Wow… someone doesn’t update their blog much! 

It’s been a long and winding road but I’m thrilled to announce that “Michael and the Purple Cows” is now being published through Book Surge and is available to purchase on Amazon.ca at a very reasonable price of CDN$ 12.70 (the special sale price today).

Had a fun week working with Mitch on the Press Release and Media Kit:

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PURPLE COWS SPOTTED BY YOUNG CHILDREN EVERYWHERE!

An ordinary day turns into an extraordinary one for Michael when a herd of Purple Cows show up at his door. Michael and the Purple Cows is a delightful tale about childhood and the magical experience of imaginary friends. Written for two to five year olds, it is a new addition to the traditional bed time story and is simple enough to allow a child to read it as they grow older.

Author Mitchel Foy has written this story from his own childhood about the mischievous, magical Purple Cows. He explains in his forward, that Purple Cows are the reason why children can be very
quick or take forever to do a simple task.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Kimberly McKay-Fleming. Raised as a farm girl, Kimberly brings this first hand experience to her imaginative illustrations of these magical cows hiding in the oddest of places.

Michael and the Purple Cows is destined to become another classic bedtime story for children everywhere.

Michael and the Purple Cows
Written by Mitchel A. Foy
Illustrated by Kimberly McKay-Fleming
ISBN: 978-1439251836
$12.99 (Paper)

Look for Michael and the Purple Cows at Amazon, BookSurge and your favorite bookstore. For further information, review copies or to arrange interviews with the author, please contact Mitchel Foy, author, (650) 996-0361 or mitchfoy1(at)comcast.net

Here are a couple of pics of my designer art bag for the 2009 Frameous Art Auction to be held Friday, June 12 @ 8:15pm, Cambridge City Hall, 50 Dickson Street in partnership with the annual Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts.

Frameous is an annual live and silent art auction hosted by the Cambridge Arts Guild.  The Arts Guild uses all proceeds to support the following arts initiatives:

• Cookies and Kids Performances
• Cambridge Studio Tour
• Juried Art Show at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts Gallery
• Artist in Residence Program
• Specialized Adult Programs – Kaffeeklatch Art Series
• 2008 Christmas in Cambridge “Unsilent Night”
• Subliminal Art Exhibition at Rock the Mill

My daughter is still working on her bag… I’ll take a picture of it and post it when she’s finished….

Granny’s Giant Bannock has been short-listed for the “McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award – Younger Category” at the Manitoba Book Awards  to be held April 25.

To read more about the awards and other categories check here: http://www.bookpublishers.mb.ca/mba/

I would like to thank the staff & students at St. Alexander School in North Bay for the lovely display they created recognizing my work as an illustrator.  They were recently doing a study on Illustrators.

If you can’t read what it says on the photo:

“A book without an illustrator is… Like a dull cloudy day.  An illustrator adds the sun and life to a book!”

“Kimberly McKay-Fleming has illustrated “Granny’s Giant Bannock” and “A Journey Through the Circle of Life”.  She is aunt of Caitlin and Connor Howard”.

I’ve never felt so honoured. 

These are a couple of photos taken by Barbara Young from SNAP Cambridge at “The Artist and Apprentices” exhibition last month.  For more photos of art happenings in Cambridge this month visit their website or pick up one of their free papers available all over.

CM (a University of Manitoba-based online review of children’s material) has just posted a bright review for Granny’s Giant Bannock.

“Granny’s Giant Bannock” is finally available on the publishers website for anyone wishing to order it this way.

Granny’s Giant Bannock

A little miscommunication between English-speaking Larf and his Cree-speaking grandmother leads to hilarious results when a giant, sprawling bannock threatens to take over the town. Beyond its antic humour, this is a tender story about the need to listen .

These are photos taken of me & my books at the first annual “Artists and their Apprentices” exhibition at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts on the weekend.  The show was a big success, with approximately 155 people visiting the gallery at the opening from 1-3 pm.  If you’re in the area, you should check it out… there is a lot of lovely artwork being created in Cambridge.  We should be proud! 

Cool… I’m right in there with Robert Munsch & Michael Martchenko.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/entertainment/books/terrific_times_for_tots_to_teens_4-6.html

I have put my books & some of the original artwork from “A Journey Through the Circle of Life” into the “Artists and Their Apprentices Exhibition” at the Cambridge Art Centre.  I teach part-time at the Art Centre & this is a Student & Teacher show.  The art in the exhibition offers a brief overview to some of the courses which are being offered at the Art Centre this year.  The exhibition runs for January 10- 24 with the opening reception being held on January 10th from 1-3 pm.  I hope to see everyone out.

This winter I am teaching “Children’s Picture Book Illustration” at the Art Centre.  I’m really looking forward to teaching… but I just checked… and I need another 9 people in order for it to run.  Unfortunately, it missed getting into the winter program flyer, so it’s only being advertised from this poster that I created:

If you are interested in taking this course or know someone who might be interested in taking this course please get in touch with the Cambridge Arts Centre.