Baby in the Garden
Plants and children grow together in the May/June issue of Babybug! We asked readers to send us photos of babies in the garden.
Alma’s getting ready to do some planting! Her mother tells us, “We made frog-shaped seed pods, and Alma was getting ready to plant hers in the greenhouse. We live in Oregon, so we love to go to the greenhouse when it’s raining and dig, plant seeds, and snack directly from the garden beds.”
Emily is transplanting shrubs in the backyard! Her mom writes, “Emily received her first issue of Babybug just a few weeks after she was born — it was the first piece of mail with her name on it! She’s a huge fan, and her mom and dad love the magazine, too! Thank you, Babybug!”
Meet the artist: Cindy Revell
Cindy Revell was raised on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, where she read, drew, built forts in the bush, played with her cats and dogs, and spent a lot of time with her imagination. (Also weeding, picking roots and rocks in the fields, plucking weeds off the electric fence, catching pigs who got out of the electric fence, and doing the dishes.) She now lives in the countryside near Edmonton, Alberta. You can see some of her whimsical oil paintings at cindyrevell.com and at www.illustrationonline.com/artists.php.
What was your illustration process for the May/June BABYBUG Action Rhyme “Naptime”? What inspired you?
My own chickens were a great inspiration, especially since my black hen Clementine had hatched her own clutch of chicks and was being a very protective mother. I worked to give the mother hen a loving expression and to show interaction between her and the chicks. I began the illustration with two rough sketches before settling on my favorite. Once the sketch was approved, I transferred it to primed Bristol paper and painted it in acrylics.
What led you to choose such a bold color palette?
I love to play with color, and I sometimes choose colors that are different from real life. For instance, I might paint a bright red dog. It’s more fun. I’d rather have a red dog than a brown dog. In the case of “Naptime,” the bright reds, oranges, and golds, as well as the use of black, give the art a country feel. The background color reminds me of golden wheat fields.
What can you tell us about chickens? What makes chickens so appealing to you as a children’s illustrator—and what makes chickens such a perennially appealing topic for children’s art and literature?
I can tell you many things about chickens. How much time do you have? Chickens do wonderfully silly things, but they are actually fairly intelligent creatures, in their own way. They love to scratch in the dirt looking for tasty tidbits like bugs, worms, and seeds. They enjoy grass, leaves, and flowers. Chickens love all kinds of vegetables and leftovers from dinner, especially ham! My rooster Vincent loves meat and potatoes, and they all love sweets of all kinds.
Chickens lay about one egg per day and make very good mothers. The chicks learn from the mother hen and begin eating grass, bugs, seeds, and other tasty things right away. Chickens have their own unique personalities. They can be quite comical and colorful, which makes them appealing in art and literature.
Tell us about your path to becoming an artist.
As a child I loved drawing, reading, and creating imaginary lives for myself. One of my favorite things was to imagine that I was a wee tiny person who lived in a little shoebox house. It was always assumed that I would grow up to be an artist. After some side trips as a waitress, receptionist, and in a few other very uncreative jobs, I finally went to college, where I took graphic design. I worked as a designer and illustrator. In time, wanting more freedom and the opportunity to really use my imagination, I become a freelance illustrator. In addition to doing illustration for children’s books, book covers, billboards, CD covers, calendars, cards and all kinds of interesting products all over North America, I also paint very fun oil paintings featuring cats and birds.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
Great question! I have no children myself, but I was a child, once, a loooong time ago and remember always having paper and crayons to draw with. We had far fewer toys than children do today, and using our imaginations was strongly encouraged. When we complained of being bored and couldn’t think of anything to do, my mother would always say “Well, use your imagination!”
Did you have any favorite picture books when you were a child? How about now?
When I was a child I loved all Dr. Seuss books, Miss Suzy (a story about a squirrel who kept house in an oak tree), Dr. Dolittle, Put Me in the Zoo, the Babar books, and too many more to list. Now I love the kids’ books of Lane Smith, Rogé, Jane Ray, and many, many more.
Learn more about Cindy Revell at her website, http://cindyrevell.com. A partial listing of Cindy’s book illustration projects follows.
