Cats and Jammers Studio

Elizabeth O. Dulemba on tour!

It has been my pleasure to get to know writer and illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba, or "e" as she is known to many of us on several listservs and chat boards where we all obsess about children's books. Her web site and her blog are chock full of information, book talk, news, activities, coloring pages, and any given number of other useful items. Please make sure to check them out.

Elizabeth has a new book out and I was thrilled to have her visit my blog so I could get answers to a few questions that I had, not the least of which is where she gets all of her enormous energy. Her latest project is called “Paco and the Giant Chile Plant” written by Keith Polette. This is a retelling and humorous variation on the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk tale, only this one is set in the Southwest. It is told mostly in English with a sprinkling of Spanish, but will be out in Spanish only and English only versions come the fall.

The art looks spectacular and is created using very evocative images of the desert and wonderful southwestern hues.

SO, enough of me. On to Elizabeth!

1) I am fascinated by your connection to storytelling in Tennessee. How did you come to be involved, and does it make you want to do some story telling of your own? Writing more? In the vernacular of the country story tellers? I love the storytelling tradition.

It's an odd story (and a bit of a winding one - sorry), but it will make you believe in fate.

Even though I grew up in the Atlanta suburbs, I've always been fascinated by all things Appalachian. I went to summer camp on Lookout Mountain (Mentone, Alabama) and tried to get to the mountains every chance I could after that. (I took up rock-climbing and hang-gliding and later moved to Chattanooga.)

Somewhere in there I learned about the National Association of Storytelling and their annual Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee ( http://www.storytellingcenter.com/festival/festival.htm ). For my Graphic Design exit show in college, I did a line of posters for the event. And here's where it gets really weird - during my research, I found a book in my own collection dedicated to me by my Grandparents in 1973 - "The Jack Tales" gathered by story-catcher, Richard Chase.

It was at the festival that I first saw Ray Hicks tell the Jack Tales. I used to putter up to Tennessee in my '78 Land Cruiser, pay $6 to camp behind a B&B (and use their shower), and spend the weekend listening to
stories. I fell in love with stories and storytelling, but for some reason, Jack Tales especially seemed to seek me out.

What makes Jack Tales so extraordinary is their evolution. Long ago, Scottish, Irish, and English (Cornwall especially) immigrants moved to the Appalachian mountains, many to continue the mining they did in their home countries. But the region was so remote, a culture continued and developed almost entirely independent from outside influences. (Ray Hicks still spoke in an Elizabethan dialect that was so thick it was
difficult to understand.) Survival was off the land, music from the heart, and stories were adapted from the English "Jack" (of "Jack and the Beanstalk" fame) but became their own unique creations in the Appalachian mountains.

I've dabbled with oral storytelling since then (fully acknowledging that I am nowhere near as talented as some), but really found my storytelling voice through writing. Even my novels (one with my agent, one still in progress) take place in the southern Appalachians. It seems to be ingrained in me and I have no idea why.

2) I would love to her more about creating the art and design for advertising, but I also was to hear about the epiphany regarding the move to focus on children's books.

There was never an epiphany - I've wanted to create picture books as long as I can remember. No lie. I used to devour "The Golden Book of Elves and Fairies" illustrated by Garth Williams. His ability to transport me with his art enchanted me and I wanted to be able to do the same thing with my own art. I've always had a vivid imagination, and stories seeped out of me from a very early age, first through drawings and then through words.

However, I was a young, single girl and needed to keep a roof over my head. Graphic Design provided steady income. (I also had some growing up to do.) And while those skills help with my marketing efforts now (and I'm very glad I have them), I was always awaiting the opportunity to dedicate my time to picture books. When I married, my wonderful husband understood my dream and allowed me the opportunity to chase it.

3) Tell us about how you work. Mostly digital or mostly conventional, or both? I find it hard not to go back and "adjust" real paintings, myself, so now I also work that way.

I still sketch by hand, can't seem to get away from that. But all my coloring and rendering is done digitally. It took years of experimenting to figure out my medium - little did I know I had to wait for it to be invented! But it was like breathing for the first time when I discovered how I like to work best.

4) You seem to loaded with energy!! Where does it come from? And so me a favor: paint the picture of your average, busy day, so I can imagine you in action!

I call this a manic-depressive business because it is filled with such unbelievable highs and devastating lows. The lows keep me up at night, but the highs make me jump out of bed each morning anxious to get going. I have so many ideas I want to get out of me and a measly 24 hours just isn't enough to do it all. I'd resent sleep except I get so many ideas from my dreams. I definitely resent having to shower and get dressed every day - how redundant and what a waste of time!!

