As all of you with even a nodding acquaintance with my blog know, we’re big people around here. There’s the House Leroy, of course, whose nickname is “Big.” There’s The Boy, who is 6’4″. There were my uncles, all over six feet. And now there are my nephews–6’4″ and 6’8″–who by chance are visiting and cooking for me. Since they’re marvelous cooks, that explains why we’re big in other ways, too). We know big. We do it well.
Which is why I was particularly pleased to run across BIG, a new Little Pickle Press book written by written Coleen Paratore and illustrated by Clare Fennell. BIG that takes the idea of bigness–something about which I thought I knew just about everything there is to know–and expands it in intriguing, and thought-provoking, ways. I was even more pleased to score Clare Fennell’s email address, and have the chance to chat with her a little bit about her work style.
Being big is a subject that’s central to the lives of many children. You’re a mom. Is it something that comes up a lot at your house?
Being big is a massive issue in our house; my younger girl is quite small for her age (she was born prematurely) and other children often refer to her as “little.” She hates it and insists she’s a ‘BIG’ girl. And she is! She also hates it when her older sister gets to do stuff that she can’t, like staying up late, sleepovers or being able to ride her bike without stabilisers (training wheels) etc.
I notice that a lot of these illustrations include measuring tools–rulers, drafting paper, and so forth. Was this intentional? And if so, can you expand on that a bit? In a book that basically defines bigness in terms that have nothing to do with physical measurements, what role do those measuring tool textures fill?
Hmm, I guess you can look at them as literal measuring tools. I particularly like textures like text books, graph paper and newspapers, and use them a lot. The more textures the better!
I think we wanted to use them here to show how being “BIG” isn’t necessarily a size thing right at the beginning of the book, even though that’s what people think. Then I liked the theme running through the book.
Speaking of textures: How do you get your collage textures? I see painted paper, printed paper (the drafting paper), and paper textures that involve words and various images. Do you create those textures as well, or do you seek out already-printed paper textures for your work? And if so, where do you like to look?
I think the answer is where don’t I look! I am constantly looking and collecting stuff. I have three boxes labeled “Patterns, Textures, Colours” to keep them all in, and a cupboard full of fabrics. I love going to haberdashery departments and vintage clothing stalls! I go through all magazines before they are recycled and rip out anything I can use–be it a nice area of colour, water texture, skin texture–anything!
I also do a lot of painting colours on brown parcel paper (I like the texture it produces) and on old newspaper. I’ve used old bits of clothing–I’ve also photographed some of my old stuffed toys (for the pattern) and photographed my furniture for wood textures, photographed rocks, plants etc.
How did you find Little Pickle Press? (Or, how did they find you?)
They found me! It was so lovely to be approached like that. I think they saw my work on Children’s Illustrators.com and then on my blog. They liked the mixed media feel of my work. Hooray!!
Your work looks very traditional. How does PhotoShop factor in? Do you collage your work there, or do you develop images, print them out, and then integrate them into your collages?
Well, I don’t have any hard and fast rules, I’m always experimenting. Mainly I collage and paint the individual bits by hand on paper. For BIG, I made all the characters first, then scanned them in and used Photoshop to finish the collage electronically. Finally I added background textures, shadows, and so forth, also in Photoshop.
I love collage because it gives me the flexibility to change and move things around. Photoshop is just an extension of this for me. Sometimes I create a pattern in Photoshop, print it out, and then collage it, but not often.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers?
When I was eighteen I wrote to Quentin Blake (it was pen and paper in those days) And he replied!!
He sent me loads of press clippings because I was doing an essay about him (no internet!) His work has always inspired me, even though it’s completely different to mine. I have always enjoyed how much movement and character he can bring to his images.
I trained in illustration at university. After I graduated I continued buying children’s books because I loved them. I stumbled into greetings card work after graduating and ended up staying there. It was an amazing grounding into art and design on a professional level, but my heart has always been in children’s books. I just didn’t have the confidence…
After I had our girls, I spent hours reading lovely children’s books with them … wishing. One day a very good friend of mine said, “Just try it; what have you got to lose?” So I dusted off my sketchbook and started! I guess it shows what you can do if you put your mind to it. It’s the best job in the world, AND I get to be here with our children after school and in the holidays too. One day I hope to write a children’s book as well….well, that’s the plan!!
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to share with us, Clare.
And if you, Gentle Readers (or Savage Readers–we’re equal-opportunity around here, what with the Magic Dog’s penchant for biting UPS men, gas men, Fed-ex men, mail men, cops, and random strangers) would like to read more about BIG, Little Pickle Press, and the nice people who make these things possible, you can download lesson plans at the Little Pickle Press website here. Click here for the BIG lesson plan. And of course you’ll want to buy a copy of this beautiful book, or download a Kindle version of the book by clicking here.
