Matt Watier » Illustrated Picture Books

Secret Magick is for Sale.

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:58:51 +0000

So after what seems like for ever I can now place a link to where you can buy my book. Please go and buy a copy.

http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=53845

My second children's book is now for sale.

The Secret Magics of Maine

by Matt Watier

Playing in the shadowy mud of the forest, swimming in the cold Atlantic Ocean, and hiding under the wildflowers in the fields, children find magic throughout Maine. Share with your child the enchanting stories and mystical creatures in Watier’s The Secret Magics of Maine. This guide and its award winning illustrations will inspire your child’s imagination as they meet mythical creatures like Victoria, Queen of the Lobsters, Flarians children of the Sun, and the Arctic Frost Beast who is the cause of deep winter blizzards. Don’t miss a chance to share a magical moment with your child.

Finished Poster – Secrets

admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:03:15 +0000

After a week of painting I have finally finished the poster for my upcoming book the Secret Magicks of Maine, and I am sending it back to Xlibris to become the poster. Here is the sneak peak of it I hope you see it soon in a book store near you.

The magical world of fairies has always been kept a secret from most humans.

Of course I need to take a small break an thank my model for the poster. Though it doesn’t look like her much now the facial expression and the hand position were crucial in making this painting work. So, thanks Mandi you are the best.

Poster Art for Secrets

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:12:00 +0000

I have an upcoming book that I am self publishing. One of the parts of the package that I need to finish was the poster. I felt though the book is filled with some really great art that I wanted to make something new that spoke of the feel for the book. So, working from the title of the book “The Secret Magics of Maine” I came up with a concept of a fairy that was slightly hiding keeping a secret.

poster art

This little guy was on the title page of the book. It was a little to cartoony for my desired look for the poster.

So the photo of mandi didn't come out that great but I know this was the general pose that I wanted and a good deal of the art was going to come from imagination.

After I took the photos I worked up a sketch for the poster.

Because I didn't know the size for the final poster and other collateral, I expanded the art and hid the fairy in leaves to give me the maxium usage of formats.

Rough painting it is all coming together. It still is bit bare but now it is time to develope details that will push the painting into completion.

Refinements to the face and added jewles and other details wraps up the painting.

Click Here to see the final poster with all of the copy.

Self Publishing & Marketing

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:54:44 +0000

The title art for the book didn't make it to the poster

SO I am slowly working on self publishing the Secret Magicks of Maine and one of the major pieces of marketing is the poster that will be sent to book stores for signings and other such events. I wanted to make a unique painting for the book because none of the interior art besides the sketch for the title page speak to the title.

The Title art for The Secret Magicks of Maine

So with a little help from a co-worker who posed for me I have been clawing away at make the art for the Poster. The poster of course had a fairy and I wanted it to be slightly hidden I also wanted it to be colorful. So I hide the fairy in some fall leaves. Here is the sketch of my beautiful model made into a fairy with a secret.

A tree fairy with a secret the main focus on the poster.

And the first color draft of the poster.

The First Color Sketch of the Poster

I hope you all enjoy. The final painting will be released soon for purchase.

Bo Peep Art

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:25:29 +0000

A children’s book of mine. It is the Art and it is CoolIris Enabled.

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Underground and Full of Imagination.

admin — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:55:56 +0000

Maybe one of my favorite projects was the Picture Book “The Commute on the Sea-Line.” The Project all sparked as I rode the Boston Metro and found a sign that said. “On days of heavy rain subway station may flood.” I was total amused and day dreamed for the rest of the commute about the concept and how to make it into a book. Though the book has never been Published I still look back on the art and love it. The Commute on the Sea-Line is filled with Whimsical Paintings about Fish finding there way into the Boston Subway Station. Maybe one day it will find a publisher but while that day comes I sell single panels of the book as art.

The Copley Metro in Boston With Chicken Lips Fish

Kenmore Station in Boston is Flooded so People need to use Boats

Park Street Station now filled with Coral and Sea-Horses

Jelly Fish in the Blue Line of the Boston Metro

A seed of a book

admin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:32:22 +0000

The Secret Magics of Maine was a practice in making new myths. Not modern myths but myths that would sit by the Norse creation of the world and not seem like it was a flamingo in a flock of penguins. The book was an exploration of the small-unexplained moments that make my home state of Maine “worth a visit worth a life time.”

In the research of this book I asked anyone I could ‘what makes Maine special?’ I came up with a pretty grand list of things. And some never made it to that book. One that I thought was worth thinking about but was cut was “noticing that all the apples of a tree have turned red overnight.” that little tidbit was the catalyst of another book of mine “The Rockwall.”

My Oldest Love

admin — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:31:48 +0000

I have what seemes like the longest time been in love with telling stories. I have been a part of 30 plus plays either working backstage or singing and dancing alone in the front lime light. I have built interactive digital stories that used the now defunked Director Program. And ever since I have graduated college back in 2001 I have written and illustrated children’s books.

I can say with great confidence that my oldest love is children’s books. I have been a great fan of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. And also have loved the art of Howard Pyle and NC Weyth who illustrated the great classics Treasure Island, Robin Hood, Gulliver’s Travels.

I have had Limited sucsess with my books. I have had one book published with a collection of nightmares that happened with the printing and publishing end. I have enough rejections to wall paper my bathroom now (A targetable goal that most of teachers have reached too.) I have started self publishing a collection of illustrated short stories. And yet I still love what I do. I keep working at. I keep changing and improving on what I have made, and also I start new projects that sometime die to apathy only to picked up a year later to be birthed into there own well earned covers.

I hope you enjoy the very private backstage pass to my world of being a children’s book illustrator.

Lost Art 1

admin — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 19:24:00 +0000

This book has had a lot of changes. One that I find most shocking is the main characters of the book have completely changed. Well to illustrate the point I could easily point to the title and how it changed.
The book was originally called The Rockwall Goblins, but now it is just called The Rockwall. Today I am going to release a Lost ART piece I thought when I was making it that it would become the 2nd or 3rd spread of the book, but now it cut from the book completely. Enjoy the piece.

“Goblin in the Shadows”

Illustrations from the final Sections of The Rockwall”

admin — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:06:00 +0000

The Rockwall is an ongoing children book with me right now. Where I am in relation to the posts doesn’t always match up with what I am currently working on. Right now I am currently working on the final paintings for the book.
So to give all you readers a treat I am going to give you preview of the finished paintings. This painting that I am releasing today was just finished. It is out of the center of the book but I hope you all enjoy. it is called…

“Finger Painting”

Hope you all enjoyed this fantastical painting from my newest illustrated children s book.