erin eitter kono

Book Signing at Costco

2011-11-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

I'm heading home to the Midwest this week. I'll be signing copies of TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN WISCONSIN this next Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Middleton, WI Costco from 11am-2pm. (outside Madison) Stop by if you're in the area, I'll be the one shivering in the corner. :)

Doodling Bears...

2011-11-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

Happy November

2011-11-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

I could never be a serious blogger. Proof, here's the Halloween promo I sent out, you know, on Halloween. This past weekend I was invited to review portfolios at the Los Angeles SCBWI Illustrator's Day. One of the speakers explained the importance of maintaining ones blog, if not to attract the masses, then to at least give some insight into ones personality. I have mixed feelings on that. Doesn't my work give a few clues about my personality? Maybe not.. ?

A Worthy Walrus -inpsiration

2011-06-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm slightly obsessed with the Albert Khan Archives. I'd heard about it, but was pretty much in the dark until last year when PBS ran the BBC documentary The Wonderful World of Albert Khan. You can actually see part of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUR61F1dOms I imediately purchased the companion book and it's been a source of inspiration ever since.

For instance, my walrus here started with a conversation with my agent. For some reason we were talking about walruses... serious, important publishing stuff, ya know... which got me thinking how I'd never actually drawn a walrus before and it would probably be a fun thing to do. So I started sketching. At first all the little guys were very realistic and how should I say.. boring. But as I sketched the character of the animals started to come out.. and then I remembered the Khan images of the Maharajah of Kapurthala, who as it turns out, looked exactly like a walrus. See scan below:

So I combined the two ideas and now I have a most worthy walrus, and a summer promo.

Spring Promo

2011-05-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL 2011 Hâlau Keali'i O Nâlani

2011-05-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

My first book, HULA LULLABY (Little, Brown 2005) was inspired by my dear friend, Namaka, and her Hula Hâlau Keali'i O Nâlani. They modeled for me and Kumu was kind enough to check my text for cultural accuracy. Friends from the Hâlau even helped promote HULA LULLABY by performing at a few book events. This past week Namaka returned with the Hâlau to perform at Merrie Monarch. As always, they were amazing! Here's the video:

NaPiBoWriWee 2011!

2011-05-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's that time again: NaPiBoWriWee!! The 2011 National Picture Book Writing Even! I'm happy to be this year's first guest blogger. http://paulayoo.com/napi/?p=55 If you haven't signed up, it's not to late to join in. Try your hand at a picture book MS and day. It's a great chance to connect with other writers, learn about the pb format, and get some of those ideas actually down on the page. See you there.

YA Cover Art

2011-04-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

Zazzle store

2011-04-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Years ago I made a half hearted attempt to get into licensing. Who wouldn't want to have a stuffed animal made from their drawings right? But, a few things got in the way. OK, really it was one little thing and a lot of sleep deprivation. This past weekend that same little thing and I played around making zazzle stores. Mine is here: http://www.zazzle.com/brownotter I don't think it will get many hits, there's like a billion zazzle stores, but it's fun to see images on actual products, especially keds, I wear keds, I love keds.

Shop other personalized gifts from Zazzle.

Valentine's Day Project for Kids

2011-02-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

My five year old needs to bring Valentine's cards to school Monday and since we had a little time (she was home sick this week) we decided to go ahead and make them. Here's a simple, inexpensive project:

The craft store had all its Valentine's themed chachkies on clearance,Yay! (we likes a bargain)
colored pencils 6 for $.50
heart stickers $1.50
blank book marks 50 for $2.99

So, for the price of the store bought versions, we had a good hour's entertainment and something a bit more original.

1) hole punch both sides of the book marks

2) tie a ribbon through one side (we used left over
xmas ribbon)

3) decorate

4) slip the pencil through both holes.

Plein Air Painting. Oh so that's how they do it...

2011-02-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

I am not a landscape artist. I'm sort of the opposite. Swirly whirly happy trees-good. realistic true to color and light- not so much. But now that I live somewhere truly beautiful it's hard not to imagine how nice it would be to spend sun dappled days outside with easel and brush. So, I'm taking a plein air class. And... well, I kinda stink. My instructor teaches in a very California style, and while I don't see settling too far into it myself I think it's always good to learn new techniques. So... here's the first attempts:

Being Specific

2010-11-30T10:44:00.000-08:00

Having spent eons now on a (still unfinished) illustrated middle grade novel, I can attest to the absolute necessity of proper character development. Of course everyone knows how important unique characters are. And everyone who begins to write and/or illustrate thinks they're creating them. But, thinking and doing are not the same. Looking at some of my early work, what frustrates me most is the lack of depth and differentiation. The characters have a bit of spark, but they're not specific enough. They should have been pushed more. Lots more. So, I've set up an exercise for myself to paint at least two animal portraits a week. I've started with friends' and family's and may take on others as they come. Hopefully by the end of the project the specific will be so engrained in my work that I’ll never paint another generic dog again.