Partial Book List
Picture Books
“Bouki Cuts Wood” by Amanda St. John
“Room Enough for Daisy” by Debby Waldman and Rita Feutl
“Clever Rachel” by Debby Waldman
“A Sack Full of Feathers” by Debby Waldman
“The Mess” by Jennifer Wolfe
“Mallory and the Power Boy” by Pete Marlowe
“7 Sleeps Until Christmas” by Stuart Adams
Chapter Books
“Ten Thumb Sam” by Rachel Muller
“What I Means” by Marie Lamba
“Whatever Happened to My Dog Cuddles” by Heather Sander
“Make Mine with Everything” by Heather Sander
“Robbie Packford: Alien Monster” by Heather Sander
Meet this month’s cover artist: Hsinping Pan
Hsinping Pan’s cheery art appears on the cover of the April issue of Babybug and also accompanies the poem “The Lambkins.” Hsinping is an illustrator and animator whose work has appeared in magazines, children’s books, commercials, films, music videos, and even CD covers. She holds an MFA in animation and digital arts from University of Southern California.
What was your illustration process for the April Babybug cover and for “The Lambkins”? What inspired you?
“The Lambkins” is a really lovely poem. After reading it, I already could see some images in my head. I started with some rough sketches on paper. Then I developed one sketch that I liked the most and added more details. Then I submitted the sketch to the Babybug team. After approval, I started coloring in Adobe Illustrator and then moved to Photoshop to added some texture. It was the same process for the cover. The theme was spring, so I thought it would be fun to draw some snails and flowers.
Your visual style, with its clean lines and striking colors, is so distinctive! What (or who) are your influences? Are there any designers or illustrators who had an impact on your work?
I love colors and simple shapes. Also mostly my work is done on computers. When I draw on a computer, I use a software called Adobe Illustrator. It allows me to play with colors and shapes a lot. I can trying many color combinations till I am happy with it. It’s also easy to draw clean shapes in Illustrator. I think that helps me a lot. But in the end I always like to add some handmade texture to the drawings to make it more organic and playful.
My favorite artists are Paul Klee and Sara Fanelli.
Tell us about your path to becoming an artist.
I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t think about becoming an artist until I went to college for business. I was really frustrated and confused by my classes and found my true passion was creating things. Now I really appreciate that I initially studied business, because it helped me make up my mind to become an artist!
What do you like about illustrating for children?
I like that I can draw something bright and colorful. I also like to tell a story through drawings. It’s always fun to draw the characters, too. It’s like creating an imaginative and playful world for kids.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
I think reading children’s books with them is a good start. When I was a kid, I was fascinated by picture books. I felt that I got to see many different worlds through those drawings. They made me so happy and inspired me to draw.
Did you have any favorite picture books when you were a child? How about now?
My favorite picture books are a series of Chinese folk tales. There are 12 books in total. It came each month for a year. I was always so excited when it arrived. The illustrations are done by many artists, so I could see many different styles and really enjoyed all of them. It was my childhood treasure.
Now I have many favorites. If I have to pick one, it will be “Dear Diary” by Sara Fanelli. Her work is so magical and always puts a smile on my face.
Take a look at Hsinping Pan’s illustration portfolio at http://www.hsinpingpan.com.
Meet this month’s cover artist: Laura-Susan Thomas
Laura-Susan Thomas’s charming mice grace the cover of the March 2013 issue of Babybug, which also features her charming illustration of the classic song “Are You Sleeping?“ Laura-Susan lives with her husband, two dogs, and two kids (her best critics!) on the sometimes sunny, sometimes foggy central coast of California. Her art studio is a converted wooden shed in her garden–an easy commute!
We were delighted to find out all about Laura’s creative process, her artist’s studio, and what she loves most about children’s illustration.
Babybug:
What was your illustration process for the March Babybug cover and for the folk song “Are You Sleeping”? What inspired you?
I was thrilled to be illustrating “Are You Sleeping?”! I must have sung this song to my children at bedtime a thousand times, so it has a special place in my heart. Also, our family is planning a trip to Paris next year, so we have been looking at all things France.
For the cover, I kept thinking about the moon and the old tales of it being made of cheese. What better spot for a few mice to hang and sip tea!
To start a piece, I sketch and sketch and sketch. There are lots of ideas, but there is always the one that makes you smile, or laugh and want to dance around. That is the one that turns into the final illustration. Here are some of the final pencil sketches for “Are You Sleeping?” and the March cover:
I think it’s easier to paint a character if you have fun imagining what they would be like in real life. What would they eat for breakfast? Do they hate broccoli? Are they cranky or sweet or shifty?
For these pieces, I used a painting technique called grise: a monotone underpainting with shadows and highlights. Then, glazes of transparent colors are laid on top. I love the deep layers of color you can get with this process!
What was your path to becoming an artist?
