Chautona

Until I draw for the copy of Ready or Not!  I’m so excited about it.  It’s sitting here, looking forlorn and asking for a new home.  It doesn’t like living here where it isn’t read.  It was designed to be read!  It’s failing at fulfilling its purpose!  WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH.

So, don’t forget to get your entries in.  You have several more you can get in… don’t forget facebook, your blog, if you’ve read a version of it you can review!

Go here... and enter.  You know you want to.  And even if you don’t, don’t tell me.  M’kay?

And, if you don’t win, you can always order a copy here!  Just sayin’.

Next up?  Cloaked in Secrets… Book two in the Annals of Wynnewood.  The map… oh my word.  Craig is doing AMAZING things with that map.

My friends Barbara and Michele run a “fan page” for me over at Facebook.  Yeah.  It’s a bit embarrassin’ but hey.  At least they changed the name… the original one, while flattering, was a bit… um… well, if you’re not a fan of all things Harry Potter, it wouldn’t make sense.

Then we discovered, that without 100 fans, someone could steal the name.  While I can’t figure out why anyone would want to do that, I decided to do a drawing to drive the numbers to that 100 mark– just to protect us from being hacked don’tcha know.

Tonight, we reached the 100 mark.  My thanks to all the friends (not to mention the husbands who stepped in and helped out) who worked so hard to get it for us!  And… then I went to Random.org and snagged us a nice number.

Ok… so here is the highly unscientific way that I chose the person who was 57.  I went to Facebook, clicked on the “See All” fans and counted… one at a time…  yeah.  It was tedious.  the reason this was unscientific was because I don’t know if that changes every time you look at it or not.  I don’t THINK so, but I didn’t check.  So, if my 57 isn’t the same as yours, that’s not my fault.  Just sayin’

Congratulations Alicia!  Just comment and lemme know what book you want.  You have the choice between…

Noble Pursuits

Argosy Junction

Annals of Wynnewood:  Shadows & Secrets

Ready or Not

OR…

Book 2 in the Annals of Wynnewood:  Cloaked in Secrets.  However, if you choose book 2, you’ll have to wait until June for shipment.

The facebook fan page is up to ninety-two fans!  Eight more and I draw for a book, any book… just because!  Talk about FUN!

So, if you’re on Facebook and you’re not a fan of Just the Write Escape, hop on over and maybe we can draw for a book this weekend!

Just sayin’.

Every time I publish a book, friends and I go out to lunch for a “Book Signing.”  This time, I came prepared.

My friends!  From left to right.  Lupe, Glenda (her husband is where I got the name Verily for Noble Pursuits),  Teresa (my partner in so many “crimes”) and me.

Signing Lupe’s book.

Signing Glenda’s book.

Proof that it’s my book….

I couldn’t stop laughing.

You see, we laugh… a lot.  Partly, because Teresa loves to embarrass me.  She threatens to set up a table by the front door and stack up books.  Then watch people come in.  They’d stare, scratch their heads, frown, tip toe past, and order their food– to go.

So, we order, we sit on those couches, and tell stories.  Laugh.  Oh do we laugh.  We talk about how different we are, how we’re so alike, and encourage each other in the Lord.  Good times.  I doubt any other authors have book signings quite like mine, but that’s ok.  I’m happy to be me.  I’m even happier to have such good and encouraging friends.

Just released on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and in at least one small Christian Bookstore… and of course, here at Just the Write Escape,

For the official launch of Aggie’s series, I thought I’d give a copy away!  After all, without readers, it wouldn’t be in print, now would it?

I know, you don’t want me chattering about the book, you want to know how to win the thing, right?  Well, I’m here to tell you.  There are several ways.

1.  Comment.   Each person in your house can comment once per day.

2.  Link to this contest on your blog and come back here to say you did.

3.  Link to this contest on Facebook and come back here to say you did.

4.  If you’ve already read the book, post a review on Amazon.com and/or Barnes and Noble (Links available above).  Then post here after each review.

5.  If you’re a BRAVE soul, copy the text for the button for chautona.com and put it on your blog somewhere and then post here that you did.  You’re free to delete after the contest is over.  I won’t be offended at all!  (And I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to do it.)

If you don’t post after each thing you do, it MIGHT not be noticed and get counted.  Just sayin’.  I only promise to count every post in here.  If I know you did something else, I’ll count it, but I can’t know most things unless you post.

This contest will run through April 30, 2010.  I’ll announce the winner on May Day!

