Oh what fun it is to sit and sketch. I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, even if it’s only for me. When you were born to create, nothing else satisfies. In the old days, artists were reveered. They were sometimes supported financially so that they might go on creating. What a leap we have made to this century where artists are often misunderstood to be lazy and dreamy-eyed. Who would not be dreamy-eyed with all the ideas we have rolling through our heads!
All of that to say, if someone wants to support me while I sketch, step on up to the plate! Haha! back to.sketching!
via PicsArt Photo Studio
Category: Work is Play….?
Comments about fun ideas I am working on or WANT to be working on!
Time To Imagine
Each day is filled with work. My work is fun, but there are still decisions to make and a path to stay on. There are meetings to schedule and deadlines to meet. It can be a constant process of thought and movement.
I have stopped for the day. I stopped to look over my idea book and enjoy the summer breeze. The are ideas everywhere and sometimes you cannot find the ones that are in the calm of the day if you don’t stop to look and listen.
My doggie stands guard to protect me from squirrels, my other doggie wanted the cool of the air in the house. I listen to the wind kicking up. I hear cars from a nearby street. I feel sure that the birds are discussing what’s for dinner. My feel are hot in my sneakers that are still on since my morning walk. My daisies look like they are reaching for the sky. The weeds are tall on the north side of my house. My thoughts travel to what to make for dinner. (I resist that thought for now). My daughter turned 35 today! That makes me smile as I remember her entrance into this world and her loud voice!
All of these are but fleeting thoughts. Sometimes a fleeting thought will make into a story, but you must take the time to stop, look and listen.
Now I dive into my idea book!
To Be Or Not To Be!
That is the question! The answer is in you. Will you be who you yearn to be in this life? Will you accomplish your dreams? Much of it is up to you.
My neighbor is an example. I met her three years ago. I was so excited to have an artist move in next door! She is a potter and when I visited her she would show me what she was making. She had some really fun pieces.
Last December she agreed to be in a garden show. She was one of two artists that would show their work in a specific garden. She knew she needed to fill the yard so she began in earnest to produce pieces with a garden theme. All winter long the kiln was firing wonderful creations! Colorful pots, bird houses and bird baths began oozing out of her garage. Her work began taking on a personality and a style like no other artist. I saw her grow in her skills.
Last Wednesday was set-up day. We placed her art all over the yard. By the time we finished, the yard look like it was out of a fairy tale! I could see that her pieces told a story. There was color everywhere! We were so excited!
We returned on Saturday for the sale. No sooner did we sit down at our table when the crowd of visitors began forming a line to buy my friends pottery. The line did not stop until the day ended. It was wonderful!!! All of her hard work paid off.
So what is my point? Find what you love and DO it! Find a way! Keep moving in the direction. To be or NOT to be? It’s up to you!
Pottery by Juanita Estepa
The Master List!
Hooray for The Master List! There is nothing like getting all your thoughts on paper…. and yes, I said paper! Sitting right in front of me where I can doodle on it, cross it off, highlight it etc. I have tried the electronic list making but nothing quite satisfies this artist.
All my ideas are added to my The Master List. For a creative person, this list is quite freeing! I can stop trying to shuffle all of this around in my head. Yes, these items and more have been yelling at me from my head! ha! Everything was fighting for recognition… saying things like, “Me first!”, “NO! Me first!”
Now I can decide who is first! Does this sound a little scary to you? Leslie is hearing things? I assure you, this is the world of many of us who are visual thinkers! The world speaks to us! Being the cartoonist that I am, I can actually imagine people as cartoons. Many of my Facebook friends can attest to that fact. It’s quite fun!
Okay, Now to the next step. Working at crossing off all these things on the list! I will keep you posted.
So what do you have on your list?
My Myself and My QR Code
I have no idea why I am getting such a kick out of this? This is my website. This little square with the black lines is me! Ha ha!! If you want to see the image you might have to click on it.
Ahhhhh! Fall is Approaching!
In just a few more days it will be officially Fall! My absolute favorite time of year! It feels like the HOT balloon of summer has been pricked and it is slowly releasing all the hot air, giving way to cool mornings and evenings. The studio is a bustle of activity. New dreams and new hopes are coming alive.
