An Artist’s Eye We are in the heart of summer, one of my favorite times of the year. It’s a time for playful days of splashing and sand castles on the beach, road trips and exploring new places with friends and barbecuing delicious meals late into the warm evenings. And books. No matter what time of year, there will always be books, but there is something about the summer that beckons me to sprawl out on a blanket in the backyard, and get lost in a book under the shade of our olive tree. Book, written by David Miles and illustrated by Natalie Hoopes, captures some of the greatest outdoor summer scenes and fantastical places to get lost in words and pictures. What’s the book? Are you intrigued yet? Just a little curious about this? Book is so charming in it’s simplicity, I almost don’t want to share any more photos and ruin the experience of discovering this wonderful picture book. What I will say is Book is about just that- a book. But how can one describe the feeling of being unexpectedly captured by words on a page, and illustrations filled with color? What is that special quality capturing your curiosity when you turn the first few pages of a picture book to discover what will happen next? Miles and Hoopes create a world where readers join a sweet little boy away from the modern world of technology and screens into one of imagination and possibilities. I won’t say too much more about this, please just go and discover this journey for yourself. Art and the fun stuff! I have to do this blog post justice and share a few pictures, I am an artist at heart after all. These won’t give away too much of the story, I promise. I absolutely fell in love with the illustrations by Natalie Hoopes. The details aren’t printed in the book, but I was only one click away finding Hoopes and her amazing artwork online. Illustrations in Book were made in watercolor, acrylic, gouache, micron pens, colored pencils, watercolor pencils and torn paper. This treasure trove of mixed media adds texture and detail to the illustrations, adding new layers to the way the story unfolds. Just look at this scene- don’t you just want to join in the dance circle or roast marshmallows with this mystical bunch? The touches of torn paper not only add a textural quality to the illustrations, but an almost poetic touch of intrigue beyond the soft landscapes and whimsical characters to explore. For more of Natalie’s artwork, check out her website: http://www.nataliehoopes.com/ Kids will love it because… Book is like a journey that draws you in with each page turn and invites you to stay a while to admire the wondrous scenery and decipher messages among the little scraps of words. Young readers will love returning to Book again and again, to meet a new monster hidden in a mysterious bog, or discover a novel phrase among the collage of papers. And with scenes of fireflies and exploring a world with new friends, hopefully Book will also inspire new summertime adventures to be had and new friends to be made. Happy Summer everyone! Sarah Momo Romero is a Japanese Peruvian American artist, a graphic designer by day and children's book author and illustrator by night. She’s loved drawing and painting since she was a chiquita and now crafts stories of adventure and wondrous creatures. Sarah is an active SCBWI member who draws inspiration from her life in sunny Los Angeles with her husband/creative partner and dog/infamous escape artist, Peanut. Look out for her first picture book coming out in May 2018! You can find more of Sarah's musings and drawings here: www.sarahmomoromero.com Facebook: Sarah Momo Romero + Instagram: @sarahmomoromero + Twitter: @sarahmomoromero
3 Comments
8/20/2017 12:03:16 am
The mind of the artist always thinking about their creativity and try to improve their work. Sometimes, the artist tries to work so unique and impress the people with the different ways. I like this stuff because this is a really wonderful piece of information.
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Sarah Momo Romero
8/22/2017 11:44:58 pm
It's so true, we as artists are always looking for new ways to create and express ourselves. It's in our nature. Thank you for reading!
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9/11/2017 02:33:06 am
Thanks for sharing with us..i appreciate your work...
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