The Story Emporium is a Children’s Bookstore that is run by Children’s Authors and Illustrators! Each week you will find a new author to meet however the resident author / illustrator is Erin T Whalen.
Story Emporium Hours
Sunday — CLOSED
Monday — 9-1
Tuesday — 9-1
Wednesday — 9-9
Thursday — 9-1
Friday — 9-1
Saturday — 9-2
Here is my current paint concoction (or however you spell that) being worked on at the new art studio. I haven’t been there much because of getting the kids ready to go back to school and all but I am inching along. Unfortunately, I have been told that I will be needing surgery ASAP for the numbness in my right arm. Yes, irony strikes once again…I am fortunate enough to have this wonderful art studio to work in and my drawing arm goes numb. Unbelievable huh? I can only draw and paint in tiny spurts right now because of the numbness and pain and the doctor says the nerve damage will be irreversible if I don’t get the surgery quickly. So alas, I must go under the knife if I am to continue drawing and painting. I have also been told that it is not 100% that the surgery will fix me so please cross your fingers, pray, or dance naked under the full moon for me…whatever it is you do to bring about results. I really need all the help I can get on this one. I will keep you in the loop on when the surgery is to happen and will soon put up my ‘studio hours’ so that you can come visit me and my characters in the works.
Until next time….night!
Erin
I just started designing my new place… It’s called THE STORY EMPORIUM. Below is a description of what it is.
The Story Emporium is an art studio where children’s illustration can be purchased in the form of altered jewelry, prints, originals or books. I like to call it so much more than a children’s bookstore because not only can visitors come in and watch a children’s illustrator at work but 2 times a week we have visiting authors and illustrators who are interviewed for a local television station and a web show! Following each interview will be a book signing. Each visiting author will have their books for sale at The Story Emporium! In addition to our visiting authors we will have our resident storyteller for story times all week! Like I said…it is so much more than a children’s book store!
If you are a children’s author or illustrator and would like to be considered for an interview please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Erin
Sitting idle frustrates me. I have been sitting idle for two years now because of my disabling spinal condition
and now it has traveled to my RIGHT arm … my drawing arm, uggghhh. VERY tough just to complete one painting or to even type for any decent length of time. I am actually looking into a voice recognition program to help me with the writing end. My intention here is not to complain because well, that’s just unattractive.
What I want to say is that I had a great revelation today. While watching my adorable kids and their friends selling lemonade, I found i was getting extremely frustrated having to once again sit idle when I could be working on my craft. However, it being 90 degrees, I certainly wasn’t taking my laptop outside to work so I just sat on the stairs and pouted to myself. Pathetic I know…. but it gave me time to reflect on the past week and how my artistic outlook has been boosted. I reflected back to having my oil changed in my car at Valvoline where  the attendants come right up to your car while you sit in it. They were awed by the artwork I had on my front seat and asked where did I buy it. Of course that is enough to make any artist proud but then they proceeded to look at my three childrens’ books that I keep in my car at al times. They told me my work was unbelievable. They lifted my spirits so high that day and that is not the only kudos I received last week. I met with RISCA (Rhode Island State Council of the Arts) and they too were amazed at the work I have accomplished. They even went as far as to say I don’t give myself enough credit. (and really what artist does?) Anyway, I got to reflect on this while sitting on the steps watching the kids at the lemonade stand. Reflection is so important and I just don’t do enough of it.
As I was pondering all of this I received a text from my x-mother in law. She had sent me a photo of my x-brother in laws newborn baby… just minutes old. It was then that I realized I have created more than books and art … but the wonderful children in front of me that were out there selling lemonade. It dawned on me that  I was not through creating them. I still have a few years before It is time to send them out into the world as I do with my finished books and paintings. I couldn’t help but smile when I realized I was working on what was now a 12 year old art project that is still not done!
Of course I had to grab my sketchbook and draw them at the lemonade stand and yes, I am happy to say that not only was that beautiful baby born today but a new picture book as well. I did rough sketches of my girls enjoying their summer and a story naturally followed in my head.
I will try to remember that sitting idle is a HUGE part of the process of creation, I just need to be patient enough sometimes to remember to do it.
Erin
Here is a painting in the works. She is one of the bad guys in my novel. I am plugging along nicely now and the book is coming together… Or should I say it’s all there, just cleaning it up.
I met with an old friend and a few others in the artist community and it made me very happy to know that I belong to such a great bunch of people.
Thanks for keeping me going with my art!
Erin
I am very excited to announce that I will be moving my art supplies, drawing board, painting table, and all of the stuff I use to create my books and illustrations to a public studio. My plan is to work there daily and I encourage everyone to come and visit me while I produce my next two books with illustrations. I will also be selling books from the studio along with prints of the illustrations. My paintings in progress can be viewed and prints will be for sale on those as well. I am so excited to be able to do this. I will post further details as the time nears and send out invitations to my entire mailing list. I am planning on having some activities and classes for children as well as planned school visits to the author’s studio. Please pass this information along to anyone you may know that would be interested in seeing what I have to offer. I will put out more information as the time nears.
As far as my novel goes, I am getting good reviews from my writer’s group. I haven’t any new drawings to post at this time because I have been getting ready for the studio. Please comment and leave any thoughts on me opening a public studio. I would love to hear your opinions.
Erin
I have been doing so much character work as well as cleaning up my chapters and let me tell you this novel is shaping up better than I thought possible. I am so excited to be able to share the progress with you. I have taken this entire weekend to be by myself with my stories. I am popping back and forth from text to sketch then back again.
Any artist will tell you there is no better place to be than the ZONE. This weekend I worked all sorts of hours and it felt like no time at all. I have been in the zone before but never this deep. Once out of it, I was confused and dazed. It was almost a scary feeling and if that is one of the side effects of deep zoning than I am willing to have more of it. Here are some of the pieces I created while in that zone. Tomorrow I will be adding the finishing touches on it and this piece called “The Ringmaster and his Prey” will be finished and in line behind the “Evil Clown” waiting to be hung in my new studio… I will announce more on that in the springtime. So many great things I have in store for my young readers this year!
Ok, I went, I saw, and I LOVED!!! The Hope Artist Village is where I want to spend my days painting and weekends selling. The energy there is amazing. I am going to continue to create enough paintings to fill the walls in the studio so when I do move in, it will be beaming with all of my work. Please everyone send me good energy to obtain the perfect studio so that I can actually eat dinner on my kitchen table with my family instead of painting on it and have everyone eat in the living room … 🙂
Erin
Erin T. Whalen 