2014 Austin SCBWI Conference
As the Illustrator Coordinator for the SCBWI SWTX I was fortunate to get to join the faculty and other members of the Austin team for an evening hosted by The Writing Barn. It was a lovely evening and I got to share one of my cakelustrations with everyone.
Lulu was a rainbow swirl vanilla cake, buttercream frosting, gum-paste and fondant. I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed this colorful cake.
As I rushed out the door to the Austin SCBWI Conference, I forgot the most important piece to my auction donation, the character. I was so glad that my husband delivered the mouse for my typewriter cake because it was a big hit.
The first keynote was Matt de la Pena. He is the author of five acclaimed Young Adult novels.
Matt said, “you should put your head down and get into it, do what you do and you’ll be successful!”
He poised the question, “why is it that success is considered so much more important than the beautiful possibilities that exist before it?”
I took the illustrators track and listened to Laurent Linn and Kelly Murphy spoke about the collaboration between art directors and illustrators. It was nice to see the full process of the book take place from both points a view.
Kelly Murphy did the next keynote. Her illustrations are beautiful and give a real sense of the mood that she is trying to convey.
Laurent Linn did the afternoon break out on materials that illustrators use and how to market in what seems to be a sea of illustrators.
I had a portfolio review with Kelly Murphy and she gave me some really great tips for my own illustrations. She even said it would be interesting to see more of the element of cake in my illustrations. She is also looking forward to a story that would go along with my cakelustrations.
The next morning was the illustrator’s intensive. Kelly Murphy did the first session. We worked on character and the difference in how a character would be illustrated for different audiences. The more simpler the character the younger the audience.
Laurent Linn worked with us in the afternoon session. Some of the illustrators brought artwork for him to critique. Laurent had given a story for us to illustrate a spread from.
I wasn’t able to create anything because I was perfecting my portfolio. But here are a couple photos from the critique.
Laurent is talking about Amy Farrier’s piece.
And here is the book that the story came from.
A few more pictures from the conference:
Houston RA Vicki Sansum, and McCourt Thomas
Shelley Ann Jackson (ARA), Kelly Murphy, me, and Samantha Clark (RA)
Matt De La Pena, Laurent Linn, me, Larry Goode, and Jeff Crosby
Amy Farrier (IC), me, Lalena Fisher
Marsha Rita, Luz Marie, me and Patrice Barton
Amy Farrier, Melinda Beavers, Diandra Mae, Laurent Linn, Shelly Ann Jackson, me, Marsha Rita
I enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones.