Themes

I love it when a group of artists are given a broad theme and then have to each interpret that theme according to his or her own style. It is fascinating to see what each artist comes up with! This year, MB Artists is having their annual fall party for artists and art directors. The agency wanted each illustrator to create 2 small (printed at 1 inch x 1 inch!) pieces of line art based on the theme of transportation to be used on the invitation and other promotional give-away items. Working so small can be a challenge, because there is only so much detail that can be successfully included without cluttering up the work.

For my first piece, I wanted to highlight my favorite subject matter to draw - children. I did not want to picture any traditional form of transportation, and tried to think of something unusual, but recognizable. In the end, I decided on the segue, since kids are so embracing of new technology and the future. Plus, it's a really cool machine! For my second piece, I wanted to show that I can draw animals. Here, I wanted to get a little more playful. Because I love the porcupine from one of my portfolio pieces, I decided to experiment with his character a bit more in this assignment.

I wish I could see what all of the other artists created for their "transportation" line art. I am sure there are some really clever illustrations in the mix! I guess I'll just have to wait until September to see them all!

Expanding the Porfolio

Ah, freelance. You're either working until the wee hours of the night, or not at all! I'm in a bit of a lull right now, and while I am looking hopefully towards the horizon for the next project, I'm also enjoying the opportunity to build my portfolio with some personal pieces. Sometimes, it is more of a challenge to create concepts and illustrations out of thin air than to illustrate with a manuscript! So, I have been drawing inspiration from my own childhood memories and fantasies.

One of my favorite memories was of growing up in Boston. My brother, sister and I would spend so many weekends at the beach, perfecting the art of sand castle building, and digging deep moats to protect our creations from the tide. (The ocean always won out, by the way). One particular sand castle stood out. It was as tall as me (well, the 6 year old me), and we decorated it with all the shells we could find. It was magnificent. Looking back at photos, our castle was really just a very very large embellished pile of sand, but that does not seem to taint the vision that I still have in my mind. So, I painted "The Grand Castle" in honor of our childhood architectural achievement.

Like most kids, I went through a phase where I was obsessed with dinosaurs. I loved to explore the field across the street, and imagine that all of the rocks I collected were fossils. Of course, no 4 year old palentologist should exlore alone, so Dad would take me "trail blazing" across the uncharted territory of the field behind the middle school. I never did find a real dinosaur back there, but you never know where they could have been hiding. Perhaps during my next trip out to Boston, I'll stop by my field and take a look, just in case. Until then, my new "Trail Blazing" piece will keep the fantasy alive.

For my next trick, I will be working on some pieces with more unusual perspectives. I just need to play with some concepts and thumbnails. Stay tuned!

Pirate School Series Concludes

Well, I just got the news that the adventures of Pete and his Pirate School friends will be coming to an end in the 8th and last book of the series. The final art for this title has been completed, and thus ends my 2 year relationship with those characters. It makes me sad. The whole experience of illustrating the books and working with the team at Grosset & Dunlap was wonderful. It is kind of strange to think that I won't be spending the next few nights drawing or painting "Pirate School" art. Since I have been working on the series since 2006, it just sort of became ingrained into my daily routine!

However, isn't there a song somewhere that says "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"? "Pirate School" may be ending, but I am eager to see what new beginnings come of this. I am looking forward to new projects with new characters to bring to life! Right now I have about 3 possibilities in the works, and hopefully some of those will pan out into illustration opportunities.

In the meanwhile, I have taken this time to experiment and paint a new piece just for me and my portfolio. "The Grand Castle" is inspired by a childhood memory of building a sand castle with my siblings. It was really just a huge mound of sand decorated with shells and driftwood, but we thought it was magnificent. So, I have painted a piece to remember that moment of childhood imaginings and creativity.

So it is with eyes on the horizon that I say, "Arrgh, farewell! It's been swell, matey," to "Pirate School." Hopefully I will have a new post soon to let you know what new beginnings emerge from the end of this chapter! Wish me luck!

New Projects and Pieces

This past month has been full of great projects, both for clients and for the portfolio. In addition to my continuing work on the Pirate School series, I have also had the chance to work on a magazine cover for New Moon and an illustration for an ad agency. I can't wait to see the pieces in print! Plus (speaking of seeing your work in print), I was thrilled to receive my advance copies of Pirate School Book 6 today. The books are actually being released in May 1, 2008. I really like how the illustrations printed in this book. I feel like the contrast and subtlety that was in the original black & white art was reproduced well. Also, this particular story had great opportunities for letting the illustrated characters "ham it up", so it was great to flip through the book and remember how fun it was to envision the scenes during the sketch stage so many months ago!

