... and here it is!

Well, it took a while (more than I had intended, sorry) but I've finally got my site up. I have no idea how people find time to do these things. Web sites can look simple enough, but geez Louise, they take some fiddling and tweaking. And thinking too - I didn't want to put up something that was just 'here are my illustrations, now go away.' I wanted something a bit different. Something with a style that (hopefully) reflected my illustrations and my books. I'm not sure if I have achieved it but that has been the aim all along.

A huge thanks to Sean Pinwill at SMPC who is a master at all website technical, codey, function-please, wizardry. When I talk to him about anything 'web sitey', I wear my best furrowed listening brow and all knowing nose for about fifteen seconds when at which time I begin to nod my head at a rapidly increasing rate while 'The Entertainer' plays on a piano accordian in the background (at least that's how it feels). I then hope he doesn't ask me what he just said. Then he goes away and does things... and then BAM!! There it is! Like magic. He has spent a crazy amount of time putting it all together.

There a still good deal of things I (Sean) need to do yet but it's well on the way. Please let me know if something isn't loading or working or if it just looks crappy. I will be putting stuff up and tweaking things on a semi regular basis - just like my old blog. In the meantime, grab a coffee, take a look around, sample a vegetable or too. Love to know what you think. See you soon - I have some exciting Herman and Rosie selling into other countries, news!

PS. Busy working on 'I am Cow, Hear Me Moo! at the moment. The illustration above of Nadine appears on the title page.

Herman and Rosie cover

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UPDATE! 
  

I can finally, officially tell you my news! Herman & Rosie has been sold to a US publisher! My agent in New York ended up taking the book to auction where Neal Porter Books (Macmillan) won the rights to publish. Very exciting! There is a bit about it in Publishers Weekly here: (http:// us1.campaign-archive1.com/ ?u=d684790bedf89afe76e7b915 6&id=874e62f3f2&e=cf2ee82a e1) Will let you know US publishing dates when I get them. Huge thanks to my agent Charlie Olsen at Inkwell Management. Have been sitting on this for two weeks - couldn't hold it in much longer!

Woah! It's been awhile huh - sorry. Well, my book, Herman and Rosie is in the bag, done and dusted. It is now doing the rounds overseas (I have some exciting news about this but can't tell you just yet!) So happy to have finally finished what has been a huge project for me - one that was both fun and exhausting. I don't want to crap on about the hours I put into this book but I can safely say that I have never spent as much time on one singular book. There is a little more about this in an interview I did over here at the Kids Book Review (KBR) site. Thankfully Penguin Australia were very patient (they were probably freaking out underneath but I'm glad they didn't let on!) I also worked with some really great people - my editor Katrina Lehman, my designer Tony Palmer and my publisher Laura Harris. These guys put in some hefty hours as well. 

Herman and Rosie comes out in Australia and New Zealand in September and as far as elsewhere in the world, I will let you know soon - when they let me talk about it!

Anyway it's done and I am allowed to show you the cover (above). Hope you like it.

I'm still around. Just a bit busy

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Hi guys. Sorry about the lack of postage on here. I have been pretty busy trying to finish Herman and Rosie and I'm almost there so I haven't had the time to think about much else. I have though, posted the odd thing or two over on my Facebook page (including this illustration) - sorry, I'm not abreast of all the social mediums at the same time!

Anyway, I had better keep this short. This illustration is of a bunch of trees I am drawing for Central Park on my Manhattan map illustration. It's a heap of fun drawing a map. Especially a map of New York. See you in a bit - maybe over on my Facebook page!

Ho Ho Hee

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This is a ridiculous time of year isn't it! Why does xmas have to go for the whole of December do you think? I actually do enjoy the xmas period - people are generally much happier and I love the summer time (here in Australia!) and the sound of cicadas drowning out every other sound, but geez it's a busy time of year. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done. It's been very busy for me for different reasons as I have been working some (ill advised) hours in the studio on my book. It's going well (I say while I'm in a positive frame of mind) but, again, I wish I had more time.

Anyway, this is just a quick post to say that I wish everyone a really happy xmas and hope that you all travel safely to all your xmasy destinations. I'm going to be out of the studio for a bit (I'm really looking forward to going outside - I heard a bird yesterday and it sounded so nice) and will be back in the new year. I'll leave you with another little peek from a larger illustration of Rosie riding the Brooklyn Bridge. See you soon. GG x

PS. And check out my new Facebook site (http://www.facebook.com/GusGordonbooks) as I have experimenting with social media - it's crazy!

My new book (is coming along...)

 

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Hi all! By that I mean Jen. Sorry for the lack of posting lately. I have been in hibernation, shut away in my studio working on the finals for my new book, 'Herman & Rosie' which comes out next year with Penguin (Australia). The text is pretty much down (but you can bet I'll be tweeking it until it goes to print) so I have been trying desperately not to get behind on my deadline (mid December - crap!) - I can hear it coming but can't see it yet, thankfully.

I thought it might be nice to show you a little bit of what I'm doing. The book is set in New York (hopefully that's going to be obvious) and centres around two lonely characters called Herman (a crocodile) and Rosie (a deer). I don't want to give too much away just yet but it's a dual narrative story about music, the city, connectedness and it has a horribly tragic ending. Actually I just made that last bit up. Wouldn't that be different! Anyway, in this scene above the two are watching the world whiz by. This is actually a cafe/restaurant I frequented in New York last November. It's a long way from finished (I have a bunch of animals to draw yet and some collage will replace line work) but it might give you an idea about how I work. This book is very much a mixed media book - specifically collage. I'm using all sorts of things; old papers, graph papers, photos and vintage engravings. Also a lot of crayon because I just love crayon. Especially my new Sennelier oil pastels. They are beautiful! I am having the most fun I have ever had with a book.

And here's a couple of finished illustrations - one from the start of the book and one much later.

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I'll keep you posted with some updates and illustration sneak peaks soon, but for now I had better keep going. See you soon.