Interview Adventure series—Julia Gorton • 5

Julia Gorton is the illustrator and designer of many books for children, including Abrams’ Score! 50 Poems to Motivate and Inspire and Harpercollins's I See Myself by Vicki Cobb, the MathStart book Super Sandcastle Saturday by Stuart J. Murphy, and Ten Rosy Roses, by Eve Merriam. She teaches design at Parsons the New School for Design. Julia Gorton lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey with her husband, author-illustrator Daniel Kirk, and their three children.

Julia Gorton with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth

CW: How would you recommend to other illustrators to get there work published?

Get out of the studio and make an effort to meet people. Be friendly and send lovely mailers that will be memorable and useful. Follow up and don’t give up. Volunteer to do work for your friends, their bands and any local spots that need updated graphics and images. Think of making small editions that use a narrative theme to show someone how you might work on developing a story across many pages. Do something different, but not so different that there is not a place for it in the market.

CW: Who are your influences.

JG: Hmmm. Lots of graphic designers, they’re great at creating understandable images, Alice and Martin Provensen and Charlie Harper for their stylization, Eloise Wilkin for creating the books that I remember from my childhood, Maurice Sendack for the perfect Little Bear, those classic Golden Book illustrators like Leonard Weisgard and Garth Williams, my husband Daniel Kirk, as well as my creative kids.

CW: Do you have any rituals that you go through before you can get to work?

JG: I look at the things that I’ve collected over the years; like books, fabrics, vintage packages as well as favorite photos of my family. I spend time thinking and remembering, trying to get into the right frame of mind. I procrastinate and do laundry. I look at typefaces and design the text for the book so that the words have the right visual sound. I have coffee and watch CNN.

CW: What process did you go through to develop your styles.

JG: I think about methods to help me save time. Having my first child lead me to move from painting with a brush to using the airbrush. By the time my third child was born, I was working on the computer.


CW: You have a variety of styles all equally good as the next how do you manage them. Do art directors ever get confused?

JG: Thank you. I am not sure if art directors get confused. They generally seem pretty pleased with the finished work.

CW: I find with young illustrator the question of style is a confusing prospect. Which can take some time to work out so it flows with out frustrations.

CW: What style did you use for Just Like Mama and why?

JG: I spend time in meetings at Parsons, the school where I teach. Usually I sketch in my notebook during meeting as this helps me concentrate and makes the time go more quickly. My friends at work are very supportive of this sketchbook work. At the same time, I observed my 18 year old son become very adept at working with markers. Watching him work looked like so much fun. He fills in his pen work with the most beautiful colors. I combined these two approaches into a style that I felt would have warmth and heart and give me the opportunity to try something new and free myself from the computer where I spend too much time.

CW: What did you find most challenging and most rewarding about working on Just Like Mama?

JG: Working with a new medium was stressful at first. There were even some tears of frustration in the beginning. But once I got the hang of it, I loved watching the saturated colors seeping into the paper. Of course, the color selection is more limited and some markers don’t cover large areas [like walls] very smoothly so I had to be thoughtful before the markers ever touched the paper. The original drawings were done with micron pens and then scanned, enlarged and printed on cheap sketch pad paper. If I made a big mistake, I just printed out the original black line art and a new piece of paper and started over. If I made a mistake or changed my mind about something later on, I just made a patch and glued it on.

CW: You teach at Parsons and from what I hear you are a very popular teacher there. What kind of classes do you teach?

JG: Believe me, teaching is really hard and all the students are unique challenges. I hope by the end of class they understand that design is a process and that you learn from your failures. That getting involved, doing your research and working with people is a crucial part of your work as a designer. I teach Graphic Design, Print Design 1 and 2 and a class called Laboratory which introduces first year students to team work, designing for a specific user, utilizing New York City as a resource, and working within a budget.

CW: What do you feel is the biggest difference between picture books today and picture books of 20 yrs. ago? How have they changed? Has the process changed?

JG: Publishers are much more concerned with every part of the book, as the market has become more competive these days. There is no room for vanity projects. Books need a specific bridge to an audience, occasion or holiday. Everyone at the publishing house is more involved in the entire process, so if you aren’t good working as a team member this is not the job for you! Editors and Art Directors are actually brilliant at what they do, and they help you do the best job possible. Listen to them and learn from them. They’re great teachers.

CW: Do you also have time to do your own personal work? If so what is it all about?

JG: I don’t have currently have time for personal work. My family is a wonderful work in progress that I am part of each and every day.

CW: What makes an extraordinary picture book in your eyes?

One that your child and you both love to read again and again. That’s it.

