Art & Soul

Book Launch Happiness

The book launch was great – 100+ people came!

My summer volunteering at the library really helped me get over the nerves for this event (and many of the small guests were children who had come to see our Readers’ Theater performances this summer). Although, I will admit, I did not expect anything like that number of people. Luckily, I catered for twice that many. 

We had the:

Imagination Station – cave painting wall (25 feet of brown butcher paper crinkled up and stapled to the wall and buckets of sidewalk chalk).

Creation Station – tables flat on the floor with coloring pages, mazes, dinosaur cut outs, crayons and glue sticks.

Narration Station – I read the book using a projector (I was very pleased with how naturally the children took up the story telling – it was really interactive).

Excavation Station – a cave made out of a beach cabana tent covered in rock print flannel with a plastic box of sand. They had to excavate a colored rock to win a prize.

Education Station – we put out books about prehistoric animals, so even if you weren't buying one of my books, you could still check out a book.

Corporation Station – The Book Carriage & Coffee Shop handled the book sales (thank you so much, ladies!)

Germination Station – pin the acorn on the squirrel.

Vegetation & Hydration Station – which had:

• Pterodactyl Toes (boneless chicken wings)
• Boulders (donut holes)
• Sticks & Stones (pretzel sticks and cheese balls)
• Vegetation (veggie tray)
• Dino Juice (Sprite and apple juice)

We even stuck a sign over the trash can that said “Sanitation Station.” :-)

Having it at the library was fantastic. If you haven't visited your local library lately, please do. Introduce yourself to the children's librarian(s), visit storytime, go to the children's events. You'll be amazed at the education you can get!

New Skills

 
I got to perform in my very first puppet show this week! Actually, my first FOUR puppet shows. My local library replaces the usual story times with a puppet show one week of each month. This time, they let me play too!

We did a very funny version of The Princess and the Pea (refashioned for the puppet stage by children's librarian extraordinaire, Leigh Burnham).

Things I learned:

• the bigger the action, the more the kids like it (chase scenes, etc.)
• make sure the different characters' voices are distinguishable
• add something for the parents, but aim mostly for the kids
• be dramatic with your movements

And finally, I was reminded that I am short. How short? I had to use a booster seat and the child-sized glove. Oh well.

Caveman, A B.C. Story - Book Giveaway!

Enter at Goodreads for a chance to win a copy of CAVEMAN, A B.C. STORY!

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Caveman, A B.C. Story

by Janee Trasler

Giveaway ends September 15, 2011.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

New Muse

I had just started mulling over an older idea I had stuffed in the back of the idea drawer - an idea about a hamster and a guinea pig. I was reading my notes and trying to decide if these might be good characters for the chapter book challenge my critique buds and I have planned, when I got a call from my friend (megastar children's librarian Leigh) that a guinea pig had been abandoned at the library.

Yes, that's right. Someone left a guinea pig in the library parking lot - in 90 degree weather.

Two hours and a lot of bucks at the pet store later, Alfie was safely installed in his new home - just hours before baseball sized hail hit the library parking lot.

Now I'm back to my outline for the guinea pig and hamster tale. Hello little muse!

Happy New Year, Y'all and Happy Pub Day, Benny!

 
I know it's New Year's Day and Easter is probably the last holiday anyone else has in mind today, but I've suddenly come down with a big hankering for bright colors and chocolate bunnies. My book, BENNY'S CHOCOLATE BUNNY, came out today and the lovely folks at Scholastic/Cartwheel did a fantastic job. I couldn't be more pleased.

So a great, big, chocolate Thank You goes out to Rotem Moscovich and Jamie Weiss Chilton, and Happy New Year to everyone else!

Worldwide NET Cancer Awareness Day

 
I've talked a lot about Art on my blog, but haven't really touched on the Soul side of things. Today, though, is Carcinoid Awareness Day, and my beloved husband John has carcinoid.

Despite the watered down name it's been given, carcinoid is cancer - a neuroendocrine cancer. It is slow growing, and if it's surgically removed before it spreads, a person might be cured. Unfortunately, mostof the hallmark symptoms (called carcinoid syndrome) don't show up until the cancer has already spread.

The carcinoid mascot is a zebra because in medical school, doctors are taught "If you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras." Carcinoid is one of the rare zebras and often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. My little zebra above is flushing bright red because that was one of the symptoms that John had for years before diagnosis. We were repeatedly told that it was a food allergy. Guess what, it wasn't.

Here is the official Worldwide NET Cancer Awareness Day site if you'd like to learn more.

To my husband John - keep kicking it in the butt and Happy Birthday! :-x

 

 

 

Warming Up

 

Warm-up painting for a different project.

Writing Retreat - At Home

I've found that it's much easier for me to write away from home. Coffee shops, a rental cabin, even a hospital waiting room (don't ask) seem to work better for me than my home.

After thinking about it for a while, I realized I've never really set up a place to write at home. My studio is very illustration oriented and full of client-work vibes. The living room is too close to the T.V. And the rest of the house is full of to-do list items calling my name. What's a goil to do?

Well, I'm stealing a room. We have a sitting room off the master bedroom that hasn't been more than a storage room for a few years, and I just slapped my name on it.

I'd love to hear from other writers what you feel is absolutely essential for your writing space. I've got a super comfy chair on the way, but what else? What can't you live without when you write?

G is for Generous

Jana, I think you're GREAT!
 

Color Palettes

 
I've been working on toning down my color palette for a while. I like my candy-bright colors, but some of the manuscripts I've been working on seem to be calling for something a little less bright.

I was inspired recently by fellow Texas illustrator, Mary Sullivan's work, to try an even more muted palette. She has an awesome sense of color (and detail by the way). I played with this image of a panic-stricken mom.

I'm not sure I really have the hang of a muted palette yet, but I had fun experimenting.