DSCF3825.JPG
Originally uploaded by Jagosilver.
Our pumpkin and Lily Peach's munchkin pumpkin.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
"the coolest teapots in the world..."
How cool is this, Neil Gaiman has again linked to my dad's website, this time calling them the "coolest teapots in the world", high praise indeed from such a literary luminary. He was also nice enough to order several teapots one of which is going to a Very Famous Illustrator......
Hi, Neil, this is a little off topic, but I thought it would be right up your alley. I am in England for the year studying abroad, and my fantasy-and-macabre-loving artist best friend has given me a mission: to find a teacup, and preferably also a saucer, to bring home to her. This comes with the disclaimer that the teacup and saucer have to be in the very least odd-looking. Do you know of any shops in Blighty or the rest of Britain that sell strange/wacky/interesting teacups? I would be most thankful for any help.
Well if it was teapots you wanted, I'd point you to the coolest teapots in the world, at http://www.andytitcomb.com/current/current.html. (Last time I linked there I crashed the site, though. So don't all click on it at once.) If I wanted an odd teacup and saucer though I would probably poke around junk shops, or possibly just go to to ebay.co.uk and search for teacup.
Link.
Hi, Neil, this is a little off topic, but I thought it would be right up your alley. I am in England for the year studying abroad, and my fantasy-and-macabre-loving artist best friend has given me a mission: to find a teacup, and preferably also a saucer, to bring home to her. This comes with the disclaimer that the teacup and saucer have to be in the very least odd-looking. Do you know of any shops in Blighty or the rest of Britain that sell strange/wacky/interesting teacups? I would be most thankful for any help.
Well if it was teapots you wanted, I'd point you to the coolest teapots in the world, at http://www.andytitcomb.com/current/current.html. (Last time I linked there I crashed the site, though. So don't all click on it at once.) If I wanted an odd teacup and saucer though I would probably poke around junk shops, or possibly just go to to ebay.co.uk and search for teacup.
Link.
Leaves - Photoshop experiments
Leaves - Photoshop experiments
Originally uploaded by Jagosilver.
An experiment in creating foliage....
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Dragon
Dragon paint experiment.jpg
Originally uploaded by Jagosilver.
Experimenting with painting in Photoshop
Thursday, October 19, 2006
A cautionary tale....
I've just had three months of work rejected by a publisher. While this is upsetting, they are perfectly entitled to reject it if they feel it is not up to standard.
What I want to warn people about is this publisher's contracts and business practices.
When I was initially contacted about this book I was offered the same amount that they paid me for a book I did 2 years ago. The new book was also going to be 10 pages longer (42pp), have a tighter deadline and require a fair amount of research.
My agent tried in vain to negotiate a better deal but they wouldn't budge on anything, even down to small things like upping the number of copies of the book I would receive (they said it would be unfair to give me more copies than the author, is it my fault the author didn't ask for more?!).
The contract specified that I would paid on signature, on approval of final art and on publication. Once again, my agent tried to get this changed to include a roughs payment and to reduce or remove the payment on publication. They refused. I reluctantly agreed to do the book because at the time, I needed the money and thought I could make a good looking book out of this.
After continual reminders, I finally received my contract payment 45 days after returning the contract to them.
I completed four spreads and the cover, ahead of schedule to be used a sample for the Frankfurt Book Fair, they gave no indication there was anything wrong with the artwork at this stage. Over a month later, after some frantic work (into the night and across the weekends) I delivered the final artwork for the rest of the book.
They e-mailed me yesterday to tell me that the illustrations were "below the standard we require to invest in publication." They would not be publishing the book and would not be paying me anymore money. They had given no indication before this that there was anything wrong. I think this raises serious questions about how professional they are as a company, if they cannot come to a decision about artwork until they have the whole book.
Because of the way their payments were arranged I was not entitled to anymore money from them, despite having completed the entire book.
I would strongly recommend strongly recommend anyone who is negotiating a contract with a publisher to ensure they have a rejection clause in their contract and if possible to push for a payment at the point of approved roughs.
