This is Tanja and I am so excited to be part of “The Doodle Diner”. Here is a little info about me:
If you could only use one colour to draw or paint with forever and ever, which colour would you use?
One color? That’s it? I don’t I could live with using only one color. I love color and have a hard time restraining myself when it comes to color. I guess the questions might be which medium are we talking about. I do love pen and ink and have used a sepia colored ink which has a nice soft effect. So I guess that color would be something I could live with for a long time. However, if we are talking about full paintings, then I don’t think I could stick to just one color. Every color has a different feel, says something completely different, tells a different story.
Your studio is…
…not big enough. But I guess, no matter how big my studio will get in the future, it would never be big enough because I will always manage to spread out. I have my drawing table in front of my window which looks over the park in front of our house. It’s fun to look out at humming birds drinking nectar from the flowers in front of my window. There a built-in shelves on three of the walls which are all filled with supplies and books on art and illustration. My computer is in the corner and I have two monitors that I absolutely love. Especially my 28” flat screen. I love having two screens. Don’t know how I managed with only one before I got the new one. I generally operate on practically no desk space. My 2 year old and my Kindergartener think that the studio is simply an extension of their playroom. I usually have a six foot stuffed dog on the floor that they use as a pillow or to throw at each other. Any remaining desk space is usually hogged by one of my 4 cats. When the girls aren’t in the studio, then usually one or both of my Golden Retrievers lie on the floor and act as speed bumps for my rolling desk chair.
Other than your personal style what illustration style are you drawn to and would you ever consider trying it?
At this point I have not yet played with it much but I would love to experiment with some more tactile and dimensional art, essentially playing with collage and mixed media. At some point I will get to play with this a little more, but right now I am working on a number of projects that call for my current style. Lack of spare time is my constant party-pooper.
What forms of marketing your work do you employ?
In today’s market having an electronic presence is not only recommended, it’s a must. That is why I have a website that I try to maintain regularly. My illustrations are also posted on various portfolio sites such as childrensillustrators.com and picture-book.com. The website of our local Arizona chapter of the SCBWI has a gallery section that features links to our local illustrators’ websites. All these avenues have offered good exposure and have yielded some successful contracts. In addition I also have a blog where I like to post industry specific news and updates of my illustration projects. From time to time I will also send out mailings to Art Directors to keep the up to date on what I’m working on.
Do you have an agent…if not would you like to work with one?
I don’t have an agent but would love to one day have one represent me. In addition to my illustrations I have also written a couple of manuscripts that I would love to illustrate as well. Having an agent would make the task of finding a home for these stories much easier. The idea that someone is out there finding me work, negotiating for me and dealing with the contracts amongst other things, sounds so appealing. All those things take up so much time, that it would be nice to have someone do this so that I focus solely on producing my art.
The 2010 SCBWI: Iowa conference managed to top last year’s event! Guest speakers included illustrator and 2 time Caldecott Honor winner Marla Frazee, editor of Beachlane Books Allyn Johnston, author Mike Shoulders, author and former Farrar, Straus, and Giroux editor Lisa Graff, literary agent Ammi-Joan Paquette, Harper Collins editor Laura Arnold and author Carol Gorman. There was also a wealth of information from fellow Iowa published illustrators, authors and aspiring illustrators and authors. It is always nice to know that you aren’t alone going through the struggles of breaking into publishing. (well, you are, but you aren’t the only one feeling all the feelings that go along with it.)
Author Mike Shoulders’ presentations really resonated within me too. He does over 100 school visits each year and as a former educator and principal, he REALLY has it together! He gave wonderful tips on enhancing school visits. Mike is a positive person to the core and is clearly doing what he excels at! Mike rapped one of his books, and he TOTALLY pulled it off. A little humor and humility go a really long way! Overall, it was wonderful to meet new people in the field and reconnect with people from last year.
TheDoodleDiner 
