What Goes on in the Classroom

Just a quick illustration piece I did for Portuguese organisation Historias Ajudaris http://site.ajudaris.org/historias-da-ajudaris/
You can click on the image to enlarge and see more details!

Fan Friends!

Just a little piece of personal work to express how I would like to feel today 

(don't have a fan in my studio. yet)

Busy busy busy!

Long time no see! I know! Just when I thought it's going to be a slow summer (and I decided to sign up for an intensive French language course), I received so many project proposals I don't even know what my name is anymore. These illustrations come from come from very fun projects- two activity books for preschoolers. Thanks to my wonderful agent Ines Silva from illustopia, I have been able to work on several of these and hopefully there will be more in the future. Hope you like them!

Sneak Peek From a New Project

I have a very quick project on my work schedule this week - a farm activity book for kids. Here is a little sneak peek from the book - a farmhouse. I kind of wish there were a lot more objects to illustrate, haha :-)

New Book! Abecedario Maluco

Last week, I have received this colorful book in my mailbox - Abecedario Maluco, written by Luisa Ducla Soares, illustrated by me in cooperation with the wonderful Illustopia agency. I am really happy about it, took a few pictures with my phone this morning, hope you like them!

Sketching up a new project!

New project on the desk! I am not able to show more at the moment, but am working hard these animal pattern designs for kids! Will post more as soon as I can! And of course there is a Bologna Book Fair post in the making, haha!

Ready for Bologna!

Can't believe it is the third time I am packing my things for Bologna! I am so excited, I just love this book fair, can't help it. Meeting people who have the same passion - children's books - as I do and talking with them is just a breath of fresh air to my working life. (and I need that right now so badly!)

Above, I took a quick shot of my promotional material and books that I will be taking with me. If you are an illustrator going to Bologna, here is a short advice if you'd like to prepare yourself a bit before you go.

1. Don't feel stressed trying to book appointments beforehand. I did try last year and from all the emails I sent, I only got 2 replies saying they would book an appointment with me. Fortunately, plenty of publishers bring their art directors and editors with them to the Fair and they have illustrator hours and free slots for appointments, so do not worry, you'll be fine. Just take a walk around the stands on the first day and ask much as you can.

2. When trying to get appointments at the Fair, please take a look at the stand you're trying to approach and try to imagine your work there. Does it fit? Is this the right publisher for your illustrations? Consider the publishers book portfolio, if your style is not what they are into, don't put yourself through a meeting that could turn out unnecessary for both sides.

3. Get ready before you go. Try to create a nice portfolio, or just take dummy books, or published books, whichever you prefer. Show it to the art directors and editors and make sure you have enough business cards or postcards to leave behind.

4. Quick tip for illustrator's business cards - I like to put a sample of my work on one side and my contact details on the other side. This is because I think most people in the children's book business are very visual, and seeing your illo on the card will make it click much faster when they pull out their business card dossier after they get back to the office.

5. You can bring a poster to put on the illustrator's wall if you like. You can also put a box with postcards or business cards for people to take away as they pass by the wall. However, I decided not to bring these this year - don't think they really work in the way you would like them to (I saw a student taking ALL of my postcards away right after I have left them at the wall last year).
*illustrator's wall is a huge white wall right in the entrance hall of the Fair.

6. Bring a notebook or have your phone with a calendar at hand when you walk around the Fair. It's good to have it on you when you need to jot down the times and dates of the appointments. Mark down a number of the stand, too.

7. Wear comfortable shoes. Trust me, this is one of the most important things to do :-)

8. Bring a backpack or a suitcase on wheels. You'll probably have a lot of promotional materials to carry and maybe books. This is much better for your back than a purse or a big bag. Some of the publishers will also give you a catalog with contact details instead of a business card.

9. I always bring a bottle of water and some dark chocolate :-) I know there is food at the Fair, but it has happened to me before, that I wasn't able to go for lunch when I was hungry, because I was standing in a queue at the illustrator's hour.

10. Have fun! Keep your eyes open! Talk to people, this is probably the place where you can meet the biggest number of professionals from the children's book business in Europe. Make it count!

Hope this will be helpful for someone. Good luck! See you in Bologna!

The Meadow

 

 

  

 

For the past few weeks, I have been working on this extremely illustrated board book project - The Meadow. It's another great cooperation with the wonderful folks at B4U Publishing - check out their website here, they have sooo many fab projects! 

Anyways, the book is full of bugs, bees, flowers and other plants, it's also very interactive - lots of peek-a-book holes, flaps to flip through, look and finds etc. It's really fun!

Will definately let you know when the book is available for purchasing! Happy Thursday!

If you'd like to see more illustrations, please check out my behance: https://www.behance.net/gallery/24582371/The-Meadow

I'm on Behance! (finally!)

So I finally got my profile on Behance and have uploaded quite a few projects Today, so if you like my work and would like to follow the things that I do, do check it out! See you there! :-)

Little house for Tuli vaky

I am so very happy I finally got the opportunity to try a different medium rather than paper. Thanks to Tuli vaky I was able to create a fabric design for these cute little houses by designer Michal Stasko. They are now being exhibited at the Nabytok a Byvanie 2015 fair in Nitra, Slovakia. Hope the kids like them! There even is a snail that says hello! There will be more, so I will keep you posted!
If you'd like to see more of Tuli's production, visit their page: http://www.tuli.sk/
Or their facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tuli.vaky

Axioma's Big Book of Jobs is Out!

