Seasons of Joy Autumn Wool Painting Giveaway, Plus Signed Book, Plus Waldorf Seasons Prints

This contest has ended and the winners have been announced. You are still welcome to sign up for my newsletter and please read the reviews of 'Seasons of Joy: Every Day is for Outdoor Play' in this blog post. 

To celebrate the upcoming changing of the seasons, I am holding a very special giveaway centered on my picture book "Seasons of Joy: Every Day is for Outdoor Play," published by Loving Healing Press earlier this year. 

There will be three random winners and the prizes are:

1. Autumn Leaves Wool Painting, plus a signed paperback copy of Seasons of Joy. The painting is a mini 8 by 10 inch version based on one of the illustrations from the book (the originals are 13 by 17 inches) It comes unframed, but would be lovely in an 8 by 10 shadow box.

Autumn Leaves Wool Painting Giveaway

2. A set of four 5 by 7 prints of the needle felted wool paintings in Seasons of Joy valued at $19, plus a signed paperback copy of Seasons of Joy.

Seasons of Joy Prints

3. A signed paperback copy of Seasons of Joy. 

Seasons of Joy: Every Day is for Outdoor Play

To enter this Giveaway, please sign up for my email newsletter. (Newsletter signup is required for entering this contest.) 

Enter to Win Wool Painting

You may also get additional entries by sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.  Just let me know in the comments below that you shared. 

"Seasons of Joy: Every Day is for Outdoor Play" is a merging of my experiences, loves and talents. It started with a commission from an early childhood teacher at my son's Waldorf school. She wanted a wool painting that depicted children playing throughout the seasons. Later, I offered to re-create the painting in my Etsy shop and I've sold many prints as well. The painting connected with people around the world and I thought it needed to be a book. 

Waldorf Seasons Wool Painting

As a book, that one wool painting turned into 12 illustrations, three for each season. When creating the scenes, I drew on my son's early childhood in a Waldorf school -- climbing trees, using silks for imaginative play, gardening, sledding . . . And of course, since I love all animals, I added dogs, birds, bunnies and squirrels to every scene. 
It was important to me that the children were diverse. While there are many wonderful vintage children's seasons books, most don't reflect the multicultural experience.
I wanted the verse to capture the joy children feel when playing outside. The verse has alliteration and rhymes, but I believe it flows naturally. I've been very pleased with the reviews for both the verse and the illustrations. Here are some:

Seasons of Joy is a beautifully illustrated narrative poem celebrating children's joy in the changing seasons. Seasons of Joy is a literary and artistic treasure for today's children and future generations. -- Midwest Book Review

Claudia Marie Lenart’s Seasons of Joy is magical.  Her rhyming prose conjures such beautiful visual images of each season and encourages young children to go outside.

Accompanying her lyrical language is Lenart’s signature wool artwork, which will captivate children as they study all of the beautiful detail in each dreamy scene.—Patricia Tilton, Children’s Books Heal 

The prose is lovely. “We sway to the wind’s song under crimson showers.” “We play until the sun paints the trees a copper hue.” The illustrations are even lovelier. I am amazed at what this artist can do with fibers. – Bonnie Ferrante, Books for Children

"Young children learn through imitation and movement. If that movement is filled with imaginative pictures, they are able to take it up in their whole being and express it outwardly in their play. Claudia Lenart's book Seasons of Joy uses the artistic medium of needle-felted wool to express the joy of children in movement at every season of the year."
--Barbara Patterson, retired Waldorf Extra Lesson teacher in private practice, author of Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing Our Children from Birth to Seven

"In Seasons of Joy, Claudia Lenart uses her beautiful rhyming prose to tell a classic tale of the changing of the seasons and the carefree pleasure of playing outside all year around. The details in every scene are meticulous and refined, down to the distinct wing pattern of a butterfly and the catchlight in a squirrel's eye. This book is exactly what it sets out to be - a joy to read and an inspiration for nature play for children everywhere."
--Linda Akeson McGurk, journalist, blogger at Rain or Shine Mama, author of There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather

"What a treat to meander through the seasons with these wonderful words and beautiful wool paintings. Claudia is an extraordinary fiber artist who has the special talent of bringing magical scenes to life. A delight for adults and children alike."
-- Donni Webber, www.TheMagicOnions.com, author of Magical Miniature Gardens and Homes

If you have read this entire blog post, you can get another entry by also telling me your favorite season in the comments. But please don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, too. 

Illustrating the Sad Picture Book: Jenny And Her Dog Both Fight Cancer

When Jewel Kats first approached me to illustrate her picture book "Jenny and Her Dog Both Fight Cancer," she told me she had written the book some time ago, but was looking for a distinct type of illustration for this project.
I read the book and cried; it touched me deeply. While I had little experience with pediatric cancer, I had lost three dogs to the disease.

Jenny and Her Dog Both Fight Cancer features a rainbow theme symbolic of the Rainbow Bridge.

A story about a little girl and her dog both fighting cancer is not your typical, light-hearted picture book fodder, but the story rings true. There is beauty in the bond between a child and her best friend; that bond is especially strong through difficult times. There is a beauty in death (sorry for the spoiler, but the dog does not survive cancer).
As a needle felt artist, my dolls and animals are noted for their character, their expressions. With Jenny and her dog, I wanted to convey the emotions of the characters as they struggled through cancer.

Jenny tells Dolly she will be by her side as she fights cancer. 

A subtle shift of the head can change the emotions of the characters.

There is a magic to characters with very subtle features. When posing Jenny and her parents, a slight shift of the head could change the expression from happy to sad. Photographing the scenes was quite the challenge as each character has to be carefully posed.
The illustration process starts with me imagining what is the most compelling aspect of the page. I create a story board, which generally depicts each scene. Then I create the characters out of wire and wool. Needle felting is like sculpting with wool. In Jenny and her dog most of the scenes were created by building props, like a sofa out of wool, a trail with twigs for trees, and an animal hospital with a number of needle felted pets.

Jenny is thrilled to be greeted by Dolly who recently returned from the animal hospital. 

Jenny takes Dolly on a walk and notices that she is slowing down.

Jenny waits at the animal hospital while Dolly undergoes cancer treatment.

Jenny wears a pink scarf throughout her journey, which she throws in Dolly's gravesite in the final scene. The pink scarf was a natural both for its symbolism in cancer awareness and for its connection to little girls.
Rainbows also run throughout the book as I hand dyed a series of pastel shades for Jenny's dresses, which she changes with the seasons. In the final scene she wears a rainbow dress. The Rainbow Bridge is known as a sort of path to dog heaven.

Jenny throws her pink scarf in Dolly's grave. 

Understated illustration conveys the bond between child and dog, both with cancer. 

When I create pet portraits or woodland animals, I tend to fall in love with the pet or the species. Jenny and Dolly were no exception. I fell for them too and I hope readers can feel the love as they turn the pages.
I think the soft and wooly illustrations are a nice balance to the the serious subject. Jewel, who passed away in January, was so thrilled every time I shared an illustration with her. She was such a positive supporter of my work.
This was the first book I illustrated and as I continue to blaze the trail for this type of fiber art illustration, I learn and continue to perfect my techniques. I create many more wool paintings for backgrounds now than I did with Jenny.  "Hansel & Gretel: A Fairy Tale with a Down Syndrome Twist," was the second book Jewel and I worked on. "Prince Preemie: Tale of a Tiny Puppy Who Arrived Early," was our final collaboration; it is due out in fall of this year.

Next year, I will embark on my journey as both author and illustrator. Stay tuned.