Re: Mary GrandPré in SLC / Pics uploaded!

[Lilac]

Dicentra:
The SLC denizens from HPfGU and SugarQuill arrived in costume
an hour early and got third-row seats in the stadium-seating
auditorium: Dooda, FoxyDoxy, GrannyBat, Dicentra (me), Lilac, Wahlee,
and a few others from SQ whom I did not know.

Me:
The other members that attended were S. Gwendolyn, Siriusnutter, and 
Fellytone.

Dicentra:
Lilac also took abundant photos,and she'd better post them soon!

Me:  
Done!  Check the photo section of OTC, album named Mary GrandPre.

Dicentra:
[Mary GrandPre] was very diplomatic when talking about her 
compensation, but she hinted that she was suppressing a rant. She 
did say that Scholastic worked out an arrangement for her to get 
extra compensation in lieu of royalties (I got the impression that 
it wasn't even close to what royalties would have been), and that 
her compensation has increased with each novel, though I imagine not 
by near enough. She mentioned that she also created the lightning-
bolt font for the cover of the books, for which she was not 
compensated.


Me:
I got that same impression as well.  I for one was a little 
surprised by that...I thought with how much money the books bring in 
for Scholastic and Warner Bros, I assumed that she was making a fair 
amount more with each book.  Of course, not the same amount as JKR, 
but still.  Am rather disappointed that she isn't.  Can't we 
petition to get her contract changed?  ;)

Dicentra:
She showed us slides of some of the illustrations she's done over 
the years. They are all much cooler, IMO, than her HP work. The 
faces of Fleur, Cedric, and Krum on the cover of GoF carry signs her 
trademark facial style but Harry doesn't.

Me:
In total agreement.  Her "original" work had just a touch more 
whimsy and fantasy to it, imo.  A lot of her pre-HP subjects have 
what I describe as a "Cedric Nose" - the strong, straight bridge, 
curved slightly from eyebrow to tip; chiseled, sharp edges of the 
nose from the eyebrow to tip; yet with softness around other 
features, etc.  Is this the "soft geometry" she is referring to?  

In my un-art-educated opinion, I think her style is very magical.

I'm sitting here looking at the cover of GOF (so I can fully 
describe the "Cedric Nose"), and I can tell you for a fact that I 
see a lot of Mary in Harry's face on the cover, especially in the 
nose and smile.  I believe I read an interview (on TLC?) where she 
said that Harry had some of her own features (can't currently find 
the article, though - sorry). 

Dicentra:
She showed us the illustrations from "Plum," a book of poetry by 
Tony Mitton, "Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat" and "Pockets" by 
Jennifer Armstrong.

I've seen and read "Plum" before, but not the other two.  We were 
lucky enough to have her summarize/read from each of these books as 
well.  I am definitely buying "Pockets" and "Chin Yu", plus "Sea 
Chest" looked marvelous as well!   

Her children's book illustrations are exquisite; realistic, yet with 
that sense of whimsy and magic.  You can view some of them at her 
website at www.marygrandpre.com .

Dicentra:
She had deliberately avoided the movies to preserve her artistic 
vision and only recently saw them. (I assume after she did OoP.) She 
appeared to be reasonably satisfied with the art direction in the 
movies, but she *really* wanted to mess up Dan Radcliffe's hair. "He 
looked too...British. Too well cared-for." We informed her that the 
publicity photos from PoA show a scruffier hairstyle for Harry. She 
seemed pleased.

Me:
As were we!  I've always loved the way she drew Harry's hair.  
Wahlee was the one in the audience to speak up on that -- good 
girl!    
    
Dicentra:
She never knows when the manuscript is going to be sent to her: 
someone from Scholastic calls her and utters a code word to tell her 
that the manuscript is being sent to her, at which time she has to 
drop everything and work on HP. She can't discuss the book with 
anyone, including her family members, and she has to sign all kinds 
of confidentiality agreements to that end.</i>

Me:
I believe she said that the manuscript is brought personally to her 
by someone from Scholastic.  I remember her saying something like 
the person is "chained" to the manuscript (exaggerating, of course) 
until it gets directly into Mary's hands.  At least, that was my 
impression, but then again, I didn't take notes...I was mostly 
taking pictures.

Dicentra:
Dooda, FoxyDoxy, GrannyBat, and Lilac will have to tell you what she
said to them: I wasn't listening.

Me: 
I forgot what I was going to ask her when I finally got up there!  
Darn it!  But I did thank her for coming and sharing her work with 
us.  She said she was glad she was invited.  I also asked her if she 
ever gets sick of us crazy Potter fans (as I got the impression that 
she's a tiny bit intimidated by us canon thumpers that know the 
books better than she *winks at Grannybat*), and she said, "Oh, 
no!"     

Dicentra:
(FYI: Lilac has spectacular lilac robes with sequins and everything 
but she left them in the car because she was too chicken to wear 
them in public. That's right -- I called you a chicken.)

Me:
*cluck, cluck*  I KNOW I am! *is ashamed*  I was chicken on my own 
home turf.  Besides that, the hat hurts my head and ruins my hair-do 
after just a few minutes (sorry Gail...I don't know how Gilderoy 
does it...must be those hair care products he markets :P)  But 
Dicentra and Grannybat, you're outfits were wonderful!  

I did, however, wear my very warm and wonderful Gryffindor scarf 
that I bought from Dooda.  And, coincidentally enough, FoxyDoxy 
(Dooda's sister) is married to someone I went to high school 
with...small world, huh?  

Those four HPFGU gals ate pizza and talked Potter theory that 
evening, while I had a flat tire on the way home from MGP and a 
headache the rest of the night, so I was a party pooper and stayed 
home. :(  Bummer.

You should hear our previous theory about Wormtail and Nagini, 
though...but only if you aren't eating pizza at the same time.  
(Yes, it's very EEEEEWWWWWWW!)  

Lilac :)