A prestigious line-up of judges watched closely as student leaders voted which 20 artists advanced to the next round in the Teen Illustrator Contest. Now they must select five.
“It won’t be easy,” noted Ronnie Herman, of the Herman Agency in New York City. “The artists are so talented.”
MEET THE JUDGES
Teen Illustrator Contest for Children’s Book
White Moon, Purple Sea and The Underwater Circus
RONNIE ANN HERMAN
Ronnie started the Herman Agency in 1999 and represents many of the leading illustrators and authors in today’s children’s book market.
As a former Art Director at Random House and Art Director, Associate Publisher and V.P. at Penguin Books’ Grosset & Dunlap, Ronnie art directed thousands of children’s books during her more than 20 years in publishing.
Ronnie is also the author of 12 children’s books and one of her books has been on the NY Times best-seller list.
You can see the Herman Agency at www.HermanAgencyinc.com
JAGO
Some time ago, a boy called Jago arrived here on Earth with a burning ambition to be…Superman, Indiana Jones, or quite possibly King Arthur.
After a little hard work and an awful lot of drawing he settled on his fourth choice of career, illustrating children’s books, something he reckons he could be quite good at one day.
He lives in a slightly damp wetsuit in Cornwall with his fantastically lovely wife Alex, beautiful daughter Lily Peach and small round son, Rudy.
Jago has been a professor of art as well.
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones and that Jago illustrated has sold over 1,000,000 copies since it published in 2007.
Jago’s work can been seen here:
Instagram: jagosilver
Twitter: @jago
http://www.facebook.com/Jagoillustration
http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/jagoillustration
http://www.jagoillustration.com
JASON KUREK
Jason Kurek, author/illustrator of The Chronoblood Chronicles, is the Senior Director of Development for The Education Foundation – Champions For Learning.
For over 15 years, Jason has developed national award winning programming and resource development strategies for local non-profits. He earned the 2013 Gold MAC Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), for Outstanding Marketing & Communications. Prior to that, as a Fine Arts Coordinator, he created/facilitated programming, which was recognized by BGCA, as the Best Fine Arts Program in the State of Florida in 2007 and 2008. In addition, his original curriculum fostered the creativity of many at-risk young people and led them to win the 2008 BGCA National Fine Arts Exhibition for Best Group Project, as well as, several other regional, state and local accolades.
Jason’s epic novel for young adults, The Chronoblood Chronicles was digitally released in early 2014. www.Chronoblood.com
MEET THE AUTHOR
KAREN D. CLAWSON
Karen Clawson’s first “love stories” began while she was in elementary school as she began enraptured by stories of female trailblazers, “women who fought, flew and fired arms amongst men – Joan of Arc, Amelia Earhart and Annie Oakley.”
Years later when Karen became a mother to two young children, Erin and Patrick, she devoted herself full-time to the enrichment of children’s education and youth development, first by volunteering in her children’s classrooms in 2001 and then expanding her efforts countywide.
Seeing her children’s passion for reading and how much joy and knowledge they derived from their own beloved books, she set out to create ways to help give children of all ages have greater access to new books. Karen began conducting book drives, Bring a Book, Bring a Friend “fun’raisers” to boost inventories of books in children’s libraries at school and at home. Each year, Karen’s community outreach continued to expand in scope and breadth each year.
In 2008, Karen founded and launched K is for Kids Foundation, a unique teen driven, volunteer-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization building readers and leaders with kids on both the giving and receiving ends of its mission. High school students nearing graduation serve on the foundation’s top student leadership council, known as DOSA-Directorate of Student Agenda, as K is for Kids “young executives”. The teens apply their skills outside of the classroom in a real world setting, boost resumes and build portfolios, all while encouraging youngsters to read more and dream more.
In 2013-14, K is for Kids’ top teen leaders launched Operation:Outreach with the mission to create a “ladder for leaders” program for their peers with the motto “Climb higher. Help Others.”
ABOUT THE BOOK
One night in November 2009, Karen D. Clawson was in the car with her family driving home when the image of “White Moon, Purple Sea” flashed in her mind. She couldn’t believe what she had “seen” and said, “You won’t believe what just popped into my mind!” Then she described how she had seen this image of a brilliant, huge, full white moon set against a black sky and hanging very low over..a purple sea!
Worried that she would forget what she had seen and wanting to describe it while it was still fresh in her mind, two weeks later Karen began jotting down her memories. That’s when another startling thing happened: “As soon as I described the serene scene I had seen, the ideas for ‘The Underwater Circus” began to flow out of me, as if from some well-spring and out onto the paper. I imagined all types of sea creatures, some never before discovered.” Karen said she had to write furiously to keep pace with the ideas. “Later when my daughter read the story, I asked if it reminded her of a Dr. Seussian world, but she said the feeling and tone reminded her more of ‘The Rainbow Fish’.”
Karen had initially incorporated interactions that children could do while “White Moon, Purple Sea” was being read aloud to them. When she took the story to children at local nonprofits , teen volunteers for K is for Kids would accompany her to help to guide the youngsters in movements.
That spring, still with no illustrations completed or printing, Karen was asked to appear and read her story at a literacy event for families sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County. “What an incredible evening,” said Karen. “When they first told me that forty first graders would perform ‘White Moon, Purple Sea” I was so excited. Their dance teacher had rehearsed with them and I couldn’t wait to see what they would do,” she said, “but nothing prepared me for the moment when all those little bodies dropped to the floor during the part when a fish fell after another one belched — it was so funny and unexpected!” Earlier, when the children’s teacher was introduced to Karen and learned she had been a dance student in college, she told Karen, “When I read the manuscript, I knew the author had to be a dancer because of all the movement in the story!”
After the event, Karen had to halt appearances, along with her search for an illustrator, due to her demanding 24/7 role volunteering for K is for Kids.
ABOUT THE CONTEST
“White Moon, Purple Sea and The Underwater Circus” remained on the back burner until 2014 when Karen came up with a brilliant idea: Why not have a teenager illustrate the book? After all this would align perfectly with K is for Kids mission helping children ignite their creativity plus help fuel their love of reading.
At the next meeting of her student leaders, Karen presented her idea for the foundation to sponsor and organize a contest for teens to illustrate her children’s book. The students loved the idea and immediately embraced the project as an excellent way they could help their fellow classmates: The competition would advance their goals to help other teens apply their skills outside of the classroom in a real world setting, boost their resumes and build their portfolios, plus they knew that all the teens who became semifinalists would have the chance to have their work showcased. They might even help a young rising star launch a career! The teens voted immediately to launch with the Teen Illustrator Contest and opened it to any high school student ninth grade or older in their county.
The Teen Illustrator Contest ultimately had 20 semifinalists before five finalists were selected. Three judges, Ronnie Herman of the Herman Agency; Jago, children’s book illustrator; and Jason Kurek, a local author and illustrator, overwhelmingly voted for Darice Pollard as the winner. A senior student at Naples High School, Darice was chosen for her colorful, imaginative, bold artwork that “stood shoulders above” the competitors.