing events we experience.

Think about yard sales,toys and games, Sunday School lessons, a visit to the Heifer International Farm, lemonade on the lawn, and flowers on the front porch.

The cost to feed one child over that 68 hours is approximately $10.00 and our book will be priced at $10.00 so that each book will fund one child for the 68 hour period. The money ALL goes to the children. The entire project in any state, county or city is completely volunteer and no one is making any money from the donations. I mention all this because we want to make sure people know that by purchasing a book they are also feeding a hungry child. The food provided is nourishing and important. If you need to know more about the project nationwide, the website is: end68hoursofhunger.org

This fall we will begin selling our books at our church and online. Any book purchased directly from us will generate $10.00 to the program. Any book purchased online will generate royalties that will also go to the program. If anyone wants a book, once they are printed I will be happy to mail one to you and make sure the money goes directly to the program.

The line drawings range from easy to more complicated and all are family friendly. They are not the typical flowery, design oriented, mass produced images. They are images from our daily life, and from church life in general. There are pages that feature nature, children, adults, events and gatherings that families enjoy. There is a small section of very easy to color pages for young children based upon the Bible story of the 7 days of creation.

Our cover is an original watercolor painting by our resident-Artist, Pastor Bob Maronne. For that cover alone I would buy a book. In fact I plan to buy a number of these to send to friends and family.

Knowing that each book represents meals for a child who needs that nourishment makes it a very worthwhile purchase.

The books will arrive at our church in September. They will be sold with crayons and colored pencils included for the first 100 books sold.

If you want one of these first addition copies, email me and I will make sure you get your book and the children will benefit from your donation. My Contact:

The sales will begin in our church and the mailed out books are on a first come first served basis.

Gunther's newest adventure is now available on Amazon and in any and all bookstores by asking for the title, or giving the ISBN number. ISBN-13: 978-1499600513

Once Gunther hears the whale song of danger he first gets permission from his mom to go investigate.

Once she agrees, he is off on his excellent adventure. But first

he needs to find his swim fins from his last trip out to sea.

Following along are many fish all of whom are also curious to see what caused so much trouble.

The whale song can be heard for miles and it says, "Danger, Danger, Danger1"

Gunther's old friend, "Big Blue," the largest of the blue whale family is calling for help.

Even with the best intentions, Gunther finds himself unable to complete the task for Big Blue and must fight a storm at sea and hope for some help from below the tossing waves.

Because it is Gunther's adventure, I won't tell you any more, but hope you will decide to find the book and read it for yourself.  You have to know that if Gunther the Underwater elephant is involved there will certainly be a happy ending.

Ah, you are looking for an Illustrator for your book ....

There are a few times a week that I will get an email or phone call about my rates or availability for children's book illustrations.  Sometimes these come from publishers and sometimes they come from those who wish to self publish.  In any case, it is wise to join the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators or SCBWI.

Each time I try to craft a personal reply to the person and each time I find myself answering the same questions, but in different ways.  Here are some things that will help those who are planning to hire an illustrator for their self published or trade book published book.

1. If you have a finished, edited, and great manuscript, by all means, submit
    it to a trade book publisher. They will pay you in some form, hire and pay the best printers and
    help you market your book. You do NOT need any illustrations to submit your manuscript
    unless you are also the illustrator.

2. To find out who might be the best publisher for your book, get a copy of the
    Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market.  It is published each year and always available on
    Amazon.com.

    This volume lists all interested publishers, their contacts, their terms and what they are looking for.

    It also includes international markets, magazines, contests, agents and wonderful articles
    from artists and authors as well as publishers and editors.

3. If you have been through the process and months have gone by with rejections 

    and you feel your work is so good that it must be seen, you may choose to self  
   publish.

