Friday, April 5th, 2013
A portrait of artist Claude Monet by Derek Anderson
Monet's Garden
I brought something back from Paris, France. I guess you could call it a souvenir, but I didn't buy it. It's a rock. Not a pet rock or polished rock, not even a fancy rock. It's a plain, white rock. I know, I know, it doesn't sound very special. But it's special to me.
For our tenth wedding anniversary, my wife, Cheryl, and I traveled to Paris to celebrate. It's an absolutely intoxicating city. It's one of those exotic places that's so rich with history, arts and culture, you can't possibly see everything you need to see in a week. We certainly tried. We saw the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay and Notre Dame. Cheryl dragged me to the top of the Eiffel Tower (I'm terrified of heights, but that's another story for another time). We had a drink at Les Deux Magots, a famous cafe where Picasso, Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and other artists and writers would gather in the 1920s. We visited l'Orangerie (my favorite Parisian museum) and walked the Avenue des Champs Elysess. But the most amazing part of the trip, for Cheryl and I, was visiting Giverny. Giverny is a tiny little town outside of Paris where the artist Claude Monet lived and worked.
Claude Monet was the father of Impressionism and he's one of my favorite artists. He had his gardens constructed and planted because when he gained fame in the late 1800s, his neighbors began demanding money when he painted pictures of their haystacks, their trees and the scenery that was in plain view in the Giverny countryside.
The gardens and its bridges are where Monet painted his water lily paintings and so many other amazing works. The gardens are still there, rich with life. They're bursting with color and flowers and trees. It's so clear why Monet built this little paradise. The light spills through the foliage and decorates everything beneath in delicate, swaying shadows and patches of dancing sunlight. Cheryl and I spent an afternoon walking the gardens, touring Monet's home and studio and getting lost in this great artist's life.
As we were leaving Monet's home, our tour guide suggested we make one last stop. There's a small church just a short walk up the road. Claude Monet is buried there, in the church yard. I really wanted to see his grave, so Cheryl and I made the short trek up the road. I have to admit, I was surprised when we got there. I'm not sure what I was expecting, I've been to graves countless times in my life. It was a simple plot, surrounded with white rocks and an unremarkable headstone. But it ended up being a profound moment for me. We'd just spent the afternoon wandering through this artist's world- his home and gardens had been preserved very much the way he left them. It's strange to feel the energy of a large life and then experience the emptiness of its quiet resting place. Claude Monet's life was in his art and the work he left behind. How he died and where he was buried didn't matter. It was how he lived and what he did with his time while he was here that made a difference in the world. I will never forget that... I picked up a rock from his grave and brought it home to remind me.
Friday, March 29th, 2013
WAKING DRAGONS author Jane Yolen and artist Derek Anderson
Tea with Dragons!
And other news...
Jane Yolen, rock star author of Waking Dragons, was in Minneapolis this week (she lives in Massachusetts) and we met for a little tea and chat about publishing. Readers often assume that authors and artists know each other and work together when we're creating picture books. Though there are exceptions, that's rarely the case. Authors and artists are usually paired by the publisher and an editor's job is to work with each of us to push us, challenge us and try to get the best book out of us they can. It was fun to finally meet Jane in person and sit down for a talk about dragons, writing, painting and this crazy publishing business!
And in other news... Hot Rod Hamster made an appearance at a fun event in California. NASCAR driver Kyle Larson paid a visit to Oakmont Elementary School in Claremont, California in mid-March where he read Hot Rod Hamster to the students.
The school won the visit by participating in a reading challenge sponsored by Auto Club Speedway, a racetrack in California. I'm so glad Hot Rod Hamster could be a part of their special day!
GO HAMSTER!
And finally... the kindergarten, first and second graders at Lincoln Elementary in Little Falls, Minnesota have been reading Hot Rod Hamster and Happy Birthday, Hamster and decided they wanted more Hamster adventures. They created book covers for the books they would like to see. Here are pictures of a few...
Many thanks to media specialist, Emily Stenberg, for sending these along!
I have good news for Hot Rod Hamster's many friends at Lincoln Elementary and readers everywhere. There will be another Hamster adventure! The book is finished and we're in final stages of production. Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania will be published by Scholastic Press in Spring 2014. This book is one fun ride!
Saturday, March 23rd, 2013
Derek speaking to students at Rogers Elementary School
The always unpredictable
SCHOOL VISIT
I spoke at Rogers Elementary School last week. It almost didn't happen.
We'd first scheduled my visit for early March. And old man winter, an all too common fixture who's still lounging around Minnesota in March, conjured a blizzard and school was cancelled for the day. We rescheduled for last Tuesday and on Monday night I went out to my car and discovered it wouldn't start. After jump-starting it with little success, a realization quickly came over me. I had no way to get to the school, 30 miles away, the next morning. A school visit isn't something that's planned on a whim. It's scheduled months in advance. I prepare for it for days. I want every student, teacher and staff member in that school to get everything they deserve- a first rate talk on creativity, writing, drawing and pursuing and accomplishing your dreams. And that's just my end of things. The media specialist (in this case, the AMAZING Roxanne Book) and teachers go to incredible lengths to prepare the students for an author visit. They read my books, they study what an author and illustrator does, they discuss creating and the critical thought behind it. They really spark the students' curiosity so they'll come to my session prepared with questions. And a stalled car, no matter how difficult an obstacle that is to overcome, can't get in the way of an important day like this one. This story has a happy ending- I rented a car late that night and was at the school bright and early the next morning. It was worth every penny.
