tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84799891096710477012024-03-13T17:49:13.712-04:00Anna RaffAnna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-82085806141090992592015-11-29T09:54:00.002-05:002016-05-05T07:31:47.108-04:00New Website! New News Blog!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It’s been a few years since I redesigned my website, and with a couple of new books coming out in early 2016, it seemed like a good time to spruce things up.<br />
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Ever since I launched my illustration career around six years ago, my news blog has been located at a separate url. Well, no longer. In an effort to enter the 21st century, I’ve now integrated a news section into <a href="http://www.annaraff.com/">my main site</a>.<br />
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So when you’re wondering what in the world I might be up to, I hope you’ll redirect your attention there. Thanks for following me here over the years, and thanks for checking out <a href="http://www.annaraff.com/">my new site!</a><br />
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-25919044920499574062015-10-31T16:14:00.000-04:002015-10-31T16:14:05.750-04:00Building Character at MICA<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sIBGKXT9lBY/VjUYOcafZiI/AAAAAAAAEfE/Mp5D-pu6bgI/s1600/MICA%2Bexterior.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sIBGKXT9lBY/VjUYOcafZiI/AAAAAAAAEfE/Mp5D-pu6bgI/s400/MICA%2Bexterior.jpg" /></a><br />
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Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting with the <a href="http://micaillustrationpractice/" target="_blank">MFA in Illustration Practice</a> students at the Maryland Institute College of Art—a.k.a. MICA. Director Whitney Sherman and her department were kind enough to host me for a few days over which I reviewed this year’s thesis projects, ran a character and world-building workshop, and lectured about my process, focusing on an important <a href="http://ornithoblogical.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">personal project</a> I created upon finishing graduate school six years ago. They’re a terrifically talented group, so if you find yourself in Baltimore next spring, be sure to check out their exhibition. I’d like to extend a big thank you to everyone at MICA for a great and inspiring stay, and Whitney’s dog Cooper, who listened most intently during my talk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Whitney Sherman</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Whitney Sherman</td></tr>
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-70750504603264717742015-10-31T14:48:00.000-04:002015-10-31T14:48:03.176-04:00Oinktober Halloween Highlights<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pOQTYhZwKsw/VjUHxTHfEZI/AAAAAAAAEe0/R_r6tYzOIHE/s1600/IMG_2356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pOQTYhZwKsw/VjUHxTHfEZI/AAAAAAAAEe0/R_r6tYzOIHE/s400/IMG_2356.JPG" width="400" /></a>In case you hadn’t noticed, my <a href="https://instagram.com/annaraff/" target="_blank">Instagram page</a> has been full of pigs of late. I decided to turn the annual, month-long, illustrative celebration known as <i>Inktober</i> into <i>Oinktober</i> to showcase swines of all kinds. I finished off this week with a few spooky fellas—and today being Halloween—thought I’d share them again here. So…BOO!<br />
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-62620062983226360922015-09-10T20:05:00.001-04:002015-09-10T20:05:23.788-04:00Katherine Pryor on PRX’s “Food Sleuth Radio”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week, Katherine Pryor was interviewed by Melinda Hemmelgarn for the PRX program “Food Sleuth Radio.” They discussed <i>Zora’s Zucchini</i>, the importance of food literacy for children, and how gardening can help build community. Oh…and they had some really nice things to say about my illustrations. You can listen to the entire show <a href="https://beta.prx.org/stories/159264" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-50427304282384429312015-08-25T22:57:00.002-04:002015-08-25T22:58:07.278-04:00Some Notes on ZORA and Meet Author Katherine Pryor, or At Least Please Eat Some Zucchini...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MRBju4q4X7E/Vd0k84-tpyI/AAAAAAAAEcE/6kcg7O2p5ls/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MRBju4q4X7E/Vd0k84-tpyI/AAAAAAAAEcE/6kcg7O2p5ls/s400/IMG_1205.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
I’m not sure if I even knew how to spell z-u-c-c-h-i-n-i when I started illustrating <i>Zora’s Zucchini</i> late last year, but I’m really good at it now. <i> </i><br />
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<i>Zora</i> has been out for a few weeks, and the response has been great. For those of you on the West Coast, author Katherine Pryor has several signings scheduled in the coming weeks:<br />
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Aug. 28 — Mockingbird Books, Seattle, WA, 11am<br />
Aug. 29 — Powell’s City of Books, Portland, WA, 11am<br />