As it is they can commission you for a book, reject it when you've finished it and only pay a signature fee (if you've received it by then).
This book was supposed to be a lead title for their spring 2007 range so I imagine they will be very frustrated at not having the book, the difference is of course that they have all been paid fully, whilst I was wasting my time on it.
Hopefully the lesson they will learn from this is that for a 'lead title' to be successful they need to allow enough time and a big enough budget for the illustrator, treat them with a little respect and be around to offer feedback (both the founder and the designer went away on holiday during the production of the book.).... but I doubt it.
Needless to say I will not be working for them again, and I will be checking my future contracts very carefully, as I've learnt this the hard way.
What I want to warn people about is this publisher's contracts and business practices.
When I was initially contacted about this book I was offered the same amount that they paid me for a book I did 2 years ago. The new book was also going to be 10 pages longer (42pp), have a tighter deadline and require a fair amount of research.
My agent tried in vain to negotiate a better deal but they wouldn't budge on anything, even down to small things like upping the number of copies of the book I would receive (they said it would be unfair to give me more copies than the author, is it my fault the author didn't ask for more?!).
The contract specified that I would paid on signature, on approval of final art and on publication. Once again, my agent tried to get this changed to include a roughs payment and to reduce or remove the payment on publication. They refused. I reluctantly agreed to do the book because at the time, I needed the money and thought I could make a good looking book out of this.
After continual reminders, I finally received my contract payment 45 days after returning the contract to them.
I completed four spreads and the cover, ahead of schedule to be used a sample for the Frankfurt Book Fair, they gave no indication there was anything wrong with the artwork at this stage. Over a month later, after some frantic work (into the night and across the weekends) I delivered the final artwork for the rest of the book.
They e-mailed me yesterday to tell me that the illustrations were "below the standard we require to invest in publication." They would not be publishing the book and would not be paying me anymore money. They had given no indication before this that there was anything wrong. I think this raises serious questions about how professional they are as a company, if they cannot come to a decision about artwork until they have the whole book.
Because of the way their payments were arranged I was not entitled to anymore money from them, despite having completed the entire book.
I would strongly recommend strongly recommend anyone who is negotiating a contract with a publisher to ensure they have a rejection clause in their contract and if possible to push for a payment at the point of approved roughs.
As it is they can commission you for a book, reject it when you've finished it and only pay a signature fee (if you've received it by then).
This book was supposed to be a lead title for their spring 2007 range so I imagine they will be very frustrated at not having the book, the difference is of course that they have all been paid fully, whilst I was wasting my time on it.
Hopefully the lesson they will learn from this is that for a 'lead title' to be successful they need to allow enough time and a big enough budget for the illustrator, treat them with a little respect and be around to offer feedback (both the founder and the designer went away on holiday during the production of the book.).... but I doubt it.
Needless to say I will not be working for them again, and I will be checking my future contracts very carefully, as I've learnt this the hard way.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Bloglines - Day Against DRM -- TODAY!
| |||||
|
Here's some things to do and read to celebrate No DRM Day: 
Friday, September 15, 2006
Wow! Award on Mantra Website
Mantra Lingua Ltd - Bilingual Books, Dual Language Books, Bilingual Children’s Books, Bilingual Children’s Toys, Bilingual Children’s Posters, Bilingual Children’s CD ROMs, Bilingual Children’s CD's, Children’s Educational Aids In Multi Languages, Bilingual Children’s Friezes, Posters
Just noticed this on the Mantra site:
| MANTRA WINS TWO AWARDS AT THE EDUCATION SHOW 21-04-2006 |
| The 2006 "Education Show" was held at the NEC in Birmingham,UK. Mantra Lingua's "Little Red Hen and the Grains of Wheat" won the "WOW!" award given by the National Literacy Association (NLA). The book "caught the panel's attention because of its sumptuous illustrations with their determined and joyful appeal which give the familiar text a resonance. Witty, with a juggling cat and a duck on stilts, this will be a favourite in primary classrooms. There is a helpful list of keywords in translation in every edition, so you get a literacy resource for two languages, great for multilingual classroom. Mantra Lingua also won the 2006 EDUCATION RESOURCES AWARD given by BESA for their very innovative "Story Props" range of resources. Story Props work on the basis of extending the learning that can arise for a single story. For example, based on the book "The Buskers of Bremen" the props will include an "interactive literacy" CD Rom for KS1 English, a Board Game, a set of soft toys of characters in the book, an audio CD retelling the story in various language and a big book for whole class teaching. Story props are great for matching various learning styles and extend a simple story to numerous learning uses. (BESA is British Education Suppliers Authority and is the prominent representative of the Education Publishing world.) |
technorati tags:mantralingua, mantra lingua, award, little red hen, review
Blogged with Flock
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Another Myron review... 5 stars!
