The Release of Counting Toasters 1 to 10!

If you had told me ten years ago that I’d be a self-published author and illustrator of children’s books, I might have believed you. If you told me ten years ago that I’d be painting, drawing, and self-publishing books of toasters, I most definitely would not have believed you. But here we are in 2023, celebrating the release of my second children’s book, Counting Toasters 1 to 10!

Here it is!

I’ve already written a post divulging the history of my toasters, which can be read here. Once If Only I Had came out, people started telling me I should have a toaster book of some kind. It didn’t take long for me to write the first draft of Counting Toasters 1 to 10, although editing and finalizing the text took a few more months. Hands down the illustrations were the most time-consuming part.

A small tangent here – but I really love when I put plans into place that don’t necessarily immediately help me out, but make my life easier in the future. Like, putting the receipt for my vehicle tabs right into the folder for next years taxes. I like to say out loud, “Thanks, Past Haley!” when that happens.

I kept my layout files from If Only I Had, knowing I wanted the two books to be the same size and reused those for the pages for the new book. They were already set up, with guides in place for printing. I was even able to use the same file for the full cover design!

Thanks, Past Haley!

Counting Toasters 1 to 10 is written for kids under age 5, but adults reading it will get a kick out of it too. It’s a counting book that counts from 1 up to 10, then from 10 back down to 1. It features repetition in the text: “One little toaster… Two little toasters…” as well as rhyme from one page to the next. Each page features a number of toasters frolicking and just plain living their best lives!

It's a fantastic bedtime story, particularly because it’s not crazy long and ends with “Good night!” (Although we may be a little bit biased here at Chateau McAndrews.) That’s right, there’s a sleeping toaster at the end, and it’s adorable. I remember laughing as I painted the illustration for that page, which is always a good sign. It just might be my favorite illustration from the book.

I drew and painted each illustration with pen & ink, watercolor paints, and colored pencils on watercolor paper (for a step-by-step breakdown of the process, check out this blog post.)

Prior to publication, I submitted Counting Toasters 1 to 10 to ReadersFavorite.com for a review. I’m so proud to say, it earned 5-Stars! According to the review: “Haley McAndrews’s Counting Toasters 1 to 10 has all the elements of a great picture book. The story is imaginative and funny, and the language is simple. The flow is logical, and the rhyme and rhythm relaxing. An award-winning artist, Haley McAndrews’s illustrations successfully set the tone, focusing mainly on the toasters and their activities. It’s a reminder that sometimes less can be more. This story is not only intended to teach and entertain but also to inspire the imagination of young readers."

As nobody has asked yet, but I’m sure people will: yes, I am planning another toaster book! It is not a second to Counting Toasters 1 to 10, however. It is a standalone book, with a working title of “Toaster Haiku: For All Ages” and will be my first book of poetry (haiku, to be exact!) Here’s a sneak peek:

I bet you didn't know you needed a poetry book about toasters.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of my children’s books, you can find them on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online booksellers - and a few places locally, like Books and Bakery (Carroll, IA) or the Pearson Lakes Art Center (Okoboji, IA.) I will also be selling copies in person at my art events (you can see a list of my scheduled events for the year on my website) – assuming I don’t forget to bring the books with me again (Thanks, Past Haley!) And of course, for regular updates on my writing, art, etc. you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram @RedStoneArtStudio.

Upcoming Exhibition: HalloWhimsical Women at the Witter Gallery

For the month of October 2022, four fantastic female artists will fill the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake, IA, with a selection of their artwork. The reception will be held at the gallery at 5:00pm on Saturday, October 8th, and I'm extra excited because I'm able to give a little sneak peek here today!

First up, I'd like to introduce you to Melanie Cable, also known as Ms. Chevious! She lives in Canby, MN, and I have known and followed her artwork on social media for over ten years now. She creates her artwork with more mediums than I can list - whatever she needs for a piece, she's going to figure it out and make it happen!

That's one leak that doesn't need fixing!

This is the main centerpiece for a new series of paintings she calls "Creativity Leak." There will be seven paintings in total, with each one reflecting a different aspect of herself. Painted in acrylic on stretched canvas, she added a variety of accents and coated each one with resin. You can find more of her art and upcoming events on her Facebook page.

Next up is Rachael Sitzman, of PrettyDoll.Art! She lives in Linn Grove, IA, and is another fantastic mixed media artist. She paints, sculpts, draws, collages, and more! I have a number of her pieces in my home, including a pair of earrings and a portrait she painted from one of my wedding pictures.

