My first ever watercolored picture book, Quiet Karima, releases in a few months on October 8th.
About the book:
Without silence, there is no music.
Karima is quiet. She’d prefer to listen to the world than to talk. In fact, she listens to the chirps, thuds, and squeaks all around her, and in everything she hears a melody or a beat. As she journeys to her music class, she soaks up all the sounds along the way, until she is ready to perform a song that is uniquely her own.
It’s available for pre-order here.
I still love working digitally but traditional media has called to me for years. At times wood burnings or mini paintings. I love the happy accidents and the way my mind enters into a meditative state. Also, at its best moments, it’s professional play. I draw, paint, and explore. The results are imperfect and beautiful.
Here’s a compilation of some of my work on Karima.
I used a combination of media from color pencil, marker, pen, watercolor and ink. When I painted wet on wet, it was stressful (seen in the video). I wet the paper before adding dollops of paint and allow the paint to bloom. It’s quick and prone to folly. I tested many sheets before painting on the page with Karima. I didn’t mess up (whew) but I definitely collapsed after.
In preparation for my upcoming trip to Europe, for the first time ever, I’m closing my shop. If you want prints, originals, etc please get them before Weds June 26th. The coupon code is gelato for 25% off. I will re-open the shop in the fall.
Finally, I’m honored to share that I’m on the jury for the prestigious NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s and Young Adult literature. The finalists were announced here and I will head to Oklahoma later this year for their literature festival and awards ceremony.
Thanks for reading and more from the road, soon!