Category Archives: Matt’s Choice

MoCCA Fest!

Another week of just one post. Followers, thank you for your patience! Next month I will hopefully be able to get back to two postings a week.

For those of you in NYC this weekend be sure to stop by MoCCA Fest. I will be at table B8 up front to the left when you come in the doors. At my table with me will be Shanon Weltman, Ellen T. Crenshaw and Ray Jones.

Here is a preview of new work I will have available:

I will also have my specimens and Animals in Alphabet. It should be a great weekend!

Your Choice

Another vote on what I’m working on! Here are progress sketches of two new portfolio pieces I’m working on. I could finish either first but, which do you want to see done first? Vote in the comments!

Just three more days of a Sale at my Etsy Store! Be sure to drop by and spread the word! If you share the news you are entered in a giveaway of my Animals in Alphabet Poster! The winner will be announced Saturday morning.

Jarrett’s Choice

The community of kid lit illustrators in New England has always impressed me and warmed my heart. Everyone is so helpful to each other with fantastic support.

This past weekend I was very happy to be able to help with The River’s Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash! near Northampton.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the main force behind bringing in Children’s Book folks for the Meltdown 2012. This year he called in illustrators to help the event through a Sketch-a-Thon. For each sketch, a donation was given to a local library in need.

Here is me working on a caricature of a family.
Meltdown - Sketch-a-thon 2012

I took the hot seat after Eric Wight, whom I requested an Octo-Pus in Boots from:

And what a treat Lisa Yee was in town! I grabbed one of her cards because it is just so cool to have a photo of Peep!

In between bands, authors and illustrators took the stage to read their books, including, Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple, John Bemelmans Marciano and everyone above mentioned! It was the perfect event for families. We had a great day at the Meltdown.

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Also just a little over 1 day more of my sale going on at Fab.com Get them while the sale lasts!

Betsy Bird’s Choice

There is usually a contest or some web request for art-inspired-by-such-and-such-topic available on a weekly if not daily basis. It’s impossible to keep up with them all but, Betsy Bird’s request to draw a Dr. Seuss image in the style of another illustrator seemed like one to make time for.

Dr. Seuss was the first Children’s Book illustrator I tried to copy. If you look back at my childhood sketches all of the eyes are that same “U” shape that Dr. Seuss uses.

Then my first publishing job took me to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where I worked on marketing Curious George books. The match-up seemed planned by fate.

I had a blast drawing this popular little Monkey in one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, If I Ran the Circus.

Check out the rest of the fabulous submissions for theRe-Seussification Project.
Thanks for inspiring us Dr. Seuss and Betsy Bird!

Everyone’s Choice

Where’s the X?

It’s HERE!

X is for Xenops

I am so happy to have these letters finally done! One full set of Alphabet is illustrated. I’m sure one day, if they take off, I will make seconds for the more popular letters. We will see.

There is no good reason I left the X for last. However, since I began to work on these letters the amount of reference images available from search has greatly improved. When I first looked up Xenops there were two terrible pictures floating around the internet. Now there are hundreds! With my new information I was able to update my original sketch which, for this bird would not do. It didn’t actually represent the bird’s abilities or characteristics. With each animal it was a pleasure to learn about their lives to best come up with a manipulation that would look natural. This has been a remarkably fun project.

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Happy Valentine’s! Enjoy this coloring page!

click on the image to open it in a new window then drag it to your desktop to print.