One of the things I love about this next Creative Spaces interview–besides the adorable animals you’ll see–is that the workspace is a little unconventional, the writer continues to dedicate herself to a full-time career as the Vice President for College Advancement for the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and yet she’s so prolific with her writing. That’s good inspiration for the days I get a bad case of the “if onlys”. (You know, if only I didn’t need this day job, if only my office was more organized/bigger/smaller/more colorful/more bland, if only I didn’t have to share a workspace, live with my parents, have to do laundry, could speak fluent Chinese.… Read the rest
Mary Newell DePalma is the author and/or illustrator of over a dozen picture books. A little bit about some of my favorites:
A Grand Old Tree is the story of the life cycle of a tree and how the influence and importance of that tree does not stop once it dies. Here’s a taste: “The grand old tree flowered, bore fruit, and sowed seeds. She had many children. They changed the landscape for miles around, perhaps even farther than the old tree knew.”
Roads (written by Marc Harshman) Her illustrations depict a family’s drive to visit grandparents and all the sights and sounds along the way.… Read the rest
In addition to her writing career as a middle grade, young adult, and picture book author, Denise Vega is the co-regional adviser for the Rocky Mountain chapter of the SCBWI. When I moved to Colorado five years ago she was one of the first local writers I met. I had been nervous about moving away from the thriving children’s literature community of the Bay Area and the friendships I’d formed there, worried I wouldn’t be able to find anything similar, but upon meeting Denise my worries were instantly put at ease. She and her co-advisor at the time, Chris Liu Perkins, couldn’t have been more friendly and knowledgeable about the children’s literature community out here by the Rockies and kindly welcomed me into the fold.… Read the rest
Happy Monday morning, everyone! Today we’re getting a tour of the workspace of my friend Rachel Rodriguez. Rachel is the author of two picture books: Through Georgia’s Eyes, a biography of Georgia O’Keeffe, and Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi, a biography of the Spanish architect. They are beautiful books, both illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Rachel tells the story of these artists’ lives with a poetic voice and strong imagery. Listen to this:
“For a time, Georgia lives in the city. She walks through canyons of concrete. She misses the outdoor world. The sun steals a bite from a skyscraper.”… Read the rest
Roberta Collier-Morales (aka Bobbi) started her illustration career while living in New York City where she was privileged to study the art of illustrating children’s books with Robert Quackenbush, Simon Dinnerstein, and got sage advice from Leo and Diane Dillon. She took classes with various master teachers at The Graphic Artists Guild, Parsons New School, and the The School of Visual Arts in New York City. Living in New York City helped her hone her craft and learn about the business of publishing. In 1980, she signed with her first agent–she’s now with her fifth agent and couldn’t be happier.
She’s done work for the educational, mass market, religious, and trade book markets for over 30 years.… Read the rest