CW: What is next for you? Have you ever thought of writing as well?

JG: I’m writing something right now that was inspired by a friends daughter.
So hopefully I’ll be able to write, illustrate and design my next book.

Julia and Her Family

CW: You just illustrated a picture book called JUST LIKE MAMA so what do you do that is Just like your Mother?

JG: I am sure that there are many ways in which I am like my mother that I am not even aware of. But here are a few . . . she’s good at talking with strangers, and I find myself talking to just about anyone and everyone I run into. People are endlessly fascinating and are treasure troves of experience and information. I love history, old buildings and old stuff. Now it’s called vintage shopping, but back in the day we went antiquing. My parents took me to country auctions, flea markets and during high school my mother would take me out of school on Friday’s when there was an Estate sale on the fancy side of town! We’ve taken our kids to explore old cities, scouted out abandoned factories, traveled to estate and rummage sales and been to auctions at Christies.

About the JUST LIKE MAMA

Just Like Mama is a beautiful testament to the love between mother and daughter, and especially how, in a child’s eyes, a mother does everything perfectly, from cooking to playing to simply loving. There are some things that no one can do as well as a mom. “With a pile of pancakes shaped like moons, and cocoa with a cloud of cream, no one can cook breakfast just like Mama.” Nor garden, host tea parties, cook supper, or tuck her child into bed. No one does it just like Mama can. And in the end, nobody loves Mama just like her little girl does.

Authors: By Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Julia Gorton
Imprint: Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0-8109-8393-1
EAN: 9780810983939
Availability: Prepublication
Publishing Date: 4/1/2010
Trim Size: 9 x 9
Page Count: 32
Cover: Hardcover with jacket
Illustrations: 32 pages of full-color illustrations

100 Scopenotes BLOG interview

CLICK HERE FOR FULL INTERVIEW

I was just interviewed by the blog 100 Scope Notes. Travis Jonker my interviewer is an elementary school librarian since 2005, started 100 Scope Notes in the golden days of 2007.

In addition to posting children’s literature reviews here, Travis also periodically straightens his tie and reviews for School Library Journal, and has been a judge for the Cybils Awards.

He lives in Michigan.

Hope you enjoy the interview it was a lot of fun to do.

Interview Adventure series—Chad W. Beckerman

Marci Hersel: What are your responsibilities as Art Director for Abrams Books for Young readers and Amulet Books?

CW: I oversee the design, direction, and visual develop-
ment of books for these two imprints, as well as de-
signing and re-branding of the new ABRAMS logo.
I, along with the editors, think about which illustra-
tors out there are doing work that excites us and
offers the correct emotional response to the text.
Once an author and illustrator have been matched
up, I will go over sketches with the illustrator and
offer direction on how to better their work. At
of their work by offering understanding, encour-
agement, advice, honesty, excitement, and loads
of jokes.

I am also responsible for the design and direction of
the books from cover to interior — and yes, even
the back cover. I try my best to make the book look
as entertaining as possible so it becomes more entic-
ing for a reader to pick up.

Marci Hersel: What advice can you give illustrators trying to break into the business?

CW: Treat breaking into the business less like a dream
and more like a job with goals and responsibilities.
What I mean by this is if you are serious about be-
coming an illustrator you have to work at it like
your life depends on it.
My first goal would be to get a website or blog to
showcase your work. Try not to showcase too many
styles as this might confuse the art director and
make them wonder what style is truly yours. Sec-
ond, try and do a drawing a day or every other day
to keep yourself focused on your dream as well as
enhance your skills. Think of yourself as an athlete
who needs to work out before they can be at the top
of their game. It’s hard but you’ll look great for the
summer! Third, get yourself out there by any means
possible, mailing cards, e-mails, Facebook, Twitter,
etc., be inventive!

A word to the wise: if you find your way into talking
directly with an editor or art director and they don’t
respond, don’t keep calling or e-mailing, chances are
they are busy. If your work is what they are looking
for they will call.

Fourth, I cannot say this enough, do your research.
Take a trip to your local bookstore, Barnes &
Noble or Borders. Take a look at what they are posting up on
their walls and ask yourself, why? What looks like it
is selling? Don’t try to copy what is selling but look
deeper. Is it a book with animals, a book about a sin-
gle character? How is the book laid out? Who is the
publisher? These details will help you fine-tune your
own art, and your search for the publishing house
that will best match with your work. Lastly, I will
repeat my second piece of advice, draw, draw, draw!

Marci Hersel: How do you find illustrators for your projects? Are you open to hiring new talent?