Of course, if you’re ready to read the book now and not later, just zip over to the link over there…

<—– and buy yourself a copy.  I’m always happy to sign them for you or wrap for a gift if you are sending one as such.  I’ll pop a handmade card signed by “you” and it’ll be utterly coolified.

Stay tuned at the end of the interview for more information on Craig, his website, and the blog where he showcases his recent work.

What do you suggest to people who want to learn how to draw more accurately?  Are there any books you recommend?  Videos?  Online classes?  Correspondence courses?

The easy answers are keep a sketchbook and draw all the time and learn to see.  80% of drawing is seeing and not everything you see translates to the page so get out there and start drawing from life.  You will learn something new nearly every time and usually more from your mistakes than anything.

As for books and stuff, for kids I can’t speak highly enough for “Commander” Mark Kistler.  He had a show on PBS but I think you can find his stuff online.  It’s drawing basics like perspective, foreshortening, shading, etc. and making it fun.  For older students who are interested in figure drawing there is no reason to go any further than George B. Bridgeman.  It’s volumetric anatomy for Artists and not Anatomists.  His “Complete Guide to Drawing from Life” is probably the most used book on my shelf. It will change how you see.

What is your dream project?  What would make you just go wild with excitement if you had the opportunity to do anything you wanted?

Ooooo that’s a rough one to nail down.  I guess it would be the opportunity to get my hands on some of the iconic characters of literature.  Someone like a Peter Pan, Long John Silver, Ebenezer Scrooge, Little John, Tin Woodsman, Pigsy, The Monkey King, etc would be a dream to tackle.  I guess to be able to add something to that experience for a reader or a viewer would be amazing.  To be able to really inhabit those characters in their worlds for a while is really why I prefer story related art.

What is the “downside” to art?  Policemen hate paperwork… what do artists hate?

That’s kind of a small question with a big explanation; I’ll try to keep it brief.  It’s the looks you and your family get sometime when someone either first meets you or asks about you and say, “ahh he/you is/are an artist.”  It’s the same dismissive look people give when talking about the deranged or hard of thinking.  Part of that is our fault really, Art has done more to talk to itself than it has to talk to others in the recent past and they just can’t relate.

The other thing that I am sure most everyone can relate to is when people disrespect your time, your talent and the difficulty of what you do.  My theory as this relates to Art is: once upon a time everyone use to draw, and it was fun.  Then at some point they stopped for lack of interest or discouragement or whatever but they retained the memory of drawing, coloring, painting, sculpting = play.  So when they have to deal with those of us that kept “playing” they think most of what we do is easy and basic goof-offery which leads to 5PM on a Friday projects due at 6PM that same day, a client asking for the moon and expecting it and the dreaded work on speculation.

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Well first two things that pop in my head are both from the same person my Mother-in-Law, Beverly.  When I graduated college she gave me a business card case with “Illustrator” engraved on it, something about that meant a lot.  The second comes from a conversation my wife told me about where Bev had come to the realization that I see things differently because I am an Artist.  Her attempt to put herself in my shoes and that she was I guess impressed in some way I took as quite a compliment.

What question do most non-artistic types forget to ask in these kinds of interviews?

Seeing as how I don’t get interviewed, well ever, I guess the thing I hear the most is more of an observation than a question.  “I can’t even draw a straight line.”  To which I reply, “Neither can I that’s why I use a ruler.”

Craig shares a blog with several of his artist buddies  Sketch-of-the-Day.  There’s a lot of amazing work on this blog… I always love stopping by to see what he and his friends have done lately.  However, I have to give you a warning.  Not everything on this site is appropriate for children.  While there is nothing pornographic, a few of the images are of a more sexualized nature and therefore not appropriate for everyone.  So, consider yourself warned.

Craigs Posts

His Sketches of Dove

And his website!  C.B. Worrell . com!

Stay tuned for his work in Cloaked in Secrets!  The itsy bitsy bits of what I’ve seen coming are so EXCITING.  I’m almost as thrilled, if not more,  as I am about my book!

Now, on a professional note, working with Craig has been incredibly rewarding.  He has just enough professionalism to give you confidence in his work even before you see his ideas on paper.  However, he’s not so “all-business” that you wonder if he’ll sterilize your characters or if you wonder if he’s being tortured to do the work.  Just listening to him, you can hear the passion for what he does as he talks about things.  It’s truly a wonderful experience, and I recommend him heartily.  Now, if I could just win the lottery so I could give him an amazingly huge tip… that’d be cool.

