Winter Wonders: A Seasonal Theme

Happy long night and short days Scribblers,

As I sit in my decoratively lit studio to work on illustrations and gaze out at the pines on the hill below I wonder about the year ahead. Right now the days are filled with rain, ice and snow and football. Soon relatives, festivities, food and fun will fill the days and tear us away from our silence and solitude of studio time. A good necessary thing to do from time to time.

What are your winter wonders? Take time and enjoy the season!
Lori Taylor
www.loritaylorart.com

DEADLINE:  Jan. 2013

Fall Fires

This  illustration I painted to accompany the poem: "Fall Fires"
by
Candace Pearson
For
Cricket Magazine
Oct. 2011

Happy Halloween!

Wishing everyone has a spooooky Halloween! :D

Things That Go BUMP in the Night! by Diana Magnuson

"Cooking Class" by Diana Magnuson
http://www.dianamagnuson.com/
dianamagnuson@charter.net 

"Snow White" by Diana Magnuson
http://www.dianamagnuson.com/
dianamagnuson@charter.net

Harvest Time Theme Extension!

"Old Woman who lived in a Shoe starts her day"
Copyright 2012 Lori Taylor
www.loritaylorart.com
loonwoman@gmail.com

"Down at the Pond" by Lori Taylor (mural panels)
www.loritaylorart.com
loonwoman@gmail.com

Here are my color sketches for a mural that I will be working on for the Pinckney Community Public Library later this year. It will be 27' feet long and wrap around the bookshelf tops. Nature and baby animals are always fun for kids. (with 3-D word overlay:  "read, wonder, learn!")

Harvest Time! Is the Scribbler Theme

Happy Harvest Time One and All!

You are cordially invited to dig out those almost finished, nearly finished illustrations and so-close-to-finished illustrations to post this month. Sometimes those works of art that sit and cook look pretty darn good when you pull them out again. Want to find out what went wrong with your "recipe"? Post it and ask questions.
Want to share your vision with others for a visual treat? Post it and wait for comments. It's Potluck time! Bring a dish of art to pass--your choice! Then after you find something good to post, have a treat and enjoy this Harvest month:

• Hug a sheep or a chicken for Farm Animal Day, Oct. 2nd!
• Say thank you eh! It's Canadian Thanksgiving Day, Oct. 8th!
• Shake a local farmer's hand and buy their fruit and veggies to celebrate Farmer's Day, Oct. 12th.
• Donate some food or money for World Food Day Oct. 16th.
• Don't forget National Candy Corn Day on the 30th for HALLOWEEN on the 31st!

Grab a pitchfork and Drop Everything and DRAW!
Lori Taylor
www.loritaylorart.com
loonwoman@gmail.com

Deadline:  Nov. 1

What I Did Last Summer: by Angie Kidd

Angie Kidd
AngelaJKidd@gmail.com
www.AngieKidd.com

My husband and I took a trip to Utah over the summer.  We visited Zion, Bryce Canyon, Escalante, and Capitol Reef.  Unfortunately, we didn't realize until we got there that it was also flash flood season!  This drawing is based on a photograph taken while hiking in Escalante.  We were searching for Spooky slot canyon, but somehow took a wrong turn and ended up in the dry fork canyon.  Most of the lizards we saw on the trip were a dull, brown color, but this one was as red as the rock it perched on.  We almost missed it!  We were amazed at its ability to climb walls. 

I also tried out a new medium for this sketch.  I applied a watercolor wash over the pencil drawing and then experimented with my new watercolor pencils.  I'm hooked on them! 

September Theme: What I Did Last Summer

www.loritaylorart.com

Happy End of Summer Vacation Month Scribblers...

Ah, Memories! Remember when:

• your teacher told your class to write an essay on the first day of school of what you did last summer?
• you had time to sit and read a book under a tree and sip lemonade?
• you last built a fort in the local woods and "lived" off the land?
• you last picked up a brush or pencil and drew for the fun of it?
• you took a day off to simply be and play?
• you spent a whole, entire day without using a cell phone, checking the internet or fiddling with other electrical devices--now that's really roughing it?