Sept. 3 — University Book Store, Bellevue, WA, 11am<br />
Sept. 23 — Village Books, Bellingham, WA, 3:15pm<br />
Sept. 26 — Eagle Harbor Book Co., Bainbridge Island, time TBD</blockquote>
Speaking of Powell’s, here’s a photo a friend took of <i>Zora</i> in the window. She seems suitably proud...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16orMOrb2FA/Vd0fITqJyxI/AAAAAAAAEbc/_SF4NGoel78/s1600/ZoraPowells.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16orMOrb2FA/Vd0fITqJyxI/AAAAAAAAEbc/_SF4NGoel78/s400/ZoraPowells.JPG" width="400" /> </a>It’s always fun to see your work out in the wild. It’s especially fun to see it being shared right in front of you. That’s what happened on a recent trip to Rhode Island, when my sister-in-law gave a copy of <i>Zora</i> to her young, next door neighbor. Completely unprompted, the neighbor brought her own string bean to munch on during story time. Ah, yes...everything is working just as I planned. Heh, heh, heh...</div>
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It’s hard to believe that end of summer is upon us. Since <i>Zora’s</i> release, the zucchini crop has come in, and if you follow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ZorasZucchini" target="_blank"><i>Zora’s</i> page on Facebook</a>, you’ve no doubt been marveling at the recipes Katherine Pryor has been posting each day. Inspired by that, and a few gorgeous specimens from my mom’s garden in Connecticut, I assembled my own zucchini quiche with great results. (Note: this photo shows the unfinished, unbaked version; the cooked version was pretty darned delicious.)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSBXlcUgByU/Vd0dZpaqbWI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/mIX0lx37JQE/s1600/IMG_1368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSBXlcUgByU/Vd0dZpaqbWI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/mIX0lx37JQE/s400/IMG_1368.JPG" width="400" /></a>Finally, I’ve been getting a lot of queries about my dedication in <i>Zora</i>,
which reads, “For the Committee.” Who is the Committee, you ask? No, not the
editorial committee. Not the band of kidlit authors and illustrators I meet with over beers in Brooklyn each month. No, the Committee is this motley
crew pictured below, albeit with a few members missing. It all has to do with a legendary summer some thirty years or so ago, when everyone’s zucchini crop came in in abundance, and we all had to deal with it. Just between you, me, and the internets, those <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ZorasZucchini?fref=photo" target="_blank">recipes on Facebook</a> sure would have come in handy. <i>xo</i></div>
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-20280826591366376642015-08-15T17:02:00.000-04:002015-08-15T17:03:19.088-04:00Meet “Little Card”<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-nWELo9KKI/Vc-mMAo_5wI/AAAAAAAAEaM/eltuHXFtJZ8/s1600/AnnaRaff_LittleCard-cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-nWELo9KKI/Vc-mMAo_5wI/AAAAAAAAEaM/eltuHXFtJZ8/s400/AnnaRaff_LittleCard-cvr.jpg" title="" width="366" /></a>The card’s out of the bag and ready for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Big-Surprise-Little-Card/dp/0763674850" target="_blank">pre-order</a>! Sure, you’ll have to wait a few more months for his official arrival, but the cover of my second book with Candlewick Press, <i>A Big Surprise for Little Card</i>, written by Charise Mericle Harper was revealed earlier this week. John Schumacher (a.k.a. @MrSchuReads) was kind enough to do the honors. <a href="http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2015/08/cover-reveal-for-big-surprise-for.html" target="_blank">Here’s the link to his site</a>.<br />
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This was one of my favorite projects from the past year, and a wonderful collaboration with Charise, Art Director Ann Stott, and Editor Mary Lee Donovan. I can’t wait to share more of it with everyone. <br />
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-42127256552475608042015-07-13T16:23:00.000-04:002015-07-13T16:23:44.191-04:00We didn’t sink!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a wonderful day it was at the Queens Museum Children’s Book Celebration this past Saturday. We bookmakers were set up in the main atrium—a gorgeous open space, filled with natural light—where kids and parents filed through, pausing for conversation, art-making, reading, you name it...and a general good time.<br />
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If you’re unfamiliar with this area of Queens, there’s great history behind the space too. The museum is located in the New York City Building, which once housed the New York City Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair. It’s the building next to the iconic Unisphere, a 12-story globe surrounded by a fountain, or what I like to call the best sprinkler in the world.<br />
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I was paired up with the Discovery Team from the Queens Children’s Library who created a great
