SCBWI

I'm all registered for the 9th Annual Winter Conference on Writing and Illustrating for Children on Feb 8th-10th. I haven't been to this particular conference, but if it's anything like ICON, it'll be well worth it. On Friday, there is an Illustrator's Intensive Session with several breakout sessions. I got a letter today with my selected group leaders:

-Wendy Loggia from Delacorte Press and Moll O'Neill from HarperCollins

That's two of the biggest publishing houses!!!

I'm very psyched for this. Apparently, people walk out of this conference with book deals. Doesn't get much better than that!

kegpics.shutterfly.com

For your viewing pleasures, I've uploaded a shared photo album powered by Shutterfly. Feel free to view, download, contribute to, comment on, and upload your own pictures to the album! I'll be keeping all my pictures on this album from now on, so visit after every major event or weekend. :)

Just click on the link below:

"You Don't Know Me"

Nobody has questioned my art work since my college days when Sr. Cor Immaculata wanted to know the reason behind every piece in my portfolio. So when he asked me what the deal was with the "You Don't Know Me" drawing on my website, I got a chill. I know, I know. But, really...when someone asks why you drew what you drew, it means something. It means that that person was struck by your drawing. It means that person actually took the time to look deeper then the surface of the picture. I often like to bounce my drawings off of people as I'm drawing them. A not so sensitive person once said to me, "Why do you want me to look at your drawings? Do you need my approval or something?" No, dick, I don't need your approval, just a little feedback. Does it evoke any feeling? That's what art is meant to do. Sure, some art is meant to be private, only for the artist, but most isn't. And since college, I haven't really been able to bounce it off anyone. I guess I asked the wrong person that night.
So what's with the "You Don't Know Me" drawing? I saw him on the train one night. I was feeling pretty low and I looked at this guy. He looked how I felt. We made eye contact and shot each other the same look - the "You Don't Know Me" look, the "What Are You Looking At" look, the "My Day Was Worse Then Yours" look. (It's a great defense mechanism when you make accidental eye contact with a stranger in the city.) Immediately our eyes averted and I just had to draw the eye contact we held for that brief moment, because I did know him. I knew what he was feeling without exchanging words. Am I looking at this too deeply? Maybe, but sometimes looking too deeply at things is what drives my art. It's just who I am.

Where?

For the past month I've been working on an assignment for one of my old roommates. She's attending masters classes at Pratt Institute. In her class, she has been grouped to work on a book design project. Her group choose to deisgn an Airport Activity book for adults to help pass the time. Being Graphic Design majors, none of them can really draw. So she called upon her favorite illustrator - yours truely. ;-)
My job was to create the "Where's the TSA Agent?" page. Modeled from the well-known "Where's Waldo?" series, I had to draw an airport scene filled with activity with a TSA agent hiding among the crowd. After filling an 8"x8" square with 96 people, I thought I was through! I sent the Jpeg of the colored drawing and I got a email back - they loved it! Just what they were looking for. They also sent a list of additons, for example, "Suspicious trash with drug dogs smelling it & police cornering it off...maybe some CAUTION tape, Prissy woman in high heels carrying nothing....being followed by her husband carrying ALOT of luggage, College student w/big laundry bag and a sweatshirt from "Univeristy of somewhere"?". Aghh! I love my old roomie, but I'm getting awfully tired of drawing teeny tiny travelers with their itty bitty suitcases. I also got a 2 week extension. You can see the first draft on my website: www.karengilmour.com. I really shouldn't complain, I am actually enjoying it.

Busy Being Important

It's been awhile since I last wrote, but I have been busy - between working full time (plus the commute), doing my side "for hire" jobs, soccer, yoga, my new man. And amongst all that, I found time to be important. Check it out...my company wrote an article to recognize my accomplishments and my speed at which I've been climbing the ladder. I know, I'm amazing.

