I just uploaded four of my illustrations (Koi, Peacock, Abstract Pheonix, and Japan 11-03-11) on Society6, a print shop that sell art prints on behalf of the artists around the world. You can get illustrations printed on various meterials: sketched canvases, posters, T-shirts, hoodies, laptop and iPhone cases.

Check out this awesome cake made by Elena based on my Phoenix illustration. According to Elena, it took her about a week, 5 hours each day, to finish it. I’m amazed with the details and colors she input on the work. It depicts the features of the Chinese phoenix. The cake was for a local cake […]

Below is the latest illustration, Redesign the Web Poster, that I did for Smashing Magazine’s poster design contest: Redesign the Web, Redesign the World. The work is done with Adobe Illustrator and then touched up with Photoshop.

Adobe Illustrator 2025 Splash Screen Illustration: TRÜF’s “Weird Fishes”

abduzeedo1104—24

Illustration for Impact: HART Curatorship Incubation Programme Visuals

abduzeedo1108—24

Thomas Bohm rethinks technical illustrations and data visualizations, sharing interesting and uncommon examples of how to present data and information. Bar graphs and pie charts are great, but there’s so much more to explore!

"As the House of Slaughter arrives to clean up the situation by any means necessary, Erica will find that the true threat to those around her isn't who— or what— she ever expected. And the cost of saving the day may be too high for anyone to pay … ." -- Description provided by publisher.

"Set in the years leading up the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Dune— 'Dume: House Atreides transports readers to the far future on the desert planet Arrakis where Pardot Kynes seeks its secrets. Meanwhile, a violent coup is planned by the son of Emperor Elrood; an eight-year-old slave Duncan Idaho seeks to escape his cruel masters; and a young man named Leto Atreides begins a fateful journey. These unlikely souls are drawn together first as renegades and then as something more, as they discover their true fate— to change the very shape of history!" -- Description provided by publisher.

"Sheriff Mal Reynolds has a new partner— a law enforcing robot from the Blue Sun corporation, who doesn't care about motives, about mercy, about anything other than enforcing the law— no matter the cost. The Blue Sun Corporation has helped to run the universe from the shadows for years, but they're ready to step into the light and take over. If Mal wants to keep his job and protect his sector, the smart move would be to play by their rulebook. But for Mal, there's really one choice— reunite the crew of the Serenity for one last impossible job to save the 'verse. Greg Pak and artist Dan McDaid launch Mal & the crew of Serenity into their biggest war yet, officially continuing Joss Whedon's acclaimed series." -- Provided by publisher.

"The stage is set for the final battle as the first ever Firefly event concludes, with Sheriff Mal Reynolds— yeah, he's still getting used to it too— making a choice that may cost him those he loves most, whether he knows it or not … Shocking losses lead to stunning decisions as Mal and the crew of Serenity must face the consequences of their choices in war against the Blue Sun Corporation. The 'Verse is changing in ways no one ever expected— and a new chapter of Firefly begins here." -- Provided by publisher.

"Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown are back chasing mystery with their unique circle of Southern sleuths. And though the changing colors of fall are a beauty to behold, this year the scattered leaves hide a grim surprise. Autumn is in the air in the Blue Ridge Mountain community of Crozet, Virginia--and all the traditions of the changing seasons are under way. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen cleans her cupboards, her husband, Fair, prepares the horses for the shorter days ahead, and the clamorous barking of beagles signals the annual rabbit chase through the central Virginia hills. But the last thing the local beaglers and their hounds expect to flush out is a dead body. Disturbingly, it's the second corpse to turn up, after that of a missing truck driver too disfigured to identify. The deaths seem unrelated--until Harry picks up a trail of clues dating back to the state's post-Revolutionary past. The echoes of the Shot Heard Round the World pale in comparison to the dangerous shootout Harry narrowly escapes unscathed. Next time, it may be the killer who gets lucky. But not if Harry's furry friends Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker can help it. Lending their sharp-nosed talents to the hunt, they'll help their mistress keep more lives from being lost--and right an injustice buried since the early days of America's independence. "As feline collaborators go, you couldn't ask for better than Sneaky Pie Brown."--The New York Times Book Review"-- Provided by publisher.

"It's been a year since the horrific events at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, and Charlie is just trying to move on. Even with the excitement of a new school and a fresh start, she's still haunted by nightmares of a masked murderer and four gruesome animatronic puppets. Charlie thinks her ordeal is over, but when a series of bodies are discovered near her school bearing wounds that are disturbingly familiar she finds herself drawn back into the world of her father's frightening creations. Something twisted is hunting Charlie, and this time if it finds her, it's not letting her go." -- Publisher's description.