He even did a portrait of me… sight unseen.  I’m just so impressed…

Now we’re getting into the visual aspect of it all.  Let’s SEE just what this guy is and who he admires.  Let’s really rip the soul from his creativity and examine it… umm no…. let’s not and let’s not say we did.  That was just… well… Yeah.  How about a nice simple question like, who his favorite artist is or something.  Oh, look!  There it is.  WOW.

Who is your favorite artist?

I keep collecting favorite artists, there’s really a lot of good ones out there so it depends on the time.  Right now I really love looking at work from Charles Dana Gibson, Barry Moser, John Singer Sargent, Jean-Baptiste Monge, Stephen DeStefano, etc.  The big Grandady of them all though, I love N.C. Wyeth, regardless of what I am into at the time I always love to see his work.

What kinds of art do you have in your home?

Right now we are finishing up taking down wall paper and putting up paint in our new house so we don’t have much on the walls but we do have a few things up.  A couple Wyeth prints, a J.C. Leyendecker illustration of the Statue of Liberty, a couple of antique food ads and great illustration of Super Grover by Alex Ross.  I’m trying to get some art from friends when we finally get our walls done.

Can we see a few of your favorite pieces?

Sure! Lady with the Rose by John Singer Sargent

Death of Robin Hood by N.C. Wyeth

“Accursed creator!  Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turn from me in disgust?”  from Shelly’s “Frankenstein” illustration by Bernie Wrightson

Several ladies wanted to know if you “liked working with” me.  You’re free to plead the fifth, be brutally honest and tell them I was a pest, or lavish the praise so we sell more books.  All is good.  Just sayin’.

I enjoy the heck out of it!  It’s rare to be able to work with a “true believer” to use a title coined by Stan Lee.  By that I mean there are so many people I’ve worked with that either don’t care too much for the subject or try to keep the subject at arm’s length for whatever reason, what sold me with you the first time we talked is I came from the conversation believing that there was actually a place called Wynnewood and such a person as Dove and Phillip and I wanted to go there and meet them.

Oh, we’re gettin’ to the good stuff.  The nitty gritty, and I think that’s appropriate.  After all, life in medieval times was very nitty (lice) and gritty (grime).  It works.  Just sayin’, but it works.  Onto the interesting stuff!

What kinds of things do you enjoy drawing most?  (Portraits, cartoons, realistic still life, abstract, etc.)

My general answer I guess is things I can empathize with, humans, animals, monsters, robots, zombies, etc.  I like looking at objects and landscapes, I love seeing other people draw them and kinda wish I drew them more but it’s hard to get to know a vase, car or a ray gun.

Do you prefer pen and ink, watercolor, oil, none of the above…

I like them all, never been able to really light on one specific medium guess that’s why I tend to go mixed most of the time.  I guess though my least used media are pastel and watercolor.  Don’t like how pastel feels in my hand and I can’t make watercolor behave.

How long does it take you to sketch something like the map you did of Wynnewood?

The sketches didn’t take too long but the final took a good part of a week to finish.

How are you inspired on your designs?  (Other artists, periods, movies, authors, etc.)

I’m inspired by everything, movies, video games, music, books you name it!  As you know when I am working on a large image I like to immerse myself film and music appropriate to the subject.  For Wynnewood it was “Braveheart”, “Robin Hood”, “Labyrinth” anything with rolling countryside, swords, castles and broad, adventurous music.  It’s all about creating a feeling that you can then put in the image.

Ok… tomorrow.  Don’t forget.  It’d be cruel to put this poor man through the misery of answering all these questions and then no one read them.  Just sayin’.

Well, after reading that his friend calls him an illustrationIST, I felt a little guilty using the “tor” so I went for both.  That way, everyone is happy… or no one is.  I’m good either way.  I think I got gypped by the way.  I doodled… and I can’t draw a crooked line!

When did you start drawing/how long have you been drawing?

I guess ever since I could pick up something and make a mark.  I really can’t remember not drawing.

Did you doodle all over your papers in school?

All the time, I actually found that doing that helped me retain and comprehend information better.  I still do it at weddings, graduations, lectures etc.

Did anyone encourage you to pursue your drawing seriously?

Most definitely my Mom and Dad, Teachers, family, friends, I was very fortunate in that department.

When did you know that you were “good” at doing something many people can’t even hope to attempt?

Wow kinda sounds like I have super human abilities or something, I wish!  A lot of art is about craft and anyone with a will to do so can learn, to be good at it, to paraphrase my painting professor from CIA, Jose Cintron, you have to have heart.

