“A” is for Amy and the Original Art …

I was delighted to learn that this year’s chair for The Original Art 2011 was Amy June Bates.

Her skill in drawing people and animals is superlative. You want to know how children move differently from grown-ups? Seek out the people in her books, and peruse her renderings closely. Prepare to be enthralled.

I became acquainted with her work while working as a free-lance  art consultant, with an editor who ultimately selected Amy to illustrate  I Will Rejoice (Zondervan Publishing) written by Karma Wilson.  She conceived a visual subtext about the joys of a typical day in one girl’s life to complement accompanying verse.  The vitality in her line work is based on solid anatomy drawing skills.

(click on any of the images below to enlarge)

Here (below) are images from her most recent book, The Dog That Belonged to No One (published by Abrams) written by Amy Hest.

Amy June Bates’ interview with Julie Danielson* can be found here.

(* special thanks to Jules for the Hest and Original Art Jury images —JC)

_____________________________________

Here’s Amy (back row, 2nd left), with the rest of the 2011 Original Art jury:

Jury for The Original Art 2011: (front row, left to right) Hyewon Yum, Julie Danielson, Sophie Blackall (next year’s chair), Cecilia Yung, Erin Stead; (back row) Scott Gustafson, Amy June Bates, Sean Qualls, John Bemelmans Marciano. (photo by Laurent Linn, last year’s chair)

_______________________________________

And now, on to more Original Art selections to share. . . .

Little girls can be inspired to ditch their princess gowns, in favor of dressing as great women in history by perusing Selina Alko‘s book, Every-Day Dress-Up (Knopf). And you dear reader, can see original pieces at the Original Art!

Amelia Earhart spread from "Every-Day Dress-Up" (click to enlarge)

Here's Selina's daughter, dressed as Amelia Earhart

cover from "Every-Day Dress-Up"

Medium: Gouache & collage
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Art Director: Melissa Greenberg
Editor: Erin Clarke
Author: Selina Alko

____________________________________________

It’s a family affair! Selina Alko‘s husband, Sean Qualls, has images from two books at the show.

art from "Giant Steps to Change the World" written by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee (click to enlarge)

Here’s Sean demonstrating his steps in creating his illustration  from Giant Steps to Change the World.

Medium: Acrylic, gouache, pencil, & collage
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Art Director: Laurent Linn
Editor: Courtney Bongiolatti
Authors: Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee

________________________________________
Visitors to the Original Art will also preview selected originals prior to official publication date, such as the following piece from Sean Quall‘s Freedom Song, due in bookstores January 2012:

art from "Freedom Song: The Story of Henry "Box" Brown" written by Sally M. Walker (click to enlarge)

Medium: Mixed media on paper
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Art Director: Martha Rago
Editor: Anne Hoppe
Author: Sally M. Walker

_______________________________________

Beware of catching a cold (a funny one, that is) from the pen of artist Nora Krug at the Original Art Show. When she’s not creating art for children’s books, graphic novels, and other international publications, you’ll find her professing illustration at Parsons The New School for Design.

Medium: Brush and ink and digital
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Inc./ G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Art Director: Cecilia Yung
Editor: Nancy Paulsen
Author: Molly Rausch

_________________________________________________________

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

_________________________________________________________

In celebration of Original Art…

Starting next week, we will launch into a series featuring selected works from the Original Art 2011, the annual exhibition that honors the fine art of children’s book illustration.

Behind every picture book project is a team. For our first series feature, we meet both the editor and the art director behind Rosalyn Schanzer‘s Gold Medal winner, Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem  (publisher: National Geographic Society).

title page spread from WITCHES!

We will continue with more selections that feature   the story behind making of  many other wondrous pieces, over the duration of the exhibit at the Society of Illustrators / American Museum of Illustration, October 27- December 31st, 2011. We will have surprise guests from the industry, discussing each selection. You won’t want to miss the banter. And you can add to the conversation.

The show features 150 books published in 2010-11, chosen from 590 entries submitted nationwide. The official press release featuring Gold and Silver Medal winners can be found here.

The Opening Reception is followed by an Awards Ceremony. In addition to the Gold Medal, there are Silver Medallists, plus one Founder’s Award.

So if you cannot make it to the Original Art show itself, visit The Countdown, from now through the end of 2011, and experience a sampling of the Original Art Show vicariously with us…

---

---

---

Kadir Nelson (Silver Medalist)

Lane Smith (Silver Medalist)

Zachariah OHora (special Founder's Award)

This year’s distinquished jury:
Amy June Bates (chair), illustrator
Julie Danielson, blogger, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, and Kirkus Reviews
Scott Gustafson, author/illustrator
John Bemelmans Marciano, author/illustrator
Sean Qualls, illustrator
Erin E. Stead, illustrator
Hyewon Yum, author/illustrator
Cecilia Yung, art director and vice-president, Penguin Books for Young Readers