You may say, all of that?… just because it is September 12th? Aren’t you depressed because things are dying? No! Not at all. Every season is glorious! All have their pros and cons but for the most part, I love them all and I love being…. ALIVE! haha!
The last few weeks have been busy with preparations for my SCBWI conference (http://www.scbwi.org/). I am a speaker and I am so excited. I love meeting more creative people and hearing about their dreams. The air is charged whenever we meet.
After that it is back to my studio for more fun! There is never a dull moment. Ideas are bouncing off the walls at times and knowing which one to work on is my biggest problem.
So, back to work with me! Happy Fall!
New York Fun – Surtex 2012
After months of prep work, Surtex 2012 is history. It was a great time of meetings, and visiting with other artists. It almost feels like a dream now that it is over. I am filled with ideas and hope for the future!
Here is a picture of Margaret Anastas, my editor at Harper Collins, me, and Annie Stone, Margaret’s assistant. It was so fun sitting at Harper C. and visiting with everyone who worked so hard on Peepsqueak and his promotion. I do love my HC family. They had a nice breakfast for me and we all met in the Harper Collins library. I wish I had a picture of Jeanne Hogle. She was my graphic designer. She escaped the room before I could snap her picture.
After our meeting, I packed up 30 books and headed to the Javitz Center in a doozy of a rainstorm! I LOVED that cab driver for picking me up!!
Messing around with my friends Jane Shasky and Megan Halsey during my Peepsqueak book signing at Surtex. Everyone was in such a good mood!
Here is my teeny tiny room at the Best Western. I was surprised at how small it was, but in the end, it was cozy and I was so glad I stayed there. It was a good retreat after a busy day.
Can’t forget my sweet agent Alicia Dauber. She had everything running smoothly!
Outside my window all the horse drawn carriages were lining up. New York is so full of LIFE!
As amazing as the big city is, it is always nice to come HOME! I had to get my zinnias planted!! Now it is back to work for the next show!
Instant Friends!
A few weeks ago I attended a CCIRA conference in Denver. http://www.ccira.org/w/w?cmd=goconffees
I was at the conference to share my new book “Peepsqueak“, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdllelLIRS4) but also to help promote SCBWI, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators! It is a wonderful organization that helps authors and illustrators figure out how to get published.
During this CCIRA conference I met three people. Elaine Pease (http://www.peasepodbooks.com/) and Kathleen Pelley (http://www.kathleenpelley.com/) and Sarah Azibo, the RMC-SCBWI Exhibits Coordinator. Sarah is also a writer!
We had a lot of fun talking to passersby. We were encouraging them to attend a SCBWI event. It was not hard to sell SCBWI. When people find out about this group, they LOVE it! There are chapters in many states, and around the world! (www.scbwi.org/) Many people have told me they want to write a children’s book. Step 1….. join SCBWI!
During this CCIRA conference we also had time to compare notes about our businesses. It was great fun!! Kathleen is from Scotland. Sarah and I loved sitting and listening to her talk! We all braved the winter storm to attend the conference but it was worth it!!
Page by Page
- Progress on book 2
Peepsqueak’s second book is well on the way to meeting the deadline of November 15th. My next step in the process is the fun part! Adding COLOR!
What you are looking at in the picture (above) are all my pages laid out. There are scans, sketches, finished ink drawings and notes from the editor for each page. Here is an example of an unfinished page. I started coloring the deer and the fox! Stay posted! I will show you the finished page later!
Which Came First? The Chicken or the Egg?
The P E N C I L !
Many have asked me what my process is for creating my characters. Here is the low down with my “Peepsqueak” chick.
1. First I sketch him with a simple pencil. 
2. Once Peepsqueak is sketched, I lay a piece of tracing paper over the sketch and draw him with an ink line. (I use a #3 Micron pen) This inked-in image is then scanned. 
3. There are always specks and lines in the scan that I might not like. At this point I open this inked-in image in Photoshop and clean it up. You can see in the image below how I cleaned up Peepsqueak. 
4. The next step is to bring the cleaned up jpg into Illustrator. I open the image in Illustrator. I select it and then go under Object in the menu, select Live Trace, then Make and Expand. After that process I save Peepsqueak as a pdf. Look how nice and clean and smooth the line is now!!