Is anybody else hungry?

Sitzman’s recent mixed media artworks have been utilizing tessellations (a pattern created out of shapes that fit together without gaps) for her backgrounds – for this one, it started with an adorable little cow getting abducted by a spaceship. Then as she continued working on it, it turned into a 50’s style diner with a space alien twist! Her official page can be found at Facebook.com/PrettyDoll.Art.

I'm honored to introduce the third artist, Cindy Barahona-Roth! I first met her through the Witter Gallery, as she has been the Director there for years. She also lives and teaches in Storm Lake, IA. I have only recently been introduced to her artwork, but I am crazy about it!

Who would’ve guessed that green and purple would go so well together!

She studied make up in Hollywood, and brings that experience and knowledge into her artwork. It’s obvious with the level of detail she has added here! For many of her pieces, she uses “found” art and paints on top of it to create new art! I particularly love the color scheme in this one, as well as the juxtaposition of the precise painting of the woman with the drippy, watery background.

The fourth artist is myself, and I’m honored to be sharing the gallery with these amazing ladies! If you didn’t know already, my name is Haley McAndrews and I live in Denison, IA. I am an illustrator and I create my art with acrylics, watercolor, pen and ink, and a variety of other mixed media.

Brrr, so chilly!

I’ll have 12 pieces on display at the gallery total, all created within the last two years. They range from cities to toasters, trees, and other characters. This one is called “Winter in April” and I painted it first in watercolor on paper, then I used acrylics on top. It was inspired by the cozy feeling I get when I wear my winter coat, which has a massive furry hood on it. You can follow me on Facebook at Red Stone Art Studio.

Our exhibition will be during the month of October, and we will have our reception at 5:00pm on Saturday, October 8th at the Witter Gallery. The Gallery is located inside the Storm Lake Library building, at 609 Cayuga St, in Storm Lake IA.

I look forward to seeing you there! 😊

Illustration Isn't Real Art

When I was in art school I took a variety of art classes. I ended up getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art Photography as at the time I wanted to make a career out of digitally editing and restoring photographs. Now I think I would’ve been more suited (despite a great love for photography) to majoring in drawing. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.

In one class in particular, the professor (who shall remain nameless) assigned us a handful of written essays in addition to our art projects throughout the semester. The first essay is one I will remember until the day I die: she assigned us to write an essay about how illustration isn’t real art.

A glimpse into my sketchbook, circa 2007.

I was completely floored, and spoke to the Dean of the Art Department. “Illustration is what I do!” I exclaimed, frustrated beyond belief. Looking back, I’m not sure what I was hoping to accomplish with the meeting. I wasn’t looking for her to be reprimanded or anything, but couldn’t I at least write about something else? His response was to say “I don’t want you to feel like I’m just siding with my professors, but…” He sided with his professor. He theorized that she was trying to get me to “expand my horizons.” By stifling an entire genre of art? That doesn’t seem right.

But I have always been a good student, and not a fan of confrontation, so I wrote an essay defending illustration. The original essay has been lost for many years, but it went a little something like this:

Merriam-Webster defines the word illustration as “something that serves to illustrate, such as: 1. A picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive. B. An example or instance that helps make something clear.” I believe we can all agree that for many years (since 1828, according to their website) Merriam-Webster has been a trusted dictionary for accurate definitions of words in the English language.

(When I got my graded paper back, the professor had written some comments in the margin – the one for this paragraph just said “No.”)

If it's on the internet, it must be true.

Andy Warhol, prior to his widespread fame and success, worked as an illustrator for Sears catalogue. I don’t think anyone would dare argue that Andy Warhol’s drawings and paintings aren’t art, or that he isn’t considered a “real” artist.

(The professor made a note here that said “always an artist, not always making art.”)

And finally, according to the definition given above, the majority of art history can be labeled as “illustrations.” Ancient cave paintings were created to help tell and record stories. Before photography, portraits were painted to make it clear who the important people were in society. Even stained glass windows, sculptures, and paintings in churches were created solely to illustrate stories from the Bible, so the masses could understand without reading the book themselves. A perfect example is the Sistine Chapel. Nobody in their right mind would claim that the Sistine Chapel ceiling isn’t art, but it sure falls under the definition of “illustration.”

(She didn’t have a comment for this one.)

