Oh boy oh boy. Here is my FIRST ever business card just in time for the big SCBWI WWA CONFERENCE AND RETREAT! I've been up late and early these last few weeks helping with both events and am a bundle of nerves (public speaking on both Friday and Saturday among other things see below!)

The Retreat for Professional Illustrators takes place all day tomorrow at the Overlake Country Club. Illustrator G Brian Karas and Ellice Lee, a Hyperion designer, will be the stars of the retreat.

Besides a presentation on his illustrating life and process Brian has not one but TWO hands-on workshops on character and setting lined up for us. On the phone he seems like a great guy and I can't wait to meet him!

Ellice (she's very mysterious and I've not chatted with her as much as Brian but I'M SURE she's nice) will give us a one hour presentation on her role as designer/art director for Hyperion and then she'll spend the rest of the day giving private 10 minute portfolio reviews of the 26 participating illustrators (me included!) Other surprises are in store but I'll report on those post-retreat.

Putting aside my bottomload of excuses I will say that I WISH I had gotten more together in time for my portfolio review. A book dummy, or two, would have been nice. Instead I'm bringing in some new art work but no whole dummies and I have decided to let go and make peace with this. Next year will be different, definitely, because I won't be the retreat director and, heck, I might not get in!

Next week I'll be posting my portfolio pieces and Ellice's critiques of them be they positive or gut wrenching.

Saturday at the Meydenbauer Center we have the Conference. Nearly 400 people attending/on faculty. With award-winning author and personal idol or illustrator keynote speakers addressing the entire conference, a number of breakout sessions, portfolio/manuscript consultations and all sorts of fun exciting children's book related things the conference is always a highlight of my year.

There's a rush of energy I get after the event that, once the weeping about being inadequate subsides, fuels my summer.

The Conference will hopefully be less stressful than the Retreat--Saturday my main task is to moderate a panel of illustrators and Ellice. I am not known for being moderate but I just got a haircut so I appear more mainstream than normal.

Other big Saturday events:

Janet Lee Carey will be handing out party invites to her July book launch of The Beast of Noor. I LOVE this book AND I am designing the mini-site for it (art and animation which I am still laboring over with lots of love and affection.) More on the book and the site in the next few weeks!

I'm really looking forward to hearing Tina Headley (even if it is only for 15 minutes) and the D'Amicos speak. More on them in the next few weeks, too: my goal is to post sketches and notes on both my retreat and conference experiences.

AND Logan is in Puppy Palace during all this--he's in Snohomish with my mom and grandmother and their two-year-old Golden Retreiver, Calvin, at his disposal. Also a ginormous grassy yard, tons of toys, liver biscotti AND while I was there they got out the dog kiddie pool. He didn't even notice me leave! That rat fink, I miss him so.

Here comes the retreat and conference! Wish me luck!

Jaime