My parents always encouraged my brother and me to draw and paint and tell stories. When we were little, Dad would take us on “Long and Dangerous Journeys.” We would walk around the block, making up stories. Streets would become rivers full of crocodiles and shrubs would become jungles full of wild animals. I loved imagining worlds–that’s why I love to tell stories in my art today.
I was constantly doodling as a kid. I grew up loving comic books, vintage children’s book illustration, and art books. I got a fine arts degree in illustration, then worked for many years as a Disney Imagineer. It was a great job!
Can you tell us something about the place where you grew up? What role did your hometown play as you grew as an artist?
Our family moved a lot, so we did not have a single hometown. The place that played the biggest role in my love for art was Kansas City. My mom took my brother and me to art classes at the Nelson Art Museum: puppetry, sculpting, drawing. We hung out with Henry Moore’s big Bronze Sheep and wandered through the paintings, sculptures, Asian art collections, and miniatures room. It felt like we were living the book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
What do you like about illustrating for children?
I love everything! You get to be a kid again and imagine all sorts of worlds and tell stories. I have two children of my own, so I try to think of what would make them smile or want to explore an illustration. I always try to weave little back stories into the main illustration so there are layers to discover after the first glance.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
Surround your family with all different types of art. Have fun with art. There are so many inexpensive or even free ways to visit art: go to street fairs, live music, and galleries.
We have always given art a space in our house. My kids have their own space in my little art studio, where they can hang out, read and do art and homework while I’m working. You need a little room or spot where you can join your children, a spot that can get messy, stocked with supplies. Let creativity flow! It’s never too early to start; I think I had my kids mucking in paint on their high chair trays.
Did you have any favorite picture books when you were a child? What about now?
As a kid, I spent hours living in Busytown with Richard Scarry’s great characters. I fell in love with the story and the pen and ink drawings in Ferdinand the Bull. I loved watching things change in Life Story. As a mom, I love the humor and whimsy in Mo Willems’s and David Weisner’s books. I love the worlds that Suan Tan creates! My all-time favorite contemporary book is Arnie the Donut by Laurie Keller.
Everyone at Babybug loves your funny, expressive animals! If you were an animal, what kind would you be?
This is a tough one. . . . I think maybe a giraffe. They are tall and lanky and out of scale with the antelopes and such on the African Savannah. They seem like the nerdy, silly guys of the animal kingdom.
You can learn more about Laura-Susan Thomas’s art at her website. Or visit her illustration portfolio! A list of her illustration projects follows.
eBooks
Frankie and the Big Squish by Sarah Lynn
Stories for the Los Angeles Times Kids’ Reading Room:
“Michelangelo’s Mousecot” by Kay Haugaard
“Rosmunda’s High C” by Kay Haugaard
“Laughter in a Box” by Judith L. Jefferies
“Borified to the Ninth Dimension by Cheryl Rose
“The Magic Home Run Bat” by Elizabeth Spur
Water Babies
Splish-splash! The February issue of BABYBUG is all about water, so we invited readers to send us photos of their children playing with this perfect toy. Here are a few of our favorites.
Liam looks like a little scientist! His mother writes, “Liam loves to play in the water. Now that it is cold outside, he will pull the kitchen chair up to the sink and play with his boat for at least an hour at a time. This picture was taken this past summer while he played with his water table in our back yard. This was his favorite outdoor toy by far!”
Noah is a budding gardener. His mother tells us that watering his rosemary plant is his very favorite activity.
Meet the cover artist: Shirley Beckes
The BABYBUG staff loved Shirley Beckes’s bold, cheerful cover for the January issue! It was a pleasure to ask her a few questions about her wildly imaginative work.
BABYBUG:
What was your illustration process for the January BABYBUG cover and for the traditional song/poem “Down by the Station”? What inspired you?
Shirley Beckes:
I start by visualizing the concept and thinking of creative, fun possibilities for the scene at hand. Letting my thoughts come together, I go about my day. When it’s time to illustrate, I am able to let the ideas just flow and the illustration will start to come to life.
Tell us about your path to becoming an artist.
I came from a very creative, artistic family . . . and was influenced early on.
What do you like about illustrating for children?
I can let my imagination run wild. Anything can happen, there are no limits on what is possible. I love being able to live in that kind of world.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
The best way to keep children interested in art is to help them explore new ways to bring their imaginations to life. Art projects with your children—encouraging them to write stories, sculpt, and paint—do wonders for them. When they are older, if they don’t pursue art, they will appreciate the art around them and maybe remember how to imagine the possibilities.
Did you have any favorite picture books when you were a child? How about now?
