If you're dissapointed with this post, it's because you didn't read it with an English accent.

(Think John Cleese.)

Image by Sherry Meidell

Each year as the Utah/Sourthern Idaho SCBWI Illustrator’s conference committee, we apply ourselves to find just the right presenters. Though at times it can be grueling, disheartening, and down right messy, we do not waver in our endeavor to find the best of the best (budget restrictions withstanding).

I can barely contain the excitement for this year’s selection. Like a fine wine, steak or aged cheese, all three guest speakers have reached a standard that most would envy.

We hit the proverbial jack pot!

This year's featured wine (the other two are Mormons so they get to be cheese and meat) is Giuseppe Castellano, Senior Art Director at Penguin Random House and founder of The Illustration Department. Mr. Castellano has an impressive following on Twitter. He prides himself on the number of illustrators he discovers through social media. According to him, the best part about conferences is the time before and after when he gets the chance to chat it up with artists. He will be at the Illustrators' Show at the Bountiful Davis Art Center on February 26th. Don't miss this chance to shake his hand and rub his shoulder.

The steak for this conference is the kind that has the right amount of marbling running through the cut to make it melt in your mouth at first bite. It is none other than the very talented, very busy Will Terry. Mr. Terry has been working as an illustrator for more than 20 years. (Now before for you shrug him off and say, well how is he suppose to relate to a beginner like me? Listen up.) Within the last few years Will Terry has made an online presence for himself by making Youtube videos and art classes. He will be the first to tell you that he didn't have a fan base before he started his social media campaign. He has the kind of knowledge and experience to get you heading in the right direction for your art career. 

Just you wait to try the cheese! Most cheeses are aged for a period of time. The moisture evaporates which lends to a more intense flavor and denser body. Bacteria slowly digest proteins that converts the texture of a cheese from grainy and crumbly to smooth and creamy. Jake Parker may not be as old as some cheeses, but his experiences make him a very fine cheese indeed. He has had three very successful Kickstarter campaigns. And like Will Terry, Mr. Parker teaches online classes. What a texture!

There, you have had just a sampling of this year's featured speakers. Don't miss the feast. I suggest putting aside your excuses and sign up for the conference right now. The early bird deadline is in two days on the 23rd of January. Find detailed information here. Or sign up here.