7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #52: Featuring Up-and-Coming Illustrator, Tiffany Laurencio
March 2nd, 2008 by Eisha and Jules
Jules: WOOT! It’s the first Sunday of the month and time to feature a student currently studying illustration or someone who has recently graduated (or is otherwise new to the scene in some way). This week it’s Tiffany Laurencio. As her bio tells us, she lives in Boston; graduated from the Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts; and has always wanted to be an illustrator since getting over her dream of being a cowgirl (aw, shucks). She has a special place in my heart now, too, since her bio also states she got in trouble in high school for skipping class to go get coffee.
I also have a big ‘ol special spot in my heart now for this illustration, entitled “Bunny Foo Foo Bop Of Doom.” (It might technically be called “Bunny-Foo-Foo-Bop,” according to this page.) I would love to hear the wonderfully-warped story around this one. Look, he’s so defiant, but I somehow still wanna pinch his cheeks.
Here’s what Tiffany has to share with us on this first Sunday of March (can you believe that it’s already March? But I digress):
“Sarcastic, fluffy critters are my favorite things to paint but I have a soft, squishy spot for the moon. I’ve always loved and wanted to be a part of picture books. There were so many illustrators and writers that hypnotized me as a kid. I was very lucky to have such wonderful, crunchy teachers who encouraged me to take hold of life’s crayons.
Going to Montserrat College of Art really helped me to condition myself, not just as a picture maker, but also as a young professional. Currently, I’m promoting like mad and trying to get my work into as many hands as possible. It’s a crazy kind of love I have with promoting my work. I find myself obsessing over the print quality of my postcards just as much as the color schemes of my paintings. I haven’t started twitching yet, but I occasionally catch myself mumbling.”
I think I’d like to borrow her phrase “crunchy teachers” some time. Here’s Tiffany’s “Yellow Singer,” and below is “Harvest Moon.” Tiffany’s web site also features her editorial art and fine art (if you go explore on that page, you’ll see the Door to Narnia, the Death of the White Rabbit, and some Goth Punk). We’ll put “Harvest Moon” here under our 7-Kicks-explanation, and we’d like to thank Tiffany for stopping by and wish her much luck!
As a reminder, our weekly 7 Kicks list is the meeting ground for listing Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week — whether book-related or not — that happened to you (as well as featuring wonderful new artists like Tiffany). New people are more than welcome to leave their lists. We hope you’ll share your kick-worthy moments from the week.
1* Oh, man, look at that “Harvest Moon” picture. I just love it.
2* I went out with new work friends three times this week.
3* One of those times, I tried a drink called Loco Cocoa, which is hot cocoa with cinnamon, hot chili pepper (I know, I wasn’t too sure about this bit either), Knob Creek bourbon, and Cointreau orange liqueur, with whipped cream on top. Oh my heavens, it was good.
4* Speaking of hot cocoa, did you know you can make it with chocolate chips and milk? It’s been all snowy and winter-wonderlandy here for the past week or so, and I was seriously jonesing for cocoa the other night when I realized I was all out of my Green & Black’s. I tried a desperate experiment, and it almost worked. I just tried it again, though, and I think I’ve got it figured out.
5* Speaking of winter wonderland, one of my big kicks from the past few weeks is my walk home from work. I figured out a short cut that actually takes me alongside a gorge, over a creek with a bunch of waterfalls.
Seriously, do I not live in the best town?
6* Speaking of work, I had to work on Saturday this week, which should have been an anti-kick, but it was for a reception thingy that I’ve been helping to plan for the past several weeks, and it was rewarding to see it go over with barely a hitch. It’s also fabulous to know that it’s over and I don’t have to think about it anymore. And I got some much-needed filing done that I never have time to do when other people are there.
7* Also, working Saturday means I get to take off a day next week, so I’m definitely going to NYC next weekend to see the premiere of the show my husband is designing there.
8* The biggest kick of all: one of my oldest friends from high school emailed me pics of his brand new healthy baby boy. Welcome to the world, Kolbe!
