SameAgyshtuff

drawings and lettering and beyond:what’s up with Agy Wilson

I’ve been working on new drawings and my lettering, so I’m sharing work I’ve done in recent months and the materials I used to create them. From learning to brushletter to opening my Etsy shop. I’m digitizing some past work and creating new for the shop, creating downloads to print, currently working on stickers and hope to create some fonts in the future. In sharing my work and materials, I am…

Happy! 4 steps to turning off the negative in your life:

Negativity once ran my life, making “happy” elusive. I criticized and denigrated myself. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m going through a rough and challenging personal patch. The easiest thing in the world to do is fall back on old habits and dialogues and was a time I would do that. Not now. I had lunch with a dear friend the other day, and I’m staying with another dear friend. We’ve all known…

What did I learn? Finishing up book illustrations and upsetting the emotional rollercoaster

I don’t do “quiet” very well, but I am learning to incorporate small things into my life that helps me to move toward my goals. I think REFLECTIVE is a better word. I’m finishing up the last few tweaks on Margot Finke’s wonderful book Kobi Borrows a Pouch  and it should be available this week or next through Amazon. She’s also a great friend, having known of my situation and helping as much as…

Being your best self: 5 things you can start doing today

Where I am now   I have not been my best self. I am going through a contentious divorce. All divorce is painful, mine has punitive circumstances. The last year and a half, if my husband wasn’t feeding our daughter, I didn’t get fed. I’ve had no access to the family finances, so to say it was difficult would be an understatement (and there are many details I won’t share here as too many would be…

I often hear “oh, it must be nice to be able to pursue your dream!” or “it must be great to create art and write, like you!”. And it is.   But what they often are saying is they wish THEY could do that, but they’ve talked themselves out of it. The implication is that first I was born with this fully blown talent (I had some, but it was more of my parents wanting to quiet me, a lot of alone time,…

Reblog: Opportunity and embracing your fear: part 2

{present note: I had JUST moved when I wrote this blog post and a number about this period. I lost my license and other important things, it was summer and hot and my blood pressure was so bad, I hadn’t realized until AFTERWARDS how close it was to all exploding. But this was pivotal. I share these old worthy posts because I’ve decided something and this is building to it. Thank you for your…

REBLOG: On genius, daemons and amusing muses (reprint of a reprint)

I am planning on some new things in the upcoming two weeks. In part, to set it up, the next few days will be reblogging a few posts to set up my line of thinking and sharing to any and all interested.  I’m adding some old art to break up the text and ad interest, but in a nutshell how we find and use our opportunities, see the world and incorporate creativity. so please bear with me… On genius,…

Nola and Once Upon an Elephant: Two book reviews

Nola and Nola, the coloring book Nola, The Coloring Book,Stephanie Lisa Tara, Author, Pilar Lama illustrator, Tom Hamlyn, Designer. ©2016 Stephanie Lisa Tara Books in partnership with San Diego Zoo Nola,Stephanie Lisa Tara, Author, Pilar Lama illustrator, Tom Hamlyn, Designer. ©2016 Stephanie Lisa Tara Books in partnership with San Diego Zoo Stephanie Lisa Tara Pilar Lama, illustrator Tom Hamlyn,…

Reblog: life examined through an art lens

I promise to blog again soon, though I’m reblogging an old post from older blog. I have a TON of reviews to do and want to talk about the books I’ve been working on (In and Out: All ‘Round About—Opposite Friends, by Penelope Ann Cole is available, I’m currently working on Margot Finke’s Kobi Borrows a Pouch and then Penelope’s My Grandmother’s Pink House as well as my adult coloring books). I…

Marketing: bragging or promotion? To market, to market without being a pig

I’ve not kept up. Some of are good news. I finished illustrating one book,  Penelope Anne Cole‘s In and Out, All ‘Round About—Opposite Friends (and about to release my coloring book). In and Out, All ‘Round About—Opposite Friends, Penelope Anne Cole, illustrated by Agy Wilson Published by Magic Book Works, 2016 Nervous doesn’t cover it, but I will move on ahead anyhow. I’m about to start…

A Handful of Stars, by Cynthia Lord:

A Handful of Stars Cynthia Lord Scholastic Press,  May, 2015 A Handful of Stars, Cynthia Lord, Scholastic Press 2015   Cynthia Lord’s first book Rules debuted to accolades and honors (the Newbery Honor, The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award and The Schneider Family Book Award to name a few). Could be a tough act to follow, but each and every book following has the same bones and meat,…

Complete and Accomplish your goals:

There is a process to achieving and accomplishing goals. I was very lucky that my father gave me the tools to forage into new fields and have the chutzpah to attempt to do it.  A few of the things I heard on a regular basis from my father: “Look it up!” “How do you get from point A to point B?” “What is necessary and what is want?”   “Look it up!” It still amazes me how often people will attempt…

Hashtag, We Need Diverse Books:

We truly do need diverse books—the more the merrier.  I believe that all things start with the personal and we all define those different things, divergent things, that comprise whom we are minutely and differently. What’s apparent on the outside may not be the thing that we feel defines us.So, what book to choose? I picked up my grandson’s book Ethan Finds a Frog,  by Guy Melcher Coffin. He…

Self publishing quality children’s books

 I’m also migrating some of my past column here as they’re good advice as well.  So I’m reposting the most effective, fun, relevant past posts from my other blogs, hope you find them helpful! Tuesday, June 18, 2013 Acting like one of the big guys (NOT all illustrators paint)… There are so many reasons to pursue traditional publication. Not the least of which, professional eyes on your work, who…

Reviews: a few of my favorite picture books

Book reviews are a lot of energy.  I have to read the book, which is one of the reasons I started reviewing, the more you read the better you are within the genre (and if you’re a serious WRITER, you should have read HUNDREDS of books within your chosen genre- they are the tools of your trade). Then think critically, write, and format and link the reviews.  With a mountain of deadlines, I can…