This week I am starting a new feature called: "Children's Authors and Illustrators Interview", where once a month I will interview a children's author and/or illustrator to introduce them to you. These people are quirky, talented, incredible storytellers that you will fall in love with, I just know it:)
So this month of March I'd like to introduce you to Renee Galvin, author and illustrator of three children's books and a great new friend.
Here is the interview:
HH: I discovered you on the internet, I think it was through Periscope or Instagram:) I instantly loved your energy and passion for picture book art and immediately started following you. But I don’t know much about your beginning. I’d like to travel back to your childhood and the influences you had, favorite books or art experiences or travels, that framed and formed you as an artist.
Can you tell me about that?
RG: Awe that is so sweet of you to say because when I was young I was extremely shy. I was always very quiet. There were two moments in elementary school that I remember very well. One was in Kindergarten and we read the book Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs. Our teacher was friends with the local weather lady and she came to our class for a visit. I just thought that was so exciting. The other was when my second grade teacher read the book I'll Love You Forever and she started tearing up when she read it. I just remember being so moved because she was always such a bubbly upbeat person. I think maybe it was a little bit of shock that a book could create so much emotion from someone.
When I was a child, my main influence as an artist was Disney. With that, also came Mary Blair...gosh, I love her.
Mary Blair Illustration
Anyways, I had a giant Disney Encyclopedia that had every film ever made (at that time) and all of their characters. I started to draw from that book and really used it as a study guide. About that time, my mother got a job as a colorist for a comic book company and that played a huge influence on me as an artist as well. We would go to her work with her a lot. There were many days that I would sit and watch people draw or watch them color and shade comics.
As far as books, I had many favorites. I have always been a book worm. Some of my picture book favorites were I'll Love You Forever, The Little House, The Giving Tree...well...basically anything by Shel Silverstein.
Shel Silverstein Illustration
Were there teachers who influenced you as an artist? Or other artists? Can you tell me about them?
I had the best art teacher in high school that I could ever ask for. She taught me so much more that art fundamentals. She was very sweet and soft spoken and saw something in me that I didn't. I've always been my worst critic. I think everyone is but she pushed me to push myself in my art. She really took me under her wing and gave me so much confidence just by guiding me to try techniques, entering me into art shows and letting me take a leadership role at times. My senior year, I was in her class 4 hours a day. All of that made her a great teacher, but she was more than that. In the summers, she worked with a company that arranged educational tour groups all over the world. My junior year she was taking a group to Europe. I worked and actually saved up enough to go on that trip. That tour really opened up my eyes to just how powerful art can be. She showed me the world in so many different ways. I could never thank her enough.
As far as other artist's influenced, I loved Salvador Dali. I appreciated his abstract thinking. It is something that I struggle with but highly appreciate. Mary Blair for the impact she makes with color and over all whimsical appearance. Georges Seurat is one of my favorites; I love pointillism. My husband is also an artist and he influences my work now as well. We have two totally different artistic styles, so it is always enlightening to see his point of view on a project.
Where do you find inspiration? For your art, for your book ideas?
Haha, this is a hard question. My published book ideas all came from my children in one way or another, conversations we have had or their personalities. Sometimes they even show up in my illustrations unintentionally. For example, take the book Teal, my youngest son is named Teal so the initial idea sparked from his name. But honestly this book was modeled more from my experience as a child. I do have a notebook filled with story ideas and thoughts. They are usually on a few words but they trigger my ideas. For my art, its really hard to say. I am constantly trying to do different techniques and push myself to the next level.
You have three published picture books, Chasing Monster Tales, Stuck in a Muck, and Teal! You are both author and illustrator on all three! Can you describe what it’s like being both author and illustrator?
How does writing and storytelling differ from creating pictures, how are they similar?
It was a little bit of an adjustment in the beginning because they were two different thought processes for me. I wrote stories that I didn't plan to illustrate myself. I was a realistic artist. I didn't illustrate. I did tons of research on how to publish a children's book and it always said "Do not illustrate your own books". For years, that phrase created a mentally block that kept me from moving forward with my books. Crazy huh? Once I jumped that hurtle, the books have came out ever year since. Now the process is a little more fluid and I jump from being the author to being the illustrator rather quickly because I am envisioning the stories as I write.
When you are writing the story there is a rhythm to it. You create a story and you know exactly where the page needs to flip. You still have to tell a story with the illustrations, but you have to shake up the storyline when needed. It is more of keeping the attention or adding silly things on the page that are unexpected. The ideal goal is that both the child and the parent love the book!
