Check out this author & illustrator's work! Melissa was selected for the 2012 Original Art Exhibition at the Society of Illustrators!
*Note: click on images to see them larger.
Tell us a bit about yourself: Did you go to school for Art? Are you self taught?
I'm mostly self-taught. I took a few classes as an adult: drawing classes, a watercolor painting class. I had studied photography a bit in college. It was a piecemeal art education. I always loved making things, though, and that's the important thing. When my first children's book was selected for the Original Art Exhibition at the Society of Illustrators, I concluded I must be doing fine!
What inspires you / where do you get inspiration from?
I often get ideas while playing with my daughter, who is seven, and from watching animals, which are probably my favorite thing to draw and paint. They make me wonder and they make me laugh.
Do you work in just one medium? Several?
For my children's book art, I usually work in pencil and watercolor or gouache. I sometimes ink my drawings with a nib pen or brush. I also make paper collages. I almost always work in traditional media, though I sometimes scan my work into Photoshop for touchups or minor adjustments.
What are you working on now?
I'm about to tour my second BABY PENGUINS book on the East and West coasts. And I'm beginning to sketch my third picture book, which will also have an animal protagonist. Possibly a hedgehog. Possibly...a shrimp.
Anything else you want to tell everyone?
My book work is self-generated, but I have done editorial work and I accept commissions, so collaboration and working to spec are not new to me. I've never looked into licensing my work but I'd be interested in trying it!
Are you an early riser? or night owl?
Night owl. Always and forever.
What is your favorite food?
A perfect peach or a fried dumpling. Do I really have to choose? OK, a peach.
You can find Melissa:
melissaguion@me.com www.melissaguion.com
www.facebook.com/BabyPenguinsEverywhere
represented by Steven Malk at Writers House, smalk@WritersHouse.com
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