Speaking to students and their parents at Rogers Elementary School's family night
My very first time visiting schools was more than ten years ago. I'd planned a day visiting multiple schools in my hometown of Ames, Iowa. I didn't charge an honorarium back then. I didn't know what I was doing yet. Unfortunately, I caught a bug the day before and was up sick that entire night. The next morning I was exhausted, but I couldn't cancel. I knew how important this was. I gathered up whatever energy I could muster and gave every presentation all I had. At the end of the day, I collapsed in a heap.
I've experienced everything imaginable since then. I once had a fire alarm go off in the middle of my presentation and I had to evacuate along with the students until we were cleared to return to the school. I've had equipment malfunctions, cell phones ring while I was speaking and at least one student projectile vomit in the middle of my presentation (I'd like to think that didn't have anything to do with me). Believe it or not, that wasn't the worst distraction I've had. I have a severe phobia about loose teeth, which, unfortunately, is common among the readers I speak to. Years ago, I was speaking to a group of about 300 and there was a boy sitting near the front of the audience. One of his front teeth was loose and ten minutes into my presentation, he latched onto that tooth and didn't stop wiggling it until I was finished speaking half an hour later. As a speaker, you learn very quickly that you can't control the audience, the distractions, or the many unpredictable things that might come along while you're speaking. You can only control yourself and how you react. I didn't react to that boy at all, but I was so acutely aware of it, I still cringe when I think of it now.
Signing WAKING DRAGONS for an enthusiastic reader
An author visit to a school isn't just about reading or books. It's about inspiring young people to use their imaginations and dream big dreams for their lives. The jobs we have as authors and illustrators aren't easy to come by. You don't fall into it by accident. I fought for this because I'm incredibly passionate about creating stories with words and pictures. Part of my job as an author and illustrator is to share that passion and the power of the imagination with students. It's not always easy to do that. There are snowstorms, stalled cars and other obstacles that get in the way. I plan and prepare for my presentations as much as I can, but I have to be ready for anything. The reality is that things don't always go as planned, which is a great metaphor for life.
Derek speaks in schools, libraries, bookstores and at conferences all over the United States. To check his availability for your school or event please contact his booking agent, Jean Dayton, at Dayton Bookings by clicking HERE.
Friday, March 8th, 2013
A Simple Truth
One of the most interesting things about living this life is the often bumpy path of discovery that we travel each day, week, month and year. I think we're all after some kind of truth in this world. I can't think of any quote that's more true than this one by the great E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan...
Friday, March 1st, 2013
Translation: "I like when Derek Anderson made a picture of the Hamster"
HUGE Hamster thanks to Roxanne Book for all the great photos!
Back to School
I was at Otsego Elementary School just outside of Minneapolis last week. I always love to speak to kids about creating stories and pictures for books. One of the most exciting things about visiting with students is seeing their amazing artwork. There's an honesty in children's artwork. They capture the essence of what they're drawing without fussing over the details or trying to make it perfect.
The drawing above is by a young student that drew a picture of me speaking at his school. I love how he rendered my hair and the stripes on my shirt and my black pants. And I love his drawing of Hot Rod Hamster on the easel. But what I love most is that he drew my right arm and hand much larger than my left. And the fact that he didn't worry about a neck or shoulders. I love the joy that comes across in the mouth. Is it perfect? No, it's not. The drawings and paintings I make aren't perfect either. Artwork isn't about being perfect. Artwork is about expression, which is why kids are so good at creating. They haven't yet become self conscious enough to judge themselves or their work. It's a lesson every grownup could learn from.
Friday, February 22nd, 2013
All Hail...
In honor of Presidents' Day this week and George Washington's birthday today, I thought I would share something a bit different.
There's no question that the President of the United States is an important job. Those are some of the biggest shoes in the world to fill. And the men who have filled those shoes are just that-- men. Though they appear to be grandiose, larger than life figures, they are ordinary people with hopes, dreams, fears and eccentricities just like the rest of us. Here are some fun facts about a few of those men...
• Abraham Lincoln was notoriously messy.
• Theodore Roosevelt was a big fan of food- he often drank up to a gallon of coffee a day and sometimes ate a dozen hard boiled eggs for breakfast.
• The "S" in Harry S Truman doesn't stand for anything. His parents couldn't decide between "Shippe" and "Solomon" for a middle name, so it was just left as "S."
• Ronald Reagan was a notorious doodler and regularly doodled during boring meetings.
• George Washington is the only president that didn't live in the White House. During Washington's two terms as president, the capital of the United States was first in New York and then Philadelphia. The White House wasn't completed until after Washington's death.
Friday, February 15th, 2013
A question of fate or coincidence...
Another tale of Little Quack
After Little Quack was published, my mother called me one day. "Do you remember having a duck helmet when you were little?" she asked. I didn't. "I'm going to send you a picture," she said. "I think you're going to want to see this."
She sent me a long forgotten photo that had been buried in my scrapbook since childhood. When I was three or four years old, some friends from the neighborhood and I got duck helmets. I have no idea how we all ended up with exactly the same helmet. There were five of us ducky friends, and I recognize the yard- it's across the street from the house where I grew up.
Here's where things get strange...
The very first picture I ever painted of Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle and Little Quack looks oddly similar to the photo. There are five ducklings in the picture and five ducky friends in the photo. Little Quack, on the far right in the picture above, is the shortest. That's me, on the far right in the photo, also the shortest. The second boy from the left in the photo is Neal Sturtz. Neal and I grew up next door to each other. Neal has red hair. If you look at the painting, Waddle is the second duckling from the left. He has red feathers.
When I set out to create the look of the characters for Little Quack, I needed to distinguish the ducklings from one another. Giving them distinct sizes, feather colors and do's was the only way I knew to do it. I sketched, painted and played with rough color pieces until I arrived at a look and personality for each that felt right.
As I said before, I'm not a big believer in fate. But this still gives me chills.
