BOOK EXPO AMERICA

Book Expo America (http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/) will be holding its annual convention in New York City at the end of May.  Their 19th annual Children's Book Art Auction will be co-hosted this year by the American Booksellers Foundation For Free Expression (ABFFE http://www.abffe.org/).  Part of the auction will be on site in New York City.  Part will be online during the time of the convention.   This year there will also be a third part, the Maurice Sendak Memorial, which will consist of auction pieces created and donated in honor of the beloved illustrator/author.  Auction proceeds will benefit ABFFE in its efforts to combat censorship in books for children.  

I donated two pieces to the auction.  The image above is a digital print of a pencil drawing I created for my book BEDTIME BUNNIES, which I then hand-colored with watercolor.  This was one of the several trial pieces of art I made as I worked out the pencil techniques and color palette I would use for the book.

The other piece is one I created especially for the Sendak Memorial.  I used pencil, pen-and-ink, and watercolor for this original.  I first met Maurice in New York when I was getting started as a young illustrator and author.  

Be sure to check out the auction, either in person or online!  It's a chance to own an original piece of children's book art at a reasonable cost, while supporting a very worthwhile cause.  http://abffesilentauction.wordpress.com/