Every summer, I always hunt and gather ideas and images and fill my sketchbooks for autumn and winter projects. This capturing of movement, color, sight, smell and sound in images help jog my memory later and bring me back to that summery moment.  So by the time fall arrives, I am ready to hit the drawing board.

www.loritaylorart.com 

What did you do last summer? Did you try something wild and different? Did you find new art style or inspiration? A new medium? Did you discover a new experience or travel to a new and different place? Post what you did last summer here and share your memory. Time for show and tell, scribbler kids! 

Enjoy!

Lori Taylor
Pinckney, MI
www.loritaylorart.com
loonwoman@gmail.com

Deadline: Sept. 30

Dog Days of Summer: by Dana Atnip

The term the Dog Days of summer has roots in ancient Greece, and it refers to the months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere. The star Siruis, also known as the Dog Star, is found in the constellation Canis Major (Orion the Hunter's faithful hunting dog). It is the brightest star in the sky, second only to the sun. It was believed that the appearance of Sirius in the sky at sunrise during July and August added to the heat of the day, hence the Dog Days were the hottest days of the year. :-)

flyfishing

You may just hear the bugs buzzing in the ears

of a young fisherman...
with the river calmly swimming by.

Lori McElrath-Eslick
www.EslickART.com

August: Dog Days and Toady Nights

August heats up with cicada buzz, monarch butterfly mania, and the cricket creep. 

August, the month when that strange silence hums in your ears. The time that comes just before the sounds of school buses and and traffic choked roads. 

www.loritaylorart.com

The full August moon brings a screech owl serenade, clambering tree frogs, and bats flitting about as katydids-did. Ah, the dog days and toady nights. 

What will August whisper to you?

What do you see, hear, smell and feel in August?

Get up, get out and enjoy!

Lori Taylor

loonwoman@gmail.com

www.loritaylorart.com 

Deadline:  Aug. 31, 2012

SUMMER is here!! by Lori McElrath-Eslick

July Theme: Summer Vacation Fun

Happy July Busy Scribblers:

Congrats to Bradley Cooper on his S.C.B.W.I. Summer S.H.I.N.E. illustration mentorship win with Wendy Anderson Halperin. It sounded like a fun time, but I was too busy with my new book to go see for myself. Which brings me to there are so many good, busy and FUN things happening this month. Fourth of July, picnics, fireworks, vacations, booksignings, festivals and more. So let's share it with others.

This month's theme is Summer Vacation Fun:  Amusement Parks, Carnivals, Comic Events, Hot Air Balloon Festivals, Art Shows, Fish Boils (ew--gross, but Michigan has them) and more. OK, you get the idea. Take us on vacation! Take us on a colorful, summery get-away complete with popcorn, watermelon, balloons and ice cream!

Take time to enjoy and experience July!
Lori Taylor
loonwoman@gmail.com
www.loritaylorart.com

DEADLINE: July 31, 2012

Summer Reading Fun - Beth Rayner

"summer reading" and my art prize entry (part of it)

www.EslickART.com

Rough sketch - Chestnut character -"Vitamin A" - working out

Summer Reading Fun!

Hey and howdy Scribblers!

Coming this Summer!

School is almost out and it's time for Summer Reading Fun! Remember all the great books you read as a kid when school let out? Far-off lands, animal adventure, thrillers and chillers. What summer reading fun art or cover can you come up with?

While you're at it, don't forget to pamper yourself and feed your artistic inner child. Get out and participate in the Michigan State Park's Park & Read Program. Get out and read a good book under a grand tree in a hammock! www.michigan.gov/dnr 

Check out your local library for volunteer reading days or used book sales. Head on down, up, or over to your local Indie book store for a book and booksigning. Mark your calendar now to visit the Kids Read Comics event at the Ann Arbor District Library on July 7th & 8th.

