By popular request, they’re back! Every Wednesday, I shall be interviewing illustrators from the world of children’s literature, those you know well and also introducing you to pre-published future Caldecott potentials! Today’s guest is my go to pig-me-up on FB when I need a smile and a bit of whimsy to brighten my day. Welcome to Elizabeth Rose Stanton, whose debut picture book, HENNY, will be published next January by Simon & Schuster.

[JM Illustrator or author/illustrator? 

[ERS] Author/illustrator

[JM] What’s your nationality and which and how have certain cultures/regions influenced your work?   

[ERS] I am “all” American. Multiple lines of my family go back to the early 1600s in North America, and I have a touch of Native American.  It’s probably more accurate to say that my work has been influenced more by children’s literature, in general, than any specific culture or region. That said, I admire the work of many artists and illustrators, including:  Beatrix Potter, Lisbeth Zwerger, John R. Neill, John Tenniel, Edward Gorey, James Thurber. 

I could go on and on . . . 

[JM] Tell us a little of your beginnings as an artist.

[ERS] I studied art history in college, and then went on to get a graduate degree in architecture.   After I got married and had children, I decided to set aside my career as an architect to be a full-time parent.  I began to work as an artist, as time permitted, when my youngest child started kindergarten.  I did portraits, fine art (was represented by a gallery here in Seattle), some graphic design, and became a certified scientific illustrator.  It is only recently, now that the nest is empty, that I have been able to dive full-time into writing and illustrating for children.   

[JM] Do you have a preferred medium to work in? 

[ERS] I work mostly with pencil and watercolor, and sometimes with pen and ink and/or colored pencils. 

[JM] What does your workspace look like?        

[ERS] It Usually looks messy!   I have a cove in the basement lined on one side with bookshelves, and a desk at the end.  I call it “The Trench.”

[JM] Can you share a piece or two with us, maybe of a WIP, and the process of creating them?

[ERS] My process varies a little, depending on where the final image(s) end up. For my books, I work completely on paper.  HENNY was rendered in pencil and watercolor, and the final art was packed up and physically sent to Simon & Schuster in New York.    For posting on-line (such as my Facebook “daily” sketches or for blog posts), I always begin with pencil/paint on paper, scan it, then often do some touch up.  I have a very old graphics program that I use that is quite adequate for what I usually need to do—cleaning up stray lines or enhancing color here and there.  But the short of it is, I prefer to work old-school.  

Begins with a simple pencil sketch

Then I begin to paint, using a variety of watercolor, and sometimes gouache.

I go back and forth with color and pencil until I feel the picture is balanced

Then, in this case, I scan it in, clean it up a little, and send it on its way.

[JM] I know you have your debut picture book coming out in January of 2014. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration and development of HENNY? 

[ERS] Most of my ideas pop out spontaneously by way of the characters. A couple of years ago, I drew a fanciful bird with arms. He morphed into a chicken.  Then I started to think about all the challenges, and fun, a little chicken with arms might have, and Henny’s story unfolded from there.

Armed Chicks

Jacket cover for HENNY (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books)

 [JM] What’s with all the pigs?  

[ERS] The book I’m working on now is about a pig.

[JM] How do you approach the marketing/business side of the picture book world?

[ERS] Having a fabulous agent, Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary & Media, helps.  I couldn’t have asked for a better person to represent me. She is helpful, responsive, and she really knows the business. I also have the benefit of the expertise of the talented team at Paula Wiseman Books. Meanwhile, I’ve been working to build up my social network platform. I try and keep my blog current, as well as post sketches and little paintings on Facebook as frequently as I can.  I use Twitter occasionally, too.  Specifically for HENNY, I will be having the book launch here in Seattle the first week of January, and will then be working hard to make the rounds, so to speak, singing her praises!

[JM] What has been your greatest professional challenge?

[ERS] Staying focused. I always want to do other things (I have a pretty long bucket list).

Five Fun Ones to Finish?

[JM] What word best sums you up? 

[ERS] Quirky.

[JM] If you could live anywhere for a season, where would you go? 

[ERS] Paris–because I’ve never been.

[JM] What’s your go-to snack or drink to keep the creative juices flowing?