Woo and hoo, Eisha! You know you’re having a good week when you have more than 7 kicks. That is one beautiful baby. I think that particular look says, hey, camera, OUT OF MY FACE. I’d rather be back in my mama’s womb, but he’ll get over that soon.
1). My husband surprised me with this tee shirt this week.
2). My girls and I took a road trip and visited a dear friend and her family. The kick is that it was fun. The anti-kick is that she has to move away — far away — soon. The other kick is she lives in the middle of nowhere (and this particular middle-of-nowhere is quite beautiful), and we made it. It is kinda always a fear of mine, to have a flat or something — with children in tow — in the dark in the middle of deep Boondockia (probably from years of freelance interpreting all over East Tennessee).
3). I discovered the Carolina Chocolate Drops. You can hear them here.
4). This article about my friend, Rachel. She is so multi-faceted and talented that it surely must hurt. Rachel played the flute at my teeeeny-tiny wedding and “Simple Gifts” on a bowed psaltery as I walked down the aisle. She also played “My Funny Valentine” on a syringe at my wedding reception (and she performed a “Wizard of Oz” medley on said syringe at this little-known gig).
5 and 6). I got an unexpected copy of Me Hungry! in the mail. WOOT! I love the mind and talents of Jeremy Tankard (book review to come). I also got an ARC of the second Penderwicks book, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. Getting this was just the push I needed to read the first one already, which I’ve been wanting to do. It might have taken me three years to get to it, but I’m glad I did.
7). Discovering the short, funny children’s book reviews at the blog Strollerderby at babble.com. And Gwynne Watkins over there at Babble does short interviews with picture book creators like Eric Carle (and a virtual field trip to the Eric Carle Museum, which I can hardly watch without wanting to wail ’causeIwannagotheresobadly!) and Mo (when asked why he writes for children, Mo said, “writing for kids also has greater impact; no one ever suspects the picture book.” I made that font size obnoxiously large, ’cause I love that).
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it. What are your kicks this week yo?
Oh, that bunny has a gla-a-re! Love him!
eisha: Yay for cocoa (I’ll take mine vegan and non-alcoholic), for socializing, and for walks home! Even louder yay for your chance to see your husband’s show next week!
Jules: I hope their move is gentle, all things considered. Go Penderwicks!
My kicks this week:
The new issue of readergirlz
The Just Listen roundtable with the postergirlz
Launching a site for a new client
Ranting to and celebrating with people
My favorite episode of SVU being on TV last night when it was really late and I was still working
The pilot episode of Without a Trace (which is still one of my favorites) being on TV right now so I can fall asleep listening to it (reciting it!)
…and I’m going to see a show tomorrow that will probably be a kick!
The bunny, the canary ( I have an 11 year old one), and that moon. Does she have cards? Where can we get? Love the intensity of color.
Eisha: You are so lucky…what a great winter wonderland. Ours was lacking. Jules, don’t you hate it when good friends move away?
My kicks:
1. Finished Eat Love Pray.
2. Started Copper Sun.
3. Spring is beginning to peek out. Some branches are no long brown but have a hint of color as the blossoms get ready to pop out.
4. Our family will have a new addition in October. My youngest daughter is expecting.
5. Teachers noticed some of the arranging I did in the library to make it more kid friendly.
6. Listened to The Voice that Changed the Nation on the way to work. What an interesting book. Must add to the collection.
7. I have students writing on a play for the school because with the (you guessed it) national boards I didn’t have time to write a new play this year. The are doing some vignettes and I will write the tying together pieces.
Have a great week.
Little Willow, enjoy that show! I’m excited that the Nashville Children’s Theatre is about to run Go, Dog, Go, which’ll be perfect for *both* my girls at these particular ages.
Jone, I loved Eat Love Pray, and it deserves to be the huge success it is. Congrats on #4. Very exciting! And I hope the play goes well.
Jone, as for whether or not Tiffany has postcards or cards of any kind, there is a contact page at her web site. And I’m sure she’ll be prompt about email; she was for me when getting this post ready (there’s also a contact phone number there).