Get inspired, get illustrating and get into Summer Reading!

Lori Taylor
Pinckney, MI
loonwoman@gmail.com
www.loritaylorart.com

DEADLINE:  June 30th

Picture Perfect / Lori McElrath-Eslick

www.EslickART.com

May's Theme- Picture (Book) Perfect!

Happy National Children's Book Week, May 7-13th! In honor of this week, this month's theme celebrates what we SCBWI-Michigan Illustrators do--children's books.

This month, post art you are working on, have finished, want feedback on, or whatever you like, that speaks volumes on your children's book. Picture book, graphic novel, chapter book or board. Covers in color or black and white spreads or spot illustrations. It's your choice, it's up to you, it's your book!

Bear Track Press. 2011
www.loritaylorart.com

This month, we illustrators (and writers) will once again get together at the SCBWI-MI Spring Conference in Grand Rapids to learn, share and network. I hope to see many of you there--I was a last minute sign-up myself and am so glad that I did with such talent showing up, Jim Di Bartolo and Brett Helquist, to give us Scribblers an inspirational pep talk.

Looking forward to seeing your Picture Perfect postings! (Deadline May 31, 2012)
Lori Taylor
Pinckney, MI

loonwoman@gmail.com
www.loritaylorart.com

Earth Day 2012 by: Dana Atnip

This is a piece that I illustrated many years ago; airbrush and gouache. I call it "One World". I wanted to depict how all animals are a part of our planet Earth. In retrospect, I guess I could have added a human!

Happy Earth Day 2012!

Dana Atnip
Dana@DanaAtnip.com
http://www.danaatnip.com

April is EARTH DAY! Month



Happy Spring Scribblers:

It's time for a change! Changing clocks, calendars, and Scribbler themes. It's time to open the window and let in the bird song, flower pollen, froggy sounds and toady trills to celebrate EARTH DAY!

I remember the very first EARTH DAY in 1970, I worked on art projects of endangered species in my 6th grade class. Wow! I had no idea that I would one day be doing this as an adult--writing and drawing to educate on the importance of a healthy environment to kids, adults and families.

This month, let your artwork speak for the TREES! Or post a crazy collection of BIRDS here to celebrate. After all, Draw a BIRD Day is April 8th. (check it out on Facebook) It'll be fun to see what we will get! What do you want to share in celebrating EARTH DAY?  The SKY is the limit!

www.loritaylorart.com art by Lori Taylor

Drop Everything and DRAW!
Deadline:  April 30, 2012

Lori Taylor
Pinckney, MI
loonwoman@gmail.com

Ocean by Dana Atnip

"Whale Song"

Dana Atnip
Dana@DanaAtnip.com
http://www.DanaAtnip.com

Ocean by Michelle Ouellette

RRRRRRRRR!

Michelle Ouellette | Ferndale, MI
www.seashelles.com

Ocean

Ocean
"play in the warm sand"
by Lori McElrath-Eslick

Play today!!
(with your art/writing)
www.EslickART.com

March is OCEANS Poetic Month!

Greetings All!
This month's Scribbler theme is "Oceans Poetic". After being chilled last month from the cool colors of Lori Eslick's amazing cross-country skier, I thought we could travel south and grab some waves and warm hues. I just returned from Florida where I had my kayak charged by a gator and hugged by a manatee and later this month I'll be off to whale watch in Virginia.

What are your oceanic experiences? Think warm, happy, colorful thoughts. Beaches of sand and surfers, diving pelicans and crashing waves--I can hear the gulls now.
Grab a towel and let's go!

Need to be inspired? Check out: http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/poems_ocean.html

Deadline for Oceans Poetic: March 31, 2012
Lori Taylor
Pinckney, MI
loonwoman@gmail.com
www.loritaylorart.com

By Lori Taylor    http://lori-loritaylorart.blogspot.com/

Moving right along by Lori McElrath-Eslick

Get MOVING! by Lori Taylor

"Adventure Art for Oakland County Parks"
by Lori Taylor
loonwoman@gmail.com
www.loritaylorart.com

Leaping Lizards, It's February!