Here's some examples:

Ginger

Silvia

Settled in..Sorta

2010-11-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

A few months ago my husband and I decided to take the plunge and buy a fixer. Our new house is in a great location, but it's small and it is, well, a fixer. To save money I've been working as the general, hiring subcontractors, pulling permits, designing, and supervising. We've removed the asbestos, put in new heating/air and ductwork, upgraded the electrical, redone the walls, floors and ceilings (the ceiling will need to be redon, thanks to the heating dudes), trenched the outdoor electrical, and put on a new roof. I've been painting and tiling and pulling out hair. Needless to say, although I've also been trying to write and illustrate, work has been a slow. As many freelancers know, sometimes life just gets in the way. But, happily this past weekend I was able to get my studio, not just up and running, (it's suposedly been up and running since week one) but also functioning. I've reorganized the area and now, at last, am ready to WORK. Yay!

EYEWITNESS REPORTS: EYEWITNESS REPORTS: AUCTION 1 BEGINS NEXT WEEK

2010-08-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

EYEWITNESS REPORTS: EYEWITNESS REPORTS: AUCTION 1 BEGINS NEXT WEEK: "Starting Monday August 23rd you can begin bidding online for the artwork created by a whole slew of amazing picture book artists who have cr..."

http://theeyewitnessreports.com/EYEWITNESS_REPORTS/JUNE_1,_2010.html

EYEWITNESS REPORTS at Gallery Nucleus August 14th

2010-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

EYEWITNESS REPORTS: A Charity Art Auction for 826LA

2010-08-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'm psyched to be a part of EYEWITNESS REPORTS a benefit art auction in support of 826LA. Dan Santat has enlisted some seriously big names to help raise funds for 826LA a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 and their teachers become inspired to write. It's a huge opportunity to own original art from some brightest kidlit illustrators today while supporting a great cause. My eyewitness is one of the zapped dogs. Poor sod, didn't know what happened to him. He's painted in b& in honor of the 30's monster flicks that inspired him. You can see him and all the other eyewitness reports at http://www.theeyewitnessreports.com

FIRST EBAY ONLINE AUCTION: AUG 23 - 27

SECOND EBAY ONLINE AUCTION: AUG 30 - SEPT 3

You can also see the art in person at NUCLEUS GALLERY from Aug 14-17 Open public viewing. Books will be signed, and limited prints from the book will be sold. Visit www.gallerynucleus.com for more details

BRAIN BURPS ABOUT BOOKS - HOW TO SUBMIT A BOOK FOR PUBLICATION

2010-07-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Katie Davis, best selling Author/Illustrator and Kidlit expert was inspired by this coming weekends national scbwi conference to do a blog talk radio piece on her now famous Brain Burps About Books on how to submit a book for publication. She explains the process and highlights several books, including GRANDMOTHER HAVE THE ANGELS COME? Any aspiring picture book author and illustrators out there give it a listen http://www.blogtalkradio.com/brainburps and check out Katie's site: http://www.katiedavis.com/

Library of the Early Mind trailer 1.mov

2010-07-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

On my list 'to see' list:

Trailer for "Library of the Early Mind," a documentary film exploring children's literature. Website: www.childrenslitproject.wordpress.comDirected by Edward J Delaney; produced by Edward J Delaney and Steven Withrow. Featuring Chris Van Allsburg, Lemony Snicket, Lois Lowry, Natalie Babbitt, Norton Juster, Jeff Kinney, Brian Pinkney, Brian Selznick, Roger Sutton, Mo Willems, Leslea Newman, Nancy Garden, David Small, Sarah Stewart, Jack Gantos, Richard Michelson, Lane Smith, Peter H Reynolds, Elizabeth Bird, Mary Jane Begin, Nick Clark, Arthur A Levine, Mary Downing Hahn, Jane Yolen, Anita Silvey

ICON 6

2010-07-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

sketches from ICON6 illustrator's conference.

I can not recommend ICON enough. This year's program included speakers from the fashion, fine art, book, and commercial worlds; as well as timely information on contracts, orphan works and PLUS. I came home ready to work and thinking I need to spend way more time/effort improving my skills...so... to the drawing board.

GRANDMOTHER won the Colorado Book Award for Children's Literature

2010-07-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased that GRANDMOTHER HAVE THE ANGELS COME? Has been awarded a Colorado Book Award for Children's Literature! Not only did Denise and I both recieve a beautiful plaque and generous check, we also get book stickers! I love book stickers!! Yay!

2010 Américas Book Award

2010-06-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

GRANDMOTHER HAVE THE ANGELS COME? has been selected a 2010 Américas Book Award commended title. The award winners and commended titles are selected for their 1) distinctive literary quality; 2) cultural contextualization; 3) exceptional integration of text, illustration and design; and 4) potential for classroom use. Yay!!