[ERS] Strong tea and the darkest of dark chocolate.

[JM] Cats or dogs? 

[ERS] Both!  I have an ancient one-eyed dog and two Scottish Fold cats.

[JM] If you could spend a day with one children’s book illustrator, with whom would that be? 

[ERS] Current: Lisbeth Zwerger    Past: Beatrix Potter

[JM] Where can we find/follow you and your work, Elizabeth?

http://www.penspaperstudio.com/

http://penspaperstudio.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.r.stanton

@penspaperstudio

[ERS]  Thank you for the interview, Joanna!  It’s been fun!

[JM] Thank YOU for being on Miss Marple’s Musings, Beth. To your continued success. I am looking forward to seeing HENNY when she comes out!

Welcome Back to Kid Lit Reviews After last thirty days of wildly romping through April from A to Z, I needed to take a little rest.  No kidding, my pinky finger on my writing hand went numb.  The finger was totally and completely numb from the tip to the edge of the hand.  Now that [...]

Recently I’ve been feeling rather guilty here on the blog as my Reading Round Europe tour has been on hold now for far longer than I would have liked. I can assure you I haven’t forgotten it and I will be continuing with it… it’s just that so many other good things keep popping up along the way (like this, this and this).

One of the reasons I’m determined to pick up where I left off, is that through researching the Reading Round Europe posts I’ve discovered some fabulous authors and illustrators I’m pretty sure I would not have come across otherwise.

Swedish Sven Nordqvist is a case is point. Back in January I reviewed two of his books, Pancakes for Findus and When Findus was Little and Disappeared and today I’m buzzing with excitement because I can bring you a third Findus and Pettson story – Findus and the Fox.

The bottom line is simple: This is a story with heaps of humour and so much warmth at its heart that its hard not to want to hug the book when you’ve finished reading it.

But if you want to know a little more about it… Pettson, a slightly crazy old bachelor farmer lives with his deceptively clever cat Findus. One day their neighbour Gustavsson visits to warn them that there’s been fox in the neighbourhood stealing hens. Gustavsson is determined to shoot the fox.

“So you think the fox will come here tonight,” muttered Pettson.
“That means we should lock our hens up now, eh Findus?”
“You should lock up Gustavsson,” said the cat. “I don’t trust men with guns.”
Don’t you think he should shoot the fox?” asked Pettson. “Otherwise it will come and eat our hens.”
“Foxes shouldn’t be shot,” said Findus. “They should be tricked.
That’s what I do.”
“Mm, I bet you do,” Pettson chuckled. “But I agree, Findus. It’s a shame to shoot foxes. We’ll work out how to frighten it off, so it won’t want to eat a hen ever again.”

And thus Pettson and Findus start work on a grand plan to frighten the fox.

First they create a decoy chicken stuffed with pepper. Not certain this will do the trick, they wire up a string of fireworks around the farmyard ready to set off and startle the fox when he tries to run off with the booby-trapped chicken.

Just like two big kids with an idea fizzing in their head, the plans don’t stop there but get crazier and even more outlandish. To be certain that the fox gets spooked off for good, Pettson and Findus decide their pièce de résistance is a zip line down which Findus will fly dressed as a ghost shouting at the fox.

Night falls and the farmer and his cat wait for the fox. Gingerly the fox, “a thin little thing, with a limp” does make an appearance. Pettso

Fast chicks.

I tend to find myself irresistibly attracted to charming things -- which has led me into trouble far more often than not -- but these delightful French chickens were crying out for attention and how could I say no? I am far too easily persuaded :) They belonged to the friend of a friend and sat on her table, all round and smooth and quite a pleasure to behold. I've changed the colours but hopefully retained the simplicity of form and it turned out to be a simple yet extremely therapeutic and enjoyable drawing.

I also have a wonderful queue of requests for my type designs which is a great but pleasant surprise. I'm going through them all in between drawings, but here's the last one I managed to do, for my niece:

I'm pleased to say that the sticker for it won me a TBA Award at zazzle on the 28 August :) Thanks Marisa!

French Hen products at Floating Lemons at Zazzle

Marisa cherry pink products at Floating Lemons Type at Zazzle