program for kids to test their theories of sinking and floating, using some of the experiments from <i>Things That Float and Things That Don’t</i>. <br />
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Not only were some of my pals in the New York City kids’ book community there, but I got to meet several authors and illustrators whose work I’ve been admiring from afar. Fingers crossed for this to become an annual event. <br />
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-65424890565402873872015-07-08T22:53:00.001-04:002015-07-08T22:53:17.137-04:00The Queens Museum Children’s Book Celebration<div style="text-align: left;">
Join me and a great group of local award-winning children’s
book authors and illustrators this Saturday, July 11th, from 12 to 4 PM for the <a href="http://www.queensmuseum.org/events/queens-museum-childrens-book-celebration" target="_blank">Queens Museum Children’s Book Celebration!</a> Best of all—it’s free!</div>
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live readings, art-making, and other fun activities from this list of characters:<a href="http://www.mikecurato.com/"> Mike Curato</a>, <a href="http://www.melissaguion.com/">Melissa Guion</a>, <a href="http://frankwdormer.com/">Frank Dormer</a>, <a href="http://www.roxiemunro.com/">Roxie Munro</a>, <a href="http://www.kellylight.com/">Kelly Light</a>, <a href="http://katyeh.com/HOME.html">Kat Yeh</a>, <a href="http://www.joycewan.com/">Joyce Wan</a>, <a href="http://www.ruzzier.com/">Sergio Ruzzier</a>, <a href="http://www.davidezra.com/">David Ezra Stein</a>, <a href="http://annaraff.com/">Anna Raff</a>, <a href="http://adamauerbach.com/">Adam Auerbach</a>, <a href="http://hallwayskirsten.tumblr.com/">Kirsten Hall</a>, <a href="http://dashatolstikova.com/">Dasha Tolstikova</a>, <a href="http://mikeherrod.com/">Mike Herrod</a>, <a href="http://www.samita.us/">Sam Ita</a>, <a href="http://jenhillstudio.com/">Jen Hill</a>, <a href="http://amedyckman.com/home.html">Ame Dyckman</a>, <a href="http://zohora.com/">Zachariah OHora</a>, <a href="http://www.carlatorres.com/">Carla Torres</a>, <a href="http://adamlehrhaupt.com/">Adam Lehrhaupt</a>, <a href="http://studioroxas.com/">Isabel Roxas</a>, and <a href="http://rowboatwatkins.com/">Rowboat Watkins</a>!</div>
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The day’s events were organized by the incredibly talented <a href="http://www.timmillerillustration.com/" target="_blank">Tim Miller</a> in partnership with the Queens Library Summer Reading Program. And <i>wow!—</i>the first 200 attendees get a free poster! (See Tim’s great illustration above.)</div>
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As for me, I’ll be pairing up with the <a href="http://www.queenslibrary.org/kids/discovery" target="_blank">Queens Library Discovery Team</a> to present <i>Things That Float and Things That Don’t, </i>the first in a series of books by David A. Adler that I’ve had the pleasure of illustrating. We’ll be testing out all kinds of experiments to see what sinks, what floats, and how salt water effects buoyancy—so bring your future scientists! </div>
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When not stooped over a tub of water sinking stuff, I’ll be at my table located on the first floor sharing my book-making process, a few sneak peeks at some future projects, and tips on how to draw rats and other important things. I mean everyone needs to know how to draw a proper rat, don’t they?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_X-ig-QHLc/VZ3cYsTTHtI/AAAAAAAAEXE/gZLL_0BiVV0/s1600/AnnaRaff-WRD-drawrats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_X-ig-QHLc/VZ3cYsTTHtI/AAAAAAAAEXE/gZLL_0BiVV0/s400/AnnaRaff-WRD-drawrats.jpg" width="400" /></a>I’ll also be selling copies of my books, prints and other wares with plenty of free stuff to give away.<br />
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And if this line-up of children’s book luminaries wasn’t enough, and you’ve never visited The Queens Museum before, did you know that it houses a <a href="http://www.queensmuseum.org/2013/10/panorama-of-the-city-of-new-york" target="_blank">gigantic panorama of the city of New York?</a> I saw it for the first time a few weeks ago, and it is truly amazing. </div>
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For more information, <a href="http://www.queensmuseum.org/events/queens-museum-childrens-book-celebration" target="_blank">visit the Museum website</a>. I hope to see you there!</div>
Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-34089272745218537432015-07-01T09:00:00.002-04:002015-07-01T09:00:46.282-04:00What’s News with Me: You Are Not a Cat…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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…and neither am I, but they are really fun to draw.</div>
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I just finished the first round of sketches for <i>You Are Not a Cat,</i> the first picture book by <a href="http://www.sharongflake.com/" target="_blank">Sharon G. Flake</a> to be published by Boyds-Mills Press. Best known for her multiple award-winning young adult novels such as <i>The Skin I’m In</i>, <i>Money Hungry</i>, and <i>Begging for Change</i>, Sharon is a real superstar in the world of children’s literature. So as exasperated as this little cat might look, it’s no reflection on my current mood—I’m having a great time.</div>
Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-74245453297654984552015-06-18T21:32:00.001-04:002015-06-18T21:32:52.871-04:00The Making of a Cover: The Wrong Side of the BedLegendary librarian, teacher, and children’s book advocate John Schu (aka @MrSchuReads in the twittersphere) was kind enough to unveil the front cover of <i>The Wrong Side of the Bed</i> <a href="http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2015/06/cover-reveal-for-wrong-side-of-bed-by.html" target="_blank">on his blog</a> the other day. Written by Lisa M. Bakos and illustrated by yours truly, the book is scheduled for release by <a href="http://www.penguin.com/book/the-wrong-side-of-the-bed-by-lisa-bakos-illustrated-by-anna-raff/9780399165726" target="_blank">G.P. Putnam’s Sons on March 8, 2016</a>.<br />
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It’s been a long time in the making. In fact, next week marks two years since I was first approached about illustrating Lisa’s hilarious text. As anyone in publishing knows, that’s just how things go sometimes. But hip, hip, hooray!—today I turned in the last bit of art for the book, the endpapers.<br />
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Anyway, I’m thrilled to have the chance to show off the front cover, and since you’ll have to wait a bit longer for a view of the interiors, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a bit of the cover-making process.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first thumbnail sketches</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The first challenge was fitting all ten characters in the story onto the jacket. As you can see above, I tried a couple of variations, with the main character surrounded by, or next to the rowdy group of animals with whom she contends. But none of these really seemed to convey enough mayhem. (<i>One note: even though the sketch on the lower right didn’t make it as a cover, I used a similar arrangement for the endpapers.</i>)<br />
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For the second round of sketches, my fabulous Art Director, Cecilia Yung thought that a bed should be used as a component coming in between the main character and the animals—to literally show her on the wrong side of the bed. I had been worried that such a static element might be too dull, but I tried it anyway. Here’s what I came up with, and I even worked it up into several finished variations. We thought we were there, but...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from the second round of sketches</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a color finish</td></tr>
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It turned out, this worked much better as a black and white sketch than a full-color illustration. So it was back to the drawing board. Our book designer, Annie Ericsson had the brilliant idea of using the bed as a graphic element, rather than making it too realistic. In this option, she suggested hiding the main character under the blankets, thus accentuating the craziness of the animals, who could be peaking over the top. <br />
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I loved the idea, and ran with it. As you can see in the first sketch below, on the left side—which would have been the back of the jacket—I pushed things a little too far with the farting penguins (<i>note the dazed and repulsed hippopotamus</i>). As all good art directors do, Cecilia reined me in just a tiny bit. That’s what you see in the final sketch, and in the finished cover.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jacket sketch, third round</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">final jacket sketch</td></tr>
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<i>The Wrong Side of the Bed</i> hits bookshelves in March, but it’s currently <a href="http://www.penguin.com/book/the-wrong-side-of-the-bed-by-lisa-bakos-illustrated-by-anna-raff/9780399165726" target="_blank">available for pre-order through the Penguin Random House website</a>. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far!</div>
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-78492606926835113052015-05-28T23:26:00.000-04:002015-05-28T23:26:47.364-04:00Summery Summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since my last update to this page, I was on the brink of finishing a year-long marathon of picture book painting. Today I’m happy to report, it’s pretty much done. </div>
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<i>Zora’s Zucchini</i> comes out first, this August, just in time for the bounty from your own garden. I’ve added <a href="http://www.annaraff.com/Zora-s-Zucchini" target="_blank">a new section to my website</a>, where you can get a few peeks at the illustrations. The image above, of Zora’s neighborhood, is one of my favorites.</div>
