Discussing Artist in Residency Proposals

Tuesday, November 26 2013
Museum Adventures with Kitty and George

After submitting a professional proposal to museum staff, I was invited to a meeting this morning to discuss the timescale. As the museum is shut for the whole of December, it was important to get health and safety
forms filled in now and a start date organised. After meeting with Administrator Abigail Large, we have agreed that I work on January 6,7,8 and 9 and on the following Friday, January 17th. As my proposal could be used for months to come, it was agreed that I focus on five objects for now to draw and to see what narrative form. Abigail went through the health and safety aspects: to work in public opening times, ie not on Mondays when the museum is shut and from 10am-4pm.; no eating or drinking is allowed within the museum to protect the collection and I need to sign in and out, as well as for breaks.
It helped clarify what is required but it was encouraging to know that they are behind what I am doing and like my proposals. It means I can start the New Year with an exciting work placement project. In the meantime I will seek to gain as much information about the children's book industry from other professionals who have experience in that field.

Below is the proposal I sent to the museum a few days ago

WORK PLACEMENT PROPOSAL

Museum in the Park, Stratford Park, Stroud

Tracy Spiers November 22 2013

Kitty and George’s Museum Adventures

Aim

To produce a short story/comic strip about two characters who come alive at night once all the visitors and staff have left the museum in order to investigate the objects.

To make it available at the shop/counter as a pocket money gift and vehicle to inspire visitors to find the very object the characters look at in that particular story as well as come up with their own original ideas for other artefacts.

Objective

To encourage children/adults to really look at the objects in front of them in an inquisitive way; allowing their imagination to consider what the objects were used for and how they looked/functioned in their original context.

Characters

Kitty and George Ham, along with their daughter Jan (my mum) and dog Sheila, used to live in the Mansion House between the years 1947-1957.  George was the park grounds man and as part of his job, was given a large flat in the upstairs part of the house. Their bedroom is where the woollen looms and Erinoid button cabinet are now housed; their lounge is where the old traditional games are. Kitty died earlier this year, age 96. George died in 1996 aged 79.

As a tribute to my grandparents, I thought it would be fun to recreate their personalities and bring them alive by making them the lead characters.

George and Kitty

Kitty can’t resist touching the objects and taking a closer look, while George is the sensible one and tries (without fail) to keep her in check.

Example of the examination of a mud ball, using drawings from my sketchbook from a recent visit to the Museum in the Park. The mud ball has an amazing structure and is a great example of how the imagination can take hold. It is perfect for exploring for miniature people!

Timescale and idea development

·         To draw artefacts from different time periods and in different parts of the museum for five days, possibly in January

·         Take back the information to home studio and come up with a short adventure around the objects chosen.

·         The format would be a hand-size stapled, stitched or naturally folded book, about A6 size which could be sold for 50p in the foyer. The aim would be for young visitors to find the objects Kitty and George have been looking at.

·         Completion date for first adventure, estimated for February half-term.

·         It could be followed up with an activity for children to draw an object which they are intrigued by and develop their own imaginative narrative

·         To write a blog which can be linked to the Museum’s website to record the progress of Kitty and George’s Adventures.

Costs

Costs would be minimal as the books could be made from one single A4 sheet. One side of the sheet would contain the story images, and then folded into book format; the other side when opened up would be a full colour A4 sized drawing of the object investigated with Kitty and George on the scene. If it is successful, a series could be made with a professional book made of the entire collection of adventures.

Health and Safety

I would not touch or handle objects but would draw them in their current display cabinets unless given special permission by staff. Obviously I would be considerate to visitors and keep my work materials – pencil, pen and pencil crayon – in an orderly and safe manner.

An insight into the world of a children's book illustrator

Monday, November 25 2013
Spending time with illustrator Rachel Oldfield
As it is my aim to gain a greater understanding as to the role an illustrator plays in the field of children's books, I felt it important to spend time with those who work in this specialised area of work. Rachel Oldfield illustrates picture books for Barefoot Books, an independent publisher with offices in Summertown, north Oxford and Cambridge, MA, USA. Her first book for Barefoot, Up, Up, Up! features three young travellers who visit different cultures via balloon with a dog and a mouse. It was launched early 2010.