I'm not sure it's energy so much as obsession. But I'm usually in front of my computer by 7:30 and I work until something makes me stop. (Dogs need food, if I don't exercise I'll melt, dinner with hubbie, grocery store, Spanish lessons, etc.) I stay unbelievably busy. It's a bit nuts, I admit it.

5) This is my favorite question to answer, and it is also my favorite question to ask: describe your dream project to me--one that you would like to write and/or illustrate.

Oh wow, that's tough. It floats in my head like a mist without sharp, defining edges although I think pieces of it come out in all my work. The idea of transporting the viewer/reader is very important to me. I love creating images of imagination, creatures or scenes that don't have to follow the laws of physics. (It's one reason I love creating friendly monsters - they have no rules.) It's part of why I enjoyed illustrating Paco so much. But ironically, the more I write, the more I see words achieving what I want as well. I think it would be a story in which an inferior-feeling protagonist becomes transported and changed through imagination or outside events - a situation where they become better and stronger, and so does the reader. How's that for vague?

6) SO--what's on the horizon for such a busy gal?

Lots of new projects and I wish I had time for more. First, I'm celebrating the release of Paco! (I'm really proud of this book.) I've been taking Spanish lessons for over a year now in anticipation of sharing it with English and Spanish speaking children. I've also illustrated a picture book for a NY Times Bestselling novelist and will be sending out final art soon. I've just signed on to illustrate the next two books in a parental aid picture book series (the first two come out this June). I'm finishing up some coloring book covers and I'm
busy writing my second novel (and waiting to hear news on the first). I'm also waiting to hear on two picture book dummies I have out (one is the winner of three honorable mentions!) and have written two more
picture book stories which I'm currently tweaking (one is bilingual and one is an adaptation of a Jack Tale). So, while this isn't the busiest I've been, it's certainly busy enough!

Wow, these were fun and intense questions! Thanks for letting me share!
:)
e

Thanks, e, for taking the time to give such thoughtful answers!

Interview: Karen Lee

One of the nicest things about the world of listservs and blogs is this wonderful community that I feel that I am a part of: the world of kids' book lovers, writers and illustrators. Of course, even better than having the feeling of being part of that group in love the same wonderful and crazy stuff, is getting to know them better as individuals, one by one. Because of the web, I have had the lovely pleasure of getting to know author and illustrator Karen Lee.

I got to ask Karen a few questions, and, being the nosy person I am, I asked questions to answers that I wanted! Like this "married to another artist" thing. Sometimes I like that idea, and sometimes I think my husband and I would live in different continents if it were so. I have friends who are also in that "2 artist" situation. It amazes me. So I am as curious as can be to hear about it, and to see how they all manage to make it work.

One thing I realized from this interview: Karen has a great sense of humor and an appreciation for silliness. So maybe that's it. After all, it's not your average person-on-the-street who leaves directional indicators for litter box lovers....

But that is enough from me. Let Karen speak for herself.

Q: My first question is about this 2 artist family thing. Like, whoa! I've been married for 34 years but I don't think my husband and I would have survived us both working in the same field. I want to hear all about this arrangement: ups, downs, and in-betweens. Feel free to let the kids chime in, too!
 
I met Tim in our junior year of college 25 years ago! That is amazing to me. Illustration is such a huge part of who I am I can’t imagine not being able to share that with someone. But we have also had some professional separation. He is an editorial illustrator, is all digital, immensely versatile, and does work for grown-ups (for now, I have a fiendish plan for him). His brother is an artist too, we keep in close contact with many of our old college friends and illustrators that have come and gone from our immediate lives. I can’t imagine not being surrounded by people that I can share such an important part of my life with.
 
There really haven’t been any downs. And the ups are getting better as we get older and are a bit more confident and mature. But we each keep something separate that is just for us: for me it is writing, for him it is playing mandolin in a Bluegrass band.
 
As far as the kids go, our daughter who is ten has quite a talent for writing and is a good artist too, but she’s more devoted to her play time than her inner time. Our eleven year old son is as rebellious as I was. In his case, he is rebelling by wanting to grow up to be an engineer. I love that! I couldn’t have planned it better.

Q: For years I did editorial art, but left it behind for book work. Do you still like doing it? If so, tell me what you find satisfying about magazine/newspaper work as opposed to book work.
 
I still cherish the work I get in the editorial market. I think it keeps me fresh and gives me a chance to expand stylistically a little more than I typically do in the children’s market. It is work that I can do without any of the insecurity I feel sometimes with children’s work. And sometimes it is a huge relief to have a small project that comes in, goes out, gets printed, I get paid, and I’m done!

