Illustrating

Creating a book has been a dream I’ve had since first grade when I wrote and illustrated The Lost Turtle.  With a lot of practice, persistence, and a little magic, like Henri, my dream came true.  Here is a little information about how I made it happen.

The illustrations for The Juggler were created using a variety of materials.  Each work began with an original pencil drawing on paper.  I would decide a color scheme for the background and  lay down the color with several layers of oil pastel.  Once the color was completed it was scratched into, revealing the colors underneath.  (The scratching is actually writing, my thoughts layered on top of each other until they became an illegible, unrepeatable form.)  Then I would repeat the process using pencil.  When the background was complete, I would finish the other visual elements in the piece, using oil pastel or various collage materials. 

The collage materials were often sewn into place, this was done not only to secure them but also as a visual enhancement.  The figure was always the last element to completed.