I find illustrators numerous ways. For example:
• Illustrator reps.
• Artists’ websites.
• The Society of Illustrators, Illustrator annuals.
• Illustrator mailers.
• Student portfolio reviews.
• Other illustrator recommendations.
• Searching illustrators’ links to other illustrators.
I am always looking for new talent. One of the rewarding parts of my job
is finding new illustrators and giving them a stage to show off their talents.•

John Hendrix • Interview Adventure Series • 3

CW: What are the origins of John Hendrix?

JH: I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, which happens to be where I live now. I've also lived for seven years in Lawrence Kansas, and spent 4 years in New York, NY.

CW: What is your educational background?
What courses or training might
be helpful in beginning a career in illustration?

I studied illustration in my undergraduate experience, and though that is really great training- illustrators have often come into the field from unusual backgrounds. The program I studied in was called "Visual Communication" and that an important distinction. We must remember, as illustrators, that our primary goal is not expression, but communication. That is why learning how to use 2-D design skills like hierarchy, scale-shift, figure/field relationships are really helpful to learn about communication. We have to strive for not just interest but clarity.

CW: You're illustration career is in a way just beginning.
However you seem already very successful.
Is illustration your only means of support or
do you have a day job as well?

JH: I illustrate about 60 editorial jobs a year, along with a book about every year and a half. On top of that I do teach illustration at Washington University in St. Louis. Teaching is wonderful, despite the hassles of committee work and occasional problem students. I love talking to others about illustration and showing young artists things they have never seen before. What an honor to say to a student "You ever heard of Robert Weaver?" Then watch their eyes bug out when I show them his original Yankee Spring Training Sketchbooks in WashU's Modern Graphic History Library. And I learn nearly as much as they do, because trying to describe your process and methodology requires examination of your own work in new ways. I dont' teach for the money, as many of my students think. I could easily get by freelancing. I really do love getting out of the studio and interacting with these students and the other faculty. It keeps you young!

CW: When I first met you we worked on a project called Castaways. You illustrated the cover art. But at the time you were using a different style. How did you develop your current line art style and why did you let go of your old style?

JH: At the time we did our first project together, I was working in a very tight painting style. It was something I had developed in undergraduate school. When I g ot to graduate school, I began to look around my studio and realized the work I hung up in my space that I admired looked NOTHING like the stuff I made. Slowly I realized that I loved drawing way more than painting. My sketchbooks were key to unlocking the visual voice that is much more true to who I am.

CW: What lessons do you think could be learned by this self realization?

JH: Part of the lesson is that even if you are getting work, it might not be the work you want. That is what happened to me. Ultimately I was selling somethi ng that I thought would make me successful, even though it was a product I couldn't believe in. Now, that realization comes now after years of distance. At the time, it felt crazy to turn down a book jacket illustration (that you gave me right after Castaways) because it was the kind of thing I didn't want to be doing for the next 30 years. I was still in grad school and felt that I had to right the ship while I could and take a chance to make the kinds of images I wanted, not the ones I thought others wanted me to make.

CW: You have done work with Sports Illustrated, Entertainmen t W eekly, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Esquire, The New York Times, and Nickelodeon among many others. What drew you to children's book illustration? How did your first book come to be published?

JH: Children's books were the first illustration vehicles that I truly loved. Its the aspect of fantastical storytelling that drew me to visual stories. Of course, my editorial career took off and I love doing those images as well, but my heart has always leaned towards story in sequence. My first book I wrote, John Brown, ended up being my second boo k. As I was looking for a publisher for John Brown, I found several manuscripts that people wanted me to illustrate. Given my civil war interest, the story for "Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek" was a perfect fit.

CW: What are some of your favorite books for children?

JH: Oh boy. Where to start?

Back in college I loved The Mysteries of Harris Burdi ck, by Chris Van Allsburg. Lizbeth Zwerger's Wizard of Oz is up there for me as well. Recently I've really been an admirer of the zany and visually driven books of Shaun Tan and Adam Rex. The Arrival and Frankensteinmakes a Sandwich . But, I can leave out the haunting and truly visionary Caldecott winner from last year The Invention of Hugo Cabret -Golly, that thing is a masterpiece.

CW: Who are your artistic influences?

JH: I love love love the following artists: Winsor McCay, Barry Blitt, Arthur Rackham, Jack Unruh, Kadir Nelson, NC Wyeth, Edward Hopper, Joseph Cornell, Dean Cornwell, Robert Lawson . . . on and on!

CW: JOHN BROWN is your second children's book a nd the
first full picture book project we worked together on. Can you describe
your creative process? And how you approached the
challenges of this particular book?