Up, Up, Up! published January 2010

I first met Rachel three years ago as she was just finishing this project. I interviewed her as part of my role then as Creative writer for Stroud Life. Out of all the 300 artists I interviewed over five years, seeing her at work in her studio, working with her light box, triggered something in me. I felt then that illustrating was something I would love to do, but wasn't sure how to go about it. This is the link to that article http://gloucestershire-echo.vlex.co.uk/vid/illustrator-oldfield-illustrating-spiers-77040498 
Today I spend a few hours with her in her new studio, working on her latest book for Barefoot Books called Opposites, based on six children who go on a camping trip.

As she works, we talk about the book industry and share what books we enjoyed reading and looking at as children. As she is only 4/5 years younger than me, the books are very similar. Janet and Allan Ahlberg; Beatrix Potter; the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But Rachel says she also remembered her French godmother having some very unusual books including a boy who sucked his thumbs and ended up having them cut off! I find out later through my own research it was called Little Suck-a-thumb.

"Being an illustrators, it helps so much having children. Reading books to my three boys, it is amazing what they pick out, they love spotting things and notice the sub plots that go on," she says. As a mother I agree and recall my own delight as a child in discovering the details within the pages.

PRACTICE

Rachel, graduated from Brighton with a BA (Hons) in Illustration. One famous illustrator she interviewed as part of her degree was Kit Williams who wrote Masquerade and designed the bubble-blowing fish clock in Regent's Arcade, Cheltenham. She works with traditional materials - pencil and acrylics. I took this photo as she was making final touches to the opening double page spread which sets the scene. All action takes place within the scene and following pages will show close ups of different parts of the picture. The publishers have asked her to remove part of the arm of one of the little characters who is wearing a yellow star t-shirt. Barefoot Books' mission is to make books accessible to everyone so that means making reference to characters from different ethnic backgrounds and physical abilities. The amputation takes place while I am there - painlessly I hasten to add!
This double page spread is almost to scale, only slightly bigger than what it will appear in the book, Opposites, due to be published in 2015.
Her next job is to draw out the other scenes and provide more completed pages as well as designing the front cover and end papers. This book will have about 12/13 double page spreads.

Thumbnail sketches are required particularly nowadays as publishers like to record the process on their website to keep their audience gripped and eager to see the final outcome.

Up! Up! Up! took six months from start to finish, whereas Opposites is taking longer. Texts are given and the illustrator is asked to come up with ideas and provide two double page spreads, not sure then whether he/she has the job.

As well as making cards for Clare Maddicott to provide some extra income, Rachel has just started teaching illustration part-time to foundation students at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.

TIP from Rachel

"It is important to find out what your language is. Once I got my language, that is when the commissions started coming in. Publishers need to be confident that your language is going to be consistent," she admits.

Her own experience with agents

After working for a large agent, Advocate Art, Rachel worked for a smaller company PlumPudding, but her animals weren't cute enough and they wanted her to change her style.
"After spending years trying to find my style, I didn't want to let go of it. They do say that illustrators can have two different styles of working and often operate under different names, but that did not work for me and I left by mutual consent," she admits.

She was honest that for many agents are helpful in that they promote you, give you the work and act as a go between. But they do take 35 per cent of the earnings, which is a lot if the job is £2,000.

Support from other illustrators - Rachel explains that in Brighton, there is BIG - Brighton Illustrators Group and a group of illustrators in Stroud is hoping to do the same, so SIG could be forming soon.


The time with Rachel was such a privilege. Seeing an illustrator at work was like looking into an artist's sketchbook - it offered a valuable insight I couldn't have got anywhere else. While she worked, I quickly drew her to recall the moment. It has inspired me even more.

