Getting up to date

It's been a busy time of late but I have a few moments to update what Renata has been up to. As you hopefully know Once Upon a Memory was released in December, it was an Amazon book of the month and it has gotten a great response so far. As Renata's body of work is building it is interesting to see that each book has it's own personality. I feel like Once Upon a Memory is some of her most reflective picture making and most detailed drawings. It also continues her tradition of building the narrative of a book through her pictures, a perfect method for illustrating poetic content like in Once Upon a Memory.

Of course the actual work for the book was done over a year ago, so she's been working on several exciting new projects in the last few months. I will be doing a second post in a few days about them, but the authors she's been lucky enough to illustrate include Doreen Cronin, Karma Wilson, and Margaret Wise Brown.

A big event for Renata last fall was being chosen as a judge for The Society of Illustrators 56. She had a blast being a judge and is very thankful to Jillian Tamaki and the other members of the Society who gave her for the opportunity. The show just opened last week and is on until March 1st - and Once Upon a Memory was also selected for the show!

Renata stayed in Brooklyn for 3 weeks, and while most often visitors focus on seeing the sights in NYC, Renata focused on meeting some of it's artists - which she was super successful at doing. During her time there she was able to meet several dozen illustrators, editors, designers, and other creative types.  It was an exciting and inspirational time, and she is thankful for everyone that she was lucky enough to share a few words.

Going back to Once Upon a Memory an event that bookended her visit was The Original Art, an exhibition celebrating the art of children's book illustration that she had previously won a gold medal for her work in The Quiet Book and which featured Once Upon a Memory this year. More recently Renata was notified last week that the book will also be included in this year's Communication Arts Illustration Annual.

I thought I would end this post with a list of some of the blogs that have been so kind in posting about her most recent book. Working with Nina Laden on the book has been a great joy, and Renata feels that she has made a new friend in Nina and it has brought her together with a kindred creative spirit.

http://thestylinglibrarian.com/2014/02/01/styling-librarian-review/

http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=3284

http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/once-upon-a-memory-written-by-nina-laden-illustrated-by-renata-liwska-reviewed-by-bonny-becker/

http://www.goodreadswithronna.com/2014/01/31/once-upon-a-memory-by-nina-laden/

http://mackinbooksinbloom.com/2014/01/09/book-review-once-upon-a-memory/

http://32pages.ca/2014/01/15/didnt-make-best-2013-list/

http://salsfictionaddiction.blogspot.ca/2013/12/once-upon-memory-written-by-nina-laden.html

http://www.5minutesformom.com/85690/once-upon-a-memory/

http://deeperwritingrobinholland.blogspot.ca/2013/12/once-upon-memory.html

http://www.teaandsavories.com/2014/01/once-upon-memory-by-nina-laden.html

http://readertotz.blogspot.ca/2013/12/more-more-more-once-upon-memory-by-nina.html

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2013/dec/31/prathers-pick-two-charming-picture-books/

http://www.quillandquire.com/reviews/review.cfm?review_id=8245

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nina-laden/once-upon-a-memory/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17269360-once-upon-a-memory?from_search=true