Career Path
Karen Gilmour Draws From Her Talents to Create a Fulfilling Career

Karen Gilmour sat quietly in the café drawing popular children’s book characters. In just a few hours, thirty to forty children would arrive at her store to color Karen’s creations. The picture of the day would depend on the day’s Storytime theme. “I’ve drawn everything from Fancy Nancy to Harry Potter for Storytimes. Before the morning meetings, I’d sketch a quick doodle of the character and by the end of the meeting, I’d have thought of ways to polish it for the children to take home as refrigerator masterpieces,” reflects Karen.

The kids and parents knew her as “Ms. Karen, The Storytime Lady,” and Karen enjoyed the moniker. That was three years ago, when she was the CRM of Store 2946 in Clark, NJ. Her job combined her passion for books with her greater passion for drawing. (A gifted artist, Karen is the illustrator of the children’s “I Am Your Playground” series.) Today, she uses her many talents in the Gift Department at the Home Office, which she finds her most intriguing position yet with our company.

Karen joined Barnes & Noble after graduating from Marywood University in 2003 with a degree in Illustration. She started out as a bookseller at Store 2162 in Edison, NJ, and continually progressed to new and challenging positions through the years. Her constant energy and interest in the job motivated her and led her to more responsibilities. S.F., Store manager of Store 2946, says, “Karen is a quick learner and extremely energetic. While she was here, her customer service skills developed greatly – I noticed she was able to handle tough situations that most booksellers normally shy away from.”

In her current position as department coordinator, Karen is responsible for assisting the gift buyers, coordinating department alerts for e-Planner, helping stores with their gift needs, and setting up displays for in-store promotions and Visual Merchandising Standards publications. T.P., The director of gift merchandising, says, “When it comes to planning and setting up gift fixtures, I make sure Karen is involved because she has a thorough understanding of stores’ workload since she came from the stores. She’s also been able to help others who haven’t worked in the field understand the stores’ needs.”

Now, on any given day, you can find Karen viewing new products and arranging them into gift displays for upcoming promotions, while using her visual and creative background to make them aesthetically pleasing to customers. Karen says, “I’ve been able to combine what I learned on the floor with what I’ve gathered in the Home Office to understand what our customers want. We strive to make their store visit an experience rather than just an errand.”

Karen advises booksellers who want to grow with the company: “Learn as much as you can, ask questions, and take everything in stride. Most importantly, find passion in what you are doing and enjoy it.” What’s next for Karen? She’s still sketching that out, but it will most certainly, she says, “involve Barnes & Noble gift products… maybe some of my own designs someday.”

Don't you wish sometimes you were making a difference? I do.

I recently read an article in Dwell Magazine about the Creative Growth Gallery. It is a studio and gallery that works with artists of physical and mental disabilities. Their belief is that "art is a universal means of expression, and one that people with disabilities could use to communicate and contribute to society". They recently held a show in California without any text on the walls next to the artist's works. The reason was because the show was mixed with art done by professionals. Visitors had no idea which work was done by the disabled and which was done by educated artists. The point of the show? Does it matter who made what? Is there a difference?
There is a quote in the article from the director of the gallery that really made me think...she points out that "For any creative person, there are artificial rule about when you can call yourself an artist-the moment you're comfortable identifying yourself as one is a big deal."
Unless you're an artist and you've gone through the feeling she is talking about yourself, you may not understand. Being an artist and feeling this accomplishment myself, I know it is a big deal. Knowing that you can be someone who can bring that feeling to someone who may be too often shun by the world, must be an amazing feeling. I give Jennifer Strate O'Neal a lot of credit for doing what she does and for all the accomplishments that come with it.

J.M.

Before today, I've seen his name and read his achievements, just like all of the other artists who worked with us for this particular program. In one of the reviews he said, “The idea of working on an authentic ‘real-life’ project with a large-scale client seemed overwhelming at first, but that is what made it so attractive. Having an opportunity like this encourages students to explore creative avenues in order to find out what may or may not work in real life.”
When I met him today, I was in awe. Really. I don't know what exactly it was that kept me thinking about him all day, but I did. Maybe I was partially jealous of his confidence in his art. Maybe I was jealous that he is persuing his passion. Maybe I was just attracted to his smile and his stature. Maybe I was flattered by the way he got slightly flustered when making small talk with me. I could've stood there all day making small talk with him. Instead, I'll just continue sketching in the journal he designed.