    This is a leap of faith.  You will be choosing your illustrator, paying a fair market price for the

    artwork, paying to have the book  printed, paying for design and book layout, paying for  

    distribution, paying for any marketing and doing your own sales wherever you can find a
    venue. Your indie bookstore may or may not, host a signing. You may market your books at
    the outdoor market places, or at events that you set up. Some schools have book nights where
    you can sell your books.

4. When you hire an illustrator remember that you are hiring a professional. You need
    to be prepared to pay a fair market price. Depending upon the length of time it will take to
    illustrate your book, the amount of research needed, and any unusual requests you may have
    you will pay a rate that could be several thousand dollars or many thousands of dollars.

5. My illustration costs for self publishers are shared with them after I have
    seen either the whole finished and properly edited manuscript or at least a detailed outline of
    the work.

    I ask that so I can determine if my skills will match the content of the work, and if
    I can do my best work for the client.  Because I can also do the layout, create the PDF for
    the printer and provide full color cover and interior artwork my rates are based on those factors.

6. A contract is issued with payment dates, artwork dates, copyright restrictions for
    both the author and the illustrator. Work can take from 3 to 6 or 7 months to complete.

    Stages of the work are paid for in sections as the work is completed and approved.

7.) Any artwork that has been finished and approved by the author is final.
     However, if changes are made after the final approval a fee per hour for any changes will apply.

8.) Getting a trade book publisher to acquire
     your book is a long process but will be to your
     best advantage.

9.)  Should you decide to self publish your work contact
      the llustrator of your choice and together create a contract
      that is fair for both parties.

10. Click on the image of Gunther the Underwater Elephant to see         some of the books I have illustrated.

This moHalf Past Winter ~

Half Past Winter, by Ginger Nielson | Book Review

Tenley Peck | January 29, 2015 | 0 Comments

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Tenley Peck | The Children’s Book Review | January 29, 2015

Half Past Winter

By Ginger Nielson

Age Range: 4 - 6

Hardcover: 28 pages

Publisher: Virginia Nielson (2014)

ISBN: 978-0-9913093-0-6

What to expect: Bears and Adventure

Half Past Winter is an adorable tale of two bear cubs and their adventure to find winter’s first snow. They grow impatient in their den when no snow comes and decide to explore until they find snow. Their journey does find snow; however, they end up in the middle of a blizzard and become lost. This heartwarming story follows their adventure back home to their mother and cozy den. Little ones will love to follow the two cubs’ adventures and will giggle with what they find. The story is simple and succinctly told and is a great read for early readers.

The colorful and animated illustrations are outstanding and allow little ones to read the story through pictures. The illustrations are excellent interpretations of the narrative world and allow children an opportunity to begin to develop cognitive storytelling.

Illustration copyright © 2014 by Ginger Nielson: HALF PAST WINTER

This is an emotive story that draws empathy from the reader—especially when the cubs are lost and then reunited with their mother—making it a great choice to open up discussion on emotions and feelings about others. Half Past Winter is a superlative bedtime book for children ages 4 to 6.

Add this book to your collection: Half Past Winter

Book Trailer

About the Author

Ginger Nielson is a full time author/illustrator who lives at the top of a hill, near the edge of a forest, in semi-rural New England. There is a magic wand on her desk, a dragon in her basement, and several tiny elephants in her studio.

gingernielson.com | gingerpixels.blogspot.com | twitter

Half Past Winter, by Ginger Nielson, was reviewed by Tenley Peck. Follow along with our articles tagged with Kids Winter Books, Kids Snow Books, Books About Blizzards, Ginger Nielson, or our Seasonal Books Category to discover more great titles just like this one.

Sometimes the bright sunlight lures you outdoors.  Today is  one of those days, and hopfully I will attack some of the ice that is covering the walkways and the deck.  I need to get to that before the next snowfall. Snow is much easier to remove and deal with than ice... unless it is two feet of snow.

A New Year and more new beginnings.  I have a habit of wanting to do too many things at once. I guess the ideas won't leave me alone. But I am trying to make more lists and prioritize them.  That way the stories I have planned won't get lost somewhere.  The current project, Gunther's Excellent Adventure is underway.  Outside assignments may interrupt the process, but I welcome them. They pay for the paint.