JH: It has been a long time coming as you know, but the process has been very rewarding. For me, all ideas start with visuals. I first fell in love with John Brown as a visual subject. When I started reading about him, I also loved who he was and what he believed in. So, I made a list of all the images I wanted to include in a story about his life, and wrote the book around those ideas. Even though I wrote this book, I would never start with words. I am not a 'writer's writer'... but an artist who uses words to frame and create my own visual content.

CW: You start JOHN BROWN almost five years ago. What has taken
so long for it to become re alized as a finished book?

JH: Yes, even though the book took five years to go from idea to publication, I wasn't working on it the whole time. I sold it to another house in 2004 and we worke d on it for a year trying to get the manuscript right. It went from being about 2500 words to 6000 and then back to 3000, but they weren't able to resolve some of the more difficult content issues I mentioned. So, it was dropped in 2005. (By the way, they were super nice and it was all very amicable in the end. No one felt worse than they did that it didn't work. But I was still crushed.) It got new life back in 2006 when Abrams took a chance on me. (cue ABBA!) Then another year in edits and sketches and six months in final art. Voila!

Now, the way I first got into selling the idea was pretty silly. I had some drawings in my book of John Brown and I went to a portfolio show where I met an assistan t art director who said "Hey, if you like John Brown, he'd be a great kids book" I laughed and laughed, then realized she wasn't kidding and said "I think you're right." I had worked o n a draft for a few weeks, then the AD called me and said "I'd love to take a look at your JB book idea." At this point, I had nothing really but faked it. "Of course, I'll bring it in next week." So, I crushed the dummy draft in about 10 days and they really loved it. What helped was that I used my design skills to design and layout the entire book as I saw it being realized. It wasn't just floating drawings and handwritten copy. I really packaged the whole thing, using the typefaces I wanted, and the hand drawn text. So, in the end, I think what the belie ved in was my ability to make a book, not so much that John Brown would be good content. But fortunately, it has a happy ending. Thank you ABRAMS!

CW: For almost as long as I have known you, you have
been working on JOHN BROWN.
Why John Brown? What is it about this
historical figure that captures your attention?

JH: To me, he is a true civil rights hero. And most people think he is a lunatic. We have this popular image of him as an insane loony who killed people with some flawed notion of his own importance who was punishing innocent civilians because of his religious beliefs. When you really read what he believed and why he was brought to his actions- you see just how unique he was in his own era. A true visionary, and he has been minimized because I think most people are uncomfortable with people who are strongly motivated by religious ideas. So, as a person who shares the faith of John Brown, I feel as though he deserves a more accurate account of his life.

CW: What did you find to be the toughest and most rewarding
aspects of your work on JOHN BROWN?

JH: The challenges are easy to pick out. Though I really think there is value in talking to children about the nature of human conflict and the nature of evil, showing the events of his life (visually!) to an audience of young people was tough. You don't want to sugar coat his action and create some inadvertent propaganda. But you also need to be sensitive and protect young people from things that would negatively affect their minds. Generally I think that kids are pretty robust thinkers and can handle cognitive dissonance, as long as we present it in a manner that is clear.

CW: One of the struggles I recall was making the story more 'kid friendly' without changing history too much. How did you manage throu gh this idea?

JH: Yes, it is tough to hold these in tension, but neither can be neglected. One point is that you can't avoid the truth. So, in regards to the Harpers ferry attacks and the deaths in Kansas—I think you address it calmly in the text, but in the text only. Let the pictures solve the context and the text answer the specifics. I think its expected that an artist will take a certain amount of liberty in telling a story, but you don't want it to be in the part s that everyone expects you to change in order to make your point. That could really undermine my point of view about his ideas if I throw metaphorical softballs at all the toughest events from his life.

CW: One aspect of your work I love is your use of hand drawn in the design of the page.
What inspires you to work with typography?

JH: I love, love, love, typography. I also studied and completed a degree in Graphic Design in undergrad and I've always been attracted to artist who use graph ic space in their work (Al Parker, Josh Cochran, for example) But, the building blocks of illustration is word and image. Without text, there is no such thing as illustration. So why not have them in the same space and interacting in the same language. Also, as an artist who is writing his own books, I feel like I have to offer something that a writer alone or illustrator alone can't provide. So, the interaction with text inside the frame is a way to create a hybrid language in my work.

CW: What is next for you?

JH: Well, good news. We will be working together on another book centered on the Civil War. called Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of a Civil War Woman by Marissa Moss. A great story about a young girl, Sarah Emma Edmonds who dresses up like a man to fight for the Union. True story!

CW: Sweet. I can't wait!

CW: Have you thought about growing a beard like John Brown? His is quite impressive!

