Exciting News

A collection of 116 posts

Art

Good Thing That Happened, Part the Third

Waaaaaaay back in June 2022, I visited the Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, MA. And then, I applied for one of the live/work spaces called The Lofts. It was quite a process with CVs, artist statement, portfolio, proof that I'm a working artist and showing my work - luckily

Art

Good Thing That Happened, Part Two

Oops, fell behind again. These Anxiety-Depression Attacks are kind of like a neurotypical person getting the flu. They knock me out and leave me so exhausted and then feeling like I have to run to catch up! So I told you about the puppy I'll be getting in April, the

Animals

Geeky Girl is Getting a New Teddy Bear!

There has been SO much happening, I admit I have been really overwhelmed! There's been some really bad stuff with medical and mental issues and words like "cancer testing", "inflammation", "... indicators", and "more extensive testing..." And the Depression and Anxiety have gotten so bad... well, there are a whole bunch

Art

Gone Solar

One month later... here's a follow up to the last post about Going Solar. My solar panels were installed in time for my Birthday (so I'm counting it as Birthday Present #1)! It took about a day and a half of noise and chaos, but they look fabulous. And they

Books

Kick-It! (#6!)

OK! I actually DID IT! I've been trying to get this Kickstarter project kicking since.... December! This is my sixth Kickstarter so it shouldn't be so scary, but I think with all the medical stuff, I just haven't had the energy to spare - until now. I plan to write

Animals

Mother of GOrillas

I got the coolest gift from Melissa Stoller - the author of Ready, Set, GOrilla! Melissa had adopted a (real) gorilla in my name! I had been concerned at first - where would he live? My house is bursting at the seams with extra people and dogs. And then, what

Animals

Happy BOOK Birthday, "Ready, Set, GOrilla!"

Today is THE day! The BIRTH of Ready, Set, GOrilla! written by Melissa Stoller, illustrated by (ME!) Sandy Steen Bartholomew, and published by Spork/Clear Fork Publishing. I am SO excited, but I don't know what to do with my energy - just wandering around the Studio thinking how hungry

Animals

READY, SET, GORILLA! Book Preview

Animals

Kickstarter #5! Gorilla book and Tattoos!

I finally did it! I JUST launched my fifth Kickstarter project. It's a "Quickstarter" since it's for a small amount (just $500) and it only lasts a week. Here's the short link: http://kck.st/2R4kYgi you can use that link - send it to all your friends so they'll

Books

Kirkus Review! Book Review!

READY, SET, GORILLA!  by Melissa Stoller and   illustrated by Sandy Steen Bartholomew "A gorilla learns a lesson about playing fairly with his friends in this preschool-perfect picture book by Stoller (Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush, 2018, etc.), with eye-catching illustrations by Bartholomew (Alphatangle, 2016, etc.). Gorilla loves to race with his

Books

Ready, Set... Interview!

I'm the featured Illustrator today in Mira Reisberg's "Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books" course! It's a closed group on Facebook and I can't send you to the page, so I made a screenshot of Mira's introduction of me. It made me blush. And giggle "Sandy lives somewhere beautiful with

Art

Illustrator Saturday!

I am SO excited to be the featured artist on Kathy Teaman's WRITING and ILLUSTRATING blog for Illustrator Saturday! Click HERE to read the Interview and see all the images on Kathy's blog. And here is just a little preview: How long have you been illustrating?More than 30 years.

Comic

The Non-Fiction Comics FEST

I am so excited to be a part of the Non-Fiction Comics Mini-FEST sponsored by the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury, Vermont! Here's the info from their webpage: Join us from 10am-4pm on Saturday, June 16, 2018 at the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury for the second Non-Fiction Comics Mini-Fest!

Event

Looking for My BEES!

I know you've been reading this blog, drooling over the photos of the new studio and wondering, "WHEN will I get a chance to get in this space and snoop around!?" OK! OK! How about Sunday? I just created a Patreon project for the studio - Patreon is kind of

Art

Berlin-ish...

Back in October, I was contacted by one of my teachers, Luke Howard, at the Center for Cartoon Studies to see if I'd like to participate in The Secret Berlin Project. He wanted to celebrate the completion of Jason Lutes' epic comic, Berlin, which had taken 20 years to complete!

Art

Hello Universe. It's Me, Sandy...

A really nice studio space suddenly became available on the second floor at Concord Community Arts Center! The room is about 850-square feet - It's big and bright - lots of windows, and painted white. (I can fix that though...) It's about a gazillion times bigger than my current studio.

Cards

New Packs of Tangle Cards!!

I'm so excited to announce that I actually got my act together long enough to create something new! Joining it's older sibling - the AlphaTangled Tangle Cards - please welcome the freshly printed - Tangles of Kells Tangle Cards! Yeah!! This new card pack includes 40 tangles from my book

Event

Post-Party Check-in

So THAT worked! We had a great party... Guests arrived and left in small groups all afternoon and evening so it never got overwhelming for me. I got to talk to almost everyone. It was unseasonably humid, but still a beautiful evening. My daughter, Lilah, made carrot cake cupcakes that

Cartoon

And now I... BEGIN AGAIN!

Kickstarter blog... Done! Masters of Applied Cartooning... Done! Moved back to New Hampshire... Done! New Art Studio... Done! I'm going to show you the behind the scenes of the new studio, in just a second, but just in case you don't read the whole post - I'm inviting you to

Books

The End.

So that is the whole story. So far. I promised to share with you my exciting adventures at Cartoon School over two years - and I am amazed at how quickly it passed by! I hope that you have enjoyed the experience and I thank you for backing my Kickstarters

Events

I've got an MFA!!

Tons of photos ahead... it's almost like being there! Before and After? Seriously! This picture... ... was taken during orientation - TWO YEARS AGO! And this picture... ...was taken last Saturday morning just before we headed off to the Northern Stage Theatre to get our diplomas! On the far left is

Events

Graduation and Thesis Exhibit

If you are reading this blog, then you have backed my Kickstarters and helped me get through Cartoon School... you are invited to join me for Graduation and the Opening of the Thesis Exhibition! Commencement is at the Northern Stage Theatre, May 13th at 10am. Hope to see you there!

Comics

Thesis... complete?

It IS quite possible that my head might explode... I am So tired. So hungry... but I admit it.. So excited!! I dropped off my Thesis package at the school today. It felt a lot like the first day of preschool - saying goodbye to my kiddos! Here are a

Class

Graphic Medicine Class #4 and Seven Days Paper!

We had the fourth Graphic Medicine class with the Dartmouth Medical School students. Once again, I am really impressed with their cartooning! And I learn a lot too... I had no idea goats were sacrificed before midterms... I'm pretty sure that was symbolic, not actual... anyway... And a bit MORE

Art

BEGin AGAIN Kickstarter

OK - let's DO this!! We got the first part of the Thesis comics funded, now I just launched the Kickstarter for the second part... It's pretty cool to start right out of the gate as a "Project We Love" - note the heart! I'm also doing this as part