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<i>Zora</i> is also <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zoras-zucchini-katherine-pryor/1121108050?ean=9780983661573" target="_blank">available for pre-order</a>, if you are so inclined. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zhwQmh_iH-I/VWfWAVEMleI/AAAAAAAAEPk/8P91aG6Pwhk/s1600/AnnaRaff_Zora_cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zhwQmh_iH-I/VWfWAVEMleI/AAAAAAAAEPk/8P91aG6Pwhk/s400/AnnaRaff_Zora_cvr.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
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Today, I spent the better part of my day looking over proofs for <i>A Big Surprise for Little Card</i>, due out in February 2016. The designer geek in me is thrilled that this will be my first book printed on uncoated stock. Thanks Candlewick!</div>
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Now it’s onto the next project—I’ve started sketching a picture book written by the great <a href="http://www.sharongflake.com/" target="_blank">Sharon G. Flake</a>, to be published by Boyds-Mills Press late next year. But more on that in a future post. </div>
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Next week I begin my month-long teaching gig at the School of Visual Art Summer Residency in Illustration. It was such a rewarding experience last year, and I hope to share some of my students’ work here in the coming weeks. </div>
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Happy Summer to you!<br />
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-80587582842755165562015-04-08T06:53:00.000-04:002015-04-08T06:53:37.690-04:00What’s News with Me . . .It’s been a busy spring at my drawing board, which explains the silence on this page. Here are a few of the things that I have brewing…<br />
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Once again, I’ll be teaching illustration at the School of Visual Arts Summer Residency in June. There’s still time to apply, if you are making summer plans, and would like to study with a great group of industry professionals (led by the venerable <a href="http://viktorkoen.com/" target="_blank">Viktor Koen</a>) while exploring New York City. For more information, click <a href="http://www.sva.edu/special-programs/summer-residency-programs/studio-residencies/illustration" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<i>Simple Machines</i> received a terrific review from <i>Booklist</i>. Here’s a favorite tidbit: “The charming illustrations, featuring children, adults, and even a cat, enhance the impact of the message by depicting a small community going about their lives and using simple machines to make work easier.” You can order <i>Simple Machines</i> <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780823433094" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Cue the confetti drop! The final art for <i>A Big Surprise for Little Card</i> by Charise Harper is done! I’m really excited about this book, due out in spring 2016 from<i> World Rat Day</i> publisher, Candlewick Press. What a pleasure it was working with Charise, art director Ann Stott, and editor Mary Lee Donovan. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPYQoE-kQRs/VSSAwkGotmI/AAAAAAAAEOY/WbCwt4DruMo/s1600/AnnaRaff-WSB-bearjump.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPYQoE-kQRs/VSSAwkGotmI/AAAAAAAAEOY/WbCwt4DruMo/s1600/AnnaRaff-WSB-bearjump.png" height="172" width="172" /></a>Also due out in spring 2016, is <i>The Wrong Side of the Bed,</i> by Lisa M. Bakos, to be published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, with pictures by me. It’s a hilarious story about a thoroughly bad day, with an equally hilarious resolution.<i> </i>When I turn in the art, I’m certain I’ll be doing something like this guy here.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3MpWoHR1EKk/VSSEeoHriWI/AAAAAAAAEOk/YnnsavklUM8/s1600/AnnaRaff_Zora_detail.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3MpWoHR1EKk/VSSEeoHriWI/AAAAAAAAEOk/YnnsavklUM8/s1600/AnnaRaff_Zora_detail.png" height="200" width="158" /></a>And last, but not least—due out this fall will be <i>Zora’s Zucchini</i>, my second collaboration with <i>Sylvia’s Spinach</i> author Katherine Pryor, to be published by Readers to Eaters. It has been a long, dreary winter in New York City this year, so having some bright summer colors on my desk is kind of nice. Also, a good reminder to <i>eat my veggies</i>. <br />
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-21970783880892326862015-02-10T09:12:00.000-05:002015-02-10T09:12:16.502-05:00SIMPLE MACHINES is a JLG Selection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m very happy to announce that <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780823433094" target="_blank">SIMPLE MACHINES</a> has been named a Junior Library Guild Selection. Now if I could just find the other pin I received for <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780823431762" target="_blank">THINGS THAT FLOAT…</a> I could fashion myself a fine set of earrings. <br />