Q: Now that you are an author and illustrator with ABC Safari, how do you see yourself dividing your time down the road? More writing? At a scheduled time? And if you could create your fantasy book, incorporating things you love to draw, what would it be?

 I would love to do more writing! It has been wonderfully energizing for me to have a new challenge. It is so different from art, and for me there seems to be a real barrier between those two sides of my brain.

I am not in the same place when I write as when I do art. I can slip into the art brain easily, at any time, but for writing I have to pull a switch hard to get that side turned on. And once I do it is difficult to turn it off. I try to allow for larger chunks of time when I am writing because I am so preoccupied and I am afraid I will lose the thread if I abandon it before I’ve come to the end. I find that I have more available brain space for writing when I am simply painting on a project and can turn the art brain on autopilot. Also, what’s been curious for me is that I completely focus on writing the best possible story while writing. Only when it is done and polished do I begin to think about how I want to approach the art , then a whole new level of excitement begins! I think this helps also to move the art forward to best reflect the story rather than conforming the story to the kind of art I do.
 
What do I love to draw? Oh my, the possibilities are endless! But it wouldn’t be too sweet or cute. I am trying to coax into the open the part of me that responds to other’s works whether it is writing, art, music, or movies. I think if I can better define what resonates within myself I can incorporate that into my own work better and create something that is more unique, more personal and more satisfying not only for me but for my reader/viewer. And what I respond to is a little creepy, a tiny bit morbid, is multi-layered, ironic, funny, and authentic. If  Im really shooting for the moon, my viewer will be able to discover a truth in it about themselves and the world around them.

Q: I am always finding myself bored with the medium I work in, and longing for a change on my next book. And then I go back again. You work in watercolor. Has that always been your medium of choice? Do you flirt with other materials at all?
 
I want to cheat on watercolor. I want to have a mad, torrid affair with oil. I want a superficial, tawdry relationship with acrylic. I want some lurid digital action! I am thinking about filing divorce papers on watercolor, but I keep coming back. I have had the blessing of being pretty booked up for the past few years. The downside is that it gives me very little time to play around with different materials and techniques. But things will slow down and then I’ll have the free time to experiment and the joy of fretting over when the next project will come in.

Q: I read that ABC Safari was inspired by seeing the manatees. Any other real life inspirations coming up?
Other books soon to be released?
 
I am always inspired by real life! I don’t know where it will go, but I am currently working on the dummy for a rhyming story that was inspired by the discovery of a small family cemetery right smack in the middle of our suburban neighborhood. It’s all fenced in and overgrown and I didn’t notice it until I was walking the dog past there last winter when the trees were bare. I took the kids in there and they were fascinated by who these people were to each other and how old they were when they died. When you stumble onto idea starters like that it is best to just thank whatever powers you believe in that you found it and do something about it, even if it is ten years later.
 
I am also working on the final art for the next book in the math series I am doing with Sylvan Dell, My Half Day by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed.. This one is about fractions and it is the craziest one yet. Fun to paint, fun to read. It will be out spring 2008.
 

Q: On your recent "8 things" meme, I loved number 8:

" Some people think I am funny, but nobody thinks I am as funny as I do. I crack myself up all the time."

This made me laugh!

So tell me what makes you laugh in general and tell me what you do to keep yourself giggling. I'd love to
laugh again!
 
I am queen of punny, corny jokes, bad singing, awkward dances, and overdone drama. I like to see my kids squirm with embarrassment. I like dumb, overdone gags. If I am slicing some cheddar and the kids ask me for some I will invariably say “oh, would you like me to cut the cheese for you? I’d love to cut the cheese!” It is so not funny but I laugh and laugh. Just dumb silly stuff.  Shortly after we got our cat I put magnet letters on the dryer right next to the litter box  saying “cat poo? “. Like the cat can read! Like we don't all already know where it is! Like we need to be reminded constantly! It still makes me laugh, just the ridiculousness of it.
 
Thanks for this wonderful opportunity to get to know myself better. Putting things into words makes them more concrete! Karen

MAKE A NOTE: Karen is on tour this week! Please read her other interviews at the blogs of these fine people (as they go live, I'll update the link):

Elizabeth Dulemba
Kim Norman
Ruth McNally Barshaw
Dotti Enderle
Kerry Madden

Presenting KIM NORMAN: Author, Artist, Singer, Actress and Nun Wannabe

Well, she doesn't REALLY want to be a nun. At least I don't think she does. She's just played one on stage. And she is a superior mother even if not a Mother Superior. I just think that picture is so funny I had to up here.