Selina Kyle returns to Gotham City as new socialite Holly Vanderhees, but she needs to outsmart rival Batwing to rise to the top of the city's criminal underbelly.

Wolverine seeks out Shang-Chi to train him in the skills necessary to defeat the savage Sabertooth! A class at Midtown High leads Shang-Chi into a team-up with Spidey against Midnight and his ninja army, and the wall-crawler asks for Shang-Chi's guidance on learning a little Spider-Fu! For years Shang-Chi has stepped in for Avengers missions, but when no one can match your speed or skill, sometimes it's best to work alone. When the Hand resurfaces he will show them why he is the greatest martial artist. But will the legendary Shang-Chi find himself in over his head in his newest adventure against Lady Deathstrike?

"Jim Panzee is out for his usual Wednesday walk when he accidentally squishes his stress orange into orange juice. He and his friends must cross the jungle before all of the fresh oranges are gone." -- Provided by publisher.

The Donner Party expedition is one of the most notorious stories in all of American history. It's also a fascinating snapshot of the westward expansion of the United States, and the families and individuals who sacrificed so much to build new lives in a largely unknown landscape. From the preparation for the journey to each disastrous leg of the trip, this book shows the specific bad decisions that led to the party's predicament in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The graphic novel focuses on the struggles of the Reed family to tell the true story of the catastrophic journey.

"Raised from a kitten by a kindly old ninja master, Claude now spends his days as the pampered house cat of an eleven-year-old boy. But when trouble arises, Claude dons his mask and springs into action as Cat Ninja— Metro City's secret protector." -- Provided by publisher

"Considered by many historians to be the greatest American president, Abraham Lincoln led the Union at the greatest turning point in the nation's history. Abraham Lincoln: Defender of the Union! tells the story of one of America's most admired figures in graphic novel format. From his childhood on a farm in Kentucky to the battlefields of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln served the United States with resolve, intelligence, and courage unlike that of any other president. Readers of all ages will be entertained and educated by the full-color illustrations and historically accurate narrative of this graphical biography." -- Provided by publisher.

"A fascinating and entertaining biography of Alexander Hamilton, in graphic novel format. Alexander Hamilton: The Fighting Founding Father!tells the story of one of the most ambitious and controversial figures in American history in a graphic novel format. From a rough childhood on the Caribbean island of Nevis to the highest levels of American politics, Alexander Hamilton's life was filled with adventure, conflict, and controversy. Full-color illustrations and an entertaining narrative make this graphical biography of America's first Secretary of the Treasury accessible for readers of all ages." -- Provided by publisher.

"When Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, she immediately became an American icon and a subject of endless fascination for generations to come. In Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the Sky!, the story of the bold and daring aviator's life is presented in graphic novel format, with full-color illustrations and historically accurate details. From her hardscrabble childhood to her final flight— and mysterious disappearance— Earhart's journey will entertain, captivate, and inspire readers of all ages." -- Provided by publisher

"Benjamin Franklin has been called one of the most accomplished and influential Americans in history, and his role in shaping the United States has had a lasting impact that is still felt today. Franklin's research into topics as varied as electricity, meteorology, demography, and oceanography were as wide-ranging and important as his travels, which took him across the globe as a diplomat." -- Provided by publisher.

"A graphic biography of civil rights leader and American icon Martin Luther King Jr. This graphical biography tells the story of the most prominent leader of the American civil rights movement. With full-color illustrations and a historically accurate narrative, Martin Luther King Jr.: Voice for Equality! will inform and entertain readers of all ages. From his childhood in Atlanta to his rise as an international icon of human rights and a fiery orator who refused to back down in the face of adversity, King's life story serves as an ongoing source of inspiration." -- Provided by publisher.

"Penguins— our lovable, cute, flightless friends who are constantly dressed for a formal occasion— have always fascinated humans. As we shuffle through life one day at a time, it's easy to take things far too seriously, but when we see penguins taking a walk in our shoes it's impossible not to recognize how silly we can actually be. Featuring humorous illustrations with captions that show penguins in the day-to-day situations that we've all experienced— from a relaxing day at the beach to a stressful morning commute— PENGUINS OF AMERICA is a hilarious and charming send-up of daily life." -- from Amazon.com

This week, stories about adventures and thrills. Hosted by Sarah Austin Jenness. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.

Hosted by: Sarah Austin Jenness

Storytellers:

Mack Dryden

Janice Bartley

Brian Gavagan

Lex Jade

Lucy Hayward

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with Oracle engineer Chris Bensen about the massive Raspberry Pi cluster he was showing at JavaOne & Oracle CloudWorld in Las Vegas. The cluster was connected to Oracle Cloud and ran a variety of technologies, such as Java, Linux, Database, and more.