In the end, I got the lowest grade possible on my paper: a check minus. Her grading scale apparently has three checkmark levels; a check, which I guess was like a C; a check plus, which was an excellent grade; and a check minus, which was on par with an F. She asked me if I wanted to talk about my paper face-to-face after she graded it, and I said no (again, fear of confrontation.)

Although thinking back, this wasn’t the first time I wrote a paper like this. Back in high school, we had to write a paper about Beowulf, and mine was a persuasive essay on how Grendel’s mother was just a mom grieving the murder of her son, and Beowulf was actually the villain in the story. My English teacher gave me an A on that one. 😉

Overlooked Artistry at Universal Studios

Art is everywhere. I’ve said it for years, and I’ll say it again. Art is everywhere.

But maybe it would be more accurate to say “Artists touch everything.” Well… no, that’s not right either. “You can find the touch of an artist everywhere you look.” That’s more like it! Now we don’t sound like creeps.

Cue the horror music!

Exhibit A: The cover for the official instructions on how to file your Form-1040, aka your TAX RETURN (if you live in the US.) Isn’t it beautiful? An artist took that photograph. A graphic designer created the IRS logo. And the FreeFile logo. Another designer laid out the rest of the page, with a font that was specifically chosen. The list goes on. That piece of paper from the Internal Revenue Service that has the power to keep people awake at night, is a thing of beauty. And what exposure it gets! The majority of adults in the United States are required to file a Form-1040 every year! The artists involved must be SOOOO famous (whoever they are!)

But, Haley, I thought we were talking about Universal! It even says it in the title! Right you are, friend.

For Spring Break this year we spent four days at Universal Studios: going on all sorts of rides, casting spells at the Wizarding World, and just enjoying the warmth of summertime… but in March (an unusual thing for Iowans.) Emma’s favorite ride was E.T., Alex could have spent the whole vacation playing at the toddler park in the Curious George area, and my stepsons went on the Hulk rollercoaster about 8 times, I think. My absolute favorite part of Universal, however, is the atmosphere.

The E.T. ride gets pretty weird.

I could spend my days just staring at the false buildings and storefronts, lost in the tiny details that make Universal Studios an experience, instead of just a bunch of rides. From area to area, and even ride to ride, the uniforms are different for the personnel. There’s even different music playing around you, that relates to which area of the park you are in. I remember my stepsons getting tired of me pointing it all out a few years ago on our first vacation there: “Look! An artist painted that!” “An artist made this wall look so old!” “Look, this is fake rust on this sign, hand painted by an artist!” “YES, HALEY, WE KNOW!”

But do you? I have a hard time fathoming the extensive team it took to design and implement all of it. Here’s a great example, the door going into the SpongeBob SquarePants shop:

I'm ready! I'm ready!

The 3-dimensional building is painted to look like it belongs in a 2-dimensional cartoon, under the sea. The artists working on it (I can’t imagine it was just one person) used varying shades and tints of each color to accent and help define the edges of the faux paneling on the wall, and the “grain” of the “wooden” door. The décor inside is all related to the kids’ TV show – there’s even a framed “Employee of the Month” picture of SpongeBob on the wall.

Where can I get red shingles like that?

Another excellent example from a kids’ TV show: Curious George! This area of Universal is a waterpark, where they have “books” laid out with pages open to read, letting kids feel like they are running around inside the story! The technique here is genius – painting the buildings flat but vivid colors, with bright trim, lots of signs, and black paint along the edges and details, making it look more 2-dimensional and cartoony, outlined just like the illustrations in the Curious George books!

The artists spent hours and hours of painting by hand to make the bricks look exactly right. Check out the ornate details on these railings and windows, and the sign made of lightbulbs – it’s all custom designed and created for these specific buildings – many of which are false fronts! Thank you, artists!

And because it was the McAndrews clan, of course we spent a lot of time in the Wizarding World. Replicating Diagon Alley must have been a massive endeavor – and they nailed it! As you enter through the “magic” brick wall, you hear the sound of the bricks shifting and clacking, and then you are hit with the unmistakable music from the movies. You really feel like you’ve entered a magical place, particularly with so many people dressing in Hogwarts robes and waving their magical wands around!

It's us. We are the robe-wearing wand wavers.

Universal is such a popular destination for people from all over the world, that wait times for the rides are regularly 60-120 minutes or more! It’s brilliant, but they (Universal) have planned out the areas where you wait in line and decorated them so you feel immersed – for the Spider-man ride, you walk through the Daily Bugle office; for the King Kong ride, you weave your way through a jungle temple; and for the Hogwarts ride, you find yourself exploring the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It’s all decorated spectacularly, with hidden Easter eggs for devout fans to pick out.