But musical star is just one of the many things Kim has done and continues to do. Seriously, I don't think I have ever met someone who uses such a high percentage of waking hours as Kim. I actually suspect that she does not sleep, but I can't swear to it. She writes very funny books, works as a graphic artist, performs in musical theater productions, SHE TAP DANCES, does school visits, and, the thing that REALLY knocks my socks off: she HOME SCHOOLS! I barely HOME LAUNDRY, let alone do lesson plans.

I got to know Kim a number of years ago via our on-line writing group. And she and I even get to see one another in the flesh once in a while, since she often trucks up to Maine with her family, and may stop in Massachusetts on the way up, or visit me in New Hampshire. Here is our writing group's blog. And here is Kim's blog. And here's Kim's site, which links to all sorts of other things that you couldn't even begin to think about.

Kim's first children's book as author is just out and what I love about this story and everything else I have had the pleasure of reading of Kim's, is that this book is so totally original. Like Kim. One of a kind. In fact, she even has a blog for her book!

So let me shut up already, and let Kim speak for herself!

Tell us about the moment when you realized that writing children's books was your destiny. Did you
always have it in the back of your mind to do this or did something jolt you into the realization?

It's funny, because earlier in my life I never really thought of myself as a writer, although my teachers always spotted it. Somehow I ended up as a graphic artist, but if you read my old report cards, it was always my writing they praised. And it was books that I craved, not art supplies! Still do. Like many writers, I tried this and that before I settled into my niche. I dabbled in poetry, (more accurately termed light verse, which I still think is fun), and even romance writing, if you can believe it. But I don't like romance novels, so -- although I had a bit of facility and even had some success in contests -- well... I just don't care for the genre although the sex scenes were fun to write.

Now I can't remember exactly what settled me into children's writing. I do remember that I was at a library once where they held the romance writer's meetings. I ended up leaving the meeting and going to check out an armload of children's books. I had a toddler at that point, and found I really enjoyed reading HIS books.


You juggle an awful lot of activities, jobs, and talents. Lay claim to all of them. Then tell us the name of your vitamins, or fess up: you really have a clone, right?

I'll tell you my vitamins first: Vitamins S & C (sugar & caffeine.) Tsk tsk.
My activities include working at a newspaper a couple of days a week, freelance graphic art, amateur theater, singing (a former swing band and a current "praise" band at my church), songwriting then the mood strikes -- about twice per decade. My secret sin is tap dancing, which I took up at the age of 44 for a show about a tap class. Free lessons for almost a year to do that show. Who wouldn't jump at that? (Well, I mean, what theater geek wouldn't jump at that?!) I let my tap shoes gather dust too much. That's the REAL sin.

And then there's the book writing and homeschooling, which I think I bored people with on Kerry's blog on Tuesday. Haha! (The homeschooling, not the book writing! What could be boring about book writing?!) I hang with a group who refer to ourselves as the "heathen homeschoolers" because we don't homeschool for religious reasons. Just feisty maverick types, I guess.

In addition to everything else, you home school! Has that experience colored how you approach writing
for kids? is there a unit on writing kids' books you teach your own kids?

My younger son claims he hated my poetry unit, but everyone else in our homeschool coop said they liked it -- so there! (One mom told me her son said, "Mrs. Norman makes it not boring." High praise!!) But my son claims to hate poetry in general, so I guess it's nothing personal. I've learned a lot and refreshed me memory about great writers and poets while teaching them. Have also had fun devising my own lesson plans.

Oddly enough, I have taught my kids very little of the mechanics of writing. I write and speak MOSTLY grammatically, and so do my kids. So I don't see any point in boring them with the name of a particular clause. I think that takes the fun out of language. My older son struggled with both reading and writing when he was little, back before I started homeschooling. I'm not saying that homeschooling fixed that. I think he just had to have time to absorb things that came more quickly to others. But once he got it, off he went! Suddenly he started writing novels at 14 or so. I was so astonished by that development that I tried not to interfere. Didn't want to break something that felt so fragile!!

Imagine you could create the perfect experience that would combine both your singing and song writing
talents, plus your talent as an author. What would it be?

Oh gosh, wouldn't that be fun? To write a musical and make MOI the star?! (And don't forget, there would be lots of tap dance breaks in the middle of the songs!) But it could never happen. Number one, I'm a little old to be Shirley Temple. (More like Norma Desmond!) And number two, writing and producing a whole play, not to mention a musical, would take me until the rest of my days! My home theater is sponsoring a one-act playwriting competition right now. Several people have asked me if I'm going to submit something, but I just don't consider myself a playwright. It's a whole 'nother skill-set.

