Here's a link to the publisher I'm meeting with this weekend. There will be several there, but these folks are going to have a "sit down" with me and my portfolio...
http://www.henryholtchildrensbooks.com/index.htm
They are the big time, and I'm trying to prepare, both my portfolio and my brain.
I'm mindlessly feeding paper and printing my portfolio, and I'm thinking of answers to the questions I might get asked...
Like if he asks me what is my approach to creating children's art I'll say something like...
Out of my love of nature, I tend to cast characters as animals (I was told publishers like animal characters because animals are not one perticular race or even gender sometimes, but I probably won't mention that on a first date). I begin with a realistic depiction of the animal and then start to pull out what I'd think of as "personality." How much I pull out is relative to the age of the audience I'm illustrating for. I enjoy stylizing while keeping realistic details, so the bear may be wearing a hawaiin shirt, but the fur looks authentic.
If he asks me which illustrators my work would resemble/that I admire...
Michael Hague, Jan Brett, Hellen Ward, Jerry Pinkney, Michael Wiesner, Chris Van Ahlsberg, Holly Hobbie, Lisa Munsinger, Mark Teague (and most of these illustrators and animal folks)
Other illustrators I think are excellent that my work doesn't resemble...
Eric Carle, Kevin Henke, William Steig, Henry Johnson, Mary Grandpre...
Oh, I'm so excited!!! It's like a job interview, except I'm really looking forward to it!
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3 comments:
Hi Regan! I emailed you earlier today (at regan@reganjohnson.com) but then I got nervous that might not be a current email and what I wrote is so excruciatingly important that I'm posting an annoying CYE on your blog.
I can't wait to hear how it goes with your big meeting. I have my fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you!
Hey Wendy!
I got your email! I sort of have two running email addresses. regan@reganjohnson.com is my official one, but I use earthlink still so that one works, too.
Keep those toes crossed!
Hi, Regan, Best of luck to you. Have been trying to reach you for months but my computer still pops up my old address and thus you never get the messages. Will keep trying. Good luck and best regards, Susan at smaster250@yahoo.com
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