Let me thank Annina Luck Wildermuth for suggesting me for this Blog Tour. I have known Annina for quite some time through SCBWI. I am lucky that she is a part of a group of people who inspire me to continue to be creative.
So, onward to the questions.
- What am I working on?
As an unpublished author with no obligations I continue to work on a variety of items in a variety of media. Currently, my main focus is some artwork to support my 12 x 12 submission for a story called The Cowboy Kid.
I am also doing some preliminary sketched for another idea that has some interesting images, but, as yet no story.
- How does my work differ from others of this genre?
Hard to say. Most of what I see in the market is strictly digital, and there is a great benefit to this type of work.
I primarily work in pen and ink with watercolor. Some of my work is strictly watercolor, but my preference always goes back to pen and ink.
I use Rotring fountain pens, a kind that is no longer manufactured and occasionally surfaces on ebay. I sketch on hotpress in pencil, ink it, usually expand my lines with brush. I use Winsor & Newton artist grade watercolors. I have my series 7 brushes, but have been experimenting with cheaper versions lately.
I also work in digital, but I still have a long way to go to find my “look” that feels natural. There are so many talented digital artists already, so I usually keep reverting to pen and ink, where I believe my strength lies.
- Why do I write what I do?
I have always have had a fascination for children’s books. I blame it on “Where the Wild Things Are”. Who could resist a pen and ink book with monsters. Like all artists and writers, I have drawers full of stories and drawings. I joined SCBWI on a lark and have been a member for quite some time. A few of us get together in Huntington NY to support our creativity and critique our work.
4. How does my writing process work?
Usually ideas come to me in a flash and I write the core down on a piece of paper when it strikes. I like to illustrate and write the story at the same time, doing little sketches wrapped by words to give me a look and feel of a story. I have plenty of books for inspiration.
Once I have the idea down, I type it up and see how much survives to make a good story. Once I’ve done several revisions I usually storyboard the work to see how it would translate into a book. 
I usually do quite a few sketches to get a look and feel before I commit to some complete work.
The next person on the blog tour is Jessica Boehman. Jessica is a llustrator and a professor of Art History living in NYC and a friend of Annina Luck Wildermuth .
You can find Jessica’s blog tour post at http://www.hansmyhedgehog.com/blog/blog-tour
And she runs two sites:
Please take a look at her site and continue the tour.