Headlock

Looks like I'll be staying in my current position a little bit longer. Not what I ultimately wanted, but I will get more experience, which is good. I'm young and not looking to change companies, so I've got some time. I did wind up getting a promotion and raise (coincidentally?!) on Friday. Thank you.
I'll have to depend on self-discipline to get my art in. While I would love for it to be my full time job, I know what I have to do to keep myself happy and creatively stimulated. I tend to get crabby and restless when I don't regularly utilize my right-brain.

Eh, now on to looking for my next distraction, I guess.

New Position. Maybe?

Wikipedia defines a Designer as "a broad term for a person who designs any of a variety of things. That usually implies the task of creating or of being creative in a particular area of expertise. It is frequently used to reference someone who draws or in some ways uses visual cues to organize their work. Designers are usually responsible for making a model that takes into consideration each step in a product's development, including not only how a product will be used but also how it will be made."
I studied Illustration in hopes to one day become an Illustrator, which Wikipedia defines as "a graphic artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicated concepts or objects that are difficult to describe textually, or the illustration may be intended for entertainment."
Although it often feels like I'm not an Illustrator because I'm not currently illustrating for a living, I am published. At times I have to remind myself that that is a huge accomplishment. I know it's not my best work, but it is out there and people are buying it. So, I have to be proud. I'm an Illustrator.
When I don't utilize my creative side, I become very frustrated. I didn't actually realize it until I started working behind a desk. I've recently resorted to the art of decorating my cube with stickers. There is a sticker on my computer from my "I heart the Office" sticker set that says "I heart Spreadsheets". One on my name plate that says "I heart my Cube".

If I didn't entertain myself, I'd probably lose my mind. In the beginning I found ways to sketch everyday - the building across the street, the people in the park on my lunch break, sites from the bus window, the vice president sitting across the conference table from me in a meeting (he kept that one and hung it in his office). I haven't found time to do that as often as I have taken on more responsibility in the office, working lunches, and heavy power naps during the commute. I fear I may lose my impulsive artistic side to whip out my Moleskine and sketch freely, so I must do something about this.
Coincidentally, a position became available in my office and I was recommended for it. It becomes available in September and I'm going to apply tomorrow. It would be a great opportunity for me to utilize my degree and keep my creative juices flowing. I'm quite excited about it, but I don't want to get my hopes up. Disappointment and I don't get along well. So, keep your fingers crossed for me. Wouldn't "Designer" look great after my name?

The Rules.

Do this. Don't do that. Go to school. Pay attention. Sit up straight. Get a job. Go to work. Be professional. Speak clearly. Be a leader. Don't stand out. Don't cross your legs. Use a napkin. Color inside the lines. Fold the clothes. Wash the dishes. Lower your voice. Say please. Say thank you. Hold in your stomach. Get up early. Wear sunscreen. Floss. Act your age. Recycle. Don't complain. Turn it down. Don't run with scissors. Follow directions. Take your vitamins. Look both ways. Go to bed. Don't cry. Don't go to bed angry. Wash your hands. Walk the dog. Count calories. Say you're sorry. Respect your elders. Don't talk with food in your mouth. Don't make a scene. Follow the rules. Don't complain. Vote. Play fair. Tell the truth. Share. Don't interrupt. Hold the elevator. Stop, drop, and roll. Don't swear. Don't kiss on the first date. Don't judge. Wear make-up. Slow down. Comb your hair. Condition. Keep secrets. Keep smiling. Don't foul. Say excuse me. Carry exact change. Say cheese. Take a hike. Make your bed. Feed the fish. Buckle up. Enjoy the ride. Dream big. Take it easy. Laugh out loud. Wander. Lay in the sun. Speak up. Sleep in. Follow your heart. Be real. Be yourself. Live a little.