Patricia Kreiser Illustration

A dream come true!

February 05, 2024

Ever since I first stepped into Society of Illustrators as a student at Pratt, I dreamed that I would someday be accepted as a member. Well, that day is today! I was approved as an associate member and look forward to continuing to grow my career as a professional illustrator! This is a milestone for me and I am truly feeling blessed to be part of such an incredible organization! https://societyillustrators.org

Off to New York!

January 29, 2024

So excited to be jumping on the train for the annual winter scbwi conference in NYC! There’s nothing like the energy of being surrounded by like-minded creatives, getting pumped about children’s publishing! Hope to see some old friends and make some new ones. I’m looking forward to gleaning knowledge from the pros and challenging myself in the new year and beyond.

Remember to Play

October 29, 2023

I’ve been working with this manuscript for some time, but how to approach the imagery has escaped me for a while. I was playing with pastels for another project and I started a mash of watercolor (my go to) and pastels to suggest the city scape where a boy and his grandma are spending the day. This is only a beginning sketch and I realize the proportion isn’t even close, but I’m excited about what is starting to happen on the page. I like the very loose and soft suggestion of city with the pop of pastel on the figures. Sometimes when I’m just trying to get ‘er done, it’s hard to let myself to explore and have fun on the page. I’m really looking forward to developing this idea further!

Cover Reveal!

September 23, 2023

Author/Illustrator Patricia Kreiser is thrilled to reveal the cover of her debut picture book, Always Together, which will release January 1, 2024 from Capstone Publishing.  Close companions in their daily adventures, two otters are always connected, always sharing, and always together-until suddenly they are not.  One is left behind and nothing is the same. Patricia Kreiser brilliantly explores themes of loss, separation, and loneliness by combining soft, watercolor illustrations with minimal but powerful text in this gorgeous picture book.  She is ever grateful for the knowledge, understanding, and support she has received professionally and personally on her path to publication.  

Always Together is available for pre-order at your favorite online book seller!

Represented by Ronnie Ann Herman

Please visit Patricia Kreiser’s web site

Instagram @patriciakreiser

Like her Facebook page

Twitter @patriciakreiser

Before you put a stamp on it…

November 01, 2019

Sending out promotional post cards is time consuming and expensive. It is so important to target your mailing to people who may actually be interested in what you have to show them! RESEARCH the market before you put a stamp on it. For my most recent mailing I spent a grueling two weeks pouring over The Book. The Book is a comprehensive market survey that is downloadable only to SCBWI members. It provides publisher lists, editors, art directors, and what genre they work with, and sometimes even what they are looking for. I already had a great mailing, so why did it take me two weeks to complete this task? The publishing industry seems very fluid. I had to check and double check addresses and persons to whom I was targeting to verify that they were still with a specific house or magazine. I noticed a number of potential clients are moving to Submittable or have online submissions options. Some only accept agented submissions. Some who were not previously open to submissions are now accepting, others are closed. It is important to read each publisher’s submission requirements carefully, as we want all our self promotion efforts and money to more likely wind up in the hands of a potential client than in the circular file.

The Book also offers many useful articles regarding submissions, rights, query letters, etc.. to help us creatives navigate the ins and outs of the business of publishing. I joined SCBWI in 2012 at the suggestion of a few very nice, very encouraging published illustrators that I met at local book signing and school events. It has been invaluable to me, and I am so grateful for the people I’ve met, the encouragement for newcomers, and the resources available. Attending conferences, workshops, and pouring through the Book has helped me to better understand the industry in which I hope to build my career.

