Boogie Woogie

Happy Friday

Remember to shake your groove thing this weekend!

xo, A

Hey You!

with love, your neighborhood pals. 

File this year under shameless self promotion.

Here is a selection of some of my favorite Valentines

by, you guessed it, me :)

It came to my attention that, again and again,

I paint one animal giving another candy and/or flowers.

I guess I like the idea of hesitation on the part of the giver

and the utter surprise expressed by the object of their affection.

for me?

little ole me?

me? grazie

what,  me? meow...

Sometimes the message is sweet & simple

and sometimes it's more ambiguous 

but, it's always meant with love :)

Sunny & Chanel have not been produced as a stationery set,

 but they remain cheery and hopeful!

Venice, I love you!

Friends, I love you!

Family, I love you!

Animals, I love you!

I hope that's always clear. 

:::

May you all have a super fun Valentine's Day,

whether it's a romantic candle lit dinner

or a snack-filled extravaganza in front of the TV, 

Enjoy :D

xoxo, A

Margaret writes for Vanity Fair

Photograph by Jacek Nowak/Alamy

Vanity Fair's March 2013 Hollywood Issue, not only showcases

a fabulous photo spread by Bruce Weber, but

more importantly, includes an article by my good friend,

Margaret Heidenry.

When the Spec Script was King is a fascinating look at

the changing practices of  how the film business acquires content.

"Monday mornings in Hollywood used to mean something.

Back in the 1990s- before the weekend box office was entirely

dominated by sequels, prequels, movies based on board games, 

and other pre-sold "franchises" -- Monday mornings were when 

original screenplays hit the auction block, and here's how it

used to happen" : Click Here :^)

Here, Margaret delights in some fresh beef jerky ;)

Margaret has sold more than one screenplay, herself 

and has experienced first hand the ups and downs 

of the movie business. 

It's fun for me to see her journalistic side and I love VF magazine. 

I envy that she had the chance to interview William Goldman, 

the writer of one of my favorite movies,

"All the President's Men" and the Oscar winning, 

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", which helped create the 

then new  business model - write first, then sell.

There were some very exciting times for writers

before franchise films and playing it safe became the norm.

The audience definitely benefited, despite a dud slipping through

every now and again.

Will the spec script rise again?

I hope so.

Congratulations again to a wonderful talented funny lady!

Take a look at the article or, better yet,

go out and buy it. It's a Collector's Issue :D

xo,

A

Happy Friday

Happy Friday

Stay safe & warm and dance when you get a chance!

xo,

A

For the love of SCBWI and looking for lost treasure

It is very important to find just the right thing to wear when 

you are preparing to become a fit and healthy bun, like me.

As you can see, I'm ready for anything!

Well, I'm off ...

Yoga Bun is a young bun, set on getting in shape and in touch

with the Infinite Universe.

We play together.

We eat treats together.

We read together.

We ride together.

We're best friends.

Blast Off

Who do you think you are?

Hey, up here!

Now what...

These are character studies for animals 

who would like to star in  their own children's books.

They've been pestering me for weeks and 

months to flesh them out, create "style guides"

and the like. 

I've promised that one day each of them will 

find their way into one or two or hopefully 1000 

picture books for kids. 

Nothing is certain, 

but without hope, you're lost, right?

I attended the SCBWI Conference last weekend

with my lovely friend, illustrator, Yuko Katakawa. 

I also had a chance to see Joyce Hesselberth, a friend from VCU.

She and her husband, David Plunkert, run Spur Design 

in Baltimore and sell art prints (predominantly) for kids. 

Both do stellar work. It's great to know people doing 

what they truly love!

Bunny Valentine print available @ Society 6

The conference renewed my faith in the business and has 

inspired me to make something happen this year.

No, I did not win the portfolio showcase, nor 

did I win a simple door prize, but

I did enjoy fabulous speakers like Meg Rossof, Mo Willems, Shaun Tan

and Julie Andrews, yes that one, 

with her daughter, 

Emma Walton Hamilton. Oh, and the man who put 

the "I" in SCBWI, Tomie dePaola was there this year!

I had no idea just how brilliant Shaun Tan was until

seeing his presentation, nor how many series of books

Julie Andrews and her daughter had written.

The 1st series was illustrated by Julie's ex husband,

the renowned production designer, Tony Walton.

I was aware of how funny Mo Willems is,

but it sure was fun to be reminded!

I chose "breakout" sessions with creative directors,

Patrick Collins of Henry Holt and 

Isabel Warren-Lynch of Random House Kids.

I wish one-on-one critiques were offered, 

but with 999 members in attendance, it would be tough

to get through them all in two days!

I'm not sure how many illustrators were there exactly, 

because SCBWI includes, not only writers of 

picture books, but also chapter and

young adult books.

:::

Despite meat locker temps in the Hyatt, it was a wonderful

experience overall. Stephen Mooser (President) and Lin Oliver,

(Executive Director) create an open friendly atmosphere

where illustrators and writers have an opportunity 

to meet each other, enjoy a cocktail or more

and feel a sense of community.

I'm even considering a trip to the LA conference in August,

you never know :)

Thanks for stopping by. 

xo, A