Illustrating the illustrator



Secret Artist Exhibition in aid of Walled Garden, Museum in the Park

Social networking 

Spent four hours serving drinks, chatting to fellow artists and supports of Stroud's Museum in the Park for the third Secret Artist event. Artists - both professionals and students - take an A5 blank postcard, produce an original piece of work and hand it in to staff, with their name on the back so that when it is on the wall no one but the artist who did the work, knows who did it. The public can then buy a lottery ticket for £15 and after the event, pick up their artwork which corresponds to the number on their ticket. It is a lottery but in aid of a good cause - restoring the secret garden at the back of the Mansion House, which has remained in an overgrown state for 50 years.

My grandfather used to have an allotment in that garden, and my mum used to release Great Crested Newts, which she caught from the main pond in Stratford Park, into the dipping pond. Builders have recently been starting the clearing process and have found where that dipping pond used to be and it is hoped to restore it as part of the plans. My personal connection has inspired my interest and it a main reason why I wanted to give back to this special place by volunteering on the private view night and the following morning by selling the tickets and talking to the artists - many of whom I have interviewed over the years and worked alongside - and the public.

I was one of the 250 secret artists who donated a piece of work. Following on from Fumio's talk and reference to social networking, I felt it important to have regular contact with the local art industry. The exhibition was a representative of the creative industries we have in the Stroud valleys; and those who came to the event and bought the work, represented the support system artists need. I chatted to businessmen and women, local politicians, teachers, college lecturers, artists - all of which have their own spheres of influence. It was also good to talk to people on the Saturday morning in a somewhat quieter atmosphere and find out what kind of images they liked from the paintings, drawings, collage, ceramics, illustrations on show.
Illustrator Tony Meeuwissen's intricate painting from his book The Purple Emperor was my personal favourite - I recognised it as I have been fortunate to interview him over the years.

Example of work shown at the Secret Artist - mine is among them

A panoramic shot to show how the secret artist's A5 postcards looked as a collective

Useful advice from Fumio

Portfolio Making - from personal domain into public domain

Found Fumio's talk really helpful and confirming and took down notes which I know will be useful in future

Researching markets -

Important to look at the places one is interested in and to find out how the industry functions. What interests me is the world of children's books. It helps to read the up to date books to my children and discuss with them what they like about the story and the pictures they look at. By writing reviews on the latest picture books will also help me appreciate the competition, as well as interviewing illustrators working in that particular field.

SELF PROMOTION

1. By having a web presence and chosing a blog which suits: blogger, wordpress, Typepad, Squarespace
I personally have a blogger account, but it would be worth personalising as Fumio suggests, and making it relevant to what I am doing.

2. On-line promotion - using Facebook and Tumblr. They are useful, not just because it is a social network, but one can have a personal Facebook page. (72dpi recommended) Fumio admits he has a personal Facebook page for some work, and uses Tumblr for his political images about Japan. I am on Facebook and may well consider putting on a separate Facebook page which I could use for work only apart form my family one.

3. Social networking - can use Twitter to sat the website has been updated. It may be more suitable to some people more than others. Although I am on Twitter and seem to have lots of followers, I haven't got into the habit of using it. Maybe as my work practice and authorship develops I will be able to use it more effectively; but the contacts are already there.
Linkedin - again I am already on this for my media work and have a lot of connections, which is something which will help in future. This is particularly helpful as one can join different groups and ask the right people for advice.

By attending festivals, conventions such as London Book Fair, Bologna Children's Book Fair, Book Festivals (Edinburgh/Cheltenham), Comica, Thought Bubble, Angouleme International Comics Festival. It is a way of linked up with the professionals via FB, Twitter, Linkedin and see them face to face.

I also believe in linking up with professionals locally too by getting involved in festivals close to home. The connections and contacts made in our home towns may well be the very ones that help promote our work to a wider audience.

Other tips - to have a physical portfolio as well as an on-line presence in an A3/A4 or A5 display book which is easy to carry, is compact and has originals or copies in of best work. This can contain postcards, business cards. 

I also find it useful to keep an eye on other professional's promotional material such as business cards and website designs, which I intend to record throughout this module.