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-80864564408085955842015-01-29T13:51:00.000-05:002015-01-29T13:51:34.794-05:00Simple Machines — now available<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you know that your teeth are wedges? Or that a screw is just an inclined plane wrapped around a straight metal nail? Until I started working on this project, I hadn’t given it much thought. But, wow! <br />
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The second collaboration between the prolific David A. Adler and me is now available. <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780823433094" target="_blank"><i>SIMPLE MACHINES</i></a> explains the workings of wedges, wheels, levers, pulleys in our everyday lives, and how they make little tasks easier.<br />
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As with our award-winning <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780823431762" target="_blank"><i>THINGS THAT FLOAT AND THINGS THAT DON’T</i></a>, I created a simple visual story that takes place behind the scenes of the main text. Below are a few of my favorite images, and detail of a character who doesn’t play much of a role other than to amuse me.<br />
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Thanks again to the lovely folks at Holiday House for creating this fun and rewarding partnership of words and pictures.<br />
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-16840918229932618142014-12-19T12:41:00.000-05:002015-01-13T11:47:25.429-05:00Live Trees Are Always the Best<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-83464152414389457362014-12-13T12:05:00.000-05:002014-12-13T12:05:15.433-05:00I turned in some finished art this week...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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...and this is how I feel. There’s still much more to do, but hitting the “send” button feels pretty satisfying during my marathon year of picture book making. Be on the lookout for <i>The Wrong Side of the Bed</i> in 2016 (yes, another year to wait) written by Lisa M. Bakos, and illustrated by me.</div>
Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-77114454177411850502014-11-19T20:37:00.002-05:002014-11-19T20:37:51.402-05:00Miss Marple’s Musings and Author Turf Interviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It’s always nice when people take interest in your work, especially when commitments have you isolated and chained to the drawing board, as I have been over the past few months. Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in a few very fun interviews, by some terrific bloggers. Here are two I forgot to mention on this page.</div>
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If you are a fan of #kidlit, no doubt you are aware of <i>Miss Marple’s Musings </i>and<i> Author Turf</i>. Both were a hoot for me, and provide a little insight into my illustration practice—if you are so inclined.</div>
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<a href="http://joannamarple.com/2014/10/illustrator-interview-anna-raff/" target="_blank">Miss Marple’s Musings</a><br />
<a href="http://authorturf.com/interview-with-award-winning-illustrator-anna-raff/authorinterviews" target="_blank">Author Turf</a><br />
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Thanks Joanna and Brittney!Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-11577664862317922162014-11-09T11:07:00.000-05:002014-11-09T11:07:18.912-05:00We Tell Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2lKCBEb01DM/VF-IeAplBaI/AAAAAAAAEIQ/0NL3J4NHaYU/s1600/ARaff-crabbylamp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2lKCBEb01DM/VF-IeAplBaI/AAAAAAAAEIQ/0NL3J4NHaYU/s1600/ARaff-crabbylamp.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a>It was just five years and some months ago that I graduated from the School of Visual Arts MFA program, Illustration as Visual Essay, a two-year experience that, to be blunt changed my life. On view now in the school’s Chelsea galleries is <a href="http://www.sva.edu/events/events-exhibitions/we-tell-stories" target="_blank">“We Tell Stories,”</a> an exhibition showcasing the vast array of work produced by three decades worth of graduates. Organized over two years by founding Chair Marshall Arisman and Director of Operations Kim Ablondi, it covers the breadth of the illustration world with editorial work, children’s books, graphic novels, and more on display. </div>
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Very near and dear to my heart is the room dedicated to children’s books, designed with extraordinary florescent flare by alumni <a href="http://www.ayakakeda.com/" target="_blank">Aya Kakeda</a> and <a href="http://chickenopolis.com/" target="_blank">Sara Varon</a>—I mean, just wait until you see their rugs! About a month ago, the two hosted a bunch of us children’s book artists to paint an assortment of furniture for the room. (I had the pleasure of painting a lamp—grumpy on one side, happy on the other). But it’s the impressive display of picture books that takes center stage, from the likes of Brian Floca, Lauren Castillo, Paul Hoppe, You Byun, Stephen Savage, Andy Rash, Dasha Tolstikova, Sybille Schenker, John Hendrix…I could go on, and on. I am so proud to have some of my work included—some of my birds even made the cut.</div>
