by Kat McD.
     Our November meeting had some neat treats. Pictured are Linda's yummy corn bread muffins and my lemon tea cake. This Sweet and Savory combination came to mind the following weekend  at this year's SCBWI LA's Art Directors Day aka Illustrator's Day.  Isabel Warren-Lynch, Executive Art Director and fellow Jersey Girl spoke about the lasting impact of tender moments in the books of her childhood. She spoke about the subtle "sweetness" of Garth Williams work and Beatrix Potter. Then my reviewer, Cliff Cramp, http://www.cliffcramp.com/ , gave me words to "savor" regarding art. His advice was about using color temperature to guide the viewer's eye to the focal point of an illustration.  This subtle use of color can take an illustration from "Oh" to "Wow!" That's the kind of art I want to make. Illustrations that are sweet and savory you keep with them after the book has been closed.

I used this pumpkin for Halloween too and had candy eyeballs in his hands and our stash of chocolate all around him.  Now for November I put a tiny pumpkin and gourd in his hands.  The large pumpkin is synthetic.  I bought it from Michael's Arts and Crafts.  I covered it with a glaze of burnt umber, wiping off the high points with a damp paper towel and leaving it darker in the grooves. It tones down the bright orange and makes it look a little more realistic.

The hands and feet I ordered from the pumpkin masters at VILLAFANE STUDIOS.   I just love the twiggy/stem look.  They also have a top stem available, but I couldn't find any in stock, so I sculpted my own topper.  I made it out of Sculpey UltraLight clay and then baked it in the oven. When it cooled I used my acrylic paints and layered colors to match the hands and feet! I was really happy with the way it turned out and had a lot of fun doing it.