David Hohn

I was on an art fair podcast panel recently where I made it clear that I’m (personally) not a fan of art fairs. But THIS didn’t come up at all! I wonder how the organizers can justify this. Is this an experiment or do you see this becoming a new norm for art fairs?

Before he died, Francis Tsai used blink/eye gaze technology to draw these. To draw them. No prompts.

People don’t need problematic technology to show their imagination. If you can prompt, you can learn to write, you can write stories. Anyone can MAKE art. Of any kind. Prompting is not making.

Very much appreciated! And thanks for hanging in with the countdown!

Such a great review! Thanks so much @mmarshallauthor.bsky.social for writing it up!

Countdown is over!
THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me is now available
I wanted to highlight the first book review from Maria Marshall:
www.mariacmarshall.com/blog
All book reviews are so important and appreciated!
#childrensbook #bees #dogs #kidlitart

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me avail Aug 1.
Final image:
Sharp-eyed readers will see Mack has his ball first seen in the garage
Press photo is considered above-the-fold important. Background has most bees from any page of the book

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me avail Aug 1

I used the same composition 3 times in this book. Each time a little different to show Mack’s progress. I wanted to show all three at once and came up this fractal collage
#picturebook

Meet Mack the Bee Dog and his human partner Cybil Preston in my latest article for @americankennelclub.bsky.social. They're the subject of my latest #picturebook with @davidhohn.bsky.social THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES (from Sleeping Bear Press).🐝🐕
www.akc.org/expert-advic...

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me avail Aug 1
When I saw this press photo of Mack getting his award I knew a version of it had to be included in the final book.

In hindsight I kinda’ wish I kept Gov. Hogan’s purple shirt and tie.

Countdown to publication of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES written by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social, illustrated by me available Aug 1.

It. Is. Happening!!
Author copies have arrived. This part never gets old!

#childrensbook #picturebook #bees #dogs #stembooksforkids #kidlitart

book cover for The Dog Who Saved the Bees with the words New Blog Post above and the words The Picture Book Buzz with Maria Marshall underneath

Have you seen my post on @mmarshallauthor.bsky.social's blog The Picture Book Buzz? We discuss my upcoming picture book with @davidhohn.bsky.social THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES (from Sleeping Bear Press). Learn the story behind this true story!🐝🐕 #kidlit #edusky
www.mariacmarshall.com/single-post/...

Twice a month School of Visual Storytelling hosts a FREAKY FRIDAY DRAW-ALONG ™️. I joined in recently and the subject was character faces. Working (loosely) from photo ref you get 10 min to come up with something fun!

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me avail Aug 1

You know what else I got really good a painting while creating this book? Yeah — bees.
 So many bees! For a little creature that freaked me out so much as a kid, they are really quite cute.

Countdown to publication of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES written by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social , illustrated by me available Aug 1.


Every time Mack has to sniff out foulbrood in a new environment I made sure to put the camera down at his POV.

#childrensbook #picturebook #bees #dogs #kidlitart

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me avail Aug 1

It was a real advantage to have such great reference for both Cybil and Mack as I refined the sketches to final art.

#childrensbook #picturebook #bees #dogs #stembooksforkids #kidlitart

The second of three pieces accepted into this year's @3x3mag.bsky.social Illustration Annual:

Sometimes you just want to explore the idea of a carnival that magically pops-up IN the lake . . .

#3x3Annual #kidlitart #picturebook

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me avail Aug 1

Every book starts off in this storyboard format. This allows me to see the book’s visual pacing and assign a keyword to each spread to track its emotional pacing as well.

#childrensbook

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me avail Aug 1

Training a sniffer dog requires repeated actions with small changes. I showed this in the art by repeating spreads with changes. The same “dotted line” composition now shows a focused Mack.

Junior Library Guild GOLD STANDARD Selections are a collection of children's books chosen for their exceptional literary quality and high-interest appeal - thrilled that THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES has been included!
Available Aug 1st.
#childrensbook #picturebook #bees #dogs #kidlitart

Countdown to publication of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES written by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social, illustrated by me available Aug 1


Here’s the process of taking that first scribble of a sketch to the final art

#childrensbook #picturebook #bees #dogs #illustrationprocess #kidlitart

What do picture book writers do all day? Read all about it! deborahunderwood.substack.com

book cover for Making Sense of Dog Senses with the words SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards over top and the words We made the second round in the Canada and North America Division to the side. Underneath it says Only 2 more days to vote!

Voting on the @scbwi.bsky.social Crystal Kite Awards ends on the 19th. Don't forget to make your picks! And if you enjoyed my book with @razlatif.bsky.social, MAKING SENSE OF DOG SENSES (from @owlkids.bsky.social), we would love your vote in the Canada and North America division. #kidlit #CanKidLit

Lookit' this list of summer releases!
Very excited to be part of it 👍

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me out Aug 1
Much of Cybil’s efforts were about repeatedly doing the same thing with minor changes to train Mack. To visually show this I made the same image but with small changes to show Mack's progress

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me out Aug 1
I technically used a “Continuous Narrative” illustration style to show how distracted Mack was - I'll always consider this a “Family Circus Dotted Line Strip" by Bil Keane in the Sunday comics

Happy Book Birthday to THE DAY THE BOOKS DISAPPEARED! Let's celebrate the freedom to read! Let's not ban books! @joannahowrites.bsky.social @carolinekpritchard.bsky.social @dansantat.bsky.social @andreabrownlit.bsky.social

My author copies of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES have arrived! Gorgeously illustrated by @davidhohn.bsky.social, this #nonfiction #picturebook from Sleeping Bear Press is a book of my heart. Learn about rescue dog Mack and his owner Cybil as they save honey bees from disease.🐕🐝♥️
#kidlit #edusky

I was recently notified that I had a number of pieces accepted into this year's 3x3 Illustration Annual.

This is the first of them; a promotional piece created for my agent @jmcgowanbks.bsky.social bi-monthly mailer.

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social art by me available Aug 1.

The Foulbrood disease needed to be identifiable in the art. I tried various options to visually depict this smell. A graphic icon allowed the disease to be easily spotted in spreads.

Countdown to pub of THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES words by @stephaniegibeault.bsky.social, art by me available Aug 1

Early sketches of Cybil checking hives were all outside as she leaned over boxes. Accurate, but dull. When I sketched a POV from inside the hive the moment became focused on the bees.