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There’s a <a href="http://www.sva.edu/events/events-exhibitions/we-tell-stories" target="_blank">public reception this Tuesday evening</a> which I’ll be attending, since I spent almost all of my time socializing at the alumni reception last week, and not looking at the walls. It’s really an amazing show for fans of illustration; I hope to see you there. And finally, many thanks to this amazing duo who have nurtured the lives of so many artists — viva Marshall and Kim!<br />
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-65226333288669200262014-10-07T13:56:00.001-04:002014-10-07T13:56:43.152-04:00Re-Imagining Sendak at the Enoch Pratt Library<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RUahj3K3Hrs/VDQlQTmovrI/AAAAAAAAEGc/dkRpOZCTjzA/s1600/sendak2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RUahj3K3Hrs/VDQlQTmovrI/AAAAAAAAEGc/dkRpOZCTjzA/s1600/sendak2.jpg" height="128" width="400" /></a><br />
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If you’re a fan of the work of the late, great Maurice Sendak and in the Baltimore area this fall/winter, head over to the Enoch Pratt Free Library for <i><a href="http://calendar.prattlibrary.org/event/maurice_sendak_the_memorial_exhibition#.VDQofyiAeVh" target="_blank">Maurice Sendak: The Memorial Exhibition</a></i>. Illustrators (including yours truly) have submitted images inspired by the master that have been collected and curated by illustrator and Maryland Institute College of Art Professor Shadra Strickland. It should be a lot of fun. Here’s a sneak peek at my contribution, fondly titled “Higglety Pigglety Pooch!”…<br />
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-32117372494736688252014-10-03T20:16:00.001-04:002014-10-03T20:16:56.543-04:00An Interview with Featured E-Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently, I had the pleasure of answering a few questions from <i>Featured E-Magazine</i>. You can read all about my journey to becoming an illustrator (mid-life crisis?), and the reasons why I don’t consider myself a watercolorist <a href="http://featuredemagazine.com/2014/10/02/anna-raff-an-illustrative-watercolorist/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-64344970041081858982014-09-30T18:21:00.000-04:002014-09-30T18:21:31.370-04:00What’s News with MeBy golly, I’ve been a bad blogger. Between looming deadlines and a vacation over the summer, I’ve really neglected this space. Anyway, here’s what’s news with me…<br />
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I’m hard at work finishing up illustrations for <i>The Wrong Side of the Bed</i>, by Lisa M. Bakos, to be published by Putnam in 2016. If you’d like to see some teaser details, check out my <a href="http://annaraff.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">tumblr</a> or <a href="http://instagram.com/annaraff" target="_blank">instagram feed</a>. Then, it’s onto the art for <i>Little Card</i>, by Charise Harper also due out in 2016.<br />
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In the meantime, if you find yourself in the Midwest this month, I’m participating in a really cool exhibition at The University of Missouri that opens on October 7th. Assistant Professor John Malta has organized “Process Work: the Process Work and Illustrations of Contemporary Illustrators,” and the roster of artists is amazing—see the list on the fabulous poster John designed below. I’m showing the ugly underbelly for my sloths piece from <i>World Rat Day</i>.<br />
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More soon, or who am I kidding? Soonish...<br />
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-72714902719966003142014-07-31T08:34:00.003-04:002014-07-31T08:34:47.650-04:00NY Comics and Picture-Story Symposium<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kp7Ns6s2Mnk/U9o3D4APxKI/AAAAAAAADzM/Hj9x2nSIdSc/s1600/AnnaRaff-skyline.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kp7Ns6s2Mnk/U9o3D4APxKI/AAAAAAAADzM/Hj9x2nSIdSc/s1600/AnnaRaff-skyline.png" height="93" width="400" /></a><br />
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I’ll be giving a talk this Monday evening, August 4th, 7pm at Dixon Place on the Lower East Side as part of the New York Comics and Picture-Story Symposium. My pal, the fabulous Sophia Wiedeman will also be speaking about her process creating comics. For more information, click <a href="http://nycomicssymposium.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/sophia-wiedeman-anna-raff-august-4-2014-at-7pm/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<br />Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-36808574179644912692014-07-18T08:07:00.000-04:002014-07-18T08:07:21.415-04:00What’s Up?<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been a while since I’ve updated this page with what’s on my drawing board. A lot, it turns out…</div>
