"Proof" there's a book coming!

Ok, I couldn't help it! My Dad's an OBGYN, and I when I got the printer's proof of Camp Lizard, it reminded me of getting an ultrasound. We had to check ever page, like we were counting fingers and toes. Also, it was blue and black as a proof but will be green and black "on delivery" (ultrasounds being black and white, but oh boy, it's colorful later). So it was neat seeing what will be coming out soon. We did have some concerns that we're talking to printer about, but overall I'm ready to take this little bugger home! (and then get it into a good school, har har).

Fan Mail!

It's nice when I get fan mail! This one really picked me up today and I thought I'd share...

Hello Regan!

I just wanted to let you know we just picked up a copy of your book "Little Bunny Kung Fu" from the Wells Branch Library. I read the book to my 4 year old daughter right when we got home and we were both thrilled! She's been hopping around singing "Little Bunny Kung Fu" and doing karate chops ;-) I had to find out more about the author of this wonderful book and I found your webpage. I'm delighted to see that you're a fellow Austinite - something that I suspected when I saw that you had personally signed the book for our beloved Wells Branch Library. I just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed this book. We've already ordered our very own copy of "Little Bunny Kung Fu" and we anxiously await another book from you!

(I'm omitting their names for privacy)

Keep on Karate Chopping!

Regan

CIP data for Lizard is here!

Oh, boy! We're getting closer, people! For those not in the biz, the publisher sends a manuscript to the Library of Congress to get the official "CIP Data" that books need so that libraries and other folks know how to officially catalog the book. The publisher, it's worth mentioning, has NO idea or say in how they decide to categorize or summarize the book and we can't make any changes to what they decree (apparently some authors would like to tweak here or there).

A funny thing about my books was that it was never in a written out manuscript form, being a graphic novel (comic book). So, fun for me, I got to type everything out in Word so we could submit it... all 100+ pages! All part of the fun, and I like their summary so I'm happy.

Here it is...

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Johnson, Regan, 1975-
Hold on to your tail / written and illustrated by Regan Johnson.
p. cm. -- (Letters from Camp Lizard)
Summary: Leon the Day Gecko writes a letter to his parents describing his first day at summer camp, where he meets diverse lizards from around the world, makes friends with a Frilled Dragon, and learns a secret about his father.
ISBN 978-1-933831-04-6 (pbk.)
1. Graphic novels. [1. Graphic novels. 2. Lizards--Fiction. 3. Camps--Fiction. 4. Toleration--Fiction. 5. Letters--Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.7.J643Hol 2008
[Fic]--dc22
2008007501

Ty's Wedding Comic Page 1

(Click on to enlarge!)

Tomorrow I leave for Arkansas to see my best friend growing up get married. For his wedding card, I recreated this fuzzy valentine and I'm putting this 2 page comic inside. This is based on a true story, I really did get Ty a huge furry valentine in first grade. He kept it, too, and teased me all through high school and college (which we went through together, too). This is also an accurate picture of my early non-conformist tendencies in dealing with the opposite sex.

For those former ABSS kids, that's Melissa and Brad Adams on page 2, along with Mandy as my coach :). Hope to see some blasts from my past this weekend!

Ty's Wedding Comic Page 2

(click on to enlarge)

New Look!

Hey, you may see new additions and perks on the ole blog here... Now if I can just get it together to update my website!

Lone Ranger Rides Again

I was inspired to make my own cowboy illustration after working on that commission for Whitlee. Something new I tried was working with masking fluid. The bandanna pattern was painted, the white part drawing with a quill pen using the masking stuff, then I painted red over all of it and rubbed off the mask that left the paper white. Now I think I can do more intricate patterns without losing my mind... always a good thing :)

Whitlee's Cowgirl

The "Stylistic Chameleon" that I am, I was commissioned to make a watercolor for Whitlee of this cute cowgirl taken from a fabric swatch. My dad could probably date it, being a collector of children's books from the early 30's through 60's. My guess is the 50's. I learn a lot form emulating other artists. For instance I like how the highlights interrupt the shape of things (the hat isn't a solid red). And something about the expression, it's very confident for being a kid... like this girl had been out after curfew a time or two. I find myself wanting to have the same expression :) Yeah, I've painted some things in my time! heehee

My New Toy!

My second picture book that I'm illustrating (not writing) is Fergus the Ferret, and we're doing another toy for the book (Yeah!). I have to make simple drawings that show the toy makers the form we want the toy to take. For Fergus, I wanted "tall and skinny" like a real ferret. I found it funny that an option they had was to have a generic teddy bear body that they just tweak a little into a ferret (creepy, no?). As he is, Fergus is very graphically striking (red, black and white being the power trio of color schemes). I'm hoping the pink in his ears and muzzle will soften him up enough for the girls to squeal over.


And, no, he's not going to be wearing any underwear... he's SCOTTISH! heehee

Happy Easter!

