After my paper is on the board there is just one more step before I get to start applying paint: cut a frisket mask. The frisket covers several areas of the painting and repels water, keeping them white while I work on the rest of the scene. For this painting, I’ve masked a rectangular section [...]
This is a continuation of my painting process series. If you haven’t read the previous post, you may want to start at step one.
After I’m finished with my preliminary drawing my next step is to transfer that drawing to a nice piece of watercolor paper. I use a 300 pound hot-press paper, made by Fabriano. [...]
As I mentioned in a post at the beginning of the year, I am hard at work on artwork for my next book: Coral Reefs. This is the first post in a series describing my painting process. The first step is always brainstorming and sketching. I usually start small, and do multiple sketches to get [...]
A new study finds fluctuating levels of fog on the California coast which could have an adverse affect on coast redwoods. The study, conducted by biologist James Johnstone from U.C. Berkley, suggests that there has been a 30% decline in fog frequency along the coast in the past over the last century. Redwoods rely [...]
The National Science Teacher’s Association has given Redwoods a great review, saying:
“…this book [is] one that you will want to read over and over again. The adventure is beautifully depicted by illustrations that will leave readers in awe…”
and
“The book’s content, graphics, and unique presentation earned it a place as one of the NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books [...]
By now, everyone knows that increased carbon in our atmosphere is causing global temperatures to rise, but many people don’t know about another major impact that it is having on our planet: acidification of our oceans. When carbon in the air makes contact with sea water, a certain percentage of it is absorbed, and as [...]
This past weekend I presented Redwoods at the New York Transit Museum. The Transit Museum’s main attraction is their collection of old subway cars (which are really cool) and I got to read the book to a crowd of parents and children in one of them.
After the reading, we did an art project. In Redwoods, [...]
Redwoods made this year’s American Library Association Notable Book list! Here’s a description of the notable book criteria from the ALA website:
Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children’s books. According to the Notables Criteria, “notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or [...]
Past Event. View pictures from this event here:
I am excited to announce that this Saturday (Jan. 23) I will be presenting Redwoods to parents and children of all ages at the NY Transit Museum. The presentation will begin with a reading in one of the museum’s historic subway cars, followed by a presentation of [...]
A pioneering group of Californians is trying to turn forests that include redwoods into “Carbon Banks” according to NPR’s Morning Edition in a report filed this past November. The Conservation Fund’s goal is to manage their forests in such a way that they increase the amount of carbon the forests absorb and retain. According to the [...]