The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. By combining both and linking the Americas, the award reaches beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural-international boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere. The award is sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP), a United States Department of Education National Resource Center.

Here's Rene Colato Lainez Blog with full details and a list of the winners: http://labloga.blogspot.com/2010/06/2010-americas-book-award.html

GRANDMOTHER HAVE THE ANGELS COME? Wins CAL Award

2010-05-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

GRANDMOTHER HAVE THE ANGELS COME? has won in its catagory at the Colorado Author's League (CAL) Awards. The judge's comments: "The topic of aging can be difficult to explain to a young child but is discussed here with sensitivity and great tenderness. The illustrations create a visual experience with the use of bold vibrant colors swirling across the pages. The love felt between the grandmother and her

granddaughter are well expressed not only in the text but visually through the illustrations. The text is rich in descriptive phrases that enhance the imagination and call up memories of a loved one: "...see your beauty reflected in the dewdrop on a flower", "savor flavors long on my tongue ", "stroke your cheeks in the light and in the darkness". This is a joyful book that reaffirms the beauty in living a long life and the love between generations." Denise and I are both thrilled!

Hope Haiti

2010-05-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a video showing the organization that the 'tree of life' silent auction will support. Please remember Haiti and please be generous with your bids.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN WISCONSIN

2010-05-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

I found out recently that 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN WISCONSIN is going into its SIXTH printing. Woo Hoo!! I'm totally excited. I just wanted to send a special shout out to all my friends, family, and beloved cheeseheads in the great badger state and elsewhere for supporting and buying the book. THANK YOU!

Tree of Life Silent Auction to Benefit Children in Haiti

2010-05-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here's the image I'll be sending in for the benefit auction hosted by Ridge Art in Oak Park Il. We were asked to create a piece if art depicting "The Tree of Life" a popular motif in Haitian art. The Tree of Life exhibit and auction features the work of twenty children’s illustrators, each interpreting the theme in her or his unique, child-friendly style. The art will be sold at silent auction during the Oak Park Arts District’s annual “What’s Blooming” art walk on Friday, May 21, and Saturday, May 22, at Ridge Art, 21 Harrison Street, Oak Park. The exhibit and auction hours are Friday, 6-10 pm, and Saturday, 12-8 pm. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to the Art Creation Foundation for Children in Jacmel, Haiti.

Ridge Art specializes in Haitian Art. The owner, Laurie Beasley, travels to Haiti twice a year to purchase art for her gallery. She has stocked the gallery with new steel drum metal pieces depicting “The Tree of Life” to complement the auction and exhibit.
Ridge Art - Hours & Location:

Thursdays and Fridays from 12:00 p.m. – 6 p.m., Saturdays from 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment. The gallery stays open until 9 p.m. the third Friday of every month while it participates in Third Friday Art Walks in the Oak Park Arts District. The gallery is located one block north of the Austin I-290 exit (Austin & Harrison) and is accessible by public transportation from the Austin exit of the Forest Park Blue Line.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Laurie Beasley at 708-601-9071
Owner
Ridge Art
21 Harrison Street (in “Oak Park’s Arts District”)
Oak Park, IL 60304
708-848-4062
Toll-free 1-888-269-0693

ridgeart@comcast.net

www.ridgeart.com

LA Times Festival of Books

2010-05-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Festival of Books- I hate crowds, but I love books, and with panels that included Kadir Nelson, Pam Munoz Ryan, David Shannon, Gordon Korman, D.J. Machale, Neal Shusterman and the infamous Pseudonyous Bosch, how can one stay away?

Oliver Jeffers Rocks

2010-05-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back Every Picture Tells a Story http://www.everypicture.com/ hosted the FABULOUS Oliver Jeffers, (one of the best and brightest talents working today) on his west coast swing promoting THE HEART IN THE BOTTLE, I was more than a little excited. Jeffer's presentation included an amazing performance where he drew the spreads for his book THE GREAT PAPER CAPER in real time while another person read it for him. Seriously impressive! If you get the chance to check him out in person, go. If you want a good book, buy one of his.

NaPiBoWriWee 2010

2010-04-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

The incredible Paula Yoo has organized the Second Annual National Picture Book Writing Week (aka "NaPiBoWriWee") event! The event officially begins at midnight on Saturday May 1, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday May 7th. In preperation Paula is posing writing tips and inspirational tidbits throughout April to get everyone ready to write. Today was my turn to contribute a quote. Check out the blog here: http://paulayoo.com/content/napibowriwee-2010-inspirational-blog-5-mon-4510 and find out even more information on NaPiBoWriWee at: http://paulayoo.com/news

Joshua Dances

2010-02-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, some friends passed along this inspiring site of AMAZING felted animals by Victor Dubrovsky. http://www.chushka.com/gallery/toys/ I was so in love that I decided I'd better get on e-bay and order myself some felting needles. A couple weeks (and few needle pokes) later. TaDa!!! Joshua lives and breathes. Well, he doesn't reeeeeally breath, but he does... (drum roll, please) dance. Check out his travel blog at http://joshuagsquirrel.blogspot.com/

Robot- Dust of Everyday Life Blog

2010-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

This month's theme on the DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE blog, (The unofficial blog for Picture Book Artist) http://thedustofeverydaylife.blogspot.com/ is "Robots", here's my contribution.