JH: Uh, have you seen the picture of me on my website bio page???

http://johnhendrix.blogspot.com/

http://www.johnhendrix.com/

JOHN BROWN: His Fight for Freedom

JOHN HENDRIX

Abrams Young Readers

ISBN: 0-8109-3798-7

Hardcover with jacket
US $18.95

Availability: Preorder (available in Summer 2009)


Interview Adventure Series • 4 •
Starring Kelly Murphy illustrator of Hush, Little Dragon coming soon!

Marcellus Hall • Interview Adventure Series • 2

Marcellus Hall is an illustrator based in New York. He was born on the great plains of the midwest and spent languid summer hours as a youth at the fishing hole or playing video games. His clients have included the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic Monthly, and Time, among others. His work has appeared in American Illustration, Communication Arts, and the Society of Illustrators annuals. His first cover for the New Yorker was published in 2005. In addition to illustrating the books White Pigeons and 57 Octaves (fifthplanetpress.com), Hall has self-published books of drawings and writing including "Hard Luck Stories" and "Legends of the Infinite City" (a collection of black & white drawings of New York City). Hall has illustrated for ABRAMS a children’s book entitled Because You Are My Baby (2008) and CITY I LOVE

(Spring 2009).

As a musician Hall has made recordings with bands Railroad Jerk, White Hassle and has toured the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Hall continues to make music under his own name.

CW: Where are you from, Marcellus?

MH: I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota
(although I no longer speak like I am).

CW: What is your educational background?
What courses or training might be
helpful in beginning a career in illustration?

MH: I exhibited a strong interested in drawing at an early age. My parents recognized this and encouraged me. I took summer art classes and had good teachers in the Minneapolis public schools. I made drawings for the yearbook, the school newspaper, and countless school functions. All of this was helpful to me in my evolution as an illustrator.

After high school I spent two years at St. John’s University in Minnesota and then transferred to Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

I developed a love for literature while growing up too which has served to ground me and instill in me an appreciation for the narrative as well as an understanding of human nature.

CW: How did you like RISD? Do think it prepared
you for where you are today?

MH: I liked RISD. Alongside the usual drawing and painting regimen, I benefited from classes in performance art, printmaking, and sculpture. I also met musicians at RISD and I broadened my philosophy of art. I began learning guitar and harmonica. I learned the most from other students while at RISD

CW: How did you develop your current art style?

MH: I wanted to have my style develop naturally and not self consciously. My method was to carry a pocket sketchbook and draw everything around me constantly.

CW: A perfect approach.
An illustrator shouldn't have to force or create a style.
If you are, most likely it won't be easy or
rewarding. Its should just come naturally.

CW: After you graduated, what was it like for an illustrator?
What was it like for you?

MH: When I arrived in New York after graduation, I was determined (despite a simultaneous goal to start a rock band) to give illustration my best shot and I decided that, if I failed, I could at least say “I tried.” I scoured magazines at newsstands for addresses and sent photocopied mailers to art directors. On my days off as a part-time bookstore or art supply store clerk, I dropped off my portfolio at magazines.

I produced a comic strip for three years for a short-lived alternative free newspaper. And I made small photocopied booklets of my drawings (and writings).

My first illustration job was for Screw magazine. Later I was hired on a regular basis by Mike Gentile at the fledgling New York Press.

CW: What are some of your favorite books for children?

MH: My favorites include Curious George, Babar, Stuart Little, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ferdinand, The Little Prince, Sasek’s cities series, and books by Robert McCloskey, Theodor Geisel and Syd Hoff.

CW: Who are your artistic influences?

Bill Elder, Jack Davis, Harvey Kurtzman, George Grosz, Franz Masereel, Ben Shahn, Rockwell Kent, Paul Klee, Arnold Roth, Ralph Steadman, Saul Steinberg, Ronald Searle, John Sloan, Ernst Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Emil Nolde, Sue Coe, George Luks, Edward Hopper, Thomas Hart Benton, Robert Crumb, Basil Wolverton, Mort Drucker, Aubrey Beardsley, Marc Chagall, Hiroshige, Henri Toulouse Latrec, Heinrich Zille, Hansi, Raymond Pettibon, Al Hirschfeld, Charles Demuth, and Pieter Breughel.

CW: You have done work with New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic Monthly, and Time, among others. As musician you have made recordings with bands Railroad Jerk, White Hassle as well as solo have toured the U.S., Europe, and Japan. What drew you to children's book illustration? How did your first book come to be published?

MH: After years drawing for magazines and newspapers, I had an itch to work in a field where the printed piece isn’t thrown away. The children’s book field was the obvious place to look. I asked my illustrator friends for contacts and John Hendrix pointed me in your direction.