I have also enjoyed having more time to create new pieces for my portfolio. Particularly I have been experimenting with anthropomorphic subject matter and contemporary children's scene. Right now, I am working on a slumber party piece, which I hope will make a fun addition to my portfolio! My husband also surprised me with a new set of paints. I love them! The colors are so vibrant, and the pieces are really enhanced by this new variety of color choices. The cover for the New Moon Sept/Oct magazine, the cover for Pirate School 8 and my Porcupine at Summer Camp portfolio piece were all painted with these new watercolors.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful start to spring! I'm off to go start some new sketches....while sitting outside on my porch - so wonderful after spending so many winter months inside!

For anyone wishing to purchase Pirate School 6, you can do so via the purchase section of my website. Thank you!

A New Chapter

For the past few years, I have been existing in two worlds. By day, I was a creative director for a multi-media marketing company. By night (and weekends), I was a children’s book illustrator. I enjoyed wonderful successes in both arenas, but eventually, my part time illustrating grew into a full time commitment. So, this past month it was time to officially make the long-awaited transition out of a full time staff position and into full time freelance illustration.

I am very pleased that what began as a part time fulfillment of a dream has evolved into a full time career in which I can find fulfillment and use my talents. I believe that this opportunity to devote my energies more completely to my craft will afford me the time to explore techniques and perfect my craft – ultimately benefiting my clients.

I have also been able to take a part time job for enjoyment. I now work a few hours a week at my local library. This is such an excellent fit, as it allows me to stay in touch with the children of the community, and have access to hundreds of children’s books, both classic and newly released. Being surrounded by the works of such excellent writers and illustrators is encouraging and inspiring.

Currently, I am enjoying being able to take on more projects at a time. At this time, I am working on a magazine cover, Pirate School Book 8 artwork and an illustration for a medical advertisement, as well as some new promotional pieces!

Many thanks to everyone who has helped me reach this new chapter in life, especially to my ever-patient husband, who cooked and cleaned the house so that I could spend nights and weekends illustrating and pursuing my dream!

Dino Day at the Fun Park

I had no idea I could paint so fast! This past weekend brought a new challenge. My agent has been helping me to flesh out my portfolio, and fill gaps in subject matter, particularly with animals and contemporary subject matter. As she continues to show my art to editors, it is becoming increasingly important for those gaps to get filled.....quickly. So this past weekend, I turned around this piece: Dino Day at the Fun Park.

It was challenging to get the piece (from concept to completion) done in just one weekend, but the tight timeline also forced me to get a bit innovative, and to make some departures from my usually style. I really wanted to use bright color, and to focus on getting greater contrast than in my past 4-color pieces. So I applied the paint more thickly than I normally would start off with, and began building up shadows aggressively. Normally, I will paint a piece, and then add some finishing touches in colored pencil. This time, to define forms more quickly and to add texture, I integrated the colored pencil as I painting - going back and forth until the colors were what I wanted. The result is a brighter, more textured look that I am pleased with overall. I also enjoyed the freedom to experiment with paint-pencil color combinations, and plan to continue to explore this technique in future pieces. I also enjoyed being forced to use animal subject matter, and the playfulness that those characters add to the piece.

Hope you all had a fun and creative weekend as well!

"Jennifer Zivoin", presented by....

I am happy to announce that I am now exclusively represented by MB Arists.

For a while now, I have been investigating getting an agent. I first needed to decide "Is representation right for me?" For some artists, signing on with an agency might not be best for them. After talking to many artists, some represented and some not, I decided that an experienced agent would be better at expanding my client and project base than I would be on my own.

And so, I began the search for an agency that would be a good fit for me. I knew I wanted representation in New York, the major publishing center of the US. After searching through various promotional directories, agent listings, etc, I finally narrowed the search down to 4 agencies that I thought would be appropriate. I sent samples and letters of inquiry. It is a two way street. Agents don't have to take you on board, so I expected some rejections. MB Artists showed the most interest, and we began dialog right away. After talking to Mela, going through the legal particulars, and talking with some of her represented talent, I became convinced that this agency was right for me. It was especially exciting to hear from the artists themselves, and to learn about their experiences and how MB Artists has played a role in their career developments. I was very glad that Mela also felt I would be a good addition to her talent base, and it is with great excitement that I now join the MB Artist family.

I am looking forward to meeting new clients, taking on unique projects, diversifying my portfolio and continuing to grow as an illustrator. I am also looking forward to focusing more attention on my artwork, and stepping back from the marketing side of the illustration business. I feel that this more concentrated focus on creating art will ultimately benefit my clients, both current and future, as well as provide me with a deeper satisfaction in my work.

Plus, now that I'll be making some trips to New York to connect with MB Artists & clients personally, I have an excuse to plan an exciting working-vacation in NYC!