shadrieka 
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
It has been a looooong week and semester. In a few days I will say goodbye to the very first group of students I taught. I can’t believe that I have been teaching for three years already. It has been a great experience so far. I’ve had more good days than bad, and more students … Read more
Getting published is a HUGE accomplishment.But where most civilians (non authors & illustrators) think that a book deal means buckets of money and leaving behind a legacy, those of us in the trenches know that getting a book published is only the beginning. Looking back to my late twenties and thirties, all I wanted to … Read more
Last weekend I was interviewed by (cool) progeny.com to help spread the word about this year’s upcoming African American Book Fair at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. I really enjoyed this interview because I had a chance to offer some advice to young artists on finding the resources (specifically in Baltimore) they need to develop their … Read more