1/12/2004
Completed a LONG overdue update to
the Before & After
Drawings...and some minor changes to the classroom supply lists.
9/29/2003
Shining is
getting some wonderful critical attention!
Selected for the Society
of Illustrators Picture Book Show, made a Booksense 76 pick by the
nations independent booksellers, and some nice reviews are trickling
in as well!
9/24/2003
Some major additions! A whole
new section for my newly released book Shining!
New puzzles in the Puzzle
Library! Updated my calendar to reflect my Fall book tour signings!
Even more changes likely in the future, but I haven't cleaned up a few
areas yet for public viewing.
5/10/2003
Added a couple new links, and cleaned
up a few spelling errors, etc. Right now I'm on a bit of a
creative hiatus---working just as hard---but not directing the energy
towards a specific book. I should be back to work next month
preparing my first book as an AUTHOR/Illustrator.
12/1/2002
Added a new section "Prints"
where you can order a print of any image of mine you like, that is
suitable for framing.
11/2/2002
Updated the signing calendar for
Fall 2002.
10/21/2002
Just got a Starred
Review for On Christmas Eve
from Kirkus Reviews. Read
it here!
10/20/2002
Started a new feature, the
"Puzzle of the Week", where you can solve online jigsaw
puzzles made from my pictures. Give it a try!
10/15/2002
Received and posted an "Author's
Note" from Liz Rosenberg, the author of my new book, On
Christmas Eve. Also updated the signing schedule.
10/13/2002
Have done a tremendous amount of work
adding all kinds of information about On
Christmas Eve, my new book, that just came out a
couple weeks ago. I'm especially proud of getting up the color
comps to go with almost all the paintings---it really shows the
planning that goes into them. I'm going to try and post the
sketches soon as well. Also updated the signing schedule for
this fall.
9/26/2002
Just updated my signing schedule for
Fall 2002. If you're interested, it may see some further updates as
other events are arranged.
3/17/2002
WOW! Once again, I've been
busy! I've been planning, and doing, a lot of booksignings and
publicity work for my new book, The
Prince of Butterflies. I just did the first signing,
kind of the book "launch" at Hicklebee's
Children's Bookstore in San Jose. You can see photos from the
event here, or you can see
where I'll be signing next here. I've
also finished adding the preliminary work for viewing on The
Prince of Butterflies.
1/31/2002
Done with the redesign (for the most
part) Check out the new children's book I have coming out in
March. Also, if you should find any bloopers, dead links,
misspellings, etc. PLEASE let
me know as the redesign involved a tremendous amount of
reformatting, shifting of pages, etc. I'm sure I missed updating a
few things. (The portfolio and non-children's areas have for the
most part, not yet been updated.)
12/5/2001
In the midst of a MAJOR redesign of the
site. A lot of the content is staying the same, but I'm shifting
the emphasis of the website from a "freelancer" to
"children's author" to better reflect the nature of my career
these days. In addition, the technology of the web has now risen
to a mean level where I may be able to do some things
that weren't feasible in the pre-Flash days of the Internet.
9/22/2001
Wow...I didn't realize it had been a
year since I updated the site. I guess it's just an indication of how
busy I've been the last year. (Finished two more books, started a
third, writing a fourth, bought a house, got married...) Yeah,
I've been pretty busy.
I actually HAVE done stuff to
the site, but it won't be visible until December, and then next summer
as the next two books are released. If all goes well, I may also
have a digital camera around the end of the year which will allow me to
update the Classroom section more often.
7/26/2000
Added an "opinion" on improving
and converted my bookstore over from Amazon.com to Booksense.com
to help support independent bookstores.
7/26/2000
Added some sketches from my trip to Italy
in June, and reorganized the studio section of
the site a bit. I think I may run a "Caption contest"
for one of the photos my friend took of me sketching. You can see
it here...and no, it
isn't staged! :)
5/12/2000
I just added a great book to the bookstore
that showcases the work of all the Hall of Fame inductees from the
Society of Illustrators. It's a great book that every illustration
student should own.
1/19/2000
I just posted the paintings of Asilomar
on the Studio page.
1/15/2000
I just returned from a teacher's
reading conference at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA. I met a lot
of teachers, signed a lot of books, gave a brief talk, met a few fellow
writers and illustrators, walked up and down the beach, and had an
absolute blast. Soon, I'm going to post some of the photographs,
and also a couple paintings I did while sitting on the beach in the
afternoon. It's a rough life being a children's book artist!
:)
12/24/99
I've added an EXCELLENT book on
painting to the bookstore. The best
painting instruction book I've seen. Expensive, but very,
very good. It's called "Alla Prima: All I Know About
Painting" by Richard Schmid. It's in the bookstore.
12/23/99
I've posted some more "Before and
After" drawings in the Classroom
section. Here is one of the examples:
Renee
Cerda - Spring 1999
Click on either image to see the large versions.
I've also added a little
something special at the top of the page for my SJSU students.
12/11/99
A sincere "Thank You" to
Hicklebee's book store in San Jose for hosting the book signing for Right
Here on This Spot. Also, many thanks to all the people who
showed up! You all get "A's"...just kidding.
