Friday Fan Art

Over the years I have enjoyed sharing with you all the amazing fan art that arrives in my mailbox. Whether its in my PO box or my email inbox, I am always touched when someone takes the time to do their own rendition of my characters. In fact, I am even thrilled by the prospect of someone improving on my designs. After all, when I was a kid I often daydreamed of creating a world richer than Middle Earth or a book more eye-popping than Brian Froud & Alan Lee’s Faeries.
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Recently I received a nice note from Anish Mohan, a 3d computer artist working in India. Anish said, “I have been a BIG fan of your work from the time I got one of those Spiderwick Field guide books. Your concept creatures are full of great imagination and detail. Loved the way the entire book was made with so much imagination too.” Read more

Fellow artist, Michael Voogd, sent us a great gaggle of Spiderwick creatures rendered by his nine-year old daughter, Amie. Read more

Gabby sent us some cool pics of a Spiderwick goblin that she created in her sculpting and ceramics class. Check it out:

She says: I made him have a gnawed off hand to show him in battle and scary eyeballs. The back was the funnest part to do (if funnest is a word…) and he was colored with watercolors.

I think this goblin is one of the funnest renditions we’ve seen, Gabby. Keep dreaming. Keep creating.

Thirteen-year old Tobias from Argentina sent us a new batch of art a couple of weeks ago. Amongst his drawings of carnivorous plants and alien designs were several photos integrating creatures of his own imagination.

Tobias tells me he used Photoshop to merge in his drawings with a realistic background. I LOVE THIS.

Not only is he using major planning skills at the photographic stage of these images, he is designing creatures (like the Pomegranate Apple Gnome above) and posing them to fit properly in their appropriate setting. At 13!? That’s AWESOME!

This is good stuff, Tobias. You’ve inspired me. Keep dreaming, keep drawing.

Earlier this year, I posted some stupendous Spiderwick soft sculptures by artist, Manuela Schulz. Manuela’s craftsmanship and ability to capture the natural form of an animal in mohair and fur reminded me of the great German toymaker, Steiff.  My daughter, Sophia, was so taken by Manuela’s rendition of the Spiderwick unicorn that I commissioned one for her upcoming birthday (and thankfully Soph can’t read my blog:)

Manuela’s creation reverberates the same essence of the unicorn that I was after in my illustrations.

In fact, the unicorn scene in book three of Spiderwick was one of my favorites. I liked the interaction of old mythology confronting modern-day kids. Holly’s words expressed the feeling of awe mixed with anxiety that you would imagine experiencing were you in the Grace kid’s shoes. I remember explaining to Holly that this scene was like the meeting with the kirin in Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. You knew there was a ancient power confronting the hero, cloaked in majestic wonder. I loved that moment in that film and I love our moment in the books.

Like many of the creatures in Spiderwick, I attempted a return to the less glamorized, more natural form for the unicorn. I examined the old tapestries depicting the unicorn hunt for my initial inspiration. However, I also studied early horses, especially Eohippus, where the multiple toes had yet to evolve into the single hoof (early horses were quite small compared to their modern descendants as well).

My hope was that this direction would project a sense of antiquity (and accuracy) to this fabulous beast.

Manuela’s interpretation holds that quality of wonder and wildness that I really like…hmmm…maybe Soph wants a Barbie instead for her birthday…

If I haven’t said so before, I absolutely LOVE getting all the art that fans and friends have sent to me over the years to share here on the site. Whether it is a reinterpretation of one of my own designs, or an original piece inspired by a young imagination, I am always thrilled to see creativity alive and well.

Sometimes, though, I get bowled over. Blown away. Blasted by volumes of sheer awesomeness.

And this happened when I received and ENTIRE disc of artwork from the fifth grade class at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico (yes, Mexico), Maine.

As part of my book touring, I have the privilege of visiting many elementary schools all over the country. I have seen art classrooms that would make college professors jealous, and I have seen teachers reduced to pushing around an “art cart” full of nothing more than dried-up markers and old construction paper from class to class. I was fortunate in that I had amazing art teachers all through my life that encouraged creativity regardless of whether I had oil paints and canvas at my disposal or simply a #2 pencil and paper.

Because really its all just a matter of encouraging imagination and expanding out-of-the-box thinking. And whether you’re a wiz with watercolors or can barely draw a stick man, its good to let your mind wander and explore. And we need to encourage and cultivate children to do this all throughout their childhood – not just in elementary school.

Thank you Meroby Elementary, your amazing instructors and talented students have inspired me. Keep drawing. Keep dreaming.

Beth Hanlon, a fifth grade teacher at Tropic Isles Elementary in Fort Meyers, Florida, sent us some pics of this awesome sculpt of Grahame from Kenny and the Dragon.

The sculpture was created by one of her gifted students, Ashley, and was done as a visual for her Book Share project.

“…Ashley’s Dragon has inspired others in our class to read “Kenny and the Dragon”. Ashley’s Dragon is currently on display in our Media Center.”

How cool is that?

I’ve been fortunate enough to have Kenny nominated for several state book awards including Florida’s Sunshine State Young Readers Award. What I like about state book awards is that students are encouraged to read independently based on individual interests rather than for assignments. Discovering a favorite story genre at a young age is big step in evolving into a passionate reader.

Thanks for sharing this with me, Beth, and please tell Ashley that Grahame said, “Nice sculpting young bantling.”