Chris Bensen, Oracle Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/chrisbensen

Jim Grisanzio, Duke's Corner Podcast Host
https://twitter.com/jimgris

Podcast Video
https://youtu.be/gNkSQIJfxjw

Dev Java
https://dev.java/

Inside Java
https://inside.java/

 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/11/climate/cop29-climate-talks-trump/index.html Leaders snub another petrostate summit The COP29 talks were already shaping up to be lackluster. It’s the third year in a row that they’ve been held in a petrostate. Mukhtar Babayev, a state-oil company veteran, will preside over the event. More striking than the list of leaders making opening remarks is the list of […]

Learn more about the four outstanding copper roofing projects that earned an North American Copper in Architecture award from the Copper Development Association.

A los 6 años el mundo de Angélica se desmoronó. Perdió lo que más amaba y de la forma más cruel. Sus padres la abandonaron y se quedó sola en una ciudad desconocida. Lejos de su cuna originaria, una comunidad indígena del norte de Argentina, Angélica tuvo que aprender a sobrevivir y a defenderse de un entorno hostil que nunca antes había conocido. Era la antesala de un camino lleno de golpes, físicos y morales. Careció de todo: de alimento, de ropa, de libros, y de afecto, y ahora que ya es mujer solo quiere darse a los demás. Ella es la cacique de su pueblo, y la obra de la que se siente más orgullosa: una biblioteca popular.

Emperor penguins huddle together to share warmth and protect each other during the intense winds of the harsh Antarctic storms. Fortunately, it’s not just penguins that can benefit from huddling together. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete industrial parts supplier EU Automation, explains why manufacturers form clusters around the world.

"Quantum phenomena are mysterious and often counterintuitive."

Location: Electronic Resource- 

Location: Engineering Library- T385.W55 2016

Location: Electronic Resource- 

The legendary band fronted by the late Kurt Cobain has been slapped with a copyright infringement by C.W. Scott-Giles' family over 'Dante's Inferno' illustration.

The legendary band fronted by the late Kurt Cobain has been slapped with a copyright infringement by C.W. Scott-Giles' family over 'Dante's Inferno' illustration.

In this edition of the AppleVis Podcast, Dave Nason, Thomas Domville, and Tyler Stephen get together to discuss Apple's September 12 "Wonderlust" Event.

Indians purchased 220 tonnes of silver during this year's Dhanteras-Diwali. This is the highest amount in two decades. The surge in silver sales is attributed to its rising prices and its appeal as a safe-haven asset. Gold sales, however, declined by 15% this year. Experts predict silver prices will continue to rise.

It has been 29 years since Sports Illustrated released its swimsuit issue featuring supermodels, including Rebecca Romijn, Ashley Richardson, and Cheryl Tiegs, posing for shots in different locations throughout Bermuda. The multi-page spread entitled “Basking in Bermuda” was shot by Ron Labbe, with the text accompanying the photos including captions such as “There’s splendor in […]

It's the eve of the Texas Book Festival so make sure you check out the festivities on the Capitol grounds! And here's a tentative list of projects from Austin authors and illustrators releasing next year! For previous years, go here.

Picture Books, Easy Readers, and Board Books

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A VOICE LIKE THAT? by Chris Barton, ill. by Ekua Holmes (Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane 2018).

MIGHTY TRUCK: ON THE FARM, by Chris Barton, ill. by Troy Cummings (HarperCollins, May 2018).

PENGUIN AND TINY SHRIMP DON'T DO BEDTIME, by Cate Berry, ill. by Charles Santoso (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins 2018).

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S DUELING WORDS, by Donna Janell Bowman, ill. by S.D. Schindler (Peachtree, 2018)

THE BOOK THAT JAKE BORROWED, by Susan Kralovansky (Pelican 2018).

COUNTING COLORS IN TEXAS, by Susan Kralovansky (Pelican 2018).

KATE, WHO TAMED THE WIND, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Lee White (Schwartz & Wade, Spring 2018).

FRANCES IN THE COUNTRY, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Sean Qualls (Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press, Summer 2018).

DEAR SUBSTITUTE, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Chris Raschka (Disney-Hyperion, Summer 2018).

STALEBREAD CHARLIE AND THE RAZZY, DAZZY SPASM BAND,  by Michael Mahin, ill. by Don Tate (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018).

PAR-TAY: DANCE OF THE VEGGIES (AND THEIR FRIENDS), by Eloise Greenfield, ill. by Don Tate (Alazar Press 2018).

POTATO KING: THE STORY OF JUNIUS G. GROVES, by Don Tate (Knopf 2018).
 

Middle Grade

THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST, by Samantha Clark (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, Summer 2018).

KNOCKOUT, by K.A. Holt (Chronicle, Spring 2018).

DEAR ME (tent. title), by K.A. Holt (Scholastic, Summer 2018).

THE PARKER INHERITANCE, by Varian Johnson (Scholastic, Spring 2018).

THE CAMELOT CODE: THE ONCE AND FUTURE GEEK, by Mari Mancusi (Disney-Hyperion, Oct. 2018).

GIRLS WHO CODE: LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE, by Jo Whittemore (Penguin Workshop, Spring 2018).

REVENGE OF THE TEACHER'S PETS, by Jennifer Ziegler (Scholastic, June 2018).

Young Adult

HEARTS UNBROKEN, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick Press, 2018).

AVENGED, by Amy Tintera (HarperTeen, May 2018).

1. Keuze voor hondstrouwe hardliners illustreert welke koers Trump wil varen  De Tijd
2. Trumps buitenlandteam zoekt snelle deal in Oekraïne en wil druk op Iran verhogen  De Standaard
3. Wie zit (voorlopig) op welke stoel in het team van verkozen VS-president Donald Trump?  VRT.be
4. Marco Rubio genoemd als nieuwe minister van Buitenlandse Zaken van de VS  Het Nieuwsblad
5. Elon Musk wordt ‘minister van Overheidsefficiëntie’: Trumps ‘dreamteam’ begint snel vorm te krijgen  AD

This illustrator, John Holcroft, is genius! check out his website for more.

 

Steph Caskenette made these awesome illustrations.

Looking for a hugely entertaining alphabet book that also has an uplifting message of empowerment for young readers? I highly recommend T. REXES CAN'T TIE THEIR SHOES by Anna Lazowski and Steph Laberis, launching June 29th, 2021 from Doubleday Books For Young Readers. The back matter also has an alphabetized factoid list of "all the amazing things animals CAN do!"

This is an alphabet book that can be appreciated by grown-ups as well as young readers, with lots of potential discussion points. The illustrations of animals in ridiculous situations are so SOOOOO FUN --- omigosh, even as I'm writing this post, I went back to look through the digital ARC and can't decide which is my favourite, though I'm leaning toward the "Cheetahs can't chew bubble gum" page.

I asked debut picture book author Anna Lazowski if she had any advice for young writers, and here's what she said:

"Write what you want to write, because as you move through the publishing process, it will become incredibly important for you to truly believe in your work. The rejections in this industry are endless, and they come at every stage. Critique partners might reject elements of your manuscript, agents will reject your work, and once you're on submission to editors, they will reject your work. Then once you're finally published, some reviewers will reject your work. If you don't fully believe in your stories, this will be extremely hard to take. It's hard as it is, so make sure you're all in on the work you're doing. It will make the rest a little bit easier to navigate."

Wise advice. Thank you, Anna! And congrats to you and Steph on your upcoming launch!

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Also see other Advice For Young Writers and Illustrators From Children's Book Creators and my other Interviews With Children's Book Creators.

Image at the top of this post was created for my new #BookADay book journal. For more info about Donalyn Miller's #BookADay challenge, see Donalyn's post in the Nerdy Book Club blog.

Hazel Mitchell has helped create more than twenty children's books, including her award-winning picture book Toby (Candlewick Press). Her illustrations appear in books by Cynthia Lord, JaNay Brown-Wood (Imani's Moon was mentioned on the Stephen Colbert show!), Lynn Parrish Sutton, Liza Gardner Walsh and others. You can find out more about Hazel and her work at HazelMitchell.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Synopsis of SWEET PEA SUMMER (Candlewick):

During her mother’s absence, a young girl discovers the joys of gardening—and the rewards of persistence and a sharp eye—in a sweet intergenerational story. With warm, child-friendly illustrations and a simple narration, Hazel Mitchell tells a timeless story about holding on to hope in hard times and finding the strength and determination to see it through. A brief author’s note at the end offers a bit of history and a few details about sweet peas for aspiring gardeners.

Q. What inspired you to write Sweet Pea Summer?

My inspiration for the book were memories I have from staying with my grandparents when I was little (4-6 years old). They lived in a row of mill cottages in a Yorkshire town called Huddersfield. The town was born out of the wool trade and had many factories and tall towers, but was surrounded by beautiful countryside. I started to sketch my memories of staying with them - the cottage, the garden, the countryside with the moors and mill chimneys, the cats that were always scampering around, the long road that stretched away up a sloping hill to the town itself.