You have your first book just out and one to follow before too long. Any hints as to what you are working
on now? PB? MG? Or--what would you LIKE to work on?

I do have something I simply MUST get back to before summer's end. A humorous rhyming picture book for which you suggested a marvelous title yourself, Barb! (Babies Schmabies.) One of my editors has seen it and thinks it has potential, but would like me to work further on it before she tries to take it to acquisitions. And there are always dozens of other half-finished or need-to-be-revised stories in all my notebooks!

If you really could be a "pet-for-hire" as the family members are in Jack of All Tails are, what
kind of pet would you be? Personally, I would be a lap dog.

Oh what a fun question! I think I'd be a cat, because cats aren't expected to DO anything for anyone. Plus they're small so they can creep into shadowy nooks and crannies. My kitty who died recently used to tickle me with all the places he found to hide.

Can I pay you to compose a song to, ahem, address the "pleasure" of book reviews? And while you are
thinking about that, and before you tell me how much it will cost, how come you can sing so well, and I
can't carry a tune to save my life? Tell me, Huh?

Oh I wouldn't say that, Barb! With a little wine in you, I'll bet you sing like lark! I do make one snide reference to reviewers in my Santa Baby parody, but I'm looking for just the right inspiration to write a whole SONG about mean reviewers. I'm betting I'll be PLENTY inspired as soon as my first bad review comes in for Jack!!

Thanks for having me over, Barb. It's always fun to party with you!!

And the fact of the matter is, Kim, is that I don't get enough of a chance to party with YOU. So I have to settle for the on-line stuff.

Thanks much for stopping by! See ya this summer, I hope.

Check out Kim's other interviews:

With Elizabeth O. Dulemba on Monday
Dotti Enderle's blog on Tuesday
Kerry Madden's blog on Wednesday
Karen Lee's blog on Friday
Ruth McNally Barshaw's blog on Saturday

More studios...

I am sharing some more work spaces...and I still have others in the log ready to roll...

PLUS: I am getting ready to "out" myself as the sloppy artist I am...that will come up soon.

Anyway, here are the studios/workspaces of Dotti Enderle, Janee Trasler, and John Nez.

Author Dotti Enderle, of "the Fortune Tellers Club and many other books, has a serious looking "I am getting down to business" space!

Dotti's workspace looks nicely tame, yet I can see that there is "focus" to her work area, which is probably why she can really turn books out like there is no tomorrow!

My author/illustrator friend Janee Trasler's work area looks damn neat by my standards, too! Hey, Janee! I thought you said "messy." Pooh on that! This is quite organized and professional looking. And look: nothing on the floor! You can actually walk on the floor!

Books on a shelf , looking like books on a shelf should look!

Gotta love those nicely colored storage boxes!

Fianlly, author /illustrator John Nez offers up a different approach. I like that cozy corner, John. I am the opposite of claustrophobic, myself. Put me in a tiny space, I say. And close it up. So that cozy corner looks mighty inviting to me!

Clutter, he says. What clutter?

And catch the nice print out on John's printer...

I have to laugh that these people who sent me their images as though they REALLY thought they were cluttered or messy.

HA! They ain't seen nuttin' yet...

Guess I will have to show mine, or at least part of mine, soon.....

Studio Tour continues...

Got to get back to showing those studios (and don't forget to click on the photos to see bigger shots).

Today I show you the studio of designer, author and illustrator Gail Maki Wilson who is living in an area that I LOVE: Arizona. Her blog, BTW, is called Through the Studio Door. How appropriate!

First she invites us in with this lovely outside shot:

And then we get to see inside, where the magic happens:

And last, another side of the room:

Gail, very nicely shared this thought with me about her work space:

"What I love, what inspires me about my studio, is the light and the view. But what makes that so cool is my husband and I built it ourselves! Yup, from the ground up. So I got to put all the windows right where I wanted them. I get light from every direction except the one us desert dwellers don't want windows on, the west."

And she also has some more shots on her own blog about the studio bookcase, clearing things up, and at the start of the blog.

Thanks, Gail! I'm moving in....

Next up on the studio tour...Don Tate II

My next tour guest is Don Tate II, illustrator and also soon to be author, from Austin , Texas. Don sent me to his blog post that showed his studio.

First off, I like that Don is working standing up. When I was a puppeteer and dollmaker, THAT is how I worked--on my feet all the time. Somehow I can't do that anymore, although seeing Don makes me want to give it the old college try. At least I should make an attempt at standing when I work in real paint as opposed to working digitally. We'll see. I'll keep you posted. I was much younger when I worked that way.....

