Illustration — Blog — Wendy Elliott Designs

How do you express yourself?

Recently I took part in the SCBWI Carolinas Annual Art Contest. The illustration prompt this year was to express yourself by choosing a feeling and communicate that feeling in an illustration. The emotion choices were boredom, sadness, happiness, fear or love.

This is my entry expressing B-O-R-E-D-O-M.

It got me thinking. What emotion do I express most days? How does that emotion effect me, my family, my relationships?

I was not very good in geometry class but I do remember the transitive theorem that states:

If A=B and B=C then A=C.

If you apply the same theorem to expressing yourself, you could assume that

A= The stuff you feed your brain.

B= Transforms your heart.

C= Determines how you Express Yourself.

Think of all the stuff your brain gets fed in a day. I’m not talking broccoli and lean meats. (Although I’m a true believer in Whole 30 eating-check it out.) I’m talking about feeding your eyes and ears with good stuff, wholesome images and truth. What are you watching on T.V, listening to on a podcast, reading before bed? Is it feeding your brain or attacking it?

Whatever you are feeding your brain, transforms your heart. Are you feeling nourished and energized or is the life being sucked out of you?

Your heart is the generator that determines how you express yourself. Whatever your brain takes in, your heart expresses.

So, given our theorem:

if A=B and B=C then A=C

If the stuff you feed your brain transforms your heart and the transformation of your heart determines how you express yourself.

then

The stuff you feed your brain will determine how you express yourself.

Lots to think about so you won’t get B-O-R-E-D!

PS I just did a Google search about the transitive theorem. Apparently, it’s not really a theorem but a postulate.

I’m rolling my eyes,

Guess what emotion I’m expressing now?

Smiles,

Wendy

This is my submission to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for the 2017 Tomie DePaola Award. As SCBWI promotes, this award is given annually to an illustrator of promise chosen by Tomie himself based on a given prompt. Of special note, this will be the last year for this award. I can't thank Tomie enough for all he has meant to me on my illustration journey and all he has done for children's literacy. Even though this award will not bear his name in the future, it will be replaced with the SCBWI Board of Advisors Illustration Award. The prize will continue to be a trip to the SCBWI New York Winter Conference with travel, tuition and hotel included.

The prompt this year was to cast yourself as a child in a picture book. Show your autobiographical character in a scene and make sure to convey the emotion of your character. The viewer should be able to read the emotion of the character immediately.

I have childhood memories of playing outside all day long in the summer. This illustration shows me with my Grandma Lena, who lived next door. She had a green thumb and could often be found outside tending to her favorite poppy and peony gardens. I must have followed her around the yard for hours at a time as we became "garden buddies." She had a gentle, kind, spirit and tolerated my antics on many days. But just like her vibrant poppies, Grandma had a fun energy that always captured my curiosity. As this illustration shows, I managed to capture her attention too!

Congratulations to all the talented people who submitted this year. You can see the winner along with Tomie's comments on the SCBWI website.