Worlds of Words...

I’m going to be doing Worlds of Words at the University of Arizona this Saturday 6/16 from 10am to 12pm. Stop on by and check it out! 

Prairie Anna...

I recently finished illustrating a small chapter book titled Prairie
Anna which will be published by BJU Press this fall. Here is the cover along with a couple of the interior illustrations.

Storytime...

I'll be reading my book Jump! at Barnes&Nobel in Tucson this Saturday, June 9th at 11am. It's a fun story, stop on by. Barnes&Nobel Tucson.

Book Signing...

I'll be reading and signing my book Jump! at The Mini Time Machine Museum in Tucson this Sunday, June 3rd at 2pm. I'll also talk a little about where the inspiration for Jump! came from and the process of making it into a book. Hope to see you there.
http://www.theminitimemachine.org/summerstoryseries/

Jump! The Book Trailer

Here's my new book trailer for "Jump!" which is now available for purchase at www.rionuevo.com. The video quality is much better on my web sites http://guyporfirio.com/ or http://jumpthepicturebook.com/.

Barb...

Here is one of my Preliminary sketches for Barb. The cholla cactus with a real sense of adventure.

 

Stuck on Jump!

Cool new Jump! Stickers. Always nice to have some fun giveaways at book signings.

Jump!

I received my advance copy of Jump! Which means it wasn't just a dream. All those late nights working on concepts and paintings really happened. And I'm very happy about that because Jump! turned out to be such a fun book. I can't wait to see it in bookstores and do signings with it.

The Tucson Festival of Books...

I'm gearing up for the Tucson Festival of Books happening this weekend. I'll be part of a panel on Sunday the 11th. So, if you're in town, stop on by. Visit my web page guyporfirio.com for more details on my appearance. Or visit the official Tucson Festival of Books site at http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/. This is an amazing event folks. There is always so much to do, and so much to see. And on top of all that, the weather will be perfect. So if you like books... stop by and check it out.

Take Five...

And just like that... I'm done with my book. Finished, finessed, corrected... and delivered. I had to pull an all-nighter to bring it in on deadline. Started at 5:30AM yesterday, and finished at 10:45 this morning. But, like everything else in life, this too gets better with age. I don't know why, but working through the night was not that difficult. I hope this doesn't become a trend. But now that I've delivered my book to my publisher, I'm left with an odd feeling. Is this what mountain climbers feel like when they finally reach the summit? "Well then... that was nice, let's go get a pizza?" It brings to mind one of my favorite quotes: "It's the road, not the inn." 

Paint from the heart...

I had "The Pixar Story" on in my studio a couple days ago while I worked. Movies help me stay put in the studio on the days that I find it hard to stay put in the studio. I'm pretty sure all creative people involved in creative endeavors wrestle with this sort of thing from time to time... Even Rembrandt, I dare say. The difference is, Rembrandt didn't have access to Netflix... and I do. Anyway, The Pixar Story turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. I found it very inspiring, and felt particularly vindicated when John Lasseter credits Pixar's movie success to the fact that Pixar makes the kind of movies that they, (the directors and animators), themselves would want to see. Or, to apply it to my own work, paint the kind of pictures I would want to see. The moral of the story? Be yourself, and work from the heart.

Happy Holidays!

Working through the holidays is kind of like orbiting around the backside of the moon in the command module and loosing all radio contact with mission control. I know I’ll be re-entering the normal business day schedule soon enough - but for now, my studio is quiet and peaceful and my paintings are turning out fantastic. They're my best work to date! Life is good.

All Part of the Process...

I spent most of yesterday trying to make one of the major elements in my cover painting work like I had envisioned it, and, it, spent most of the day showing me how it wouldn't work. What we had there is a failure to cooperate — A gap between my creative vision and the canvas. Funny how even a sight gap might as well be the Grand Canyon. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. It's OK now though, I won in the end.

Today I'm on to an inside spread.

Painting!

Pausing, for a little air guitar on "Long Cool Woman" by the Hollies while I work. If all the world's a stage, my studio is a concert hall. ( I'm thinking of expanding). I'm thoroughly caught up in painting the picture book cover of all covers, it's a great day — Oops, gotta go "Ah! Leah!" by Donnie Iris is on now... Later.

Nice Things Happen...

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Author, Karin Cameron. Karin is a writer. Karin has a blog. And Karin Just Won't Stop Talking... Thank goodness. http://karinwontstoptalking.wordpress.com

Please check out the really great interview Karin Cameron did of me on her blog.

It was a very nice thing.