In the top photo of Don hard at work, I am beginning to see evidence of some clutter. Thank God! It makes my heart warm just to see those loose papers! Elizabeth's studio in my last post was so very neat, I was beside myself with self doubt.

And then, in the next photo, I am practically gleeful! THIS is getting a little closer to the way I work--although Don is still neater. What I find funny is that even in the middle of a cluttered studio, hard at work, everything is, well, color coordinated! It's all TRES CHIC in black and white!

0ne thing I want to know: what are those trophies for?

Messy and not-so-messy studio and workspace tour continues...

I am happy to continue the tour I began last week by presenting the studio of Elizabeth O. Dulemba.

I would almost be tempted to not show this great studio because is is so bright and neat and lovely and organized. But, in the interest of those like myself, we all need to see that great work can be produced in spaces that do not fly in the face of organization. In fact, great things can actually be born in spaces that could likely appear in the best decorating magazines.

For example, the books on the book shelves actually stand the ways books on bookshelves are supposed to stand--up and down. Not mine. I take them down and then stick them back in any way they will fit. And even the Elizabeth's shoes lie neatly together near her chair. Unlike mine, which seem to insist on a legal separation, headed towards divorce, each in separate counties.

And then there is the "hang up section" on the wall in front of her. It is attractive and colorful and perpendicular. My own bulletin board? Nothing can be said to be hung with even a passing thought to a plumb line.

Finally--the floor. The floor has nothing on it! Nothing except the things that are supposed to be there! What a unique concept!

On my floor there are things that you would expect--like papers and pencils and pens--and there are things which might suggest the presence of small animals...

Thanks, Elizabth for sharing your space and possibly inspiring me to be more normal!

More to come this week....

WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!

Inspired by the interviews I have been doing, and the blog tour I am on this week myself (more about that tomorrow), I want to take this time to announce THE FIRST EVER SLOPPY STUDIO AND WORK SPACE TOUR!

Here's the deal: Whether you are a writer or illustrator send me a picture of your work space. Even if it is not sloppy, email it anyway. We will forgive you your neatness.

What I am showing you here is the masterpiece of a painting studio used by the late Francis Bacon. His studio itself was considered to be such a work of art that it was relocated to a permanent space just so that it should be appreciated for years to come. Just so you should not feel emabarrassed by a little clutter, of course.

What I am looking for is a glimpse into YOUR space where the magic happens and you lose yourself in your creativity. Feel free to take special angle shots, share gems of inspiration, or just WOW us all with how perfect your space is, and why we should be jealous. That is OK. Feel free to brag about it.

Why? Because I am a voyeur of sorts. I love to see work spaces and studios. And I know that other people do, too. So get flashy.

You show me yours and I'll show you mine.

Later this week I will begin sharing more of the pictures I get, and I wil continue to do it as long as people send them to me. I might make it a weekly feature.

SO STEP RIGHT UP! Strut your stuff--I mean studio.

Oh, and pets are welcome--house trained, or not.

Send those House and Garden shots to this email: cnjstudio@yahoo.com

Ruth Mcnally Barshaw was nice enough to send me hers for her interview. And here are the first shots from author Kim Norman. She says this: "I like to call it 'a study in dust.' " (she only says that because she hasn't seen mine yet)

Next up will be the studio of author/illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba.

A Closer Look at Ruth McNally Barshaw

I am thrilled once again to be a stopover on a blog tour. This week I have as my guest the stupendous Ruth McNally Barshaw, artist and author, who has her first book just hitting the shelves this month: Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen Will Travel.

I got to know Ruth somewhat over the years as we connected here and there over shop talk on line, on this listserv and that one, before meeting her in the flesh in the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York. This year’s conference was especially nice--I got to spend some real time getting to know Ruth up close and personal, and I especially loved watching her whip out that sketchbook in different locales all weekend long. I even looked over her shoulder.

In fact, I blogged about her fervent record keeping not long after I got back from New York. She was sketching at Bar Nine, and at the Art Showcase and in the bar (oops! Did I admit that we were in the hotel bar?) and between guest speakers, and also every other time I saw her. Make sure to take a look at her sketchbook from this past February in NY. Rumor has it she was even at work in the ladies room, but far be it from me to ever spread any silly gossip like that...

So if you happen to catch Ruth in New York next year or at another venue, keep an eye out--you may end up in her journal! Speaking of that journal, it’s posting online a couple of years ago is what led to her remarkable success story. As far as I am concerned, being true to who you are and what you enjoy doing will never fail you as an artist. Ruth is a classic living example of that mantra.

Nosey head that I am, I had a few questions I was wondering about...

Ellie McDoodle goes on some camping trip! So tell us--how much camping you either do now, did as a kid or were subjected to over the years against your will...