Can you share with us your process for creating picture book art? What mediums do you gravitate to? What surfaces do you like? How do you bring a book through it’s states of development?
When I am writing, I tend to doodle the main characters and continue writing. If I get stuck on the story sometimes I jump to sketching out a page of the book and it helps me visualize it and pick back up on the story. After the manuscript is complete, I start the story boards for the illustrations. Often when I am writing, I get a very clear image in my head of what I would like the illustrations to look like for that page. Sometimes those images have to get tossed out because they do not work within the story board layout. That's always a struggle for me. I complete the boards and then work on each page. When it is complete I pass it along to my husband Christopher to clean up and edit. He also does the book layout and we decide on any revisions that are needed. After all that is perfected, we have a completed book!
My go-to medium is watercolor. I love the forgiving soft warm look it gives.. I also love Copic markers if I am going for more of a bold statement.
Do you have an established color pallet that you like to use? Will you share it with us or is it secret?
I would share it with you if I had one. I really don't. Each book has its own color pallet. I do tend to favor certain colors throughout them unintentionally though. Aqua and red is one of my favorite color combinations and they tend to show up in every book.
You have a full life, husband, children, career….Do you have a regular art routine to keep producing your books or do you create when inspiration strikes?
What times of day do you create your art? Is there a time of day when you are more creative?
I love my life, my heart is completely full. I'm constantly creating. If I am playing with the kids, a book idea might spark from one of our conversations. We may create art and that gets me thinking of ways I could use it in the next book. Always thinking!
I don't have set times that I create art because that can feel almost forced. However, Tuesdays are my book days. I create if I am feeling inspired. If not, I used that time to send out invoices, catch up on emails, figure out my marketing plan for the next week, mentoring calls with future authors, etc.
I am much more creative in the evenings after everyone goes to bed, that is if I can keep from falling asleep next to one of my kiddos! :)
When you create art and picture book stories what is it you want your audience to feel or take away with them?
I just want them to feel. I love reading book reviews from bloggers and they see something totally different then I planned. That means I did my job, I created something that made them connect and feel and I couldn't ask for anything better than that!
Since I discovered you on social media, let’s talk about that for a second. I know a lot of artists, especially older ones, are uncertain as to how they should use social media and digital technologies to share their art. Can you share some insights with us?
Social media is my lifeline. By that I mean, you have the whole world at your fingertips if you chose to use it. I have built many business relationships with people I have "met" through social media. Starting on a social media platform is the hardest part. The rest is just you sharing your story. I once heard someone say "people do not buy your product but they buy you". They see beautiful art every day but the reason they bought your beautiful art work because they have come to "know" you.
Which platforms (FB, IG, Twitter, etc) do you find are most helpful in connecting with your audience and why do you think that?
I have two favorite social media platforms. I love Instagram. I get more new connections through Instagram and they are usually people who found me by searching a certain hashtag. That makes those connections stronger. I also love that it is visual there. Everything is photos or videos which is great for artists! Facebook is my old faithful. It has treated me great over the years. I do Facebook live videos that really help me connect with my existing audience. I do Tutorial Tuesdays where I teach children (and parents) how to draw using simple shapes. If I could explain it for me personally, Instagram is the introduction and Facebook is the relationship. I used periscope (where we met) as a learning tool. I really wasn't comfortable in front of a live camera but I knew that was where things were headed. So I started making videos on Periscope because it was a platform where I didn't know anyone but could get experience and feed back for live video. I primarily use Facebook Live now for video. I also use Snapchat, but in fun ways for my audience to see a more silly side of my life.
How much time a week do you put into your on-line presence versus your off-line presence?
I weigh heavily on my online presence. I spend a lot of time there and a lot of time preparing what I am going to do there. If I am offline I am either creating, visiting schools or hanging out with my family.
And to finish off the interview, what is your favorite part about being a picture book author and illustrator?
Oh my gosh... I love it all. Right now to go along with my book Teal, I am hosing a Teal Crayon Challenge to promote random acts of kindness so that is amazing to see reaction to this! My favorite part though, has to be when I visit the schools. Every time I come home for a visit I say the same thing... "This is why I do what I do."
Thanks so much for interviewing me! I love connecting with you and your readers!
Renee
Do you have any questions for Renee? Click on her name above and you will be taken to her Facebook page or leave them here in the comments and I'll share them with her.
Thanks for stopping in!
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