With hints of fairy tales run amok, Myron’s Magic Cow is peopled by whimsical characters set in the framework of everyday life in the city as a little boy sets out to buy milk for his mother’s morning pancakes. Five dollars clutched in his hand, Myron trudges the familiar blocks (with brilliant illustrations by artist Jago) until he meets a girl with curly blonde hair pulling a cow by a rope: “You need milk and I need money- so let’s cut a deal.” Hinting at the adventures ahead (the three bears waiting in the car), the girl trades Myron the cow for the five dollars and is on her way, leaving Myron to ponder the wisdom of his decision. Myron pushes and pulls the uncooperative cow home, ignoring the stares as he passes, at a loss for how to transform this very large animal into the milk his mother needs. Much to his surprise, when Myron utters the magic word, “please”, the cow speaks. Myron’s decision is about to be rewarded by the amazing possibilities revealed by the cow. Thereafter the story evolves into the realm of fantasy and imagination, Myron’s world transformed and his perceptions of reality changed by the magic behind the mundane. With its whimsical story and outstanding illustrations, this wonderful book explores the parameters of the imagination and the infinite boundaries of fantasy. Myron’s Magic Cow is a product of a contemporary press, Barefoot Books, celebrating “art and story with books that open the hearts and minds of children from all walks of life, inspiring them to read deeper, search further and explore their own creative gifts.” Not to be missed! | | ||||||||||||
| Luan Gaines/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book | |||||||||||||
technorati tags:myron, review, marlene newman, barefoot books, myrons magic cow, jago, jagollustration, illustration, illustrator
Blogged with Flock
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Teapot Blogger
Teapot Blogger
Originally uploaded by Jagosilver.
My dad featured in the Western Morning News because of his world renowned Teapot Blog as mentioned below. Here he is sitting on a chair I made whn I was about 12, holding my mum's laptop, which he definitely doesn't use to blog with....
Friday, September 01, 2006
My dad and his blog in The Western Morning News
Andy Titcomb, 51, a potter based in the North Cornwall village of St Mabyn, has been making teapots since the late 1970s. Such is Mr Titcomb's devotion to his craft, he set up a blog called Teapots, Teapots, Teapots in June last year.
"Being a teapot-maker, I wanted to help promote interest in teapots and no one else was doing it," says the Exeter Art College graduate.
Recent posts on the colourful site include "dragon handle" teapots coming up for auction around the world, an unlikely "rocker on a motorbike" available on eBay for £36, and "The Ugliest Teapot in the World?" which features a battered silver teapot typically found at a church fete.
Mr Titcomb reckons the blog attracts as many as 300 readers a day, primarily from the US. On occasion there has been a bumper readership - a common feature when blogs are linked by counterparts that boast a premier league audience.
Mr Titcomb says: "My website was mentioned on author Neil Gaiman's (science fiction and fantasy novelist) blog and I had more than 3,000 visitors to my site in a few hours. My Internet service provider took my website down because of the large volume of traffic."Teapots, Teapots, Teapots is indicative of how simple the technology is.
Mr Titcomb says he read about the rise of blogging one day and set up his own forum the next. He posts new entries every day - and within 20 minutes he is back at the potter's wheel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)