A New Favorite Inspiration

Welcome new & old panda followers!

This is not a post about my own art, but more about an artist and a book and an insight into what/whom inspires me most and helps me learn and fuel my drive to continue on this path of life that is called: ART.

As many of you all know, I am an aspiring author/illustrator of my own children's books. I have not yet published one yet, but trust me, I am getting there. There are just so many things to do in between and it's a bit hard, I admit, to make the right decisions on which path I should walk down next. (More on my many stories and brainstormings of my own children's book ideas in a later post, I promise). Felicia Hoshino is an artist that I recently discovered in my search for a job at many of the amazing indie publishers in CA. Her art is gorgeous and reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki movies and brings the culture of Japan that I love reading about in the mangas I own and read online. 

I just received in the mail the other day her most recent children's books, Sora and the Cloud, and let me just say, it is amazing, aesthetically and emotionally. The story is not only simple, endearing and heart-tuggingly perfectly conveying of a childhood filled with imagination and adventure, but it really is so well written. I struggle myself with how to simplify my own manuscripts and decide what to leave out and let the pictures speak in place of words. But I just am amazed at the amazing skill she has at foreshadowing and symbolism with the syntax and kerning of the words to the page and the imagery that leads you from page to page and back again. It is really a story that comes full circle and it really was a joy to read and the study. 

I will keep this book at my working desk side for weeks (months) I'm sure and use it as reference in writing my own stories and illustrating my own storyboards and illustrations. Hoshino is my new hero and I hope this post gave you a bit of an insight into what influences me and what art I am looking at to teach me what 4 years of schooling could not. :3

I didn't want to spoil the book for anyone so I just took a pic of my favorite spread in the book, although i LOVED all of them. LOL. it was hard to choose, but I really admire the great POVs in this book. Note taken. ;]

Love, Erica.

p.s. le sighs. It is an inspiration and a burden/promise that reading books like these leave me with.  Inspiration to keep creating  my own art and writing my own stories. A burden   of a reminder that I still have SO much to learn and a long way to go before I can achieve such finesse and recognition with my own artwork. And a promise to myself to keep striving to get as good as I can get and BEYOND! :D now on to my night's work. ;] Yes, I keep a very weird and late schedule, but oddly it works for me. :3 Missing my partner in crime tonight and all nights I spend away from him, my pandaboy.

SENIOR THESIS PROJECT!

Hi everybody! I know it's been TOO long since my last post, but what with graduating, moving back home with my parents and crazy, frantic job searching and applying and cover letter writing and resume editing, all of that combined with hanging out with the family back here in Kissimmee and catching up with some old, old friends I've been stretching myself pretty thin trying to get everything done and posted up here on my blog. But lo and behold, the fruits of my labor my last semester at Ringling College of Art + Design. TADA!

I cannot reveal to you, my loyal fans, the original manuscript for that is to be witheld from public eyes for the exception of potential interested publishing houses, but I can give you all a short synapsis of the story. :] I originally came up with the idea for this children's book at the end of last summer when I was having a bout of cat-calling across the office of Express' Men's Design department with my fellow co-worker, Mark. We were calling back and forth to one another calling out "Lost?" "Found?" "Loooost!" "Found!" And at the time it was just really funny and cute, but that short dialogue stuck with me and I was able to turn it into a very cute story about friendship. "Lost and Found: A Story of Two Friends" is well just that. It is a story that is directed towards young children around the ages of 6-7, who are just experiencing their first days of schooling, and still trying to make their own friends for the very first time. Lost and Found are two very adorable dogs who, like their owners, are best friends. Lost is a clever Jack Russell Terrier that loves everyone and loves to make friends with other woodland creatures. Found is a very charming Yorkshire Terrier who can sometimes be a bit pushy and a little bossy. But what does a dog do when he loves his friend, but that friend is a total brat who seems to always get his way? "Lost and Found" is a commentary on the dynamics of friendship and how it is a push and a pull, a yin and a yang. It shows children that there has to be a balance of power in a relationship and that you can't always be the "hero".

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of the children's book process. I actually really love to tell stories, short and cute with simple messages. I am not done illustrating all of the pages within my book, but I hope to finish the book by the end of the year at the latest and if by that time it has not been picked up by any of the traditional publishing houses, then I plan on self-publishing on my own. And when that time comes I will surely let you know how and where it will be available for purchase. Along the way though, I shall keep everyone posted on the process of the art and might release some of the final page spread as a bit of a teaser. ;]

Thank you to my family and friends for all of your support these past 4 years spent in art school. I have struggled to find out who I am as an artist and I still don't think I fully know what direction I want to take my art in, but I do know one thing: that is that my passion for children's books has grown from a passing hobby/interest to a full blown love of it all. I love the writing, I love the art, I love the messages it brings to the younger generation. And I love doing it all. I hope that you will continue to follow me on my path to wherever life takes me and that you will come to see the day that I publish my first book. I hope to make you all proud. :D

My corner display area for my thesis project in the Bayou Painting studio 4. I made it a point to include my dog, Maxwell's house, who was the inspiration for the character Lost. He was very sad that he didnt' have a house to sleep in for a week, but I think he got over it. It was for the greater good. ;]

 Half-title and copyrights 2 page spread.

"This is a story of two friends..."

"Lost and Found."

"Fetch!"

A small portrait of Lost (aka my dog, Maxwell Parrish).

"Lost? Found?"

"A Most Peculiar Creature"

"Mr. Sleepy Head"

A small portrait of Found, inspired by my brother's dog Sawyer in real life.  

"Stray From the Usual Routine"

"The Hero"

"Hide-n-Seek"

More art from "Lost and Found" will be coming soon! Stay tuned! And happy summer everyone! :3

Love, Erica

p.s. All of the art was done in watercolor with a little bit of gouache to touch up a few areas.

This is a story of two friends...

Hey guys,

I'll be releasing a page or a 2-page spread every two days or so from my senior thesis project, my original story "Lost & Found". So be on the look out for them. :3

It's so much fun seeing what started as a very small idea for a story blossoming into a full-fledged picture book before my very eyes. Now if I could only get it published by a real publishing company. I'm working on it that though. 

Well, 'til next time. 

Love, Erica