Sophie Blackall Illustration

Drawings and Snippets and Breaking News, (but more snippets than breaking news).

Monday, February 28, 2011

Publishers Weekly Spring Children's Announcements

I had an excellent time illustrating PW's Spring Children's Announcements cover last week. You can click on the image for a larger view, and here for the article, and here for the accompanying interview...
ps It's not remotely Spring-like in Brooklyn this morning. Not one bit.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Two Book Maker's Dozen Events

Two Book Maker's Dozen events coming up on Friday March 4th and Sunday March 6th. Click on the invites for closer inspection. Hope to see some of you in Dumbo or South Orange!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Gung Hey Fat Choy!


Happy Year of the Rabbit! Learned scholars assure us the rabbit will bring wisdom and kindness and calm to the year ahead. (He has his work cut out in Egypt.)

There are lots of very particular Chinese New Year traditions. Here are some of my favorites (a little late):

Before New Year's Eve, clean the entire house to get rid of any of last year's dirt (I wish!), then put all brooms and brushes out of sight. Pay all your debts (again... I wish), and resolve all outstanding quibbles with family, friends and neighbors.

Buy red things. And flowers. And red flowers.

Arrange oranges and tangerines and candy on circular trays.

Put fresh dollar bills in red envelopes.

On New Year's Eve reunite with close family. Eat dumplings. Pay respects to ancestors. Open all the windows to let out the old year.

On New Year's Day don't wash your hair. Don't sweep the floor. Don't cut anything. Don't drop your chopsticks. Don't say the number four or mention death. Don't borrow or lend money.

Wear red.

Give children two red envelopes because happiness comes in pairs.

Wish everyone Gung Hey Fat Choy!

Eat rabbit-shaped dumplings!





Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Winter Crows


It was a recent honor to be invited to the ABA Winter Institute in Washington DC with Abrams Books to present The Crows of Pearblossom, Aldous Huxley's only book written for children, (which was an even greater honor to illustrate). I met hundreds of wonderfully passionate independent booksellers and librarians and we talked ourselves hoarse about crows and snakes and books and children.
I wanted to bring along a crow themed party favor for one of the events and enlisted the help of my lovely intern Kristen Kelly.
Here are the crows in formation, from mere lumps of sculpey to passerine beauties.






Special thanks to Kristen Kelly for her crow-making and photography assistance.