Illustrator members of SCBWI- USE THE GALLERY! and provide the link on any communications that you send out via e-mail, post card, or letter. Whether you have a web site or not, it is a searchable tool, that is free with your membership. It is easy to use, you can add your own descriptions yourself and your work, and hey… what can it hurt?? Just be sure to put up only what you consider to be your best work. Quality, not quantity. Update it periodically, and you never know what may happen. I have used the gallery pages for about 5 years, and just recently I was approached by a publisher who found me there. It took a while, but it was of no cost to me other than my time. Adding this link to your correspondence also shows that as an SCBWI member, you are informed and engaged in the industry that you would like to enter.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that my post cards landed in the right spot. Best wishes to all my fellow artists in your promotional endeavors!

Picture Book Dummy

November 03, 2016

I recently completed a picture book dummy workshop conducted by Annie Ericsson, through SCBWI Eastern PA.  All I’ve got to say is Wow!  What a treat it was to have her insight and thoughtful critique!  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity, and so excited to have finished with a fun story in dummy form.   It’s an admittedly silly story, with a lot of heart, the I can’t wait to illustrate!  Here’s a little post card teaser!

My critique group was essential in the process too!  I LOVE you all!

Thank you, everyone for helping to move my project along!

Looking forward to a great weekend at Highlights Foundation!

April 27, 2016

I am so excited to dive into the workshops at the Highlights Foundation for the annual SCBWI Eastern PA Poconos retreat.  The faculty for the weekend..Ame Dyckman, Zachariah O’Hora, Meg Medina, Erzsi Deak, Sean McCarthy, Leila Sales, and Lauren Rille.  I hope to get some great feedback on my portfolio and First Pages/First Looks submissions.  There’s always more to learn and room to grow!

This is not my first time at Highlights, and I am looking forward to the yummy nibbles, the beautiful setting, and truly, all of the great people.  Author/illustrators are a pretty nice group of people to hang with on a weekend!  SCBWI folks are always enthusiastic and encouraging, and honest.  We all can use a dose of that, right?

See you on the other side of what looks to be an awesome weekend!

SCBWI Winter Conference 2016

February 05, 2016

Post cards are printed, portfolio prepped, reservations are made.  I’m so excited to once again join the crowd of talented, generous, and enthusiastic children’s publishing professionals and eager pre-published writers and illustrators at this SCBWI winter conference.  There are so many people, so much to take in, that it can be a bit overwhelming.  I almost didn’t attend this year.  It’s a holiday weekend, and my kids are home from school, so I considered skipping it.  But, no.

What draws me back?  It’s the energy.  It’s a kid lit pep rally.  Even the most tentative creatives get caught up in the welcoming crowd of artists and writers that fill the Grand Hyatt, cheering on the value of children’s publishing.  It’s the validation.  It is the, “wow, this is a real profession and this is a place where people take it SERIOUSLY,” feeling.  It is the understanding.  We’ve all been there…where you are… we know.  It is the challenge.  Work hard, don’t give up, keep at it, be persistent, be open to criticism.  Did I say, work hard?  It’s the reminders that there are no guarantees, but you can put your feet in the right direction and arm yourself with knowledge and skills so when you get a chance, you are prepared.  It is the opportunity.  It is the opportunity to exit my creative bubble and meet other artists traveling the path to children’s publishing.  It is the opportunity to view my portfolio with openness and raw comparison to the masses of talent that fill the portfolio showcase.  It is the generosity.  Don’t all of these professionals have better things to do with their time than stand up before a bunch of starry eyed, hopeful  wannabes anxiously gleaning any tips, wisdom, encouragement?  Yes.  But they love this.  They are rock stars.  In general, I have found the professionals in this industry, (at least the ones at SCBWI and RUCCL events)  the editors, art directors, authors, and illustrators, to be exceptionally passionate about their work, and generous with newcomers.  I have encountered patience, kindness, and most importantly, honesty.

Although the winter conference at times feels like a giant pep rally for the children’s publishing industry, it is so much more.  SCBWI is committed to it’s members, and it shows.  I have never left an SCBWI event without a new challenge, a new contact, new insight, positive or negative, about my work, and sometimes a new friend.  I appreciate that I am able to attend the winter conference and look forward to what may come.