I have bookshelves full of picture books from artists I admire…. Alice and Martin Provensen, Seymour Chwast, Tomie dePaola, Eric Carle, just to name a few.
What is the perfect way to spend a January day?
The way I spend every day–enjoying life!
You can learn more about Shirley here.
Shirley and Wilbur hit the road.
Meet the cover artist: Elena Selivanova
The BABYBUG team was charmed by Elena Selivanova’s art for our November/December issue. When we interviewed her, we found out that the Moscow-based artist is just as delightful as her work!
Babybug:
What was your illustration process for the November/December BABYBUG cover and for the Mother Goose rhyme “Blow the Fire”? What inspired you?
Elena Selivanova:
Nothing inspires me as Christmas does. A lot of glorious things could happen at Christmas time: warm mittens, delicious cakes, flickering decorations on the tree, the smell of pine needles, a snowstorm outside, the heat of the fireplace . . .
The artwork almost seems to glow. How did you achieve that effect?
I’m afraid it’s a mystery to me, as well.
Can you tell us something about the place where you grew up? What role did your childhood hometown play as you blossomed into an artist?
I think I was born with a brush in my hand. Since I can remember, I always drew. Perhaps it was predestined?
Kazakhstan
I was born in Siberia, but I grew up south of Kazakhstan, surrounded by the towering Tian Shan mountains. Honestly, I never really liked it—such a fenced life. I love the vast, open spaces around Moscow.
Now I live in Moscow, near the Moscow River. The opposite bank of the river is quite a remarkable place—a huge, wild park, it was formerly the estate of Count Alexei Orlov, one of the favorites of Empress Catherine the Great. But nowadays, a small, dilapidated wooden mansion is all that remains of those luxuries.
Tell us about some of your favorite illustration projects.
The work that brought me the most satisfaction was the picture book Alphabet. It is a free translation from a 19th-century English edition of Tom Thumb’s Alphabet.
I just love thinking up and drawing characters, dressing them according to my own taste and desires, and then putting amusing things around them, creating an atmosphere.
from “Alphabet”
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
Based on my own personal experience as a practitioner, not a theorist, I guess that children could be captivated by the charismatic personality of a teacher, by his sincere beliefs and enthusiasm.
Did you have any favorite picture books when you were a child? How about now?
There is a picture book that I have admired since my childhood: Pushkin’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by B. Konashevych. Now I am able to appreciate his incomparable talent and skill.
a Konashevych illustration
I travel a lot and love to pick up children’s books everywhere. One of my latest acquisitions was Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, illustrated by Thomas Perino. This is an incredibly witty, sophisticated edition, even given the tremendous diversity of interpretations of Alice. It is a uniquely-made creation, in the best traditions of the book arts.
What is your favorite way to spend a November day?
Elena at work
I like to wrap myself in a warm scarf and walk along the riverbank in the morning. My work usually takes all day, and in the evening: a classical music concert at the Moscow State Conservatory. November is one of the busiest and richest times for musical events. We can hear the best classical musicians in the world, and after a performance, my friends and I love to pass the time in our favorite tearoom until late at night.
You can learn more about Elena here.
The First Issue!
Suzanne sent us a photo of her daughter intently reading her very first issue of Babybug! Do you have a photo of your baby reading the magazine? Send it to babybug@babybugmagkids.com and we’ll post it on the blog!
Meet the cover artist: Amy Schimler
Growing up in Brooklyn and Miami, Amy Schimler, the artist behind the vivid October Babybug cover, experienced New York City’s 1960’s art scene and the natural beauty of coastal Florida. She eventually traveled to Boston, a city she describes as “rich with educational opportunities,” and became an occupational therapist. Ten years later, she went back to school to study art. Amy now lives in a lake house outside of Atlanta. She says, “I see beavers, herons, deer, and lots of interesting wildlife every day—they inspire my work. Even though I have drawn a lot of pictures up until now, I look forward to all the projects I haven’t done yet.”
Babybug:
What was your illustration process for the October cover and for the little story about the color red? What inspired you?
Amy Schimler:
I started thinking about red things that might be exciting to a child. I had a fun picture of an apple I had done for another job, and that got my ideas started. Of course, fall is full of beautiful red leaves. For the cover, I reflected on my time raising a son. Pirates were always a popular dress-up theme, as were firemen. Thinking about a red bandana as a head covering was the original inspiration for the pirate.
When did you first become interested in art? Do you have a memory associated with your first inspiration, or perhaps another person or artist who inspired you?