CW: I had worked with John for a couple of years at that point. He sent me an email suggesting I take a look at your work. I had already known your work from New Yorker covers. I asked you to come into the office, after seeing your work online. But really it was one image of a garbage man that completely sold me on you.

CW: CITY I LOVE is your second children's book project we have worked together on.( The first being
Because You Are My Baby!) Can you describe your creative process? And how you approached the challenges of this particular book?

MH: My favorite part of the illustration process is making sketches. Here I can be the most free and loose. But the thrill of executing well a final piece of art is no less rewarding. With City I Love I was particularly excited because I am naturally drawn to urban life and its variety.

I began sketching compositions that I felt were dynamic and fun to draw. simultaneously I incorporated city landmarks. Later I sought more specific reference material from the New York Public Library picture collection.

I created a character (a dog) to establish continuity in the book (which is a collection of poems).

Once the sketches were approved, I began work on the final art. Using graphite transfer paper I redrew the compositions onto Arches 140 lb cold pressed watercolor blocks. Then I painted the line work with a brush and brown waterproof “Calli” ink. Finally watercolor washes were applied (Winsor Newton) and “touch ups” were made digitally or with opaque acrylics.

CW: What is it like to work with an Art Director?

MH: When I was younger and less experienced, I resented the role of an art director. I have since learned to value a good negotiator between the artist and editor. There are good art directors and bad art directors. A good one makes you feel trusted and gives you freedom. Eventually an art director can be a collaborator. A bad art director causes you to second guess yourself.

CW: It's good to see that I made a such a good impression on you . . . just kidding.

CW: During the making of CITY I LOVE, what was (were) some
of the oddest requests or changes you where as asked to make?

MH: Without question, the oddest request made during the making of City I Love was that I not depict a hot dog vendor so near to the U.S. capitol. The reason given was that it was implausible considering current national security measures. I inquired subsequently whether it was plausible to depict a dog on his hind legs with a backpack, but I was not given an answer.

CW: What frustrates you about your own work and
how do you go about changing or adapting to your frustrations.

MH: I struggle with color. It is not easy for me to envision a finished colored piece beforehand so my painting process is like groping in the dark. Sometimes the result is a failure that must be thrown away. That said, however, this highwire act (painting without a net) can at times yield a better piece than one that is more carefully planned.

One solution for me with regard to color has been to establish a base color (eg. sometimes yellow) that can unify all the watercolors that come after it.

I have never warmed to the technique of coloring digitally. Although I do make corrections digitally.

CW: What did you find to be the toughest and most
rewarding aspects of your work on CITY I LOVE?

MH: The toughest part in making City I Love was to create a natural flow. The text is made up of disparate poems about a city and I was asked to assign various international cities to the poems. At times it was like putting square pegs into round holes. Establishing recurring characters and a consistent style was an attempt to achieve continuity.

CW: Your watercolors have been called
"cosmopolitan", a little French with a splash of
nostalgia, "vintage" what do you think or (of)
your work and hope the
viewer takes away from your work?

MH: I hope that people come away from it thinking that it is rural, futuristic, and a little Japanese . . .

Hmm, I have a high regard for my work. But not too high. But not too low either. It is right about where it should be. I am not too egotistical . . . and yet I am not too self deprecating either. I have a healthy relationship with my work. There is sort of a give and take. Not too much give... and not too much take. I don’t think my work is
better than everyone else’s. Nor is it worse. I am just average, I guess. Moderation is best taken in moderation . . .

I hope people enjoy my work... and I hope they think of it as being a little French. But not too French. Maybe a little German for balance.

Or Thai.

You’ll notice that, of the 33 artists I listed as influences, only two
are French.

CW: What is next for you in books as well as in your music career?

MH: Do you mean besides winning the Caldecott and outselling Coldplay?

I am currently writing children’s stories of my own and have finished recording a solo album that I plan to distribute and promote.

I also aim to publish a collection of semi-narrative graphic vignettes that I call graphic poetry. A
visual “Leaves of Grass,” if you will.

I am starting a blog at the moment called “Kaleidoscope City” on which I will post my efforts in this, as well as my many street sketches (which may one day also become a book).
I am also finishing up the sequel to Because You Are My Baby! called Because I Am Your Daddy! The first book followed a Mom and her baby boy this one is the opposite of the first book, following a Dad and his daughter. This will be coming out in Spring 2010.

CW: My last question is a simple one, what city do you love?

MH: It rhymes with ‘blue stork.’