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First up, I’m finishing the cover art for another non-fiction picture book by David A. Adler, called <i>Teeth, Slides, Seesaws and Other Simple Machines,</i> to be published by Holiday House next Spring. If you ever wondered how a small cat could push a box of bowling balls up a hill, and perhaps a few more relevant things, this book is full of answers.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhHvOdcC1o/U8kFX8BSbmI/AAAAAAAADx0/hsy1PwGjEY4/s1600/AnnaRaff-SMd10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhHvOdcC1o/U8kFX8BSbmI/AAAAAAAADx0/hsy1PwGjEY4/s1600/AnnaRaff-SMd10.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I’m also having a great time painting the raucous art for <i>The Wrong Side of the Bed</i>, a picture book by Lisa M. Bakos, to be published by the fine folks at G. P. Putnam’s Sons in 2016.</div>
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Next up is <i>Little Card</i> by Charise Harper to be published by Candlewick Press in 2016, and is a book I’m super excited about.</div>
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And if you’ve every grown zucchini in your garden, you’ll understand how <i>Zora’s Zucchini</i> by Kathy Pryor will sneak in here in abundance, to be published by Readers to Eaters in Fall 2015.</div>
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Whew! I need to get back to work, but one last thing—in case you missed it on my <a href="http://annaraff.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">tumblr</a> last week, here’s a bit of my work for <i>Kiwi Magazine.</i> In the most recent issue, we learned how to shuck corn, so of course I turned the spots into a striptease. It plays quite well with any soundtrack of your choice, but I’m partial to <i>Atomic</i> by Blondie…</div>
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-37470316169673256272014-07-03T00:01:00.001-04:002014-07-03T00:01:34.272-04:00SVA Summer Residency<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8F2BBiyg3VQ/U7TDA8FCroI/AAAAAAAADvc/K9GiopNZGCQ/s1600/SVARes14.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8F2BBiyg3VQ/U7TDA8FCroI/AAAAAAAADvc/K9GiopNZGCQ/s1600/SVARes14.gif" height="331" width="400" /></a>While you might have been focussed on the World Cup this month, I had the pleasure of teaching an intensive class in Illustration and Visual Storytelling at the School of Visual Arts Summer Residencies. It was a terrific group from around the world—a global mix to rival any international football competition—with representatives from Uruguay, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan to name just a few.</div>
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Several months ago, while discussing the nature of my class with the Residency Director Viktor Koen—one of my former and favorite instructors in the SVA MFAI—we decided students should come away with “a series of something.” Since the bulk of my experience is in books and narrative illustration, that seemed a natural fit to me, and would differ significantly from the other classes taught by Viktor, and illustrator/designer Paul Hoppe which were centered on editorial illustration, professional practices, and comics. I had students come to the first class with a text of their choice, and we took it from there. What you see below is a sample of their projects, a collection as diverse and impressive as the individuals themselves. It’s amazing how much great work they produced in just one month.</div>
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On a personal note, I’d like to give a big shout out to these fine folks, to thank them for making my first post-graduate teaching experience so rewarding. Bravo!<br />
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Adriana Miralles</div>
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Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479989109671047701.post-54119860513352139372014-06-03T09:00:00.000-04:002014-06-03T09:00:29.970-04:00The New York Times Found Poetry Contest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the 4th year in a row, I had the pleasure of illustrating the announcement for <i>The New York Times</i> Learning Network’s Found Poetry Contest. Students from around the country submit poetry sampled from articles in the paper. Each year, the contest gets more and more popular among students and teachers, and this time, there were over 2000 submissions. Thankfully, editors are in charge of the judging—I get to draw.</div>
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As in past years, we’ve chosen to feature the most popular subjects in the illustration. If you’d like to read some of these lovely works, click <a href="http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/02/the-winners-of-our-fifth-annual-found-poetry-contest/" target="_blank">here</a>. Thanks again to Katherine Schulten at the <i>Times</i> for including me in this fun event.</div>
Anna Raffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04979027047069279195noreply@blogger.com0