The artist’s Brooklyn days
I remember loving color when I was preschool age. I had my favorite chunky red crayon that I took with me everywhere, and a plastic leaf coaster that I kept with my toys because it was such a beautiful bright green. I also grew up in New York City and my mother had these small booklets from the museums. I remember loving Paul Klee’s work.
What do you like about illustrating for children?
Oh my, everything. The best part is when you hear that a child loves to read your books. You get to play every day for work, and you get to think like a child. I love playing with color every day.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
Most young children I have met seem to enjoy art. If you put the materials in front of them without expectation at an early age, they typically just go for it. It isn’t until children develop a sense of self-awareness that the creative process can shut down. I usually engage children in activities that focus more on the materials and the process than the end results. Then it becomes play instead of work.
Did you have any favorite picture books when you were a child? How about now?
Dr. Seuss. I wrote to him and received an autographed photo of him that hung over my bed.
Now I have a long list of favorite illustrators: Maira Kalman, Sara Fanelli, Melissa Sweet.
The Babybug staff loves your watery scenes! Are you a sailor, or an avid beachgoer?
I grew up in Miami. ‘Nuf said.
To learn more about Amy, please visit her website.
Amy Schimler
Meet the cover artist: Rosalinde Bonnet
The Babybug staff loved Rosalinde Bonnet’s brilliant artwork for the September issue! We were very happy when Rosalinde found time to discuss her work with us, and we’d like to thank her friend Jessica Shapiro for translating her comments from French.
Rosalinde lives in Versailles, France. If she hadn’t become an author and illustrator, her passion for animals probably would have led her into zoology. When she isn’t drawing or writing, Rosalinde likes to take photos, hike, and travel.
Babybug:
What was your illustration process for the September cover and for the poem “Five Little Peas”? What inspired you?
Rosalinde Bonnet:
My creative process is rather simple. Most of the time, images just pop into my head when I read a text. I chose a rabbit for the cover, because in my opinion it symbolizes perfectly one of this month’s themes: “the garden.” Wanting the rabbit to be large enough in the frame, I drew droopy ears to save space. I tried out several compositions.
from sketches . . .
to the finished cover
To illustrate the poem “Five Little Peas,” I depicted a badger. Although it’s an animal that I love, I seldom have the opportunity to draw it. I was particularly careful about getting the position of the peas just right, so they look like they’re bursting out of the pod.
Tell us about your path to becoming an artist.
As a child, I would draw for hours on end. I would often get into trouble in school because I doodled all over my notebooks during class. At home, my brother and sisters and I spent a lot of time inventing plays for our puppets. My father built us a beautiful puppet theater and my uncle, who is an interior designer, created wonderful sets. I started writing and illustrating stories when I was quite young.
After high school, I went to Versailles School of Fine Arts for two years, then I studied at the Higher National School of Decorative Arts of Paris for another four years. My first books were published in 2004, the year I graduated.
the artist in her childhood puppet theatre
What do you like about illustrating for children?
It’s such a delight to create for children. They have so much imagination! They are open to fantasy, humor, poetry… Possibilities are endless when you work for kids.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
I think children are curious about everything, but this curiosity should be carefully nurtured. It’s good to read them books with different styles of illustration, and to take them to the museum. It’s important to encourage manual activities: painting, sculpting, and collage.
At home, we would have drawing contests. My parents invented a game we enjoyed very much: they would show us a picture of a painting we didn’t know. Then each of us would imagine a story based on the painting. The more abstract the picture, the stranger our stories would become. We had lots of fun!
I illustrated a beautiful story by Jan Wahl about children and art: The Art Collector.
Did you have any favorite picture books when you were a child? How about now?
I had many favorite books as a child, but I was absolutely fascinated by Zeralda’s Ogre by Tomi Ungerer, Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel, Les malheurs d’Ysengrin by Samivel, Morris’s Disappearing Bag by Rosemary Wells, The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter, and Shrewbettina’s Birthday by John S. Goodall.
Today, I also adore A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis, the Pigeon series by Mo Willems, the Scaredy Squirrel series by Melanie Watt, La belle aux ours nains by Emile Bravo, Le popotin de l’hippopo by Marc Boutavant and Didier Lévy . . . .
There are so many books I love that I can’t list them all!
Here at Babybug, we’re fans of the vivid animals you create. If you were an animal, what would you be?
I would definitely be a cat. I take many small naps during the day and I work non-stop at night. Also, I’m a great fan of my cat, Pousspouss!
Pousspouss
To learn more about Rosalinde and the books she’s written and illustrated, please visit her website.
