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Illustrating your Own Story! Becoming an AuthorArtist - Part 5 with Maya Gonzalez

2/9/2014

12 Comments

 
Play takes you all the way!!!
Once upon a time…
Jump Friend by Maya Gonzalez

There was a woman. She had scissors, some heavy paper, color pencils, an ink pen and a glue stick.


She glued two pieces of paper together and opened her mind and heart to see what might join her! Her eyes widened as her paper filled with a tall friend, a small friend, a jump friend and more!


How to Be Cake by Maya Gonzalez
She made sure they had color and books in their hands. Then cut them out and gave them something a little extra so they could stand up on their own!
Picture

Happy, the woman began playing. The tall one with the small one. The jump one and the super one stand on their own, then the cake with the cupcake one. It was pure play. Play Play Play. This! then That! Up then Down! Here now There!


Then the visions started coming. Outer space adventures, deep sea mermaids and ships. Bears and jaguars. Birds and babies.

How to be Super by Maya Gonzalez


The woman longed to make more play things. Find more stories! And so it was that she was a children’s book maker.


She allways remembered…

to make books that children can enter and find themselves…

Picture


 one must enter first and play, play, play.

Big blessings on ALL your play! May you play your way right into making a great big book!


Once Upon a Time by Maya Gonzalez
Maya Gonzalez is largely self-taught. She has illustrated over 20 award-winning multicultural children’s books and written 3 with, not an end in sight! Her latest book, Call Me Tree, set to come out this year with Lee&Low Books, is her most recent labor of love! Her fine art has shown internationally and appears in numerous books about the contemporary Chicano Art Movement including on the cover of Living Chicana Theory and Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Art: Artists, Works, Culture and Education considered to be "the Bible of Chicano/a art." Ridiculously creative, she’s probably making art as you read this or thinking about making art if she’s driving a car or using the stove. And one of her ultimate passions is inspiring others to create books, because she believes that creating children's books has the potential to be one of the most radical things you can do!

If you'd like to know more about Maya, you can visit her children's book website, her fine art website, or learn more about her work inspiring others to join her in changing the world at www.schoolofthefreemind.com or www.reflectionpress.com.
12 Comments
Joan Herlinger
2/9/2014 02:18:59 pm

These are lovely, Maya.

Reply
maya gonzalez
2/11/2014 11:27:46 am

yay!

Reply
Elizabeth BMartin link
2/10/2014 05:23:04 am

I love your cutouts for getting ideas. Just wonderful.

Reply
maya gonzalez
2/11/2014 11:28:33 am

play is so awesome!

Reply
Laurie Young
2/10/2014 07:38:56 am

I love the little super hero!!!

Reply
maya gonzalez
2/11/2014 11:29:25 am

i could make a million teeny superheroes! all flying around. i better shut down this direction or i'll be up all night!

Reply
Charlotte Dixon
2/10/2014 09:44:56 am

Maya, this idea is fun and inspiring. Imagination can take you to all kinds of places :)

Reply
maya gonzalez
2/11/2014 11:30:06 am

imagination rocks above all else! rock on darling!

Reply
Cecilia Clark link
2/10/2014 11:48:57 am

how lovely Maya. I think I will try some play time art. Thank you

Reply
maya gonzalez
2/11/2014 11:31:02 am

playing is so refreshing! it's amazing that we don't do it ALL the time!

Reply
Virginia Rinkel link
2/11/2014 10:13:00 am

This is so great!!! Many years ago, my first grandchild, at around the age of 6 and I, sat down behind a tall wicker couch and put various small finger puppets on our hands and told a story of a King and a peasant. (Her mother took a few pictures of the action.) The peasant's cows wandered into the King's private land and the story flowed. We had fun getting him (actually granddaughter's uncle in N. Ireland) out of this troubles thereafter with the King. We even drew pictures to 'make' a book. Fun, fun fun experience!

Reply
maya gonzalez
2/11/2014 11:31:43 am

what a great memory! i love hearing! thanks for sharing sweetie!

Reply



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  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship