Painting outside is exciting, and also difficult. I do not mind the heat, the cold, the rain, or snow, but painting in a lot of wind can be tough.
Here is a painting I did of a glacier in Chile.
Hello!
I TRAVEL A LOT TO GET IDEAS FOR BOOKS AND SOMETIMES JUST TO MAKE PAINTINGS OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
RECENTLY I TRAVELLED TO THE COUNTRY, CHILE.
Jason asks: Is Chile a nice country?
Chile is a beautiful country! Here is a quick watercolor painting I made in my sketchbook. It shows the boat I was on sailing into a cove in Chile where there is a glacier. It was cold!
Painting Process
Katherine asks:When you made the book PAINTER AND UGLY, did you make all the paintings at once or did you make them one at a time?
That is a good question. I actually worked on them all together, that is, I did not just finish one and then move on to the next one. I did all the beginning stages together, then all the middles, and finally the details pretty much together.
Here are the paintings for PAINTER AND UGLY as I was working on them in my studio. You can see my sketchbooks on the shelves- and my dog's pink "Queenie Bed" on the floor (she feels quite regal when snoring on her bed).
Horses and Unicorns
Jillian asks: Have you ever made a horse book?
I happen to be working on illustrations for a collection of horse stories right now.
Actually, I once did a unicorn book called THE BABY UNICORN. It has unicorns, dragons, and even a little bit of magic in the story. It was very popular.
That's almost a horse book, right?
Mush!
Zack says:I like the book PAINTER AND UGLY. Is it easy to get lost when you are mushing dogs?
It is for me!
Aidan wants to know: Do you have a favorite painting in the book PAINTER AND UGLY?
Umm... I actually like all of them. But I had a lot of fun painting the dogs barking and jumping at the Junior Iditarod race start!
Sketching
Sari asks: Do you draw a lot?
Yes, I do draw a lot. I draw in my sketchbook every day and do a lot of practice drawing. That's how you get better!
Here is a drawing I did at a diner....
Karin wants to know: What exactly is a sketch?
A sketch is a quick practice piece for the finished piece of art. It lets you see how certain things look before you go through the time and effort of a whole finished piece of art. A sketch may be done with a pencil, pen, watercolors, crayons- anything. Below is a pen drawing sketch I did for the page in PAINTER AND UGLY in which the two dogs meet again during the race.
Waterfalls
Kira asks: When you made the book THE PERFECT SPOT did you really go under a waterfall?
Yes, my son and I really did go under a waterfall for THE PERFECT SPOT. I had to know what it would be like before I could paint it!
Translations
Yesterday Sam asked if I ever publish my books in other countries:
Yes, some of my books are published in other countries. Here is AKIAK as published in South Korea.
Sam asks: Do you ever make books for readers in countries other than the USA?
Well, I make my books for everybody, everywhere, but they are usually published first in the United States. Sometimes publishers in other countries buy the "rights" to publish a book of mine in their own language.
Here is a book I illustrated, written by France Ward Weller, called THE ANGEL OF MILL STREET. The edition here is published in Greek.
Do Tasmanian Devils Spin?
Tasmanian devils, Tasmanian devils, Tasmanian devils-
I certainly get a lot of questions about Tasmanian devils! It seems my readers like them as much as I do.....
Here is the web address of an article in National Wildlife Magazine that mentions my visit to King's Run in Tasmania, where I studied and met real Tasmanian Devils:
https://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2008/Tasmanias-Devil-of-a-Problem.aspx
Miriam asks: What zoo did you go to in order to see real Tasmanian Devils?
I did not go to the zoo to see them – I went to Tasmania (part of Australia) to draw them in the wild!
Bill asks: Why do Tasmanian Devils run around in circles all the time?
Actually, Bill, when I was researching the book LITTLE DEVILS in the wild areas of Tasmania, I saw lots of Tasmanian Devils. But I never saw any Tasmanian Devils running around in circles. They do run and travel far when looking for food in the wild, though.
The only place I have ever seen them run in circles over and over is in zoos. Maybe when they are in a caged area, they still need to run and so they run around the cage. Or maybe they get stressed.
Chasing Squirrels
Shannon asks: DOES YOUR DOG PULL A DOGSLED?
No, but she likes to chase squirrels.
Sara asks: In the book PAINTER AND UGLY, what happens after the race?
Hmmm....that is a good question. There are several things that might happen. Here's one- the dogs Painter and Ugly play and play because they are so happy.... and then.....
....and then maybe they run away!
When I Was a Kid...
Marty asks:
DID YOU DRAW A LOT WHEN YOU WERE A KID?
Yes, I did. I drew on paper and cardboard and garbage bags and napkins and on our upstairs hallway wall (got in a lot of trouble for that). One day my second grade teacher gave me a "Marble Pad" and suggested that, if I drew in it, I wouldn't lose my drawings because they would all be in one place! So I began my first sketchbook. I now have 118 and I know where all my drawings are.
Jimmy asks:
IS ANYONE ELSE IN YOUR FAMILY AN ARTIST?
No, I am the only one. I am also the only left-handed person in my family.
My Favorite Place to Draw
Curt from Springfield asks, "WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO DRAW?"
I like to draw people at airports and restaurants.
