today might be a sad feeling day.
i could look outside and see the trees still have no leaves,
the scattered trash on the ground, disgruntled people walking down the street.
or i could see the brilliant sun shining on my face,
feel the breeze beckoning spring,
listen to the soft twitter of the birds
and think, yes, this is something to be grateful for.
Recently, I’ve linked up with Writer’s House LLC, a literary agency in New York that represents children’s book artists, as well as many other talented individuals.
You can view my profile here, and contact my agent Kristy King: kking[at]writershouse.com
That being said, we are launching my big release, and I’ve put together some top-secret images for them. Unfortunately I am not allowed to post them online, but here’s a little teaser that you might enjoy:
Mud pup is making his big debut!
Last night, I had the pleasure of going to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, to see the final night of their performance of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, and it made me so nostalgic for my former days playing violin.
Before the main piece, the strings, wind instruments, and brass put on smaller acts without a conductor. Seeing the violinists play (and playing standing up!) made me remember how exciting and fulfilling it was to play a rift, to sway the bow back and forth, the vibrato, etc..
I’ve been feeling a pull to go back to my roots a bit more, play with imagery of roots that may not necessarily be kids lit related, but still a therapeutic exercise nonetheless.
This morning though, I came across some very nostalgic sketches from my Incredible Eggs cookbook project during my senior year at RISD. This is a project I would love to revisit and redesign, I mean, just take a look at these adorable little egg nuggets!
Well, I’ve made the switch over the wordpress.
It’s much simpler than the old website builder I was using, and frankly cheaper too. Now, I can post my blog with my portfolio anywhere and anytime. This will also make it easier for me to share a lot of my insights with you in my recent endeavors over at Pinwheel Books and the Brookline Arts Center.
Things will be under construction for a little bit as I learn the program a bit more though.
Until then, stay warm and be well!
All good things,
Nicole
An idea came to me at the beginning of 2012 that began with the phrase:
. . . Christmas (Hannukah, Kwanza, Holiday) ! ! !
Here are some little Mud Pup sketches for the holidays:
merry merry!
My wish this year was to spend the holidays with my hunny, and I am. I hope you all have christmas miracles!
It’s been a ‘mud pup’ inspired fall. Recently, I’ve been blogging away at “Kidslit Musings“, the blog from Pinwheel Books. I talk about everything from publishing to animation, illustration, and write a column for Tuesdays called “Twin Tuesday”.
I’m also animated Sam and Ben for the iPad, and it’s been tough learning how to animate my images and create an app. We are luckily using a very user-friendly program to drag and drop our frames in. It should be completed by December, so stay tuned!
In my spare time, mud pup’s been on my mind. Here are some of the sketches I’ve created of the little guy these past two months:
Vines:
Pup Pup Meeting:
Mud Pup Checks the Post:
Mud Pup at the Dog Park:
And finally, the most wonderful little mud pup there could be:
Arf!
Pinwheel Books would like to invite artists, illustrators, authors, publishers and all fans of children’s books to attend a demonstration on how to turn a children’s book into an animated app.
We have been busy turning our books into beautiful apps that bring out the magic in every page. Tap on one character and he plays the xylophone! Drag trucks and cars into a basket. Make bubbles move around the screen. The best part is: if we can do it so can you.
Come for an evening of engaging discussion about the future of children’s book publishing and a brief demonstration of how we work our magic on the iPad screen. Our animation expert Nicole Gsell and our Publisher Sylvia Pagán Westphal will lead the presentation.
In the meantime, I’ve been animating my Sam and Ben book (pretty much a full time employee for Pinwheel Books), blogging all about publishing for Pinwheel (pinwheelbooks.com/?page_id=304) and teaching art classes!
Look for new work soon, I promise. All good things!
This fall I’m really pushing my art teaching career, starting small at local art centers in the Boston area. Here’s the ad that I’m sending around to push my class! If you know anyone who lives near the Arlington Center for the Arts, or Brookline Arts Center, spread the word!
I’m glad to finally be using a new/old illustration that I never finished or knew what to do with.
Hard to realize fall is coming so soon! Enjoy the seasons..
Nicole Gsell 