Governor General Awards

     I can finally tell a secret that I've had to keep for the last 2 months.    I was asked to be a judge in the children's illustration category for the Governor General's Literary Awards - one of Canada's most prestigious awards.  The finalists have just been announced.
    It is a big honor to be asked but the biggest reward was being sent over 100 children's books to review.  I got  such a great overview of the amazing talent we have in Canada. 
    The follow up to this is going to be interesting. As an illustrator I have mostly kept to myself - believing, as a creative person, it's best to keep your head down and focus on your own work rather than looking at too much else.  But I have to say this has been so enjoyable to see how other illustrators handle certain subjects or choose to fill up a page. I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up in my work.
    To see the wonderful finalists check out http://canadacouncil.ca/en/council/news-room/news/2013/gg-finalistes-2
    Having said how enjoyable it was I also have to say it was a tough gig - deciding which book is better than another is a very arbitrary thing when styles, subjects and moods vary so much. But it is the nature of awards and I am grateful to have been asked to take part. 

This is a bit of a change for me but I really enjoyed this project.  I worked with an archeologist and the Sto:lo band of B.C. (near Harrison Hot springs) to recreate some ancient people's homes and way of life.
4 villages were unearthed (some 1000 years old) and then a trail was put in so you can see what used to be there. But not a lot remains so I was hired to recreate the villages, one for each season.  It's fascinating to see how the people lived.
Aside from that I'm waiting on two other books and hope they will come through soon.