I could listen to the paintings argue all day.

It’s such an incredible experience to be there with my kids, and I look forward to going back again when my girls are a little bit older (and able to go on more rides) but not too old to stop believing in the magic there. Emma was so excited about going to “Harry Potter’s castle” before we went this time, and now that we are home likes to talk about how much “Mommy screams on all the rides!”

Artistic Guilty Pleasure: Crafts and LEGOs

I have a number of guilty pleasures like vampire romance novels, really crappy movies, and eating way too much chocolate. I’ve also discovered I have what some may describe as an obsession with LEGO sets.

Growing up, my brother had THOUSANDS of LEGO bricks. I had zero (but I did have hundreds of stuffed animals.) And, as he was my older brother, I also had zero chance of getting my hands on his LEGOs. Instead, I played outside with what I could find in nature: rocks, sticks, dirt, etc. It’s really no wonder I fell in love with the Redwall book series at a young age (a medieval fantasy type world in which the characters are all animals, and they create food and drink, tools and weapons out of supplies found in nature.) To this day, I have a small collection of the paperbacks, lovingly on display in my art studio – and last year I made my first successful batch of dandelion wine!

I'll never throw this card away!

My very first LEGO set was gifted to me by my husband, Jon. It was Mother’s Day 2021, and he said “Your gift is that you get to put it together without children.” How could I not love this man? The set was #5005878, the buildable Mother’s Day card. He had found the set, which was a mere 47 pieces, on EBay. It is a cherished possession now, and permanently lives on my dresser next to the stuffed Ninja Turtle I got for Christmas when I was three. Once I put that little plastic card together, I was hooked.

Jon is also the one who introduced me to the Harry Potter series (I’m a Ravenclaw, if you were wondering) after we got together. He and my stepsons would listen to the audiobooks on long drives, and the boys had a number of the Harry Potter LEGO sets. When we started dating, Jon only had a lonely Hogwarts castle and broken down Hagrid’s Hut. We set it up on display on our kitchen shelf when we moved to Denison, and since have been adding little by little to our collection.

Our lighting is still in the trial-and-error stage.

I gave Jon a few sets as gifts; the Potions class that folds up into a book, and the Knight Bus. We also have a 20”x20” framed plastic brick family portrait hanging on our wall in the basement that I put together around the same time. My gifts for Christmas 2021 were Honeyduke’s and the Three Broomsticks, and the Flying Lessons set. At age 35, I was finally able to sit down at the dining room table with my dad (he came to visit for the holiday) and put together LEGO sets. He applied the stickers to the pieces as I assembled (hands down, the building is my favorite part.)

For Mother’s Day 2022, I was given more EBay LEGO sets – a massive bundle of bricks that formed five more Harry Potter buildings (and a Ninjago mech). Our collection is becoming obsessive – I mean - impressive, and by now I’m sure you can tell there’s a bit of passion in our family behind the hobby (and for the Harry Potter series.)

No glue! Can you believe it?

It wasn’t exactly LEGOs, but when we were on vacation in Florida this spring I picked up a wooden puzzle kit that formed a 3D angelfish. My stepson Connor helped me put it together one Saturday morning. I have a few crafty, wood sets that I have put together, and I adore them all!

What exactly is it that I enjoy so much about crafting and building? I find that I get lost in the assembling, much like I get lost in the process of creating my art. I treasure the memories from working on these sets, building them with people I love. I enjoy working with my hands, creating with a new (to me) medium. 

This begs the question – is assembling Lego or craft sets an art form? I’d argue yes. The design that goes into these sets is amazing, how it all fits together just so to create something new. There’s no denying that the designers of the sets are artists (and definitely engineers.) It’s a way for everyone, even those without artistic tendencies, to create. And really, when you think about it, there isn’t much difference between following the steps in the LEGO instruction booklet and listening to the step-by-step instructions given by the great Bob Ross (who whole-heartedly believed that everyone could be an artist) in his educational painting shows.

So much potential in one little brick.

At the time I’m writing this post, we are taking a break from acquiring more LEGOs. We will probably pick it up again in the future, but realistically we have run out of space in our kitchen. When I admitted that I have “the LEGO bug,” Jon made the joke that when I die he will fill my coffin with LEGO bricks so if I try to escape I will step on them and won’t be able to get out. I’ll admit I’m impressed with his creativity sometimes, considering he isn’t an artist.

