1. What am I working on?
I recently coauthored a picture-book entitled Little Cloud's Quest (LCQ) with Sylvia Sikundar, a Canadian author and friend who lives on Salt Spring Island off the BC coast. LCQ was published in the spring of 2014 by Katha Books in New Delhi, India. Unusually, I did not illustrate this book (my studio schedule was full at the time), however, the reviews have been very encouraging. Perhaps even more importantly, the book has fueled a passion for clouds which I have cherished since my youth.
Storyboarding is a major part of both my illustrating and writing process. I start with a rough draft of the story and make small thumbnail sketches in the margins using a Pilot Hi-Techpoint 05 (the perfect weight for ideas to manifest as line drawings) at the same time noting possible pagination for the text. Then I move to pencil sketches, scan them, and import them into InDesign. In the digital dummy stage I can see how the pages flow, where text can be edited down by using pictures and when the action needs a boost. The digital flow of InDesign is also useful later on to see color transitions between pages, how the two sides of double spreads work together, and generally for refining the relationship between the text and the visuals. It's a book in a box!
Here is the underpainting for the next cloud painting. I like the quality of this turp-filled underpainting and may just leave it as it is without proceeding to thicker layers of oil. I always work thin to thick.
As an author I try to maintain a global, cross-cultural perspective in my work. I am passionate about environmental issues, particularly with respect to conservation of living species (including Homo sapiens). Many of my fiction stories are nature-based and much of my non-fiction writing focuses on the environmental sciences, subjects such as climate change, biodiversity loss and other human-induced impacts on our planet. Over the past several years I have written two series of books on climate change for the educational market in the US. I wrote and illustrated Earth has a Fever for readers in grades 3 and 4, to highlight the impact that climate change is having on all of Earth's living inhabitants.
The international edition of The Mountain that Loved a Bird written by Alice McLerran and illustrated by yours truly was recently translated into Tibetan by the SnowLion Storytelling Initiative, an accomplishment that I am particularly proud of. The art highlights the wild environment of the Himalayas that surrounds my studio and I hope that young Tibetan readers will be able to relate to and enjoy this wonderful love story.
3. Why do I write what I do?
For many years I was the Managing Editor of Biodiversity Journal (2004-2014) which opened my eyes to the critical state of the environment on our planet. Respect for nature's living species has been lost by many in the quest for 'more' and 'bigger'. Research polls show that most parents in the US, and I suspect in most nations, learn of current environmental issues from books and literature that their children bring home from school. Young readers are the future of our space-ship called Earth so we have to nurture their natural love for living species, for nature and the equanimity of life in the wild. There is a lot of disinformation and biased viewpoints circulating in the media. Never has it been more important than now to present clear, accurate science to the public in a way that is visually appealing and engaging. Bad news and environmental disasters, almost daily occurrences, need to be spaced with stories of opportunity, possibility and the incredible beauty of nature.
4. How does my writing process work?
I try to write every day in my journal. If I am working on a manuscript, I try to keep my BIC (Butt-In-Chair) for at least 2 hours per day, strictly focused on writing, not answering emails or browsing Facebook pages (:>).
When I have a story idea, I try to create an outline first to see if the idea has the possibility of becoming a full story. Often they are just that, ideas, not stories and therefore not books. Sometimes an idea will later flourish into a book or be incorporated into another book. I have a lot of faith in the subconscious mind and its ability to work on ideas, adding the lessons of day-to-day life without me knowing about it. I think it is most important to write about your passions. For the writing to be strong you have to believe in your subject.
I like digital technology and although I will never be classified as a 'techie', I find the challenge of new technology inspiring and I try to incorporate it into my writing process as much as possible. My current process involves tracking story ideas, poems, reflections and musings through Evernote, and an associated software Penultimate which allows me to write and draw with a stylus on the iPad. Both these softwares sync between my iPhone, iPad and laptop. I have no excuses left to not write but of course at some point I have to pull all of the ideas together and synthesize all the parts in a comprehensible and sellable whole.
Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave a comment or a link if you get a chance. Stay tuned to this post and I will tag another author/illustrator who is willing to describe their writing process.
When I have a story idea, I try to create an outline first to see if the idea has the possibility of becoming a full story. Often they are just that, ideas, not stories and therefore not books. Sometimes an idea will later flourish into a book or be incorporated into another book. I have a lot of faith in the subconscious mind and its ability to work on ideas, adding the lessons of day-to-day life without me knowing about it. I think it is most important to write about your passions. For the writing to be strong you have to believe in your subject.
I like digital technology and although I will never be classified as a 'techie', I find the challenge of new technology inspiring and I try to incorporate it into my writing process as much as possible. My current process involves tracking story ideas, poems, reflections and musings through Evernote, and an associated software Penultimate which allows me to write and draw with a stylus on the iPad. Both these softwares sync between my iPhone, iPad and laptop. I have no excuses left to not write but of course at some point I have to pull all of the ideas together and synthesize all the parts in a comprehensible and sellable whole.
Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave a comment or a link if you get a chance. Stay tuned to this post and I will tag another author/illustrator who is willing to describe their writing process.
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