Happy Holidays!

2010-01-01T08:24:00.001-08:00

A slightly belated card... or maybe Santa's headed out for a well deserved vacation.

GRANDMOTHER selected by RIF

2009-12-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

I am so pleased that GRANDMOTHER, HAVE THE ANGELS COME? Has been included on the Reading Is Fundamental 2009 Multicultural Library Booklist. Thanks to the generous support of Macy's, RIF will donate more than 400 mulitcultural book collections to elementary school classrooms in low-income communities throughout the US.

The complete list of books included in the collection can be seen here: http://www.rif.org/assets/Documents/LeadingToReading/RIF_Multicultural_Library_Collections_Booklist_2009.pdf

More info on RIF is here: http://www.rif.org/

Including information about the multicultural campaign:
http://www.rif.org/multicultural_campaign.mspx

Favorite Things...

2009-12-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

These are a few of my favorite things… This week I was forced to empty my studio. (Not something one would do voluntarily) During the re-org I’ve decided to allocate a designated space for all those books that can not be re-shelved because I NEED them available, within reach, at all times. Hopefully this will free up my floor, corners, chairs, and light box; hopefully.

The list includes a bunch of books on History, Art History, Writing, and Fiction. So, as a tribute to facebook lists, here's a portion of my can't-put-away-books... this week.

The Bad Beginning - Book 1 of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (I Looooove the design of this book)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien (all time favorite MG Novel)

The Tartar Khan's Englishman by Gabriel Ronay

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

The Lives of Shadows: An Illustrated Novel by Barbara Hodgson (OK anything by Barbara Hodgson

Opium: A History by Martin Booth (current obsession)

Hong Kong Apothecary - Paperback (Jun 30, 2003) by various and Simon Go (another current obsession)

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Old Man Mad About Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai by Francois Place (Place is brilliant)

and oh so many more....

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat!

Pirates, ARRRRRRRRRRGHRRRR!

2009-10-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Duke, The Artist, and Fred

2009-09-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

As a student, I spent a year studying English Country Houses at the University of Hull in England. During that time I ran across the slightly obscure, somewhat formulaic portrait of the Duke of Arundel by Daniel Mytens the Elder. It shows the Duke in front of a red drape, showing off his treasured collection of antique statuary. When I returned to the states I took an American Art History class and was was introduced to the self-portrait of yet another obscure historical figure, Charles Wilson Peale. C.W. would have, I argued in my term paper, been familiar with the Mytens, and had chosen his pose deliberatly hoping to associate himself with the Duke, who like him, spent fortunes in collecting. Apparently I wasn’t all that convincing, I believe I received a C. (That professor never did like me) But, years later, the images still stick. So to honor the Duke and Mr. Peale, here’s me and Fred. (I don’t have a fortune so collect neither art nor botanic speicimans, just characters)

Layers of Meaning

2009-09-29T09:57:00.001-07:00

When I visit schools, I like to point out to students how many layers of meaning that kid’s books sometimes have. Art, whatever the genre, often references outside sources and imagery to add another dimension of meaning. In the book GRANDMOTHER HAVE THE ANGELS COME? Written by Denise Vega, the text shows a grandmother reassuring her granddaughter about the aging process. When I’d received the manuscript the line that stood out most for me was just after the child has asked the grandmother if the angels have come and covered her ears. “Yes, my darling granddaughter they have quieted the sounds so I may hear even the sigh of a butterfly.” For me, and in most cultures, the butterfly symbolizes rebirth. I’d known that in Mexico, the butterfly is often referenced in celebrations of as the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the dead). They are seen as a symbolic of departed loved ones souls. The famous monarch migration to Mexico is at about the same time as the holiday. I thought all these references tied in very nicely with Denise’s text, and was in line with my interpretation of her story. I set the book during the migrations and added butterflies to every spread, hoping to emphasize the imagery; it also has the added bonus of and giving children something to look for in each spread. For me these layers of meaning are important. Kids do pick them up, even if only subconsciously, often faster than the adults reading to them.

Happy 75th Birthday Tomie dePaola!