Inspiration: Florida

Our 2022 Spring Break trip down to Florida was memorable in a number of different ways. First, we drove down. It was 24 hours down, about 30 hours back. My 16 year old stepson drove for about 18 hours total throughout the trip. And honestly, it went as smoothly as possible! Though we were all pretty sick of snacks (and being in my minivan) by the time we got home.

The first half of our trip was spent in the Panacea-Alligator Point area, up on the panhandle. Just a few blocks down the beach from where we were visiting my grandparents, lives an incredible watercolor artist named Tonya Toole. My Auntie Barb introduced us, and Tonya gave me a tour of her studio.

Jealous much? Me too.

We discussed different watercolor techniques, and she told me about some of the pieces hanging there in her studio. It’s hard for me to explain the feeling I get when I’m around other artists but it’s like excitement, a feeling of finding and recognizing my people, mixed with admiration and inspiration. This is part of the reason I love studio tours and gallery receptions so much (though my attendance has waned in recent years with young children under my feet.) Being around other artists is rejuvenating!

Of course she asked me about my own art and I had nothing whatsoever to show, as my phone was at 12% or less battery life the whole week due to a faulty charging cord. And despite seeing numerous authors online saying “bring copies of your book EVERYWHERE with you” I had forgotten those too! But I told her to look for me on Facebook, and she was able to find my page pretty easily.

Tonya invited me to come back as she was hosting an art group for a few hours the next morning. A group of watercolor painters in the area will get together regularly at one of their houses or studios, they bring snacks and bars, and they all paint together. Each time they meet, there’s a proposed theme for the next sessions paintings: this time it was “farm animals.” (Following the theme isn’t required, but having a prompt definitely helps you from wasting the first hour of painting time staring at a looming blank white paper.) A few of the artists already had their drawings ready to go on the paper, others sketched once they got settled.

Caution: artists at work!

Diving right in!

Since I was only there for a brief audit of the group, I was able to do an impromptu presentation of some of my artwork (I borrowed Tonya’s laptop and talked to them about the paintings I have on my website.) I also told them about my children’s books “If Only I Had” and the one I’m currently working on: “Counting Toasters 1 to 10.” I even sold a couple copies of my book (which I didn’t have with me!) I was at least able to find one single business card in my wallet, which they all had to share. Sometimes I am the embodiment of the saying “you’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached!”

Impromptu show-and-tell.

There was such a variety among the group, people from different states (only two were actually from Florida) and even some artists that had moved to the United States from other countries. The watercolor expertise level was wide-ranging; even the farm animals were well represented: chickens, pigs, and sheep (and Tonya’s fish, which she was still working on from the previous get-together.)

Look how beautiful all the paintings are!

Being an active part of a group like this is now on my 5-year list. I used to get together for a weekend a few times a year with some friends who are also artists, very similarly to this group in Florida (but with more alcohol involved.) It would be fantastic to get involved in one now, but it will be much easier to commit to once my littles are slightly bigger and more self-sufficient. For now, I’ll have to rely on my shows and Facebook connections for artistic comradery.

My inspiration doesn’t just come from being around other artists, it also comes from nature. Iowa in the winter is dead and brown when there’s no snow on the ground, and seeing the change in climate as we drove through other states was almost jarring. For example, Missouri had more snow than we did. And Florida is green and covered in Spanish moss all year round. I have a great love of Spanish moss, and even have a tiny clump of it that lives in a jar on my kitchen windowsill.

#plantmom

One of the days in northern Florida we took a trip up to Wakulla Springs. We had a great time! My stepsons braved the chilly water and jumped in from the top of the platform (had I brought my swimsuit, I swear I would have jumped too! 😉) The river boat tour there is fantastic – we even saw a group of four manatees! I took a number of photos there, most of them of beautiful trees, draped in blankets of lovely moss.

Now I need to learn to paint water.

Returning home after a trip like that is a mixed bag of emotions. It’s depressing, coming home to scenery lacking in life and literal warmth (particularly after spending 30 hours in a minivan to get there), but at the same time I can’t wait to get out my brushes and paint! One of my earlier blog posts was about how travel has influenced my artwork, and I just know this trip is going to be one I’ll paint about afterward. Expect to see some moss-covered bayou trees from me in the near future!