MUSIC by Marcellus

City I Love:

Lee Bennett Hopkins, Marcellus Hall (Illustrator)

Abrams Young Readers
full color illus. Throughout, 32 pages, 8.5 x 10.5
Hardcover with jacket
ISBN: 0-8109-8327-3
EAN: 9780810983274
US $16.95
Availability: Preorder (available in March 2009)

Also illustrated by Marcellus Hall

Interview Adventure Series • 3 •
Starring John Hendrix author of JOHN BROWN

Nikki McClure • Interview Adventure Series • 1

A first in a purposed series of interviews from MISHAPS AND ADVENTURES talking with illustrators and authors. We will talk about their process and how they found there way into children's books.

To lead off this series I have interviewed Nikki McClure. Nikki is a self-taught artist who has been making paper-cuts since 1996. Armed with an X-acto knife, she cuts out her images from a single sheet of paper and creates a bold language that translates the complex poetry of motherhood, nature, and activism into a simple and endearing picture. She regularly produces her own posters, books, cards, t-shirts and a beloved yearly calendar as well as designs covers for countless records and books, including illustrations for magazines the Progressive and Punk Planet. She is the author and illustrator of Abrams’ Collect Raindrops. ALL IN A DAY is her first Abrams’ children’s book.

CW: Hi Nikki. Welcome to Mishaps and Adventures
first ever interview

NM: Very Exciting! Let's begin.

CW:Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

NM: I am a Puget Sounder. I grew up in Kirkland and then m oved to Olympia to go to college. Now I live on a hill in town with 30 fruiting trees planted. I am rooted here.

CW: What is your educational background? What courses or
training might be helpful in beginning a career in illustration?

NM: My Background is in Natural Sciences. I received my B.S. and stayed an extra year to get a B.A. but my art focus was Natural History Writing. I didn't make my first foray into the Art building until my last quarter to print linocuts I had made for a book about wetlands. Even though I didn't take any art classes, I now see that time spent drawing plants and flies as training my eye to see and my hand to respond. Training? Just begin! Don't wait to be "chosen". I illustrated the Brother's Grimm stories, not waiting for a publi sher to ask me. I published my own books at Kinko's and hand-colored them in. The work I do now is inspired by WPA posters. I am not waiting for the government to start funding a new poster series, I'm just making them myself. Less compromises that way. Making mistakes is the best way to learn.

CW: What drew you to children's book illustration?
How did your first book come to be published?

NM: The first book I made was "Wetlands". I felt there wasn't anything out there for grade schoolers' to understand wetlands. So I made it. I received a grant and rented a studio for $50 a month (!!!!) Put a desk, chair, and iron in it and started making linocuts all day (K Records was next door so I could just listen to the music they were playing). It is still published by the Wa. State Dept. of Ecology. I enjoyed exploring the motion of the book, examining how a book is read, how the images progress. I get really happy when I am making a book and little pieces start appearing in the images. Tiny stories start developing no matter how well planned. I like being open to the evolution of the book. Plus the smell of a freshly printed book is so delicious!

CW: What are some of your favorite books for children?

NM: Well. here are my favorites right now—I love having a child so I can read books all day long!

1. Wind in the Willows—I could read that book forever. I am often Mole and my son is Ratty.
I get rescued from the Wild Wood weekly.
2. The Moomin series by Tove Jannson—Finland, naked trolls, Snufkin. I would stare at the pictures when I was a child. She drew full moons so beautifully.
3. The Swallows and Amazons series—the world as children imagine it.
4. The Jungle Book—never let children watch the Disney version! It will ruin their minds.
5. The Animal Family—a perfect family
6. Where the Wild Things Are—even the paper feels good
Anything that Maurice Sendak touched.
7. Dawn
8. Winne the Pooh
There really are so many. Piles of good books are just behind me.

CW: Who are your artistic influences?

NM: Sendak, Jannson, Kathe Kollowitz, Frans Masreel, Lynd Ward, as well as mushroom gills, rain, pine needles on snow, leaf stains on sidewalks, chickadees, apple blossoms, and my family.

CW: ALL IN A DAY is your third children's book and the first book we worked together on. Can you describe your creative process?
And how you approached the challenges of this particular book?