2009-09-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Three Kisses: a tribute to Tomie dePaola
Source: threekissesfortomie.blogspot.com
On the occasion of Tomie dePaola's 75th birthday, the children's book community honors this living legend who has had 45 years in the business. Whether we grew up with his work or have worked alongside him, Tomie is an inspiration to us all. http://threekissesfortomie.blogspot.com/

LADYBUG- BEAT THE HEAT

2009-09-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

One of the last jobs I had this past winter with long time art reps Tugeau 2 was a spread in LADYBUG for the poem , BEAT THE HEAT by Patricia Toht. I'd forgotten about the assignment, so was pleased when my daughter recognized it at the bookstore. It's appropriate too, considering the heat in Los Angeles this week.

SCBWI National Conference

2009-08-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve returned to work after spending the weekend at the SCBWI National Conference http://www.scbwi.org/Conference.aspx?Con=2 It was a particularly good list of speakers this year, including the delightful Jennifer Hunt, literary genius Sherman Alexie, illustrators David Wiesner and Dan Yaccarino, agents Steven Malk and Sarah Davies, who gave insightful presentations, as well as many, many other writers, editors, and others, talking craft and business. For a complete blow by blow check out Paula Yoo’s blog http://paulayoo.com/

Anna Webman -Literary Agent

2009-08-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that this past month I signed with literary agent extraordinaire Anna Webman at Curtis, Brown, Ltd. For more information about Anna see Curtis, Brown’s website: http://www.curtisbrown.com/ and for the interview with Anna that originally inspired my submission to her, see the QUERYTRACKER blog: http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2009/04/interview-with-literary-agent-anna.html

Grandmother Have the Angels Come? Book Trailer

2009-06-21T09:48:00.001-07:00

Denise made a book trailer for Grandmother Have the Angels Come? (2009 Little, Brown)

by Denise Vega, Illustrated by erin eitter kono

Joshua G. Squirrel

2009-06-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been working on some projects with a ground squirrel named Joshua whom I met while visiting Palm Springs. He lives in the Mohave Desert, west of Vegas and is in possession of an i-phone. We've been communicating via e-mail, etc. and he's just started a blog. Apparently he is also tweeting. You can see his blog at http://joshuagsquirrel.blogspot.com/

PUNK WIG Honored

2009-04-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

PUNK WIG has been selected by Bank Street College of Education's Children's Book Commitee as a "Best book of the Year" and will be included in the 100th anniversary edition of THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR to be published in September, 2009

Picure Book Artists Association Spring Poster

2009-04-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

Visit http://www.picturebookartists.org/ to see everyone's spring art.

Young Writers' Conference -Alta Vista

2009-03-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed a wonderful school visit this past Friday at Alta Vista Elementary School with the Young Writers' conference. http://www.youngwritersconference.org/index.html The conference (they do many throughout the year at southland schools) is exceptional because it is run in the same format as an adult writer’s conference. The kids pick break out sessions with professional writers who specialize in everything from screenplays, novels, blogging, technical, music, children’s and more. I did presentations to third graders, talking about imagery, symbolism, and the creative process. I than gave them an illustration to inspire their writing. Their work was amazing! Some wrote in poetic, brief, almost haiku form, others wrote two pages with complex plots, (Obviously the novelists in the group) others were very serious critiques of the image. What I found most fascinating is how willing all of the kids were to stand up in front of the group and share their work. They were all so proud. It was a such pleasure!

Kiki by Janie Bynum

2009-03-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Janie Bynum has a trailer for her new book KIKI up on YouTube...check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsgQFr4_fxo

Tickle Monster Mitts rock!

2009-02-25T13:49:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan (and for full disclosure, friend) of Kevan Atteberry. His latest book, Tickle Monster written by Josie Bisset, is delightful. Even more so when coupled with the companion tickle mitts. If anyone is looking for a baby gift, I've found the both to be a huge hit and recommend them highly.

Grandmother Have the Angels Come? In stores.

2009-01-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

Grandmother Have the Angles Come? by Denise Vega, is out Feb. 1st

"The affection that pours from the pages is strong and believable" -Publishers Weekly

Little Brown has made coloring sheets available for free download at http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/kids_fun_index.aspx Print and Enjoy!

Full Moon

2009-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight is apparently going to be the largest full moon of 2009. In Japan they celebrate the full moon with moon viewing parties where friends sit in beautiful pagodas and compose haiku. So, in honor of the moon here is a famous poem by Hashimoto Takako (1899-1963),

tsuki ichirin tôko ichirin hikariau

the disk moon

the disk frozen lake

reflecting each other

Another thing to celebrate is the wonderful post by Jama Rattigan who featured Hula Lullaby on her Alphabet Soup blog. http://jamarattigan.livejournal.com/219072.html Her review notes many of the cultural references and symbolism that inspired the book, and I'm very pleased.

Small Graces: A Painting a Month for the FCB

2009-01-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Grace Lin, famed children's book author and illustrator will be auctioning original paintings once a month through eBay with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Foundation of Children's Books, a small non-profit organization in Boston that is making a big difference in the lives of young readers by bringing children's book authors and illustrators into under-served schools in Boston for visits and residencies.