I guess when I found out that I might have an aptitude was in Kindergarten.  My first official commission was from the teacher’s assistant whose son was in the army.  In exchange for being allowed to stay up during nap time I drew his portrait.   Still one of the best likenesses I’ve produced

Tomorrow… same time… same place… new answers.  (Because who wants everything to be the “Same old, same old”?)

Last September, I got a phone call.  Now, anyone who knows me knows how much I love the phone.  *cough*  Picture it.  Ethan is trying to convince me he’s paying close attention to his math book while Wall-E plays in the background.  Andra is STILL clearing the counters from lunch, and Lorna is… well I am afraid to try to remember what Lorna was doing.  Roast simmers in a crock pot, the air is a balmy 99 degrees, and I’m sitting on my bed talking to a stranger about a strange creature in a strange place.

Now, I have to confess something.  I loved the conversation.  It didn’t feel like I was jabbering away at the guy for an hour and a half… but I did.  I’ve often wondered if he got off the phone, turned to his wife, and said, “What on earth did I just agree to do?  This woman’s a freak!”  I thought about asking… but I really don’t want to know.  Just sayin’.

Now, I’ll confess, I was nervous.  I had a mental picture of Wynnewood, complete with East and West being reversed in my mind… weird when you consider I have an excellent sense of direction every other time… apparently they were reversed in Medieval times.  It was a backward time in history, so that shouldn’t surprise us.  Back to nervous– I was convinced that no one could put what was in my head on paper.  How could they?  I drew an amazingly pathetic map.  I mean.  P.A.T.H.E.T.I.C.  Just sayin’.  I told him about Dove, about Philip, I gave away plot… the works.  He asked questions like

“What kind of soundtrack fits Wynnewood?”

and

“I was thinking about using Kells for the font, what do you think?”  (Like I knew what that meant)

He was AMAZING when it came to pointing out flaws or giving me little tidbits that I could use in the story.  “Well, the Druids feared hemlock…”  Oh yeah???  YIPPEE!  Down with the Druids I always say.  Gimme some hemlock baby!  (Ok, that’s just so not me!)  We discussed the difference between wooden castles and stone, being up above a moat… the works.  I left that conversation with all kinds of amazing information that weeks of research hadn’t uncovered.  I’m sure he’s sick of my constant facebook questions like, “What can you tell me about dwarves…”

So, with the impending release of Cloaked in Secrets, the sequel to Shadows & Secrets, I thought it might be fun to interview Craig.  And, because I’m cruel, mean, nasty, and socially unacceptable (and those are my virtues), I thought I’d break the interview up into five parts.  Just to keep things lively don’tcha know.  I give you… “The Interview”  *insert impressive and slightly ominous music here*

Well, Craig, we want to know more about you.  First, will you tell us a little about your family?

Most of mine and my wife’s family are back in West Virginia so here in Ohio there’s just the three of us.  My lovely and talented, celebrity Pharmacist wife Mandi, our lovely and talented Beagle/ German shepherd dog, Zoe and I.

Michele “introduced us.”  What kind of dirt on her would you like to share with 200 of her closest friends?

One time in band camp……. seriously though I never went to band camp but Michele and I did first meet in Junior High Band, fast friends then and friends we have been ever since.  She showed me the ropes of the ever intimate world of marching and concert band in Junior High and when I followed her into High School she was gracious enough to do the same. LOW BRASS FOR LIFE!

What do you do for a living?

One summer during college I was introduced by my then boss thusly, “this is Craig he’s studyin’ to become an Illustrationist.”  It stuck.  Essentially I provide images when words won’t work.  So web design, industrial design, package design, product conception, book illustration, game illustration, all of that fits in there.

Do you have any formal education/training in art?  If so, how much and how did you choose your course of study?

Yup, AP Art pre college and a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a major in Illustration.   AP Art was a year in High School where we had to produce 2 portfolios of work, one was a catch all with 2-D and 3-D work the other was a group of pieces all on one subject, aka a thesis.  Mine was on brass instruments (go low brass!).  College was a 5 year program, 2 years of foundation (painting, drawing, design, art history), 3 of a major with a thesis in the final year with a strenuous critique system throughout.

I chose Illustration because I love stories, always have and I love the idea of communicating ideas visually. How did I choose my course of study?  I wanted a course that would give me a strong footing in the fundamentals that encouraged interaction within all the majors.  Luckily a couple of friends had gone to CIA before me and I had a really good High School Art Teacher who gave me educated and honest counsel and CIA seemed like the place for me.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next installment of, Craig– wonder artist extraordinaire!