Valentines and Watercolors

A little watercolor to say Happy Valentine's Day! Lately I've been trying to include watercolor breaks into my schedule as a way to loosen up. For a few weeks I tried drawing a different kid every break, here are a few from that set that were fun for me-

I was fortunate to attend Austin's SCBWI conference last week, and I had a fantastic time. The Austin book community was very vibrant and welcoming, and I drove back to Dallas full of inspiration.

The next big conference on my calendar is in May, which is Spectrum Art Live. We attended last year and this year's lineup sounds just as exciting.

Til then, take care!

Nancy Drew Diaries- Strangers on a Train

Nancy Drew Diaries

The first two books in the Nancy Drew Diaries series are in stores tomorrow, and I'm excited to finally see them in print! I previously posted my cover for Curse of the Arctic Star, and I thought I'd celebrate their release by showing the Strangers on a Train cover as well.

These are a few of the early sketches for this cover. We ultimately decided against the more action-packed Nancy, since it was a bit similar to cover #1. The slightly more subtle and suspicious train station setting proved more successful.

Literary classics are always a pleasure to illustrate, but they are challenging as well. Nancy Drew has been around for about 80 years, and creating artwork that lives up to and fits in with that legacy is a lot of pressure. It's been really great hearing from folks in the Nancy Drew fan community while working on the series, their words of support were greatly appreciated! I hope all her readers, new and old, are happy with her new look.

Thanks, and enjoy!