My newest book:
Author/Illustrator Interview with Selina Alko
Don't most kids have to do reports about the 50 states at one point or another when they are in school? I would have loved this book when I was in 5th grade doing my reports about the "M" states. Back then for me and my process of research, the World Book Encyclopedia was a big source of information. But with Greetings from the 50 States: How They Got Their Names I would have been able to add some interesting and quirky details to my reports. In addition to lively stories of how each state got its name, there are also tidbits such as Maine, the "Pine Tree State" is the leading producer of wooden toothpicks, and Minnesota is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" actually 11,842 (and that doesn't even count the ones smaller than 10 acres because apparently they don't count) and one out of 6 Minnesotans owns a boat!
I remember painstakingly trying to draw perfect maps like those in the World Book. Hopefully I would have been inspired to draw more fun and creative maps for my reports! Selina Alko's illustrations are fantastic. Each double-spread, which includes a map on the left, is filled with a lot of information in her eye-catching, colorful and jaunty style. Here are a couple of my favorite "M" states, Massachusetts and Michigan:
I first got to know Selina when she was in my class several years ago at SVA. She had her degree from SVA and was successfully working as a free-lance illustrator and had already done several books, but was back for a "refresher" class. Her newest book, Greetings from the 50 States has just been published by Scholastic. I hope you enjoy this interview with her, hearing from her about her process of working on this book and her thoughts and experiences as an illustrator.
This was a gigantic project: the States book was 112 pages, as compared to the usual 32 page picturebook. How did this book get started? How long did it take you? Can you describe the stages of working on the book, and what were some of the challenges?
I first heard from Brenda Murray, an editor at Scholastic when My
Subway Ride came out. She saw the book, loved the art, and asked
for a meeting. When the Greetings From the 50 States (How They Got
Their Names) manuscript came up, she asked if I would be interested
in illustrating it. I was excited to try my hand at a bigger
project, one that might help educate me about this country I have
been living in as an adult. (I am from Canada). It certainly WAS an education, a HUGE
challenge, but totally gratifying. It took me at least 2 years to
complete from start to finish. Research + sketches were the most
time consuming part. Once I had a plan, such as defining the
SHAPE of each state and deciding what the border imagery would be,
then each spread was easier to tackle. I found the imagery was
mostly intuitive in terms of placement and content, and when drawing
I let my subconscious make some key decisions... which I think helped
make the compositions stronger. Of course I was following text for
content as well, which was helpful in focusing and guiding each
spread. It was a huge part of my life for 2 years... I tried to do other creative projects at the same time so I wouldn't burn out. At a certain point I realized
that I had to finish 1 1/2 spreads (States) a week to complete the
book by deadline. I was on a tight schedule and that made doing my best work
consistently very hard!
Did you have a favorite state to work on and why?
I loved Alaska...
it was one of the first I did and I really enjoyed working on that spread. The limited palette of mainly whites and blues turned out to be one of my faves in the end; it's balanced + aesthetically pleasing. Also, I have traveled to that State twice - since I'm from Vancouver, BC - so both the beautiful mountainous imagery and Pacific Northwest Coast Native imagery were familiar to me. It flowed quite naturally.
Here is the sketch that came first:
You grew up in Canada. I wonder if being an “outsider” gave you a fresh
eye? How do you think this affected your work, and did this make it harder
or easier working on this project?
I think that yes, being Canadian did give me fresh eyes. Like I
said it was an education for me, I was learning as I went along
researching each State and the origins of each State's name for the
first time... it was exciting!
Have you met the author? Have you had contact with her, or has communication been through your editor?
The author, Sheila Keenan, was terrific to work with. She lent me a
book on the State seals, which I used for some of the States. She
was very enthusiastic and encouraging. I met her about half way
through the process, during a meeting with our editor. Most of the
back and forth was through our editor, though. She kept us pretty
separate, which is typical I've come to realize when the author and
illustrator are different people.
How do you do your artwork? Do you have any tips about your technique?
I work in mixed media, mostly gouache paint and collage. I draw out
the spread (trace the sketch with light box) onto arches watercolor
paper.
Your husband, Sean Qualls is also an illustrator, and you have two young children: how is family life and work life mixed together and/or separated? What is your day like? Do you work at home or in a studio away from home? Do you and Sean give each other feedback or collaborate at all?
I work from home, we both do - we have our studios on the ground
floor of a narrow house in Brooklyn. It is mostly great being
married to an illustrator, because the support and feedback we are
able to give each other far outweighs the fact that occasionally we
might get a little competitive! Like this year when he got 2 books
into the Original Art Show (not one, but 2!) and my States book
didn't make the cut! But seriously, it's really nice to be in the
same field together living our work. Our kids are exposed to tons of
great books and art, we hope they will be creative -- but who knows,
maybe they'll end up as accountants or lawyers! We send our oldest
(who's 3 1/2) to daycare every day and our 8 month old baby does 3
afternoons a week. I try to get my work done when the youngest is in
daycare, which is really not enough time. But I am committed to
being there for her as a mom, so it's a constant challenge; the
balancing of motherhood with career. I often feel like something is
being sacrificed, where as I should probably try to look at it like
my work as mother and as a creative are both being enhanced by each
other (win/win!).
Sean is actually a huge influence on me as an
artist because he is such a perfectionist and does such beautiful
work. I admire his commitment to putting his ALL into every image he
creates. I don't think he struggles as much with the conflict
between parenthood and career aspirations... maybe it's more of a
female dilemma. We were asked to collaborate on a book project about
Mohummad Ali and even did some samples, but the project fell
through. We do hope to one day do a book together, preferably one
that we also will write.
These are two of Selina's first books, and both have been very popular in New York, for good reason!
How did you decide to become an illustrator, and specifically for children’s books?
Do you have any advice for aspiring illustrators?
I went to art school (SVA) where I majored in illustration in the
early 90's. I took a children's illustration class which totally
turned me onto the field. I have worked as a freelance illustrator
doing all types of work for years and years, but was primarily
focused on getting into children's books since I graduated in 1995.
I spent many years doing educational books, which was good bread and
butter money but not very fulfilling. I jumped at the chance to do a
sample piece for My Subway Ride, and when I landed the contract I
was extremely thrilled. Even though the budget was tiny, I felt the
opportunity was great. I was right; I have been fortunate to be
illustrating (and now writing) children's books ever since.
My advise would be to stay focused on your goals and not to give up...
the right opportunity will come your way if you are open-minded and
ready to take it.
And very exciting news: In March 2009 Selina's first book that she has BOTH written and illustrated (which she first started while in my class!) will be published and here is the cover:
Check out Selina's website and blog here is the link for more info on amazon about Greetings from the 50 States
For more interviews and news about SVA illustrators check out the links below.