uni the unicorn

Today is a very important day.  Today, Uni the Unicorn comes out!

I know I've mentioned this before, but one the big bummers of working in publishing is that you have to wait a loooooooooong time before you can really spill the beans and share a project.  I finished the art for this book last November, and since then I've been going crazy because honestly, I love this book. And that's not the babbling of an ego-maniac, either!  A book is a group effort, with the illustrator, writer, art director, designer, editor, and MANY others working together.  It's just very rare and special when everyone is on the same exact page throughout the process.  So, so, SO very rare and special!

I knew I wanted to illustrate this book as soon as I read the text.  This is kinda (usually) how it works: my agent will send me a text, that's just the words of the book, and I'll read through it and think about it, and talk to her about it, and try and decide if it's something that's right for me to illustrate.  This process did not happen on Uni.  I got an email with the text attached to it, I read it, and I immediately called my agent and said "GET ME THAT BOOK!  GET IT! I WANT IT!!!"  That was in December of 2012.  Feels like a billion years ago!

The process usually continues like this: I get in touch with the editor and receive art notes (written notes about what image should be on what page) and then start sketches.  For Uni, I got to make the art notes myself, which was so fun and awesome, and I almost can't believe that a total kid's book rock star super pro like Amy would trust me enough to do that, but she did!  

So much of the book is about Uni's wishing, and thinking, and dreaming about having a little girl for a friend.  I tried to show those ideas, but the way a child would experience them.  Like when you are 6 years old and obsessed with having a bunny and all you draw is bunnies for months on end.

You know that feeling.  That's the feeling that Uni has!

I'd also like to point out that Uni is not specifically a boy or a girl...there is no pronoun ever used to describe how Uni is feeling or what Uni is doing!  I've read a few reviews that describe Uni as a "she" and I find it odd...I was always thinking of Uni as this magical, genderless creature!  

Thinking of Uni as just Uni was helpful to the book overall I think, because let's be honest: a book about a unicorn?  That could have ended up completey pink and fluffy and rainbow sprinkles and cotton candy looking (which I have nothing against, by the by).  I think it's much more interesting as is though, since it never quite veers into completely "girl" territory.  It could have easilly been a story about a little boy and a velociraptor, if you switched out a few words.  

But yeah, there are some rainbows in there too, because c'mon, how could you NOT have rainbows in a book about unicorns?!

hey where can I get a print of that???

I get a lot of e-mails asking me exactly this, and I end up sending back identical replies, so I thought I'd save us all some time and effort and just give it to you straight, all at once!

I think I've been getting more and more of these emails lately because people are quickly getting into holiday gift-giving mode.  I have to admit, the idea of someone giving another someone some of my art as a present is preeeeeeettttttttyyyy awesome.  If you are one of those people, then let me just say: thank you ever so!!!

Places you can buy prints of my work:

WWA Gallery has prints of Rose Red and Snow White 1 & 2, and In the Pomegranate Forest.

These are limited edition prints, so if you want one then you'd best hop on it!

Gallery Nucleus has a prints of my Beatles piece, Fab Four. 

Nucleus also has several pieces of original artwork of mine from past shows that are still available, if you're a big spender and you feel like making my day.  

If you are searching for my princess goodies, you can get those either on AMAZON or from the CHRONICLE BOOKS website. 

I know my Chronicle Books goodies are available at lots of other places as well, but I don't honestly know where!  They don't tell me that stuff.  It's sorta fun, because I'll see my book or matching game pop up randomly at a gift store  or something from time to time (I found it in the gift store at the Getty Center!).  But it's also a little annoying because I feel like I should have known it was there already.  In any case: it makes little to no difference to me personally WHERE you choose to buy them, and I usually tell people to just go to Amazon because it's always a couple bucks cheaper.  

I know there are lots you reading this right now saying 

"HEY, I WANTED A PRINT OF THAT OTHER THING THAT'S NOT HERE!"

Well, sorry dudes!

I don't make or sell prints of my work anymore.  I used to have an etsy shop, but I simply became waaaay too busy to run an online store all by myself, and be a children's book illustrator, and teach at CalArts, and have an actual life with a husband and dog and cat and friends and all that.  As prints become available here and there, I will surely let you all know about it!  

In the meantime, happy shopping!

in the pomegranate forest

Hello out there in blogger land!  I have a painting for you!

This is for the "I believe in unicorns, too!" show at the WWA Gallery in Culver City.    They specifically told us that we didn't necessarily have to do a unicorn themed painting, but I couldn't get this image out of my brain once it was in there, so out it came!

For this painting I wanted to try breaking away from my usual palette, and I kinda succeeded.  Specifically, I noticed that when I open my website (http://brigetteb.com) there is a LOT of pink.  Pink and purple.  And I'm not surprised, cuz I love pink and purple!  But I AM surprised that I keep going back to pink over and over....and over.  And over.  Pink is my safety color.  So I tried some browns, and greens, and blues!  The pinks still snuck in there (although a kind of electric peach or coral), but I did end up using a color scheme from outside my comfort zone, so I call it a success.

As you can probably tell, I really love pomegranates.  I think their shape is so beautiful!  I didn't originally intend on putting so MANY in this painting, but as I was sketching I added them in and I'm glad I did.  Even though they are intricate suckers to paint.

See you at the gallery opening, maybe?  I love openings at the WWA Gallery, cuz it's right down the street from one of my favorite veggie restaurants, Native Foods!  I go eat a bowl of veggies and drink a gallon of watermelon agua fresca and then show up at the opening bloated from a fresca overdose.  I recommend it!