What's New for 2020 on the Six Pens Blog?


       For our visitors and regular subscribers to A Song of Six Pens Blog, we promise to deliver more great articles on the writing life in the children’s publishing world, as well as informative author interviews.




 

  But for 2020, we wanted to offer you something more:


GIVEAWAYS!


We’ll be giving away books, free manuscript critique edits, and possibly a chance to win an exclusive submission to an agent. Anyone can enter and there's no entry fee.

                               

 Don’t miss out! 

         Subscribe to our blog today and get notified of dates and how to enter.
         Whatever your goals for the coming year, the six of us at A Song of Six Pens wish you all successful writing journeys in 2020!


                                                                                        Gloria A.
                                                                                       Lisa 
                                                                                          Kate
                                                                                             Lana 
                                                                                                 Laurie
                                                                                                      Gloria R.
  
      
               

FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE!




Writer's Retreats 2020


If you’re looking for a special place to
breathe in all things writing, get away from 
life’s distractions, meet other authors,
and work on your manuscript, check out these
upcoming retreats for 2020.






The Gutsy Great Novelist Retreat

Get away to Maine’s beautiful coast! This retreat features four “gutsy” authors and is a women- only retreat. Offered four times this year by award winning author Joan Dempsey, each retreat can accommodate only 5 participants.
Check it out here: https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/

         
 Rekindle Retreat

May 15- May 22, 2020
           If you love the wild beauty of Alaska, check out this eight day/seven night retreat in Juneau, Alaska, sponsored by Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Optional activities include a cruise and a rainforest hike and write. Early bird registration ends soon:
 https://www.lighthousewriters.org/rekindle-retreat-juneau-alaska




Big Sur Children’s Writing Workshops
Cape Cod: May 8-10, 2020
California: December 4-6, 2020
These exclusive workshop retreats, founded by Andrea Brown, President and Executive Director of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, feature top editors from major publishing houses and bestselling authors. Check it out here: https://www.bigsurchildrenswriters.com/

Jackson Hole Writers Conference
June 25-27, 2020
Wander into Wyoming this summer for the 29th annual Jackson Hole Writers Conference. The list of presenting authors is long and opportunities for critiques abound. Check it out here: https://jacksonholewritersconference.com/

   Anne of Green Gables           Adventure Retreat

    Sunday, October 4, 2020-                   Saturday, October 10, 2020

Step back in time and visit the island where Lucy Maud Montgomery created her beloved characters in the Anne of Green Gables series.
Work on your writing projects with host, award-winning author Gary Schmidt, and meet other authors as you gather for dinner each night of this week-long retreat in Canada.




Highlights Foundation
Year Round 

Cozy up in your own cabin in this secluded wooded sanctuary in northern Pennsylvania and write to your heart’s content. Workshops are offered year-round and feature award-winning authors and fantastic food! Check it out here: https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/





Meet Illustrator Katie Mazeika

By Gloria G. Adams

This month, we welcome illustrator Katie Mazeika to the Six Pens blog!  Katie writes:

I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in Wyoming, Ohio (A small suburb of Cincy). I was lucky enough to grow up in the same neighborhood as the illustrator Chris Payne. My brother and his friends modeled for his Boys' Life illustrations. He spoke to my high school art classes. After hearing Chris speak, I knew I wanted to be an illustrator. I started college at Miami University of Ohio but at that time they only offered Fine Art or Graphic Design, so I transferred to, and graduated from The Columbus College of Art and Design. After college I moved north and eventually settled in my husband's hometown, Mentor, Ohio. We're about a half an hour east of Cleveland on Lake Erie. I live with my husband, two kids and two dogs and a cat. 

When did you decide you wanted to illustrate children’s books?

I was an illustration major in college, but it wasn’t until my last year that I fell in love with children’s book illustration.

Who are some children’s book illustrators that you admire?

That changes daily--there are so many amazing artists. Eugene Yelchin, Julie Morstad, and Beatrice Alemagna are my latest illustrator crushes.

Why do you use Photoshop? Are there other mediums in which you like to work?

In college my favorite medium was pastels but after I had kids, I looked for other options that were less toxic (there is a lot of dust and sprays with pastels.) I tried watercolor, color pencil and finally digital illustration. I started with Corel Painter. As Photoshop became more of a painting program, I gradually started working with it and never looked back.

What are your goals as a children’s book illustrator?

I have one eye. I wore an eye patch as a kid and there were never any kids with an eye patch in the books I read growing up. So, when I illustrate, I try to make my characters diverse and hope kids can find themselves when they look at books I’ve illustrated.

How did you get into children’s publishing? What was your first published work?

I illustrated some books for a vanity press when I first started out. It was a good way to gain some experience and confidence.

What other types of work do you do as an artist?

Occasionally I grab time to do some personal pieces or experiment with new techniques. My other creative outlet is my garden.

What artist has influenced you the most?

When I was in college, I studied Degas and his pastels. Later it was Norman Rockwell. But as for direct influence I don’t know that I could put my finger on one artist.

Describe your creative process for us, from idea to finished product.

1. Sketches--sometimes I’ll do sketches for a specific project or idea sometimes I’ll flip through my sketchbooks and find a sketch that I want to develop.
2. I’ll polish my sketches so I have clean line drawing.
3. I’ll pick a color palette and block it in and change it around until I like it.
4. I’ll lay in the color.
5. I’ll add light/shadow.
6. I’ll add details and clean everything (any edges that aren’t clear or important details that aren’t popping.) 

Then it’s “done”- (but I can always find something a week later I’ll want to change; nothing is ever really done.)


What inspires you? What about illustrating makes you happy?

Starting a new project and creating new characters always makes me happy.



What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?

 Learn from your mistakes and keep trying. But don’t give up.


Short and Sweet:

Pantser or Plotter?  Depends on the deadline.

Guilty Food Pleasure?  Dark chocolate.

Favorite Hobby? Gardening.

Dog or Cat person? Dog, I have both-but I only like my cat because she thinks she’s a dog.

Who would you like to have dinner with (living or dead)? My grandmother, Jean.

Do you do your best work in the morning, afternoon, or evening? I definitely focus better later in the day and evening.

Check out Katie's website: https://www.katiemazeika.com/