Also! A "Thank
you" to the Christina Eng of the ANG Newspaper group (Oakland
Tribune, The Argus, San Mateo Times, Tri-Valley Herald) for their
article on local illustrators which mentioned yours truly and contained
a nice little write-up on Right Here
on This Spot.
ALSO! Through a random
course of events, I sold a piece off this site! Read the story here.
It should be titled, "How to Fund your Vacation in 20
minutes a Day."
12/10/99
I've posted a new painting in the
section for Right Here on This Spot.
I've also added a page of information and opinions in the Classroom
section regarding watercolor...get
to work Carole! :) You too Ruben.
11/18/99
The date for the Right
Here on This Spot Book Party has been set! It's going to be
Saturday Dec. 11th, from 11:30am to 1pm at Hicklebee's Bookstore in San
Jose. See the above link for additional information.
Come one, come all!
Also, if you're in need of a
nice Xmas gift for someone, (and you DON'T need a children's book!) and
if they like art or National Geographic Magazine, check out The
Art of National Geographic: A Century of Illustration. It's an
incredible coffee table book showcasing some of the best illustrations
you'll ever see. It was written by my friend and SJSU colleague
Bunny Carter.
10/15/99
I just found out that Giant
Steps Books & Toys, a well-known children's bookstore in
Fremont, just selected Right
Here on This Spot as one of their "Book Picks of the
Season". A sincere "Thank You!" to Giant Steps!
10/8/99
Right
Here on This Spot, my new book, just got two really nice reviews
from Publisher's Weekly & Kirkus Reviews, two of the major reviewers
in the publishing industry. You can read them here.
Sharon (the author) also just
sent me her bio page
information, and some additional curriculum ideas for teachers.
You can see some of the ideas we've come up with on our "Teachers"
page.
9/8/99
A book release party is being planned
for my new book, Right Here on
This Spot. It looks like the date will be Sat. Dec. 11th at Hicklebee's
Books in San Jose. When dates are confirmed, and as it gets
closer, I'll be sending out an email invite. If you want to
receive an invite, just email
me.
9/1/99
My newest book, Right
Here on This Spot, was just released. Check out the new
portion of the site devoted to this book here.
It can also be ordered through this site at a discount via Amazon.com.
It still has a few sections left to be filled, but it is largely up and
running. A book release party is currently being planned. If
you would like to be put on the email mailing list for new books, send
me your email and I'd be happy to keep you posted.
7/1/99
I just got back from the 1999 ALA
Annual Convention. Had a lot of fun, met a lot of people, did a
lot of drawing, etc. I may post some of the sketches online as I did
with the D.C. Trip. I also just got back
the artwork for Right Here on This
Spot, my second children's book, and a bound copy of the finished
book. Look for that section of my website to get fleshed out soon.
6/21/99
I just posted MY version of what I
thought The Stone Fey cover should have
looked like. Go to this page
and follow the link if you're curious what damage a marketing department
can do.
6/19/99
I've finished the Children's
Book FAQ. Next week, I'll be in New Orleans for the ALA
Convention where I'll be doing a book signing and that kind of thing.
6/9/99
I've FINALLY put some stuff up in the
"Studio" portion of my site. If
anyone has any questions, or wants to see anything in particular, (what
a color comp looks like, etc.) email
me and I'll try to put it up. I think that ultimately this will be
both the most private, and the most interesting part of the site.
Let me know what you think...what else you'd like to see...etc.
5/24/99
I just added a really neat book to my
booklist. It's expensive, but anyone who is interested in
painting should check it out. It's called "Rembrandt: The
Painter at Work" and it is a fascinating, scientific dissection of
his painting methods. It's in the Bookstore.
I've also realized I'm never going to finish my opinions section
without some kind of prompting...if you have a question on any of the
topics listed their (in the "Classroom"),
please email me, and I'll do my best to add your question, and my
answer, there. Thanks!
2/25/99
In response to questions about my
process, I've just added an animated applet showing one of my paintings
as it looks at all stages of completion. It is the "Green
Things" painting for The Stone Fey.
To see it, click here.
2/4/99
This last Wednesday, I spent the day at Laurel Elementary School in San
Mateo, California, speaking to 400+ 1st through 5th graders about how
children's books are made and what an illustrator does. The kids
got to see some of my original paintings and all the different stages a
book goes through on it's way to thebookstore.
Hailee, a 2nd Grader sent me
this "Thank You" letter along with her classmates. (She
liked the Dentist and The Madonna paintings and wished me a happy
Valentine's Day.)
1/22/99
I've just finished proofing the galleys for my second picture book, Right
Here on This Spot, which is supposed to be released this fall.
I'm also just about to begin painting for "On Christmas Eve".
1/11/99
In December I found out that three illustrations for The
Stone Fey were selected for the Society
of Illustrators 41st Annual Exhibition. You can view them here.
Right now I'm just working on
book # 3..."On Christmas Eve" by Liz Rosenberg. I'm just
finished shooting most of the photo reference this last week in the
Carson City/Reno/Truckee area.
Currently, I have no book
signings, appearances or other public events scheduled. If you're a
teacher or represent a school or library and are interested in
scheduling an event, please contact me at:
john@johnclapp.com
Thank you.