Hahahhaha I've done my share of camping in the mud, camping while 8 months pregnant or with new babies, camping during horrible thunderstorms that I was sure would take down the tree next to me.

We camped a lot when I was a kid. I wanted to relive those glory days (my dad, a National Guardsman and camping afficionado, was a wonderful man) so I camped a lot when I first got married. Now I only camp about once or twice a year, family reunions. Though I want to take all of my kids out West, camping. My favorite thing in the world is to do road trips, stopping at small grocery stores for picnic lunches, and eating in parks or at roadsides. Camping lends itself well to that, although I could be persuaded to sleep in a real bed.

How does your family react to what you do? And are they represented in any way in your first book or making their guest appearances in the next?

They love it. They weren't entirely supportive at the beginning (oh, geez, yet another of Mom's weird ideas...) but they are, now. Ellie is mostly me but she's also each of my kids. My two older daughters are rolled into one character, Risa. My son is Josh, Ellie's brother. My grandson is Ben-Ben (although he's a bit of my second daughter, too). Each of them has a bigger role in the second book, and we also meet new friends for Ellie.

My kids rolled their eyes at Risa's name; my oldest is Lisa. But I knew a Risa in high school! It's a legitimate name! My son's name is Joey. I suppose I could have gotten more creative on those two names.

Don't tell anyone, but Deanna in the book is based on a girl named Deanna from my childhood. She scared
the bejeebers out of me. I had nightmares about her, growing up.

Describe your typical work day and your work environment. What gets your juices flowing?

It varies. My studio needs a good makeover. I've scheduled one for this summer. I don't work as often in there as I used to because it doesn't have the right energy in it. My computer's in there, but I draw and write in other places where it's more comfortable.

I was actively avoiding drawing in the studio until you asked these questions and I had to confront the situation. Thank you -- now I am moving on and working on a solution. Eventually I will be proud of my studio again.

My coolest achievement as far as workspace is my big metal board with my manuscript on it. I use magnets and clips to hold it all in place, and the board is portable. I take it to wherever my family is (or sometimes wherever they are NOT). It works very well on the couch or at thedining room table or outside under a tree.

A typical day... I wake up late (because I stayed up too late the night before. Or, actually, too late into the
wee hours of the morning...). Tackle part of the email mountain, research, and play spider solitaire while waiting for websites to open. Lunch at my desk. Work til the kids get home from school. Sometimes go to meetings, kid events, or writer group gatherings after school, in the evening or, like today, all day (field trip today). Sometimes I'm working like crazy on a deadline and I only half listen to whomever is talking at my studio door.

They're on to me and they resent that. My kids feel I don't spend enough time on them. They worry that I might love the book more than I love them. You and I both know that's preposterous, but this balancing act isn't easy.

If you could rewind the clock, is there something you would have done differently before this point or wished you had done?

A million things. I did almost everything wrong.

I wish I had followed up on Richard Peck's suggestion 16 years ago when he gave me his editor's contact info and suggested I get in touch with her, to get published. But I wasn't ready for it.

I also wish I hadn't talked myself out of publishing, 20 years ago. I thought Shel Silverstein, Tomie dePaola
and Dr. Seuss had done everything I would want to do with books, and that there was no room for my voice.Sigh.

I wish I had more self confidence earlier on, I wish I hadn't let myself get beaten down with angst.I wish I'd gotten my degree at Michigan State instead of attending for 8 years and having nothing to show. I wish I'd been more honest, more wise, more self-aware, less anxious. I wish I'd kept playing tennis.

But maybe all that is what made me the sagging, bagging bundle of insecurities I am today, and maybe
it improves my writing. Please don't tell me it doesn't.

What comes first in Ellie--the sketches or the text? Or are they evolving at the same time?

At the same time. I just draw and write from start to finish. Usually a finished page pops into my head as I start it. Sometimes I have to redraw it a couple times to get the right angle, or to fit everything in. I'm doing something different for Book 2: I am drawing in pencil, because the deadline is very tight and I have to constantly go back and forth among pages, adding things, switching things, putting in different words.
It's easier to do that with pencil than pen. With Book 1, I was carefree and just drew from page 1 to page 128 without worries. At revisions time I did pencils, switching things around and modifying pages. With Book 2 I am building the revisions stage into the first draft stage because of the looming deadlines.

Can you tell us about some other characters you are cooking up for future projects?

I'm so excited about the future projects! I pitched an idea to my agent at a recent conference (just sitting around chatting, what do you do? Talk business, of course) and she liked it a lot. It needs a little tweaking; I have all the ideas in my head and just need to commit them to paper, hoping to do that in the next couple weeks.