NM: It might be my 7th—but it is my first published by someone other than myself. It has also been a long time since I used someone else's words as inspiration for images.
I read the text over and over, memorizing it, internalizing it, reading it to Finn (my 4 year old), reading it to friends. I then made sketches and talked about these with Susan, my editor. Susan and you had ideas too—we went back and forth with many ideas ditched and new ones drawn up. This part was really hard for me,but now I am thankful for the critique and challenges to push more out of the story. The text was challenging as it provided no character, no scene, no place, nothing but emotion. I was intimidated a bit by Cynthia being a NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER! and here I was making a narrative story with my images to her celebrated words. I had to remind myself that she wrote the words with my images in mind, and that this is what illustrators did. So I relaxed, wrote "Have fun" on my wall (a parting quote from Susan Van Metre our editor) and went at it. Once I got the final go ahead, it really felt great to race ahead. I felt like a horse at full gallop. The easy part was making the artwork! I'm not one to storyboard my own work. I usually just let the story evolve. But all the planning paid off in the end. I could just make the pictures. I just had to make the characters look the same throughout. I used clothing to help disguise the fact that I am not a portraitist. Remember my work is with x-acto knife, so it is hard to erase and redraw until the nose ids just the same as in the last picture.

CW: The use of color in ALL IN DAY and in much of your
art is minimalistic. How do you make decisions about color?

NM: When color is added to my work, I ask "Why is that colored in? What make that object so important?" Color is distracting to me. I like things black and white. I was asked to add more color in ALL IN A DAY after all the images were done. BY then, all decisions about value- dark/light had been made. To add color would have unbalanced the images, to me. I suggested alternating the background color from blue to yellow to blue . . . The use of color subtly interacts with the story and enhances it rather than being color used as decoration (make his shirt yellow with red polka dots).

My next book uses a lot of color, for me. Each color is added as the story develops.

CW: What did you find to be the toughest and most rewarding
aspects of your work on ALL IN A DAY?

NM: The redrawing, the redrawing, the redrawing . . . I used up a lot of pencil lead and erasers. It was also the most rewarding. When it came time to make the real art, the hard part was already done!

CW: I have noticed recurring themes of nature, cooperation,
and enjoyment of the outdoors in your work. Does your work
have a particular message? What do you hope people
take away from your images?

NM: If they take away those things, then great! I want my work to resonate with a deep collective memory of fingers in soil, growing food, talking to birds (not just listening), people working together in community. Some people do this everyday, but some people are in cities where the soil is deeply buried and the human noise drowns out bird voices. What is human nature? Cities aren't unnatural, but more can be done to encourage cooperation. I'm just trying to help recall a memory of that.

CW: You have built a strong local following through your cards
and calendars. What advice would you give an illustrator who
is just getting started? What are some ways she can get his or
her name and work out into the world?

NM: Share your work: Make it. Show it. Give it. Your work needs to be in the world. I donate my images to non-profits to use as holiday/thank you cards. The calendar has been great. I call it my spores. They get sent all over to people who don't know my work. They hang it up in their office or kitchen ( I love being in kitchens everywhere) and all those people who visit them see it- then they all want one next year, and so on. Better than viral marketing- spore marketing is more symbiotic. It has ended up next to the desks of designers and they in turn have called me. I didn't have to send out my portfolio. I did drop off my portfolio once at The New Yorker. They only use a half-sheet of paper when they politely decline. I should send them a calendar I suppose.

CW: What are your working on now?

NM: I have just started the final artwork for my next book with Abrams, MAMA, IS IT SUMMER YET? I'm in the gallop ahead stage. I will finish the image of gathering sticks today. I added loppers- so they are pruning the apple tree and the child has so many sticks in his arms that some are falling away. (I'd send you a pic of the sketch, but someone stole our camera in Hawaii and I am waiting for a new one to be delivered). I am also thinking of the 2010 calendar images, title, theme . . . . Today will will also send out valentines Finn printed on the printing press but we have to get stamps= a Big Day

CW: What is your idea of a perfect day?

NM: Today (minus typing a computer interview, sorry!)
The fog has lifted and the sun is out. Snow is melting and the green is so green and the blue so blue. I will finish a picture today. I might bake cake or at least make a pie. Secret Valentines will be mailed. There will be some slushy snowball throwing. Perhaps I will be rescued from the Wild Wood. Dinner at a friend's house who always cooks so beautifully and where we will read old Peanuts cartoons. Back home I will take a very hot bath. Then read a great book with a cuddly child and dream.

http://www.nikkimcclure.com

BUY ALL IN A DAY!

All in a Day:

Cynthia Rylant, Nikki McClure (Illustrator)

Abrams Young Readers

ISBN: 0-8109-8321-4

EAN: 9780810000000

Hardcover with jacket
US $17.95
Availability: Preorder (available in February 2009)

Spreads from ALL IN A DAY © 2009 by Cynthia Rylant. Illustration © 2009 Nikki McClure. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. New York. Posted with permission of publisher. All rights reserved.

Interview Adventure Series • 2 •
Starring Marcellus Hall illustrator of CITY I LOVE coming soon!