This is everyone's chance to own original work by one of this generations most beloved artists.

To find out more see Grace's Blog: http://www.smallgracesart.blogspot.com/

Happy Holidays 2008!

2008-12-18T16:33:00.000-08:00

Illustrator's Day a Success!

2008-11-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the incredible work of the committee, most notabley Jane and Joan, and our many volunteers, Illustrator's Day '08 was a great success! Our speakers were all amazing! We'd really hoped to have a day where a variety of topics relevant to working illustrators would be addressed, and everyone contributed an incredible amount of information. So, now I'm all inspired, I need to get back to work!

SCBWI Los Angeles Illustrator's Day

2008-09-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to be involved with the organization of the 2008 illustrators Day here in LA. This year's them is 'the Business of Illustrating' and we hope to touch upon topics that will be relevant to both the beginner and seasoned professional. For complete details go to http://www.scbwisocal.org/events/la_illustrators_day.html

Everyone should also check out Jane Smith's article in Kite Tales for some great sneak peak interviews with guest speakers Joann Hill, Lorena Siminovich, and Steve Myhre (http://scbwisocal.org/kitetales/2008/KTFall08.pdf)

Alaska

2008-09-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

I recently spent some time in Alaska visiting my brother and his family. To say the place is inspiring is a bit of an understatement. I took ohhh just a few photos... also probably a bit of an understatement... Since the theme of the trip had been 'bears', I came home ready to paint them. Here's a photo taken near my brother's house, and then an illustration set in the environment. (Bye the way, despite our preparations and angst, only Kirk and Pat saw a bear. It was while they were rafting/fishing, and the bear was most definitely not interested in them.)

Color Doodles

2008-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here's an illustration done from the scbwi doodles. I'm still deciding if they're Barbary Pirates or Mamluk soldiers...

scbwi '08

2008-08-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

I spent Saturday at the SCBWI National Conference. It was, as always, a great chance to see friends and catch up on industry news. As you can tell from above I took detailed notes... I danced the night away, thanks to the strong persuasive talents of Paula Yoo, Lisa Wheeler, and Kevan Atteberry...and we even got Jane Smith out there..crazy! Congratulations to Ken Min, a fellow Los Angeles illustrator and friend who placed second in the illustration contest! Anyone interested in details of the conference check out Paula's Blog http://paulayoo.com/

black and white work

2008-06-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Since returning from KW I've been plugging away at a middle grade novel. Here's a sample illustration from the second chapter.

Hula Lullaby at The Dubuque Museum of Art

2008-06-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Photos from the opening reception held for the summer art exhibits at the Dubuque Museum of Art. It was a fun night! Great food, Great wine, and friends both old and new. Thank you very much to Stacy Gage and the Museum staff!

Thanks TH!

2008-05-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Telegraph Herald, my hometown newspaper, features a very nice article today about my upcoming show at the Dubuque Museum of Art. The museum will show spreads from HULA LULLABY from June 3-July 31 with an opening reception on June 6th, 5:30-7:30 sponsored by Wachovia. Everyone is welcome to come! You can read Sandeye Voight's article at http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=203359 and read more about upcoming exhibits at the Dubuque Museum of Art at http://www.dbqart.com/UpcomingExhibitions.htm I'm looking forward to enjoying a week of springtime in Dubuque!

elephants

2008-05-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with a new watercolor technique that Mary Jane Begin demonstrated at Kindling Words. That's right watercolor... She uses a modified old master technique that allows layering... I'm in love.

Kindling Words West

2008-05-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from Kindling Words West, an inspiring week at Ghost Ranch Abiquiu in New Mexico.

I went with the hopes of kick starting some writing projects, and with the insight of Tim Wynn-Jones I did. I also learned an amazing amount from Mary Jane Begin who teaches color at RISD.

It was an incredible opportunity to be surrounded by desert light and fine friends.

Young Writers Conference

2008-04-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 28th I was pleased to once again participate in the Alta Vista Young Writers Conference. The conference was started years ago by a couple mothers who have since turned the idea into a wonderful business. They do a fantastic job promoting writing to young kids by bringing in professionals from screenplay and song writers to sports journalists to teach workshops. The kids' enthusiasm is incredibly inspiring. I've come away eager to work. You can check out their website at www.youngwritersconference.org

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Wisconsin

2008-03-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Wisconsin, (Sterling 2007) was released last fall and promptly sold out. (Much to the dismay of certain family members who didn't get a copy) I'm happy to announce it's now available at BarnesandNoble.com! Next holiday season we'll be prepared with copies to spare.

Punk Wig Trailer

2008-02-26T15:15:00.000-08:00

The unofficial trailer for Punk Wig

by Lori Ries, Illustrated by me, published by Boyds Mills Press, 2008

Available in bookstores now!

