Three Great Events

I'm back in business with a new computer! It's a refurbished 27 inch iMac that's significantly bigger than our TV. I feel like a rock star!

About a week ago, our local library, arts council, and bookstore Off the Beaten Path put on a children's Book Feast here in Steamboat. It was really fun and well-attended, so maybe it will become a regular thing.

Friday night there were several events, but I was only able to go to Jarrett Krosoczka's talk via Skype. He answered (about a million) questions from the kids in attendance and then drew us this cool picture on his iPad of the Lunch Lady and her sidekick, Betty. 

I bought this neat book of Jarrett's character sketches. 

Saturday was a full day of kid's book authors and illustrators doing different presentations. One of the things I enjoyed checking on throughout the afternoon was a mural painting done by Craig Brown and a gang of rotating children. 

Here is Craig laying out the basic drawing.

And here is the painting madness.

Then last weekend I went to a Norman Rockwell exhibit in the nearby town of Craig at the Museum of Northwest Colorado. They had 323 of his Saturday Evening Post covers framed on the wall! Wow, what a talent. These covers were created over a 50 year period starting in 1916 when Rockwell was 22 years old. There was only one of his original paintings in the show, but also some neat photos of him working.

There were very serious "no photography" signs everywhere, so here's a photo I borrowed by Bridget Manly from the Steamboat Today newspaper. 

This is a chunky little book I bought with all of his magazine covers. I just wish the pictures were bigger.

And the third event hasn't happened yet, but this upcoming weekend is the Denver SCBWI Conference. I'm not feeling ready for it yet, but it will be here very soon, so I'd better get myself in gear! I get to go with two friends this year, Brooke Boynton Hughes and Barbara Gueldner. I'll let you know more about the conference soon!