And as I continue I am also studying many videos and images as references for this new project.

It got a bit colder lately and things outside are icy.  With new rain and a warm up for a few hours... we wait to see what's next.

When the Cat's away.... the mice will play and play and play.

It is hard to believe it has been so long before updating anything on the blog.  I try to keep up, but fortunately the assignments I have can keep me busy for longer than I think.  I wish you all a blessed Holiday Season, Merry Christmas and Happiest times in the New Year to come.

In the spirit of giving and receiving, the forest animals share what they have.

MEET MY CHARACTER BLOG TOUR ~

Good morning, Good Afternoon and Good evening wherever you happen to be:









A BIG thank you to Patricia Keeler who tagged me for this blog tour. I know Patricia from our association CBIG-NYC or the Children's Book Illustrator Group based in New York City. Although we have never met, I feel an artistic bond with this talented artist.  Her paintings depict the most delightful aspects of all children.  You can see more of her  work on Patricia Keeler's Blog  andher Website, I LIKE BOOKS With PICTURES


This time it is my turn to tell you about a character in a picture book I am creating.   

What is the name of your character?

Lenny is a very lonely, but hungry dragon. It has been given an enchanted cookie by a little man with a rather wicked sense of humor. That little man loves to play tricks on the forest creatures.

When and where is the story set?

The story opens in the  forest but soon moves to a castle kitchen just as Catherine, the  cook, and her helpers, Trevor and Amelia are preparing a huge birthday dinner for the Queen.

What should we know about Lenny?

 Lenny is an especially lonely and hungry dragon, but the favorite food of this particular dragon has unexpectedly become something other than what you would expect.  Even the dragon doesn’t understand why its tastes are so particular.  Fine china, crystal goblets and the Queen's favorite Golden Bowl seem too tempting to resist. (I would suggest that the forest trickster has something to do with this.)

What messes up its life?

 After gobbling up most of the china in the kitchen including the Queen’s favorite Golden Bowl, the dragon is chased throughout the castle by all the staff with swords, daggers and brooms.   It can’t get away unless it makes its way into the deep caves below the castle. Hiding and hungry the dragon is lonely, afraid, and in danger.

 What is the personal goal of your character?

 This poor dragon desperately wants to be free of the caves, return to a normal life of eating what it really wants, and find one or two true friends.

But what about that Golden Bowl?

You can see more of my work on my website and once there you can find my books, and more about how I work.

and now....

I have the pleasure of passing the Meet My Character Blog Tour to  two amazing children's book illustrators: Look for their introduction to their characters next Monday, Oct. 27.

 Christine Mix Blog  and Christine Mix Website

It was just after Christine Mix graduated from the University of South Florida in 1988, with a B.A. in Fine Arts and Mass Communications, that she painted her first children’s illustration in watercolor, titled Spike & Wordo’s Magical Wish. Hence, Spike the Dragon was born and Christine realized she had found her niche in art and her future.

Her children's illustrations can be found in Stories for Children Magazine, Back- to- School- Issue, 2012, in SCBWI’s Bulletin in 2005, 2009, 2010 and so far, one children’s book, Write Out of the Oven! by Josephine M. Waltz & Illustrated by Christine Mix, published by Teacher Ideas Press / Greenwood Publishing, 2005. As a children’s author, Christine has one non-fiction short true story, Standing Up, that was published, in Chicken Soup for the Child’s Soul Character-Building Stories to Read with Kids, Ages 5-8, May 2007.

Christine is currently working on her second PB story & dummy, featuring Spike the Dragon and some ghoulish friends.

I have the pleasure of also passing this task to Amy Cullings Moreno.  This will introduce Amy Cullings Moreno's Blog...And you can find her website and portfolio here.

