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Welcome to my blog , The Hare Illustratère. I'll be posting about my art process and journey as an illustrator/author here.

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

IF: Balloons!

5 Animal Friends
© 2006 Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor

Here's my entry for this week's Illustration Friday word - Balloons. Bright, beautiful, happy balloons. Where are the 5 animal friends off to? Raccoon has a bouquet of balloons.
Perhaps it's a party.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Busy Busy October!

Wow - can't believe I was too busy to post for a month! So what Have I been up to? Loads.

Worked on a flash animation project with a new client, the Woo Agency. Woo found me through my portfolio on ChildrensIllustrators.com/DianaTDelosh. I'll be posting more about this very exciting flash animation project when they're finished with the animation magic.

Added new designs to my GCU store. Now over 250 whimsical cards at Diana's Cards!

And I'm busy helping my fellow CBIG officers prep for our annual CBIG November Portfolio/Dummy Review.

Needless to say October was a very hectic, whirlwind of a month!

Monday, September 8, 2008

IF: CLUTTER

Hamster/Mind Clutter © Diana Ting Delosh Marker

My mind is cluttered: brilliant ideas, daily minutiae,
distracting fears; all muddled together in a mental goulash. The trick is to remember: I am not a hamster.My mind is not my wheel.

Monday, August 25, 2008

IF: ROUTINE

TEA CUP © Diana Ting Delosh
Marker


My morning routine, is to ponder my day over a hot cup of tea with a drop of milk. I'm out of sorts if I can't do this.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Peeping Zombies!

How's this for an eye catching title - Do Dead People Watch You While You're in the Shower? Can you imagine? What a concept! Yes, this is a real title of a book I saw while browsing the shelves of a bookstore. It's non-fiction. Definitely stopped me dead in my tracks and made me look. No I didn't buy it. Now if Hitchcock's movie, Psycho didn't creep you out about showers, here's this lovely thought.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Pip & Squeak!

Down the Hill
© Diana Ting Delosh
1 of 6 original sketches for Pip & Squeak. (not submitted to High Five)


Highlights/High5 magazine just accepted my pre-school verse Pip & Squeak for publication. YAY!

I had originally submitted Pip & Squeak with sketches to Babybug magazine. Recently decided it was time to have it make the rounds again... this time without suggested art to High Five.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

IF: POOF!

BIRTHDAY MAGIC
© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink Line & Watercolor


Wish I could just wave my paint brush and POOF art - from my brain into tangible form. The closest thing I come to magic is pulling serendipitous art out of my flat file. Which doesn't happen too often...but this is 1 of those instances. So here is my entry for Illustration Friday - POOF.

Birthday Magic just happens to be something I'm working on for my Greeting Card Store. It still needs to be spiffed up, loaded, OK'd...before Poof it becomes available as a birthday card.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Bubble Trouble: From Idea to Publication.

I'm so happy to announce the publication of my poem, Bubble Trouble, in Highlights/High Five magazine, July 2008, pg 12 & 13 illustrated by Holli Conger. Yay!

If you're interested in the submission process - Read on.
Bubble Trouble from idea to published poem took 4 submissions and 7 years. Note: there is more to my life between 2001 and 2008 than this 6 line poem but that's all I'm blogging about here.

I first thought up Bubble Trouble in 2001, scribbled down the rough draft and posted it on a corner of my drawing board. All the better to keep an eye on it while I worked on illustrations /graphic design assignments, other ideals, life, etc. Every now and then I'd tweak a word or line until it took pretty much the same form as it is today -a 6 line poem. I also thought it would make a cute rebus and created a double spread layout.

Submitted my BT poem & suggested sketch layout along with sample illustration and SASE to Ladybug magazine fall of 2001. Why Ladybug? Because they were publishing my In the Garden, illustration and counting activity. And I thought it was perfect for their readers aged 2 - 6. Waited - way past the 4 months they said it took to review & return submissions before finally sending a query. It is the spring of 2002 when I get a reply that they don't keep records of unsolicited subs but I may resubmit. I do. More months pass - finally my SASE comes back at the end of 2002- REJECTED! Albeit a personal rejection. They have a surplus of bubble submissions!

After some sulking, I revamp art for a single spread and submit to Highlights Magazine 2003. They do use rebuses but I still think it's a longshot. More months of waiting - but it does come back - form letter rejection. Well I did think it was a long shot.

BT submitted to Turtle magazine July 2003 and is rejected that December. I sulk, indulge in massive quantities of chocolate, file it away.

2006/2007 - I read in my newsletters: Children's Book Insider and Children's Writer that HighLights will be coming out with a new publication. High Five magazine will be aimed at 2 - 6 year olds. I make a note to myself to submit art samples and maybe create a proposal. One day it dawns on me that I have a perfect project for them in my files. BT is: reviewed, tweaked and submitted July 2007. September 4,2007, my sketches are returned but they are interested in publishing my poem. I'm a bit surprised as I always thought that my art sold my writing but I accept. A month later, the editors send me edited copy to review and a publication date of July 2008!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

UGH! Lost Another Dummy

It's been 7 months, 3 submission status queries and no response/no dummy/nothing. Yup - IT'S BEEN LONG ENOUGH. I can now file my picture book dummy/manuscript submission, UGH!, officially under lost/rejected. It was a requested submission so I was assured it would be returned in my S.A.S.E. But I guess not. It takes 5 hours to make my dummies. Which is why I try and be careful where/to whom I'm subbing. But mistakes do happen. This is most frustrating. I hate that many book publishers have switched to this policy of only replying if they are interested. I preferred the form rejection note. At least they returned your work!