The last step is to color him in Photoshop! Voila!!!
So, as you can clearly see, the Pencil came first!! Do you think God sketched us all out on paper before he made us? Ha! fun thought!
Mooooooooo!
THAT is a very BIG COW! Mooooooooooooo!!
I just love creating characters. They all seem to have a life of their own. I look into their eyes and imagine what kind of personality they have. I imagine what their voices sound like and what their days are filled with. This is McMoo. I designed him for a friend’s ice cream store. They may rename him, but to me, he will always be McMoo!!
Ready to Go!
Pencil in hand, papers scattered across my old green kitchen table. Poised and ready, I begin work on another book. Perhaps I should say two books! I have two in the wings. The second Peepsqueak book and Shivery Timbers! I can already hear the farm animals in the barn and the crazy Snofolk tumbling down the hills. Blue Skye Studio, you ROCK!!
Spent!
That’s it! That is all I have left in me today. Website tweaked. http://leslieannclarkcom and Licensing show panels off in the mail. It is time to chill the rest of the night. A nice cold bowel of cereal sounds lovely.
Whooeeee! Color Rocks!
Oh boy!! My hat is off to Pro Copy in Longmont! Another color printing job well done!
Counting down!
Another panel down for the Licensing Show in June. ONE left!! …. I need to get cracking on it. Off to the printer tomorrow! …also finished up my website… that has taken me only about 5 years! ha! http://home.earthlink.net/~lesann
A New Website!
Hey Everyone! With deadlines looming for the big Licensing Show in June, I was finally able to get a website up featuring all of my characters for licensing. I hope you enjoy it.
Rocky Mountain High
I simply love Colorado, with its mountains and the W I D E open spaces. There is something about the vast blue sky that gives me a boost. I find that the breaks I take in my day are just as important as working hard in the studio. When I return to my studio I see things differently. My mind has rested and my body is more relaxed. Yep, I am HIGH on life!! Even my little cartoons are glad I left and have come back with a good attitude and the ideas begin to flow!
Sketches Galore!
The Peepsqueak book is in NY! What great fun to kiss Peepsqueak goodbye and send him on his way to become famous! Now I am faced with these piles and piles of sketches. The studio will be cleaned in the days to come and then next project will begin. A very clean studio feels a little sterile. I am always happy to begin making it messy again! Thoughts and ideas must not be kept tidy! They must be allowed to run rampant! That is what a real studio is made for.
Bunny Bunny, Whose Got The Bunny?
A new bunny is visiting the studio. Check out Cherry. She is trying out for a part in the Peepsqueak book. Her personality is different from the other two bunnies that tried out. I am hopeful she will be well received from the editing team. The first bunny was a little whacked out. The second bunny was nice, but this one has connected with me. An artist can create characters all day long, but some are closer to the heart than others. They may remind us of people we know, or people we wish we knew!! At least that is how it is in my studio.
Crazy Busy With My Cartoon Family
It has been busy busy busy in the studio! The place is jammed packed with characters waiting to be famous.
Newton has had his day in the sun with a new Baby Journal out in January.
“Yes You Can Man” wants a bit of the action for himself. He has been waiting in the wings with his REALLY BIG ideas!
Peep Squeak?.… he is always “On the Move!“. There will be Peepsqueak fabric out in February and a Peepsqueak‘s children’s book in the works for 2012..
Lae Dee Bugg is hoping for a July release at Christian Art Gifts for the TWEEN market.
Bitty Bot?… she and her bot friends really wants to be on fabric. They are waiting to hear back from a recent submission.
Hen Rietta fabric is in revision mode. Hen Rietta‘s friend, Grace is serving us up some hot cocoa. She is standing near ……. Shivery the snowman! Brrrrr!!! He has high hopes for a children’s book someday.
There is no forgetting Bea Bunny. She is always trying to get in the picture. She will debut in the Peepsqueak book.
This is life in my studio. Never a dull moment!
Oh NO! did you hear that? It’s Zippy! That little hedge hog came in late and missed the photo shoot. I will not hear the end of that!
“Zippy! Next time try to be on time. Remember, you snooze you lose!”
There are also bears, clowns, birds and more. It is never boring in the studio!
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