new blog up: How To Draw

Apparently there is an ultimate test of drawing. And the often told story is this: (in the cool Opinionator blog today: "The Frisbee of Art" by James McMullan, illustrator of I STINK the wonderful children's book about garbage trucks)

When Pope Boniface (I love his name. did he make it up?). Hopefully he was handsome or it might have been quite hard to go round with that name--imagine it would be like being called Mrs Gorgeous and then going right ahead being plug-ugly. But I suppose, if he wasn't good looking, he could always have changed his name and been Pope Ugliface.

Anyway. Stop it. Back to the story. So when this stunning Pope Boniface VII was looking for a new artist to work on the frescoes in St Peter's Basilica, James McMullan continues:

"He sent a courtier out into the country to interview artists and collect samples of their work that he could judge. The courtier approached the painter Giotto and asked for a drawing to demonstrate his skill. Instead of a study of angels and saints, which the courtier expected, Giotto took a brush loaded with red paint and drew a perfect circle. The courtier was furious, thinking he had been made a fool of; nonetheless, he took the drawing back to Boniface. The Pope understood the significance of the red circle, and Giotto got the job."

However, James McMullan argues it's not the circle so much as the ellipse that is the true test.

(Warning: if you read his blog all the way through you will start to see ellipses everywhere and might not be able to get out the door. If you don't mind that, read more here)

must go and sharpen my pencils now I just saw two ellipses on my toe

Maira Kalman... Latest Pursuit of Happiness

excuse me, but how is it that the woman has a blue face on that bike--and I saw her. on my street. exactly her. and that dog? and the woman with the bag.

To see more of this genius's work go here

Maira kalman: And the Pursuit of Happiness... again

The glorious Maira Kalman in her wonderful series for the times "And the Pursuit of Happiness" ... with her latest.

street cleaning

In London and in Hong Kong they do it with dustpan and brush. In New York it's a high speed truck thing that kicks up dust and repositions it...

Illustration by John Hendrix, an uber-talented artist and a friend, in an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday about the insane NYC ritual called "alternate street parking." Here's an excerpt:

"AS if part of a carefully choreographed dance, at strict intervals, countless New Yorkers run from their homes and move their cars from the right side of the street to the left and from the left to the right. These rituals of alternate side parking, enforced by hefty fines and humiliatingly fluorescent window stickers, help make way for the Department of Sanitation’s street sweepers, which pass through our neighborhoods every day except Wednesday, when everyone gets a reprieve."

Your day kind of gets dictated by your car. And makes you sound like a very strict enforcer of time tables. "I must be back at my apartment absolutely no later than 12.20". "Breakfast is great but I cannot linger: it is imperative I am no later than 10.07 back on my doorstep."

I don't tell everyone it's all about the car. Too complicated. Too dull. Plus it sounds ridiculous. I just call it an appointment. Which it is. An appointment with my car, true. But one I definitely can't be late for--or I'll get a fine.

Which I suppose we can be grateful doesn't happen at every appointment we're late for...

Drawing The Story for Children

Catapult Magazine reviewed The Jesus Storybook Bible this month and here's what they said:

"Today there are hundreds of story Bibles cluttering the market, but The Jesus Storybook Bible distinguishes itself from the crowd."

It's a great article. (And my new favorite magazine.) To read the article, click here.

Jago's illustrations

Here are some of my most favorite Jago illustrations from The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Check out more @ Jago's super cool portfolio.

exquisite corpses

exquisite corpses, as you probably know, is a game where the first person draws the head, folds the paper over (so that the second person can't see the head—only where the neck starts). The second person draws the torso and then folds that over, so that the third person drawing the legs can not see the torso or the head.

(exquisite corpses, so the blurb tells me, "was first created by the surrealists, André Breton, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Joan Miró, Yves Tanguy and others in the 1920s. Based on an old parlor game, it was played by several people, each of whom would write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold the paper to conceal what she/he had just written, and pass it on to the next player for his or her contribution. The technique got its name from the first sentence created: 'Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau' —”The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine”. The game was quickly adapted to drawing.")

anyway... my publisher, Schwartz & Wade Books, has created their own "exquisite corpses", working with their very own exquisite famous fabulous illustrators — including (of course) the exquisite famous fabulous Sue Heap, illustrator of HOW TO BE A BABY and HANDBAG FRIENDS! Some samples are shown here (other illustrators also shown here are: Barry Blitt, and G Brian Karas). I particularly enjoy those green hairy ballerina monster legs of Sue's!

Some of the other great artists involved include Barry Blitt, Christoph Niemann, Jerry Pinkney, Nancy Carpenter, Hanoch Piven, André Carrilho, Giselle Potter and several others.

They ran this promotion for librarians, and gave the original art away to be hung in schools throughout the country.

To check out the rest of them and have an exquisite giggle: click here!

world magazine review

World Magazine has reviewed
The Jesus Storybook Bible
under excellent christian children's books in Noteworthy Books
(Susan Olasky, June 9th).
To read click on the text.

New York Times Review of HOW TO BE A BABYis a RAVE!

"This book is adorable, original, well-illustrated and fabulous." (how the review begins.)

To read the review: click here
To buy the book (while stocks last!): click here

Oh and... Happy Mother's Day!

The 2007 Oscar-winning Danish Poet

"Can we trace the chain of events that leads to our own birth? ... Is our existence just coincidence? ... Do little things matter?"

These are the impressive, scarily intelligent, completely frightening sorts of questions that might easily give a person a headache if they were not very careful. But, in this oscar-winning best animated short, they are explored to brilliant effect. The Danish Poet is great storytelling, great animation, and great fun. I loved it. And no headache in sight. (Written and directed by Torvill Kove (14 mins 24 s)

(This scene is particularly enjoyable, I think, for anyone in the midst of growing their hair. As I am.)

Early Reader

Here's Lily Peach. Is she reading? It certainly looks like it to me. In fact, I think she might even be pondering--seeing if she quite agrees with just what that book has been telling her all morning long. And how nice to do your reading in front of a mirror so you can check on your outfit as you go.

But then again, is it really any surpise she'd be reading at 6 months? She is, after all, the daughter of the brilliant Jago. Wonderful father, exquisite illustrator and the guy I am lucky enough to have worked with on The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Jago's Blog (illustrator of my new children's Bible)

Check it out--it's cool
And so is he
click here!

He's done an incredible, amazing job on
The Jesus Storybook Bible