2008-02-25T10:26:00.000-08:00

My soft tummied toy TayTay. She's aprox. 4 inches. tall. This is her party dress.

Kitty TayTay

2008-02-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

My latest obsession is developing a series of books/toys based on a character that is suspiciously close in temprement to a particualrily adored two year old... hmmnm wonder who that could be... Here's Kitty TayTay in her pop-up kitchen.

Good Enough by Paula Yoo

2008-02-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

I just read the most AMAZING debut novel by Paula Yoo! The book's main character, Patti, is smart, sassy, and incredibley lovable. If you are, or know an intelligent, driven teen you should buy this book! Here's the reviews:

- BOOKLIST (Nov. 17, 2007): Yoo follows her picture-book biography Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story (2005), with a funny, contemporary first novel about a high-achieving high-school senior who struggles between her Korean parents' expectations and her growing desire to shape her own future. Patti, a self-described "B-tier violin prodigy" and class valedictorian, recounts her senior year, in which her first deep crush is a powerful distraction from college applications and her parents? stringent requirements for a "P.K.D." (Perfect Korean Daughter). Like the best comic writers, Yoo uses humor to illuminate painful experiences: "Why does Susan get to be called . . . dork or geek but I always get called Jap or Chink or gook?" Patti wonders. "I'd take geek over gook any day." The frequent lists ("How to Make Your Korean Parents Happy"), SAT questions, and even spam recipes are, like Patti's convincing narration, filled with laugh-out-loud lines, but it's the deeper questions about growing up with immigrant parents, confronting racism, and how best to find success and happiness that will stay with readers. Gillian Engberg

KIRKUS REVIEWS: Patti knows that the only thing harder than calculus, or maybe mastering the cadenza from the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor, is being a PKD, a Perfect Korean Daughter. The PKD achieves great grades, shines at extracurriculars and is devoted to her church but never complains or brags. Most important, the PKD never questions her parents' pushing her to get into Harvard, Yale and Princeton and become a doctor or a lawyer. Though witty, linguistically gifted Patti has a number of academic talents, her greatest joy is playing the violin. She knows she's not supposed to rock the Harvard/Yale/Princeton boat but, encouraged by her violin teacher, she applies to Juilliard. Now her dilemma is not her SAT scores or her grades, but how to hide her desire to attend music school from her academically oriented parents. The Clash, a jam session and a new boy at school encourage Patti to break from her PKD shell and see her social life and violin studies in new ways. Teens living through the pressure of college applications and questioning their futures will sympathize with Patti in this enjoyable, funny but not superficial read, which bears many similarities to Alex Flinn's Diva (2006). (Fiction. YA)

PUNK WIG! by LORI REIS Illustrated by ERIN EITTER KONO...available now!

2008-02-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

PUNK WIG!
by LORI REIS Illustrated by ERIN EITTER KONO from Boyds Mills Press is in Bookstores NOW!

ISBN: 1-59078-486-3 ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-486-0

From The Book Cover:"Mom is on her way to the hospital to get "alien blobs" zapped with medicine. The alien blobs are cancer. The treatment helps, but it also makes Mom lose her hair.One day she says, "Today is wig day," and she and her son head down to Harriett's Hair, where they find wigs of all styles and sizes: big hair short hair, spiky hair, and curly hair. Finally, Mom finds the wig she been looking for-and it looks perfect with her jeans and leather jacket.Lori Ries's loving story of a mother whose son gives her constant support during chemotherapy is illustrated with warmth and humor by Erin Eitter Kono."

Praise for Punk Wig!

"Kono's watercolor illustrations convey a blithe touch and reflect the warm relationship between mom and son. This positive and upbeat approach to coping with cancer will be a welcome addition—younger than, but complimentary to Patricia Polacco's The Lemonade Club (2007). "
-PUNK WIG - Kirkus Reviews - 12/15/07
"In this tender tale of love and healing, the difficult subject of cancer is dealt with in an honest and straight-forward manner... This lovely story of love through hardship will lift you up."
-Strand Bookstore, NY
available at all bookstores across the country

you may also order a copy online at:

Powell's Books:
http://www.powells.com/biblio?PID=719&cgi=product&isbn=1590784863

Barnes&Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781590784860

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Punk-Wig-Lori-Ries/dp/1590784863/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202759198&sr=8-1

And many other fine stores.

I humbly ask that you post a review (hopefully positive and with lots of stars!) to promote our book ranking.

Please pass this e-mail on to anyone you feel might be interested.
Thank you!!

2007-07-30T22:15:00.001-07:00

robert's snow snowflake

2007-07-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

I'm honored to once again participate in Robert's Snow, the fundraiser originally organized by Grace Lin and Robert Mercer for the Jimmy Fund. I finished my snowflake today... just in time. I wanted to tie it in the the Twelve Days of Wisconsin Christmas, I've noticed in the past that snowflakes tied to books often get higher bids. Hopefully it'll do well.

