IF: CRAVING!

Rose Cupcake
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor illustration

M-m-m-m! I'm craving a cupcake with chocolate frosting and pink buttercreme roses. This illustration was inspired by this weeks Illustration Friday prompt. M-m-m-m.

Promo Postcard - Mouse Dreams

Mouse Dreams, detail used for front of May 2009 Postcard
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor

Received my self- promotional postcards from VistaPrint and I'm quite happy with the printing. Now I just have to update my mailing list. Ugh! With all the recent comings and goings of Editors/Art Buyers it is quite a headache. At any rate I only have a few days to work on it before the postage rate goes up this Sunday. Don't know if I'll get it all updated/posted but I'll definitely give it a shot.
The last time I did a Postcard Promo Campaign I landed an illustration contract. It would be lovely if the same happened again. I'm crossing my fingers and toes!

NEW - CBIG Blogzine!

Have been busy working on the official blog for CBIG. As usual nothing is as simple as it seems and it all takes longer than expected. BUT it is up and running and after a S-L-O-W start it is all starting to gell.
Please visit CBIG-nyc.blogspot.com, where members will be showcasing their illustrations and announcing their professional children's book publishing and related industry news.

Creative Stumbling Blocks

SEED PACK © Diana Ting Delosh

I'm in the midst of a creative block - hopefully towards the tail end of one. I first tried just working through it. If I was stalled on my picture book idea, I'd work on my various other projects. At least this way I was still creating and producing. No problems creating new card ideas for GCU. My sketchbook was overflowing with other ideas. I'm already daydreaming about my next book idea. I'll just take a short hiatus from my PB and comeback refreshed. Right? Wrong - I soon discovered I was fine on every front accept my current PB. The solution? Just grit my teeth and force myself to work on it. Did it work? Yeah - finally! And I'm happy with the art and I can chug along on the next illustration in the SF series. (Seed Pack is 1 of the illos from my PB that's giving me a headache!)

So what's the problem? Is it the idea? No -at least - I'm fond of it. And I'm happy with the sketches and the finished art when I finally finish them. So what is it??? Hate to say it but I believe it's the field of publishing and picture books that has me blocked. Lately there's been nothing but bad news - editors and art directors being laid off, whole divisions merging, folding. Here I'd just made their acquaintance and now, POOF no more. Combine that with the brutal competition even when the economy was good and my recent bad experiences of loosing dummies. Well is it any surprise that I wonder if my efforts are for naught?

Any solutions? Should I just rethink my ambitions? Sure - I've considered it many times. Even left the field a few times but unfortunately I've always come back to it. So now what? No real answers - but keep on doing my best work as well as looking into other fields and possibilities for my creations.