Yesterday I got an email from publisher Ivana Kocmanova of Axioma Praha. that our Big Book of Jobs is out. I can't wait to get the samples! This book was so much fun! If you'd like to order a copy of your own, please visit Axioma's website, where you can easily get as many books as you like. They also have other titles, which are great too! http://www.axioma.cz/knihy/encyklopedie/nina-chce-byt-rockovou-zpevackou-mala-encyklopedie-povolani.htm

Usborne Farm Activities

I finally fot my samples of the Usborne Farm Activities Wipe Clean Book. So excited! I really like how it turned out, it indeed was a wonderful cooperation and I hope to do some more books with Usborne in the future.

 

Easter Illustrations for Slunicko Magazine

From time to time, I just really love it when a short-term job comes in. I can fully focus on just the illustration part for a day or two and enjoy working, because there is usually less administration and emailing involved :-) Such case is always a very lovely cooperation with the Czech magazine Slunicko. This time they asked for a cover with Easter theme (already!). Loved it!

Space Illustration

For the past couple of days I have been working on a space illustration for Focus Pico magazine, in cooperation with my wonderful agent Ines from Illustopia agency. I just loved the theme! Tried to pick colors that would support the whole colorfulnes (is that even a word? haha) of the galaxies and planets and spaceships. Here is a little sneak peek - made a few shots of the whole illustration. Moving on to the next project!

Snow!

Had a few minutes today to make a little personal piece! It's snowing outside! Hope all you guys in the US are safe!

Montreuil Book Fair 2014

I know, I know! It's starting to feel like I am doing a Tour de European book fairs this year (I actually might be doing it as I think about it, haha!). Anyways, I've been really busy last few weeks and then right after I met all the deadlines I had to, I jumped on the plane and together with my wonderful illustrator friend Daniela Olejnikova (check out her work at www.daniole.com) we took on to Paris (ah oui...). Daniela was actually invited by the Literary Centre to take part in some workshops with children and to present her work in front of quite a few publishers who seemed interested in what she does. I decided to go ahead and join her, because I always feel I learn a lot when I travel, meet new people and try to do the illustration business outside my own country.


As for the Montreuil book fair (http://www.salon-livre-presse-jeunesse.net/), I have to say I really liked it and enjoyed it. For an illustrator, it just feels more welcoming than Frankfurt Buchmesse, although I still think Bologna Book Fair offers the most opportunities of all the European fairs I've been to. Montreuil is aiming purely on the children's and young adult market. And it does so with the help of illustration, so it seems like the right place to be for an illustrator. However, the approach is a bit different from the others. You register on the website to get a professional admit and then somehow, you're supposed to sign up for the meetings with the publishers (note: there are only French publisher available for appointments, but they do speak English, so don't be shy, heh), which are scheduled really tight. Now, I might sound a bit dumb, but I really was not able to figure this out. I could not even find an English version of the site, aaaaaah. Well, I do realize that sometimes it is not that easy to get around France (and French) without any knowledge of their language. I do have some knowledge, but it seems like it still wasn't enough. Anyways, now I know what Mice is, be sure you look for that when you enter the website and don't speak French. Watch out for the registration date for the publisher appointments (I've spoke to some illustrators while waiting in line and was told the site fell down immediately after the reg started) and hope for the best. Have some knowledge on what you're aiming for. Know the publishers. Don't be depressed if you did not get a spot with Thierry Magnier, when your place might rather be with Milan. Montreuil book fair will still be a great experience, even though you might feel that the market competition is just overwhelming (the place for publisher appointments really looked like a speed-dating spot). Just have the courage, grab your books and portfolio and go. It's fun! And it's in Paris! Ha!

Before I finish this little blog, I would really like to thank the wonderful people at the Ecoles de Conde in Paris. I was able to be a part of the conference they held for Daniela and another great young illustrator from Lithuania, Karolis Strautniekas (http://strautniekas.com/) and it just felt so welcoming. I would like to thank especially to the professors, Francois and Isabelle (sorry if I misspelled the names, aaah) who invited us for dinner in their own home. Thank you!






 



Here is a blog they keep at the school: http://condeciap.blogspot.sk/2014/11/daniela-olejnikova-karolis-strautniekas.html

Oh and one more thing - or rather a tip - if you ever find yourself going to Paris and are on a budget - be sure to check out a charming little hotel called Hotel Stella - http://hotel-stella.voila.net/, it is in the heart of Paris with lots of restaurants and cafes around and you won't spend a fortune staying here. It really is a great little place!

Zona Bez Penazi Promo Banner

A friend of mine asked me to do a promotional banner for a nice event they do every year here in Slovakia - they call it "Zona bez penazi". People can just come and exchange things they don't need anymore, that someone else might find use for. There is more info on their website in case you'd like to check that out: http://www.projekt-zivot.sk/zona/

The assignment said it needs to show things people usually bring - like books, clothes, toys etc. And I was allowed to make it look childish :-) So here I come! I thought you might like to see some sketches as well, so I am showing those this time, too. Let me know what you think! Speak soon!