2007-06-28T10:20:00.001-07:00

The Grandmother book I'm ill. for Little, Brown is due next week.... I'm setting it aside for a few hours so that I'll be able see it with fresh eyes. OK... really it's called procrastination. Here's Te Te playing outside.

catching up...

2007-05-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well... I'm as bad at posting as I'd anticipated. When it comes down to it, deadlines come first, and I've been just keeping up of late.

I have had some fun illustration events. I spoke to 2nd and 3rd graders at Peninsula Heritage Elementary School through a conference run by YOUNG WRITER'S CONFERENCE ( www.youngwritersconference.org) It was great fun! I love talking to kids. In the past I spoke with older grades. So I was actually surprised by just how interested and involved the younger children were. I spoke about the inspiration for Hula Lullaby. How I tried to capture the connection the Hawaiian culture has to the rhythm of nature. It was a section I thought they'd be bored with, but it was actually the one they paid most attention to. It just confirms that kids are brilliant and intuitively understand that which many adults need to have explained.

Last weekend I went to the scbwi event "Artworks" It was good to see so many familiar faces. Mary Peterson http://www.marypeterson.com/ and Ken W. Min http://www.kenminart.com/ both won prizes for best portfolio. Yay! The speakers were Marijka Kostiw, AD from Scholastic Press, Orchard, & A. Levine Books... OK... design genius. I love, love, love her work. I've never heard her speak, and took so much away from what she said. Val Adams from Mosaic Licensing also spoke. She had many valuable snippets on licensing. It's a direction I'd love to go... one of these days I might have time to work up an appropriate portfolio.. ahh sigh.

I've also officially joined the committee to help plan illustrator's day. We met Monday night in Santa Monica. I think we're on to some great ideas!

So with that... I'd better get back to my drawing board..

2007-05-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

I received my proofs yesterday for THE TWELVE DAYS OF WISCONSIN CHRISTMAS from Meredith at Sterling. The colors look great, and I'm really happy with how it's turned out! (Thanks to Scott the new AD!) I'm looking forward to seeing the book. In the meantime I'm thinking I should dig out my snow boots and plan a bit of pre-Christmas promoting.

Patrick's Deployment

2007-04-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Most people who know me, have probably heard of my brothers, Patrick and Morgan. Patrick is an ER doc in the air force and will be deployed next week. Here's an article about the beachfront resort in Jolo, where he'll be residing...
http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/200702/jolo-philippines-1.html

In the meantime I'm dog sitting Pat's cocker spaniel, Mateo, a welcomed edition to the Kono clan. (Mateo is the star of PASSOVER by Roni Schotter a book I illustrated a couple years back)

Cal State Visit

2007-04-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Illustration students at Cal State Fullerton yesterday. It was at the invitation of my friend Mac McCool. Mac is a wonderful illustrator of comics and is branching into graphic novels and children's illustration. Check out his site at http://www.macmccool.com/

Mac introduced me to several of his students who are particularly interested in Picture Books. Their work shows wonderful potential and their enthusiasm was inspiring. I'm truly impressed by the University's program which emphasises work ethic and professionalism. I can see why their graduates are doing well.

The talk went OK. I was asked to speak about how I got into children's books. I described the various avenues for getting your work in front of artdirectors (postcards, websites, networking). Many questions dealt withhaving an agent and the differences between the various sectors of thechildren¹s publishing business (libraries, trade, and educational). I don¹tknow that I stressed enough -- though I mentioned -- persistence, beingwilling to try new things, and taking rejection and criticism as challengesto improve one¹s art. However, I emphasized being professional, meetingdeadlines, and following up on contacts. I guess I rambled a bit aboutbeing lucky. (Probably not what a group of college kids needs to hear). I believe I have been lucky of course.. but being lucky never completes assignments!

David Ezra Steins book project

2007-04-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

David Ezra Stein (whom I met while taking Tomie de Paolo's master class last summer) has put up a great "how to" on his site that explains how to make your own book. It's very similar to how I construct my book dummys and looks like a fun project for crafty folk of all ages. Check it out: http://www.davidezra.com and click on "try this"

SCBWI Kite Tales article

2007-04-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Mary Peterson (http://www.marypeterson.com/) asked me to write something for the Illustrator's perspective of Kite Tales, the SCBWI newsletter for the tri-regions of Southern California. My article: "O.K... Now What? How to Begin Illustrating a Book" can be found on page 8. http://scbwisocal.org/kitetales/KTSpring07.pdf

the begining

2007-04-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

OK... I've finally caved to the suggestions of my friends and colleagues and ta da here it is the official erin eitter kono blog. The goal is to share info about my work, my friends' work, and interesting tidbits of whatever. My guess is it'll be pretty sporadic. That's me... not particularly consistent. We'll call it an artistic brain. But I figure this will be way easier to update than my long neglected website... so here we go! Yay!