On the otherhand it may not even be the publisher's fault. A friend of mine reported that a dummy, that he assumed had been trashed was returned to him by the postmaster with a note saying that it had separated from the envelope and they were sending it to the address on the business card pasted in the front of the book. The package had made it to his local postoffice, where the postal machines chewed up the envelope and spit the dummy out on the floor. Months later - the dummy was found and luckily they saw the business card pasted into the front of the dummy. Hurrah for the USPS for trying.

So what's there to do? Grumble grumble -some teeth nashing - vent & whine. I can't even have the satisfaction of OD-ing on chocolate as it's not even a real rejection. Oh well - I guess I'll just whip out the duplicate dummy and sub it to this place that still returns submissions via S.A.S.E. and hope nothing goes wrong. I'll take a clear cut rejection anyday over as I haven't received a reply I assume it's rejected.

IF: PUNCH LINE!

Moo Shoe Pork
© Diana Ting Delosh
ink & watercolor illustration

Here's my PUNCH LINE. Maybe it's more of a pun. Anyhow hope it makes you smile.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

IF: BABY


TV MAMA
© 2007 Diana Ting Delosh. Ink line & watercolor.

This is my entry for Illustration Friday's word of the week - BABY. It is my attempt at an editorial illustration. I had been reading and hearing on the news about how babies were viewing more and more TV.

My current illustration portfolio is geared towards children's publishing. I'd like to expand my repetoire. Have a few more tricks in my bag and be viable to more markets. Any suggestions, comments, hints would be appreciated.

Friday, May 23, 2008

IF: WORRY

Sad Mouse
© Diana Ting Delosh. Ink line and watercolor.

Mouse worried. It was getting dark and her friend, Bird hadn't returned. Something must have happened. All she had was one of his feathers to comfort her.

This illustration is from my book dummy, MOUSE & BIRD.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

IF: SEED

MOUSE DREAMS
2008 © Diana Ting Delosh
ink line & watercolor

Mouse dreams of planting her sunflower seed.

More exploration with new style. I like the thick bolder line. Makes me think more graphically. Well - needless to say practice, practice, practice.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

IF: WRINKLES

Tortoise © Diana Ting Delosh

Wrinkles look good on tortoises. I don't like them on me - unless of course I could turn into a tortoise or walrus - nor do I like them when they turn up in my plans.

This is a style I am experimenting with. It's still ink line and watercolor but it's a fatter, simpler, looser line with lot's of washy color. A bit of a vacation from my usual more detailed style. Please let me know what you think.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Illustrator's Art Prints & Cards

Fine Art Prints make unique presents for mom or anyone else on your gift list including yourself. Browse my Gallery for whimsical story art and decorative florals available as fine art giclée prints and art cards. Prints are available in various sizes and grades of fine art papers. Custom matting and framing is optional. Your choice of fine art papers is also available for cards. Please click on my ImageKind Ardwerx Scrolling Banner in the right side bar to view all images.

ImageKind is offering Free US Ground Shipping in honor of Mother's Day. Please use Promo Code: MDay2008 at check out. Limit 1 order per person. Offer ends Mother's Day May 11, 2008 at 10pm PDT.

Thanks for looking and shopping at: wingedrabbit.imagekind.com/ardwerx

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Artist's - Mother's Day Card Sales Promo!

Greeting Card Universe is offering Free Postage and Shipping for Mother's Day Cards. No minimum card purchase. Please use Promo Code: MOTHER08 at check out. Hurry - Offer ends April 30, 2008. Please click on my Diana's Cards Widget in the right side bar and choose from any of my 6* Mother's Day Cards.

Diana's Cards features my ink and watercolor, animal and floral illustrations for holidays and all occassions. These are real, high quality, PAPER GREETING CARDS! Please note that the inside text is fully editable. Pick your font, color, size, write your own message or even make into a blank note. To date, there are 159* card designs in my store. *New Cards are added weekly. Thanks for looking and shopping at: greetingcarduniverse.com/dianascards.com.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

IF: FAIL

UGH! - © 2007 Diana Ting Delosh
The Illustration Friday - word of the week is: Fail

To FAIL, To be a failure - to be a Loser, to be a Reject, etc.
Introducing Fern Messy, a character from a picture book proposal I'm currently shopping around. She epitomizes how I feel when one of my proposals is rejected. Even though I know not to take it personally - my gut reaction is to feel like I've failed.

Awhile back I had asked my mentor and friend, the great children's book illustrator and author, Robert Quackenbush if he had any advice on dealing with rejection/failure. He shared his 2 favorite mottos ( borrowed from Winston Churchill):

"Always pass from failure to failure with enthusiasm."

"Never give up! Never give up! No, never, never, never give up!"


Thursday, April 10, 2008

My Illustration Promo Postcard

Here it is - my promo postcard design - well the front anyway. I know the usual wisdom is to use your best already created image but I got this great idea. Originally
I was going to have Skunk say "On the internet, we can pass as people!" It tickled my funnybone. But common sense prevailed. It is after all supposed to be my postcard to launch my illustration Website. And it was getting way too type heavy and cluttered. So now Skunk is just shouting dianadelosh.com - in big letters. It works better design wise too, I think.

The back will just have my return address and will feature a small ink/line drawing of a girl chalk doodling on the pavement. Yup - I do draw people - animal and nature is just a specialty.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Yay! My Website is UP

Smokey Joe © Diana Ting Delosh

YAY! After much hemming and hawing my illustration website is finally up and running. I'm still building it, adding text, moving art, and so much tweaking but there's definitely enough to look at. Please visit my website at http://dianadelosh.com and let me know what you think. Definitely give a holler if you notice any glaring typos. It would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for looking.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

IF -Garden


Mother Hare & Fern - © 2006 Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor
Mother Hare and Fern are having fun painting in the garden.