The character is a cheeky, creative problem-solving girl, age 6, who comes up with inventive solutions for
a problem with the school play. She's the type who doesn't look before she leaps, and so she leads the
poor teacher through a bit of angst before things get put right in the third act. I'm especially excited about this because this story went through two incarnations before becoming what it is now. I didn't submit it anywhere, but now with a all the added humor I think it's going to be a fun book to work on. My first job is to get the look of the character just right.

A friend of mine wrote what can easily be turned into a graphic novel for younger kids, with two hilarious and very well-developed animal characters.

I thought I'd lost my chance to work on that project, because another illustrator was being considered for it as a different sort of book. But now it looks like I might have a shot at it, and I'm very excited about that. The writing is so crisp. I know kids will adore this book. If I get to illustrate it, I will feel lucky. There's a bit left to do with Ellie first, though. So we'll see what happens.

There are hints of other projects on the horizon. One is a boy character that is begging for a story. He'll have to be patient and wait his turn, though. :)

Make sure to check out the other stops on Ruth's Blog Tour:

Elizabeth O. Dulemba
Dotti Enderle
Karen Lee
Kim Norman
Alan Gratz
Greg. R. Fishbone

BLOG TOUR: Dotti Enderle!

Today it is my pleasure to be the last stop on the blog tour of author Dotti Enderle! Recently, I have had the pleasure of getting to know a little bit about Dotti, thanks to a few listservs we are both members of, and I have to admit to being totally wowed by her energy and productivity! One of her recent picture books is Granny Gert and the Bunion Brothers, illustrated by Joe Kulka, my last blog tour guest and good buddy of long standing. The world of children's books really is a small one, you know?

Many of you already know Dotti as the author of the successful series, "The Fortune Tellers Club." But, as though that were not enough, she also has written several picture books, with more coming down the pike.

Other stops on Dotti's tour this week:

Karen Lee
Elizabeth O. Dulemba
Ruth Mcnally Barshaw
Kim Norman

EDITED TO ADD: Joe Kulka just posted one more interview with Dotti! Check it out at his blog.

So I guess I am not the last stop after all!

Personally, what I would really love is to sit down with Dotti and a bottle of wine and actually get to know her in person, close up. I want to hear all the details about all her journeys and see the needle on my extra-energy-meter start quivering. How does she do it all? Where does all the get-up-an-go come from? Maybe I'll get the chance to find out at a conference or the next Library Association event. In the meantime, we get at least a little inside info from her tour...

Can you give us some background into what it is like to become a professional story teller?

I discovered my talent for storytelling back in 1993 while working part-time for a local preschool. I soon became the school’s enrichment coordinator, and four mornings a week, I went from room to room for thirty-minute sessions, entertaining the kids with stories, songs, and puppets. I enjoyed it so much I joined the Houston Storytellers Guild, entered storytelling competitions, and began getting hired to tell stories at libraries, schools, and festivals. It’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and even as an author, I still incorporate storytelling into my school presentations.

I would love to hear about that "Aha!" moment when you sat down to write your first book.

The first book or the first published book? My first published book was The Lost Girl, Book One of my Fortune Tellers Club series. My “Aha!” moment came when my oldest daughter and her friends pulled out the Ouija board at a sleepover, reminding me of my own childhood, my best friends and me asking the Ouija board questions about our future. I suddenly snapped to the idea of three tween girls solving mysteries with different forms of divination. And I knew from the first sentence that it would result in a series.

Is there something specific from your childhood that is especially relevant to what you do now?

I can’t pinpoint any specific event that led me to become an author, but every children’s author brings much of their own childhood to their books. In my upcoming book, Man In The Moon, I draw on the year my family lived on a small farm. Through the entire writing process I visualized that farm as the setting of the book, including an old flatbed truck full of junk that had been abandoned on the property next to ours. The main character, Janine, shares many the hopes and dreams I had at her age.

Please give us a peek into the life of an author with a successful series in print.

I wish I could tell you how glamorous, enriching, and life-changing it has been, but the truth is, I spend half the day in my jammies, tend to laundry first, and still have to plunge the toilet occasionally. I do get lots of fun fan mail, more invitations to speak at schools and conferences, and am now spending as much time dealing with the business of writing as with the writing itself.

Play Fortune Teller and tell me where Dotti Enderle will be in five years.....

Truthfully, I’ve never been able to predict my own future, but I hope to be doing the same thing I’m doing now…turning out fun books for kids, like my newest picture book, Grandpa for Sale. I have so many more books left to write, and hopefully in five years a few of them will have made their way into print.