Leapin' Lizards! It's time to change the Scribbler theme. I've been so busy, I forgot to change it. With 2012 being a leap year and this month having an extra day, I thought we would leap into things with our art. Our Theme: Get Moving!

February, the let down month after the holiday rush and settling back into routine. February, the month that can fly by or drag by, depending on how many projects or deadlines you have. February, the snowy, muddy sometimes blizzardy month that makes you crave green, more sunlight and ice cream.

So in order to fight the February "cabin fever" moments, our theme will have us leaping into spring (today is the official kickstart of spring and the official day of leaping Ground Hogs), leaping head over heels for Valentines, and leaping out of our seats to dubstep or disco (OK, maybe not)to get moving to work off the holiday indulgences.

Pick up your tools Scribblers and Get Moving! Spring will be here all too soon and after that, busy summer. Come to think of it, maybe February is the calm before the storm month, so let's enjoy! Create whatever moves you or gets you moving!

Leaping in to action!

Lori Taylor
loonwoman@gmail.com
www.loritaylorart.com

Theme: GET MOVING!
Deadline: March 1, 2012

"Unleashed"

The theme for last March 2011 was "Unleashed" and I'm a little behind.
This is what a newly grafted chestnut tree looks like within 3 weeks of these little scion pieces of wood, stuck in the sides of a cut off tree. If the graft takes, these huge leaves burst out and chances are, you have at least one or two of the grafts that took, and with some care, you will have a tree that produces what you want, just from this little twig, that eventually will over take. If none of the grafts take, you've just lost a tree/roots.

2012 Year of the Dragon

I would have loved to have been born in a dragon year; I was born in the Year of the Boar. *sigh* I am a dragon at heart, tho'! Here is my Year of the Dragon illustration! Happy Chinese New Year 2012!

Dana Atnip
http://www.danaantip.com

Tomie de Paola Contest Entry

Chicken Licken's proof that the sky is falling.

Kung Fu Derby Dragon!

This is a sketch that I did last year for my blog post for my roller derby league, the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes. (Oh lordy, here's the link - complete with an awesome picture of me right before I broke my leg!  http://www.a2derbydimes.org/blogs/masongsong )

Happy New Year! Roar!
// Joyce Masongsong-Rage er, Ray //
Ann Arbor

Tomie dePaola Entry

Here was my entry for the Tomie de Paola award - the illustration for "Chicken Licken". I loved seeing everyone's different interpretation of it. I did this in pencil and Photoshop. If I were to do this again, I would add a background and fill up the spaces in the sides better. There's always next year's competition, 'eh!

Joyce Masongsong-Ray
Ann Arbor
www.thecatfilms.com

'Year of the Dragon' submission - Ryan Hipp

Here is my submission for Year of the Dragon. Rar!
-Ryan

Happy New Year of the Dragon!

Happy New Year Scribblers!

With wrapping paper, gift receipts and cookie crumbs swept off your drawing table it's time to get to work. The theme for this month's challenge is "2012:  Year of the Dragon".

The Chinese New Year celebrates the Dragon this year, one of the most showy characters of the zodiac chart. May your new year be filled with dragon luck, fun and energy. Dragons are the doers of the world and don't sit and wait for things to happen, they make things happen.

So grab your gear and do art making. Dragonflies, snap dragons, flying dragons, luck dragons, little green hatchling dragons. Be creative, be imaginative, be dragony!
DEADLINE: Jan. 31, 2012

Here there be dragons!
Lori Taylor
Pinckney, MI
loonwoman@gmail.com

Lori Taylor (SageWoman 2012 Illustration)
www.loritaylorart.com
loonwoman@gmail.com