BIG is printed on recycled papers with soy inks in North America (since the folks at Little Pickle Press are all Big People and Understand About Saving Our Planet). For more of the story behind the story in BIG continue the book tour tomorrow–here’s a full set of the blog stops:
· 9/17 Carrots Are Orange
· 9/18 Shonell Bacon
· 9/19 Brit Mum
· 9/20 Spoiled Yoga
· 9/21 Capability Mom
Here’s a quick reference list of helpful links for BIG, and for Little Pickle Press:
Little Pickle Press on Facebook
Little Pickle Press on Twitter
My children and I LOVE “BIG”! The illustrations are simply perfect- so vibrant, and always something new to see in every picture. We’d wondered about how they were done, thanks so much for giving us an inside view on the process. Clare’s story is inspiring as well, We’re going to follow her lead and try something new in our homeschooling today.
Why didn’t I find this when my kids were little……..darn!
Thank you all for your lovely words 🙂
I enjoyed the process of producing the art for this book enormously!!
It looks like it! Your illustrations are just such fun…
I’m so glad you could drop in, Clare. That always makes it more fun.Sherry Wachter541.938.6292sherry@sherrywachter.com Website: http://www.sherrywachter.com/wordsnpics
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, inspiration and process with us Clare. As a graphic artist I often find myself collecting odds and ends, with no idea what I will do with them. Your work on BIG show that perhaps I don’t need a plan–all those little scaps might just add up to something BIG eventually!
Beautiful book! Thanks, Bodie, for asking her questions about the artwork I wouldn’t have known to ask. 🙂
Thanks for visiting, Marian! It’s lovely to see you again.
I always read, I just don’t always comment. 🙂
I always love knowing what (and who) is behind the art, because it’s so important to a good picture book. Great interview!
Yes–and if I like a particular set of book illustrations, I find myself looking for that artist’s work elsewhere.
Great interview! It’s always great to learn more about the talented artist behind a story. Thank you for hosting BIG!
Thanks for visiting, Cameron–I’m always amazed by how many approaches we take to creating art.
Cute cover! I never had any problems with being big until I got older. I didn’t grow taller, just wider!
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
It was a pleasure Sherry! You have a great blog. 🙂
It’s fun having you here, Clare–I’m glad you like the blog.
Your interview is terrific! I love the explanation of the process that went into the illustrations for BIG – so creative. Language development takes one of the front seats for the BIG audience of children, teachers, parents and grandparents. BIG has been our most recent book purchase for our grandchildren and I will be presenting BIG to teachers and other educators in the following weeks! Thank you for this background-enlightening interview.
Thank you for visiting–as a writing and literature teacher, I find that knowing a bit about how and why a book or picture was produced leads to a richer, more informed experience.
Thank you so much for this post and for sharing your interview with Clare! It is so inspiring to hear how she took the leap and steered her course as an illustrator into the job of her dreams–now that’s BIG.
I just ordered BIG. It will be something my grandson, who is too young to understand, will like when he gets bigger. I can’t wait to read it myself.
Thanks for ordering it, Betsy. One of the things I like about this book is that it addresses something that hugely important–how we each see ourselves, and how we see ourselves in the world.
The art work in BIG is so engaging. Thank you Clare for sharing with us your special techniques and inspirations. BIG is a terrific book and a must have in ever family library. Little Pickle Press scores a home run with BIG.
That was an enjoyable and informative post, even though my son is all grown up. Here’s wishing you much success with BIG.
I know–it was sort of ironic, reading a book about how little kids can be BIG, when my own personal kid is so very, very big. Kind a of “coals to Newcastle” moment, but then the book of course develops the idea of being BIG in some interesting and thought-provoking ways.
I kinda think it would make a great gift for an adult with the wrong values. 😉
This is such a great book, and I really enjoyed hearing from Clare about her process of making art. The illustrations are really quite beautiful and dovetail perfectly with the text. I’m glad to have this book in my collection.
They are, aren’t they, Tony? Thanks for visiting–and enjoy your book!
What a great book for girls and boys at a time when the culture pushes our children in a very different direction.
JoAnn Deak, author and psychologist.
Isn’t it? Size is such a fraught issue these days. It’s nice to have it reframed in positive terms.
Sherry, thanks for a great post and tour stop! I’m sure Clare will save the permalink to share with her friends and for future promotion, too. http://bit.ly/BBTMDP
I’m delighted to be able to share books of this quality.
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