For Easter, I Warholed myself (it'd be neat if my name turned into a verb someday). This candid shot was taken at our friends Rhi and Jeff's wedding where I was a bridesmaid bunny (would've also accepted the bridesmaid froggy position). Thought it made a cute Easter greeting card image. For our 2nd annual "Funny Bunny Storytime" party where I read LBKF and signed books, the manager of the store commented, "You know, on anybody else that outfit wouldn't look right" (was wearing the ears seen here and my silk kung fu outfit and tail). I just tell people that I'm the bunny's mother and that's where the resemblance comes from. :)

Happy Easter folks, bite some chocolate bunnies heads off, it's good for the soul!

Fun Picture

Here's a photo of me and the pooch in a pouch. When we have company over, sometimes he needs a little time out, so I have the baby sling and he's content to hang out on my shoulder. I think this is from the Oscar party. I do have some skin tone, but it was dim in the room and the flash sucked out all my color (promise!) :)

Artist of the Month for April

For my show in April, I wanted to get back to painting on canvas so I'm doing a "Tropical Color" theme that will focus on the vibrant colors seen in the jungles, like this painted mantella frog from Madagascar. So far I have frogs, reptiles and birds, but also want to include some flora and maybe some monkeys or tamarins.

My thoughts on the show are that before artist and designers were mixing paints and coming up with "color schemes" nature had been using color for it's own form-follows-function means. Sometimes it's to warn off predators, or attract the best mate, or to suddenly startle something else. The Rule of the Jungle being Eat or Be Eaten I think applies to the use of color in the Jungle, meaning that if you're going to use color, then use the most vivid and striking color and combinations you got!

This is a smaller 11x14" canvas, but I purposefully got some large canvas to try to break out of my routine, and I think the larger scale will emphasize the theme, too.

Tea with Sourpuss

Believe it or not, I'm trying to scratch out time for my website and some promotional material. I think I'll make this new illustration a postcard advertising my services. Besides being cute (cute's really big right now) I think it shows my sense of humor (note the little guinea pig laughing and pointing at the cat, even though he's dressed as the baby). Also worked in some type and digital pattern applications, trying to show I can do more than paint. I like it, the little girl is based on a cute girl that comes into the store a lot.

More Fashion Art

These are actually 2 different drawing/watercolors that I put together digitally. They're both from the 1760's, and the pink and blue is a play on boy and girl fashions. In keeping with fashion illustration I left out the face details so the viewer can focus on the clothing. I like the gesture of the watercolor next to the tightly controlled pen work. I'll do a few more...

New Work!

(Click on to enlarge) It's been a while since I posted some art, so here's what I'm up to. Doing a small collections of watercolor/drawings of period costume. Part of it is my own interest and the other the Oscar's coming makes me think about Best Costume. I'll have a show with these and hopefully find an equally enthusiastic patron to buy them! This one's called The Cowboy circa 1890.

New 28 gallon Vivarium finished!

Well, I finished my poison dart frog 28 gallon vivarium. There's 17 live plants and a waterfall going. Hope you like looking at it! I sure do :) Going to let it grow and settle in for a month, then we'll be looking to move in frogs.

Tired now, going to turn in. I promise some artwork will get posted here soon.

Regan
(click on the image to enlarge it!)

G'day, mates

Our frog theme continues with our new White's Tree Frog here, Uluru. We've named her after the original name for Ayers Rock since she's Australian. She will be joining our Tokay gecko in the redone vivarium (with a natural looking divider to keep the Tokay from the traditional Tokay greeting ie. biting her face off). She's a very pretty greenish blue color when she wants to be green. Though, she can change color completely and go brown and it doesn't mean she's cold or upset... just wants to be brown.

Merry Christmas

Well, in keeping with the Manger theme, I wanted to share our love of pets with our Christmas E-card this year!

Hope everyone has had a good year and best wishes for a great year in 2008!

Regan and Co.

My Hobby

Sorry I haven't posted (again) in a while, but the holidays are demanding. To relieve some stress and save some sanity, I've delved into an interest I've been nurturing for the last year which is terrarium building. (Since they'll be live animals living in them, you could call them vivariums)

Here are some photos of the first one I finished, a 10 gallon tank I turned on it's side and fitted with 5 living plants and a striated substrate system for drainage.

The top photo's our new little addition, Caprese (Kha-PREE-zee), and he's a Tomato Frog from Madagascar (though bred here in Texas). Right now he's the size of a very small cherry tomato, and he's bunking with the gold dust day gecko Klondike, who is also from Madagascar. They're both getting used to the their new home and doing OK so far. An interesting thing about Tomato Frogs is that they are beginning to disappear in the wild (no, not due to pet stores). Frogs are good barometers of an ecosystem, ie. if there are frogs things are ok, and if not there may be some ecological problems afoot. The species in serious jeopardy is a subspecies or cousin to the kind I have, and it could mean someday that the species may exist solely in captivity, which would be sad, but then they still discover species every day on that island, so I guess some disappear at the same rate without ever being found.

Well, that's part of the reason I've been neglectful in my blogging duties. I will be doing a year in recap around Christmas, so tune back in!

New LBKF Cover!

See the difference? Bunny's hopping instead of standing on guard! So this could be the new cover for the next few thousand book :)