Correspondence to date

Thursday, November 14

Up until this point I have had two refusals from publishers of children's books, apologising that they were such small teams that they don't take work placements due to time and lack of staff. I did email Katie Fforde, an award-winning novelist who I know through my professional role as a journalist, and she kindly asked her contacts and has given me one to follow up - children's book writer and story teller John Dougherty. In the meantime, I have now secured some time with illustrator Rachel Oldfield and have spoken informally with the Museum in the Park's education officer and manager about the possibility of carrying out a mini artist in residency whereby I draw objects within the collection and write and illustrate a short children's story with my findings. I will write a professional proposal detailing my ideas once I get an official reply in writing. Rachel has suggested that Barefoot Books, which publishes her books and now has a new office in Oxford, may be worth writing to, so I will follow that up, once I have interviewed her.

Writing to Publishers specialising in children's books

November 4 2013

Taking Andrea Reece from Books for Keeps' advice, I wrote emails to the following people:

Rona Selby at Andersen Press rselby@randomhouse.co.uk
Kate Wilson at Nosy Crow kate@nosycrow.com
and Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln janettao@frances-lincoln.com

Here is a copy of one of them. I used the same letter for each person. I felt it helpful to write to key individuals rather than at random. I know then that the email will be received by the right person. Whether or not they reply is up to them. I also felt it right only to ask for one day each, as I fully appreciate how small teams find having a work experience person with them at busy times of year. In my reporting role, I have helped numerous individuals on work experience and when you are up against a deadline, it can be quite stressful making sure they are OK as well as getting the work done.

Dear Ms Selby,

Hope you don’t mind me dropping you a line, but Andrea Reece from Books for Keeps suggested I contacted you. I have been working in the media industry for 26 years as a journalist for newspapers, magazines and for the BBC as a broadcast journalist in radio and television, but have recently diverted my career towards illustration. I am currently doing a BA Hons Degree in Illustration at the University of Gloucestershire and wondered if I could spend a day with you to get a better understanding of the process involved from initial ideas and proposals to production, particularly regarding children’s books.

As a mother of five daughters, I wanted to expand my communication skills with the aim of writing and illustrating a book, really as a legacy to them, as well as adding illustration to my skill bank.

Andrea will be sending some picture books for me to review for her website, which will assist my understanding and appreciation of the competition and market; but I felt it would be beneficial to talk to those within the industry too.

I appreciate it must be a busy time leading up to Christmas, but if you could a spare a day, whereby I interviewed a few members of staff to ascertain the different roles played by a publishing team, I would be most grateful.

I have attached my CV and a couple of illustrations to give you an idea of my work. I have also put the link to my website, which includes my writing work.

Looking forward to hearing from you

Kind regards

Tracy Spiers

07766024375

01453 764110

www.tracyspiers.com

Working as an illustrator

More letters

Alongside my interest in finding out about children's books, is the idea of working at a local museum and gathering information with the view of writing and illustrating narratives inspired by artefacts and found objects. I think it is a valuable exercise spending time looking at objects and allowing them to inspire and spark imagination. Stroud's Museum in the Park, is a place rich in history. I wrote the following email on Friday, November 1st to Ann Taylor, Education Officer, and Abigail Large, the Museum's Administrator with the view of spending some of my work placement there.

Dear Mrs Taylor and Miss Large

I am currently doing a BA Hons Degree in Illustration at the University of Gloucestershire and wondered if I could spend a couple of days at the Museum in the Park as part of my work placement?

I am happy to help out in any events you have coming up or to do a series of drawings of objects which you can use either as a trail or short story to encourage potential visitors to get a taste for the incredible stories that can be found in the Museum.

I have been a journalist for 26 years so understand the print, radio and television industry, but as a mother of five girls, I wanted to expand my skill sets by gaining specific knowledge and experience in the illustration industry with the view of producing a children’s book as a legacy to them. I am conscious that stories are sparked from all sorts of inspiration and by spending time in a place, carrying out contemplative drawing, can help creative ideas.  I am sure many ideas would come just by spending time in a place such as a Museum which has so much history.

I have a particular interest in the Museum in the Park as my late grandparents and mother used to live in the Mansion House 50 years ago.

I have attached a couple of images of my work to give you an idea of my illustrative style.