I have been creating children’s illustrations and art since I was a child. I have always enjoyed reading, writing and books, and creating art. The combination of these passions led me to study commercial illustration in Boston at Butera School of Art, where I specialized in children’s illustration.

I enjoy creating images that inspire and uplift, as well as sharing my faith in a Good God, and hopefully allowing that faith to shine through my art. 

My husband and I live in Northern Virginia, and we have three wonderful grown children who have been much of the inspiration for my children’s illustrations.

I am currently studying oil painting again, and finding great joy in it. I hope to add more of this style to my newer illustration work.

How I work....

Sometimes I get emails from other artists and authors asking how I work.  I used to have this information on my website, but when I reduced the size of the site, I left that part out.  So here is a brief bit about how I work and where I work.

My studio is small.. only about 10 feet by 10 feet... and if that sounds like a lot... it isn't once you fit in two huge desks. There is one for the hardware and one for the drawing boards and paints.

In addition to those there are 8 bookshelves ( all filled) and two file cabinets, one rolling taboret, a large floor cabinet for storing paper and providing a place on top for the wide body printer, a CD cabinet (looks like a card catalog) another set of three oak flat file drawers...on top of a third table, and a dry mount machine.

Add to this the brushes, pens, sketchbooks, assorted small stuffed and ceramic animals, boxes of scraps for the children to use in creating their own masterpieces, and on and on.
In other words, the space gets used.  Since I only sit at the drawing board or the Cintiq I have room for me in there too.

But that is only the beginning... How I Work is a bit different.

I enjoy the option of drawing just about anywhere in the house or outdoors.  If I am upstairs with family I can carry a box of pencils and a sketchbook.  If I need something from those drawings I either scan or photograph them and move them to the computer.

Most of the time I use a very large drawing pad on the drawing board in the studio. I like to make BIG sketches. It seems to let the lines flow more freely.  Those can be painted or photographed for later. They are always way too big for the small scanner I have.

If I transfer work to the computer, I paint with Painter 2015 and / or Photoshop. The final results are always open to more traditional painting if I think it would make the work better.

When I am happy with the work I will print out a copy on the wide body printer and check the color and texture.  If the work is for a book I am illustrating the last step is to convert the final computer image to CMYK so that it can be printed by most printers.  Sometimes I can just submit in RGB..but always have to ask first.

For some of the authors I work with, I will also do the layout in InDesign and convert to a print ready PDF for their chosen printer.

A review for the Star Giver by Katherine Boyer.

There is nothing as sweet as a child who asks questions about the world around him or her.  “Why is the sky blue?”  “Where do babies come from?”  are the two that immediately come to mind.  In this case, Little Bear wants his mother to tell him where the stars come from. It gives her a chance to tell him a Native American folktale that will entertain him as well as relate a fascinating story.. 
            With beautiful l illustrations done in Native American colors, Mrs. Nielson illustrates the story, as it unfolds through the word of Mother Bear and the imagination of Little Bear. 

            The Star Giver holds the stars close until night, when it is time to release them, then waits until morning to finish his task.  You will love sharing this story with your children at bedtime, as well as any other time of the day.  And she tells you to look for the “secret on the last page of this book”.  What is it?  You need to get the book to find out.               

            From her website: “Ginger Nielson lives at the top of a hill, near the edge of a forest in semi-rural New Hampshire, USA. There is a magic wand on her desk, a dragon in her basement, and a tiny elephant in her studio. Everything else is nearly normal.”  Sounds like a great place for her imagination to run rampant through the wonderful, imaginative stories that she illustrates, whether that of her own or another writer.   

For Illustration Friday ~ NOVELTY

Of course it would be a novelty if Pigs really could fly... and someday one of them just might!

Our parents beautiful Log Home is for sale. On a hilltop in Southern Vermont it is both a hideaway, a peaceful retreat, and a place where the family and extended family can enjoy 67 acres of beauty, sports, and fun year round.