shadrieka 
Whew! What a weekend. I spent the last two days on panel discussions about the Diversity in Children’s Books Campaign. Yesterday I spoke with Crystal Allen, Pamela Tuck, Sheila P. Moses, Charisse Carney-Nunes, and Christopher John Farley at the Congressional Black Caucus Author Pavilion on Diversity in children’s books and discussed the same topic today … Read more
My summer vacation is coming to an end. For the past two weeks I have been visiting my dear friend Taeeun Yoo in Seoul, Korea. We spent our time drawing around Seoul, eating great food, working, and exercising together. It has been truly restorative. Today, my last day here, Taeeun conducted a printmaking workshop for … Read more
I checked two major items off of my bucket list last week – driving to Maine, and visiting Ashley Bryan on Little Cranberry Island. When Deb Taylor asked if I wanted to drive up with her, it was a no brainer. Prior to our departure, a large hurricane had barreled up the east coast causing … Read more
I just put a second coat of stain on half of my deck. It’s been three years since I moved into this place, and until this summer, my backyard remained unfurnished and unused, which is a shame because it was one of my favorite features of my townhouse. This summer I committed and purchased patio … Read more
Earlier this week, I received this e-mail from a good friend of mine, Maggie Suisman, asking how to balance marketing work with making work. I think this is a question that many of us ask ourselves, so I thought I would share a bit of my own experience. Hi Shadra! I just saw your article … Read more
When I was in graduate school at SVA, I was able to choose an advisor during my thesis year. My choice was Pat Cummings. I asked Pat because I had been reading her books and admiring her art since “Just Us Women” appeared on Reading Rainbow in 1984. I went on to fall in love … Read more
Ahhhh summer “vacation”. I am buried in my studio finishing up the next book. Though close to the end, there are still many miles to travel before I can put this thing to bed. July will be a welcome month of travel as I rinse my mind and eyes a bit after having been in … Read more
School finally ended. I took a week off to empty my brain of all things MICA and am now ready to wrap up this book. My plan was to finish et the end of the semester, but like a few of my students, I fell shy of my original goal by about three pieces. Those … Read more
Head on over to Elizabeth O. Dulemba’s blog to hear more about Louise and win a free copy of the book! For those of you who don’t know, Elizabeth O. Dulemba is an author and illustrator of picture books and most recently, a novel! She is Illustrator Coordinator for the Southern Breeze region (AL, GA, FL panhandle) of the SCBWI – the … Read more
A couple of weeks ago I was invited by Rebecca Bradley to add to an online tribute for the kidnapped girls in Nigeria. Each artist was given a name and asked to design a flower for that young lady. My tribute is for Gloria. As a childless woman, I can’t even imagine what the mothers … Read more