City of Stories (Part One, The Illustrators)

When you pop on that jet plane and trundle off to a new city  for a new conference or convention, you often have very little of that city on your mind.  You cannot think about the hidden glories of the city because they will most often, well, stay hidden.  Between conference schedules and shuttle vans you see only the stage sets of the city.

 

Not so, when you head to SCBWI in the City of Stories– Austin, TX (dubbed so for this blog post alone and not yet adopted by the Austin City Council) –and absorb the city through its illustrators.  Upon my first stumble into the hotel, I was handed a tote bag of local sugary delights and much sweeter still, a pack of greeting cards featuring local illustrators–instant hotel room art gallery.

 

First in the pack was the dapper C.S. Jennings‘ little monster mash. (I think I saw this little guy waiting for a bus on South Lamar a few days later).  Happy to have this guffaw-worthy piece of C.S. Jennings hanging in my kitchen.

 

Illustration by CS Jennings

 

Then with a squeal came Jeff Crosby‘s illustration from his forthcoming Rockabilly Goats Gruff (Holiday House).  Austin has played host to Rock and Roll since the Continental Club opened its doors in 1957.  It raised its pompadour again in 1988 when my friends in High Noon brought rock back to its roots and from Austin toured the world.  Austin remains a rockabilly land with the annual Lone Star Roundup giving Jeff a good gander at rockers and their worship for vintage cars.  Jeff said he hoped I would do PR on Rockabilly Goats Gruff –a whole bridge full of trolls could not keep me from it.

 

Illustration by Jeff Crosby

 

Also in the pack was illustrator/designer/author Emma J. Virjan who was sporting the new picture book project of Piglope Pig and her very fine red wig.  I have been a fan of Emma’s ever since doing the birthday dance with her brilliant board book character, Nacho.  Nacho (are you ready for this??) has his own theme song by “2011 Texan of the Year” and Western Swing front man for Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Benson.  Sing it Ray!

 

 

At the conference itself,  SCBWI Austin Illustrator wrangler, illustrator/author Mark G. Mitchell and a the fine team of Girllustrators had set up a delicious portfolio display.  There I finally got to see the fab work of Jeff Crosby’s wife and book partner in crime, Shelley Ann Jackson, co-creator on the just released, Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies -a book I was happy to offer some wee marketing advice on last year at a Writer’s League of Texas consult.

 

Cannot begin to tell you all the fabulous work I saw around the ring of portfolios.   I was quite taken by Diandra Mae’s “Odd Couple.”

 

 

And Marsha Riti’s sweetness.

 

 

My one regret was not getting to the end of the quite compelling collage and written piece on a feisty teen Greek goddesses by Katherine Mahoney.  I am HOPING she will send the text for me to savor.  I had the distinct pleasure of flying thru Katherine’s flat files on a  previous trip to Austin and her lovely Medusa hangs above my desk to remind me that ugly just won’t stand.

 

Kirsten Cappy of Curious City and illustrator Katharine Mahoney at Austin SCBWI

 

The support for the “I” in SCBWI is clearly strong in Austin.  At the end of conference a raffle of items became quite heated when children’s book authors (many with so many tickets they could jump rope with them) awaited the draw of the winner for framed original illustrations by Austin illustrators.  Thanks SCWBI illustrators for a this taste of Austin talent.

 

And just one more.  Bethany Hegedus, that sumptuous chapter book writer and blue bird of Austin happiness, made sure that at every small break from the conference I got to experience this city of stories. Bethany took me to see the work of her friend Suvi Aiki who has stepped behind the looking glass and mosaiced her front stairs and porch into a lovely ode to Alice in Wonderland–complete with wee child tea sets along the porch’s edge.
Not only that, but she and a band of friends of the fairies, have transformed a public alley running along her house into a playground for her winged friends.  Beyond divine.  Look at other images of Fairy Alley and Suvi’s house here.

 

Thank you visually wild, wonderful, and serving wee readers Austin.

3 Comments

  1. Marsha February 29, 2012

    Thanks so much for coming to the conference, Kristen! Hope you can come back soon.

  2. jeffcrosby February 29, 2012

    Thanks for the shout out, Kirsten! It was great hanging out with you and I’m happy to hear you had a fun time in the City of Stories. I’ll be at the Roundup for sure this year!

  3. Diandra Mae February 29, 2012

    Thanks for sharing my art, Kirsten! I was so happy to meet you at the conference and look forward to hearing about all the fab work you’re doing. 🙂