The Magic Ring

It's always exciting to see the Big Apple Circus tent poking above the walls of Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center.  Such a funny juxtaposition.  A few years ago we were invited backstage at Cirque du Soliel. The performers were stretching and walking around, dodging racks of costumes and props.  Everything looked different without the magic of the lights and the ring.  Why is it that the simple act of dimming the lights, or pulling open a curtain changes the ordinary into the magical and allows for the suspension of disbelief?

Some of my favorite books are collections of circus posters.  The artwork is really amazing.  Here is one that I look at every so often:  American Circus Posters.  And this one is on my wish list Magic 1400s to 1950s.

This is a great doc on PBS:  Circus

Trapeze

This new painting is the first part of a series of pieces for a project about the circus. This one was inspired by a sculpture currently on display at the Rockland Center for the Arts.

Moon Child is Launched

Last fall when Otter, Raccoon and Owl first appeared in my studio, Raccoon immediately began chewing on my pastels while Otter (who was a bit soggy) lumbered about, dragging some slimy kelp.  Owl, for her part, settled onto a stack of old sketches and soon fell asleep. Obviously I had to put them in a book, and the result, Moon Child, was officially published yesterday.  It already has a great review in Kirkus and is featured in Parenting Magazine.  Moon Child is written by Nadia Krilanovich & published by Tricycle Press|Random House.

"... Sayles’s pastel-and-acrylic illustrations beautifully capture the sense of wonder the young animals have for the luminous full moon. Her night is a place of magic where water holds stars and anything is possible. " (Picture book. 2-6) --Kirkus Review
 Order from Amazon

Another Little Princess

Here is a detail of the jacket for the next "The Very Little Princess" book featuring the further adventures of Regina, a doll who, under the right set of circumstances, comes to life.  (Written by Marion Dane Bauer & published by Random House.)  I just finished all the sketches for the interior pages.  There is a little more action in this one and some new characters, all of which have been so much fun to draw.  Finished art due in January!

First Review

MOON CHILD
By Nadia Krilanovich; Illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles
Tricycle Press | Random House
"This charming bedtime lullaby gives readers a new way of looking at the moon as they follow a raccoon, an owl and an otter in their nighttime rambles ... Sayles’s pastel-and-acrylic illustrations beautifully capture the sense of wonder the young animals have for the luminous full moon. Her night is a place of magic where water holds stars and anything is possible. Krilanovich’s striking debut will have youngsters peering out the window to see if the moon is in fact watching over them...and very likely reaching out to give it a hug." (Picture book. 2-6)
--Kirkus Review
September 15, 2010
Pre-order Moon Child

Sprout wings and fly

This is one of the classes I am teaching this fall:
ILLUSTRATION PORTFOLIO
School of Visual Arts, NYC
Sept 22 - Dec 15,  2010
Wednesdays 6:30-9:30 pm
Dust off your portfolio and spruce it up. Stretch out and try something new. Or work on that children's book you've been dreaming of.  This class is centered around each individual student's needs. Assignments vary each semester. Also covered are all aspects of the business of illustration, from copyrights & contracts to self promotion & marketing. For more info & to register Click Here

Back from Pasadena

Just returned from attending ICON 6: The Illustration Conference.
It will take a while to process everything that was thrown at us in 4 days of workshops, roundtable discussions and presentations.  Many of the talks and discussions were filmed by Escape from Illustration Island and will be posted on their site, which is a good thing because every now and then I snuck outside to clear my head in the California sunshine.

The Secret of the Tomb

The final art, finally. It's for a mystery that takes place in Egypt.  I'm in awe of the beautiful and whimsical carvings, friezes and paintings of ancient Egypt, some over 4000 years old, that I discovered while researching this project.
Interesting Reads:  The Secrets of Tomb 10A , Cleopatra, A Life, Egyptology

Isis and the Dove

This is a detail from a larger piece I am working on.  It's nearly done and I'll post the entire piece then.  It's for a mystery that takes place in Egypt.  I'm in awe of the beautiful and whimsical carvings, friezes and paintings of ancient Egypt, some over 4000 years old, that I discovered while researching this project.

The Little Explorer

I have been interested in time, lately, as an intangible thing.  Maybe because it slips away so quickly (except in waiting rooms...)  I just sent this off to a client, so thought I would post it here as well. 

Animation and me...

The infamous John Culhane,  chronicler of Studio Disney and author of Fantasia 2000: Visions of Hope, among others, has asked me to teach his class "The History of Animation" at Mercy College while he recovers from an operation. Luckily all the little creatures are still running around in his head, but the class will be challenging for me. Last night I watched Willie the Whale and a few Daffy Ducks to get up to speed. Its very exciting that an animator just won the Pulitzer Prize: http://www.markfiore.com/pulitzer/

Just received a gold certificate in the mail and the news that The Very Little Princess has been named "A Junior Library Guild Selection."  Meanwhile, I am preparing for a trip to Michigan to sign books and give a picturebook workshop at the Ann Arbor district library. Will have to squish all my stuff into one carry-on and one checked bag.  I am looking forward to seeing the Ghost Army Exhibit at University of Michigan's Hatcher Library,  and to meeting everyone who I've been corresponding with in Ann Arbor.

Art All Over

Maurice Sendak's "Wild Things" ambushed me as I turned a corner at last night's opening of the Neo-Integrity exhibit at MoCCA. What a great show! I am so happy to be a part of it. Floor-to-ceiling art. Gems tucked into corners and wrapped around columns, animations playing continuously and wine... who could ask for more. Original ink drawings from "Peanuts" complete with zip-a-tone. Jules Feiffer's cartoons for the Village Voice... This show requires a few visits,  preferably without a lot of other people standing around chatting... ha! Keep an eye out for the catalog – can't miss it at about 4 inches thick. Kudos to Keith, Grace and the volunteers and staff at MoCCA.

The Goat-man

Neo-Integrity: Comics Edition

March 12 – May 30

This piece is the fourth piece from the fairy-tale Gold on view now at the Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art (MOCCA), along with the work of many others illustrators & cartoonists.  "It is a super-salon show... a "King Solomon's Mines" ...  a spectacular experience for all.  A  floor-to-ceiling, frame-to-frame salon-style show!  Imagine the salons of the 1800's, and you'll get the  idea."  Some of the artists are... Maurice Sendak, Peter Arno, Isabella Bannerman, Julie Doucet, Jules Feiffer, Tomer + Asaf Hanuka... and me!  Curated by Keith Mayerson

MoCCA

594 Broadway, Suite 401, New York, NY 10012

Mad

Reality crashes down on Zoey and she finally gets mad.

From The Very Little Princess.