My granddad was an excellent gardener. I suspect this came from the war years in Britain when everyone grew their own food as much as possible. In my memory the garden was so, so long with a little greenhouse and was stuffed with veggies and flowers. Of course, my memory exaggerated everything. I was seeing through a small child's eyes. I even googled the road on Google Streetview and the cottage and the garden are still there, just much smaller than I recalled.

I decided there was a story in these sketches and my rememberings. I find that I'm often inspired by childhood memories, places and real life things, like my own dog who is the main character in the book 'Toby', also from Candlewick Press. I've even been known to use my house in books, or feature the landscape of Maine, where I live, and sometimes I draw objects from my home. it gives authenticity I think.

Q. What was the writing and illustration process like?

After some note making, more doodles and musing I decided on the main character of a girl. She's not exactly me. My sister also went to stay with my grandparents when my mother was ill and that was really the nugget that set me rolling. The girl is sad and missing her mother, so Grandpa invites her to help in the garden and, in particular, to look after the sweet peas. (My own grandfather grew chrysanthemums, but I decided children would relate more to sweet peas. Plus it is easier to say!).

The grandparents do not look like my grandparents and even though the child is not really me, I guess she shares some of my personality characteristics and DO I love gardening! (Although I always fail with sweet peas, which is ironic). I found I had all the inspiration I needed to get started on roughing out a story.

Writing and illustrating Sweet Pea Summer was a long process, as most books tend to me. There are a lot of images in the book, which is kind of graphic novelish in a way, with multiple images on some pages that follow a grid layout. Although I did preliminary character and setting sketches, I then spent time writing scene progressions and story boarding before I was ready to do the first full dummy.

I've found this saves me time in the long run, when I finally start to sketch I can be pretty certain I have the rudimentary story arc and length of book down. We had 2-3 edits and rehashes before my editors, art director and myself were all happy to go to finals. Finals are always the very long and arduous stage of the book for me. The first spark of story and hashing it out is the inspirational bit.

I did all the art for Sweet Pea in pencil and watercolor (usually I colour an under painting digitally), but I felt this book needed a traditional watercolour feel. It was a longer process for sure! Along the way I did a good amount of picture research especially on the landscapes and the flowers - plus the process of growing them, which features in the story. The parallel between the illness of the m/c's mom and the flowers failing to open was important to me. didn't want it to be too obvious to the reader.

My editor, Liz Bicknell at Candlewick Press, was very helpful, as always, keeping the story on track. Pam Consolazio was my art director, and her nickname was Sweet Pea as a child! it is lovely when you find unexpected connections. I scan my own artwork, which gives me the luxury of making any tweaks to the final art. I think the whole book took about 2 years, including edits etc.

It's wonderful when your book finally arrives in your mailbox! (Just like any birth, the pain recedes!) It was especially concerning in this time of the pandemic, but everything went well and the books arrived in time for publication.

Q. What advice do you have for young writers and illustrators?

My advice to young writers and illustrators is always work on stories that you love and feel an emotional response to whether, happy, sad, funny or just that you just love and know the subject. It will always show in your work!

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For more insights from book creators, see my Inkygirl interview archives.

 

Just read (and loved) a fun reimagining of the classic fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears: GOLDIBOOKS AND THE WEE BEAR, written by Troy Wilson and illustrated by Edwardian Taylor, published earlier this year by Running Press Kids.

Here is Troy Wilson's advice for young writers:

"My advice? Write badly. Badly, badly, badly. Include words and ideas that shouldn't be there. Leave out words and ideas that should be there. Put things in the wrong order. Have your protagonist act wildly out of character. Why? Because that is what your favorite author does.

"You don't see your favorite author's horrible first drafts. Or horrible second drafts. Or horrible third drafts. For that matter, you don't see their attempted books that never, ever turned out at all. (Some things are just dead ends, even for your favorite author.) No, you only see their final, super-duper-polished work, after they got lots and lots of great feedback.

"Everyone starts with bad writing. Every single writer, every single time - no matter how long they've been doing it. You can't avoid your own bad writing. You can't go around it or over it or under it. You have to go through it. Just get it onto the page or screen. You can always fix it later. Except if you let the bad writing - or the fear of bad writing - stop you from writing. Because you can't fix what isn't there."

Thanks, Troy! 

Related links:

Publisher page about Goldibooks and the Wee Bear

More about Troy Wilson at TroyStory.ca, Twitter and Facebook.

More about Edwardian Taylor at EdwardianTaylor.com, Twitter and Instagram.

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Find more advice for young writers and illustrators from children's book creators.