Looking forward to hearing from you

Kind regards

Tracy Spiers

Freelance writer/artist

01453 764110

07766024375

www.tracyspiers.com

On the same day, I also wrote an email to children's illustrator Rachel Oldfield, who illustrated Up, Up, Up!
published by Barefoot Books and written by Susan Reed. Rachel's website is http://www.racheloldfield.co.uk/more-illustrations/up-up-up/

Dear Ms Oldfield,

                               

I am currently doing a BA Hons Degree in Illustration at the University of Gloucestershire and wondered if I could spend some time with you to find out what it is like working as an illustrator particularly in the field of children’s books?

I have been a journalist for 26 years so understand the print, radio and television industry, but as a mother of five girls, I wanted to expand my skill sets by gaining specific knowledge and experience in the illustration industry with the view of producing a children’s book as a legacy to them.

I wondered if I could come and see you at work and ask some questions about your practice? I am particularly interested in the process from initial sketches to finished product; what inspires you, what it is like to work for an agency and how you promote yourself.

If you can spare an hour or two of your time, I would appreciate that. If you can, perhaps you can let me know what times are convenient to you.

Looking forward to hearing from you

Kind regards

Tracy Spiers

Freelance writer/artist

01453 764110

07766024375

www.tracyspiers.com

Testing the waters

October 23 2013

Having talked to a friend of mine in the publishing world, Caroline Sanderson, I wrote to one of her contacts who set up an award-winning website, called Books for Keeps, with writes reviews on the latest books that come on to the market. Although there is no payment involved, you do get the latest books to keep in return for a review. It means I cvan get a better insight as to what is out there, the subjects covered and the kind of illustrations that are being published.

I wrote the following letter to Andrea Reece and she replied very shortly afterwards.

Hi Andrea

I am a friend of Caroline Sanderson and she suggested that I contact you in

terms of gaining a better understanding of the world of children's books. I

have been a journalist for the past 26 years and worked in radio, television

and magazines over that time, but recently have been back studying at Art

College and am currently on my second year of a BA Hons degree in

illustration at the University of Gloucestershire. My aim is to write and

illustrate children's books so that I can combine my two skills in some way.

With five young daughters (6-13), I have a good audience to test them out

on.

One of my units is professional practice, and whilst my young peers are

embarking on work experience for the first time, I am trying to find avenues

which are relevant to where I am at. To understand the market, I am hoping

to spend a couple of days at various children's publishers, but I think it

would also be good to understand the market from the readers point of view

too. If you think it appropriate, I am happy to write reviews on children's

picture books for Books for Keeps. My children love them as do I.

I want to learn as much as I can about the industry so if you can advise me

any way or have any contacts who might be able to accommodate me for a day

or two, I would

appreciate that. I would probably write a feature on my findings for my

blog, which is linked to the illustration department's website at the

University of Gloucestershire. I figured it was good to give back my own

professional skills to help benefit other students.

Look forward to hearing from you

Kind regards

Tracy Spiers

07766024375

www.tracyspiers.com

This was Andrea's reply on October 24th 2013

Dear Tracy

Thanks for this, and we'd be delighted to have you join the BfK reviewing team. Do send me your address and I will put some review copies in the post for you.

It's interesting to hear about your degree course. Everyone is always very busy these days of course, but you could contact these people to ask about the possibility of spending some time with them (do say I recommended them to you):

Rona Selby at Andersen Press - rselby@randomhouse.co.uk Kate Wilson at Nosy Crow kate@nosycrow.com Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln - janettao@frances-lincoln.com

Andrea

020 8889 1292

07807893369

These valuable contacts enabled me to put together an email to see if they could spare a day so that I could visit and see for myself what happens from initial idea to publication.

Where I am going?

October 20 2013

I start this blog, by laying down my aim of this module. I have a key focus in that I want to find out as much as I can about the world of illustration in terms of children's books. To that end I want to spend some time with illustrators working in this field; interview key people in the publishing process; spend time at Children's Publishing Companies such as Random House and possibly an agent specialising in working with illustrators in this arena and carry out work professionally as an illustrator myself.

Before I started writing letters to key people in this area of work, I updated my CV with my aim to show both my art and writing experience.