I love “Harvest Moon,” but man-oh-man that angry Bunny Foo Foo is awesome. The kids in my 4 and 5 year old storytime are OBSESSED with “Little Bunny Foo Foo” (we’ve been singing it pretty much every week since September–they get mad at me if I try to skip it, which is fine, since I am a Foo Foo fan), and they would love that picture.
Eisha, Yes, you do live in an awesome town, and I must have some of that Loco Cocoa. Kolbe is adorable what with that I-am-already-suspicious-of-you-people look he’s got going there.
Jules, That t-shirt is The Best. I am so excited about the new Penderwicks book. I really enjoyed the first one. It’s in the tradition of The Moffats and Edward Eager, episodic stories of a big family. And fun.
My kicks:
1. Have I mentioned that I found this place that sells milk with cream on the top and how I’ve been wanting to get some? Well, I did, and I finally got some this week, and it’s neat-o and yummy. I haven’t seen milk like that since I was a kid on my cousins’ dairy farm. (Before they lost the farm, like so many families in the 80s and 90s. Sad, sad, sad.)
2. The weather’s doing that crazy hey-it’s-going-to-snow-I-mean-thaw-I-mean-snow-no-thaw thing it does when it’s getting ready to be spring here.
3. Plus there were birds singing a big, loud song outside my window this morning.
4. I took care of a lot of chores this week around the yard and with my car. That felt good.
5. On Wednesday, I brought daffodils to a friend as it was her 87th birthday. She’s had a lot of health issues the last year or so, but she was in a superior mood that day and feeling good and we got to talk some and it was like old times. It made my week.
6. I have been working on some redesign stuff for the Children’s Room at WPL. It’s a long story, but we have this mural and part of my plan is going to make it so that the mural will need some repair. Happily, I was able to track down the original muralist this week, who is not only going to repair the mural, but he’s also going to add little critters to it. (You can see some of our mural here: http://www.watat.com/archives/2006/08/adrienne_why_do.html. I’m talking about the part with the trees in the back, which is mostly covered by ugly metal putty-colored shelving. I have two things to say about this: 1. I did NOT put that hideous shelving over that lovely mural, and 2. I am getting rid of that hideous shelving. I am planning a blog entry about the whole thing.)
7. My but I do go on.
Happy Sunday, All!
I love bunnies (born in the year of the rabbit)! The Bunny Foo Foo Bop of Doom is too much! And that baby picture is so adorable. Speaking of chocolate drops and cocoa, I posted a recipe for hot chocolate (made without cocoa powder) last month: http://jamarattigan.livejournal.com/67530.html. I’m sure you’d like it, Eisha. Have you ever tried cutting up a good, solid dark chocolate candy bar or shaving it? Better than cocoa powder!
My kicks:
1. Just started Year of the Rat by Grace Lin. Reading any of her books always makes me so happy.
2. Hubby got me a spring bouquet the other day. I’m a sucker for fresh cut flowers.
3. Discovering some new blogs on Poetry Friday (that list has grown to 50)!
4. Saw our deer family again. Posted some pics today, just for Eisha: http://jamarattigan.livejournal.com/79394.html.
5. Our nephew is getting married in August. Looks like a trip to NH this summer.
6. David Archuleta of American Idol. How can so much adorableness and talent come in one package?
7. Reading some new Bob Dylan books and drowning myself in his music in anticipation of March 14, when I host a special Poetry Friday honoring him.
Spring is coming!
Adrienne, yes, I’m in love with this shirt. Blaine was all excited about surprising me with it. It just cracks me up. I still say one of the best scenes ever in all of movie history is when Inigo finally corners Count Rugen. And then Count Rugen offers him whatever he wants — gold, money, whatever — to not kill him, and Inigo says, “I want my father back, you son of a bitch.” Man, that’s a great scene.
Great news on the mural, Adrienne. And milk with cream on top. And daffodils. And birds singing. Your kicks this week are ever-so exciting to one’s senses.
Jama, another kick of mine this week was you sending me a virtual cup of frothy hot chocolate and some freshly baked cranberry muffins (speaking of hot chocolate), so thanks! And looking forward to that Poetry Friday, Jama. I’m still behind on blog-reading, but I will NOT miss that one.
And fresh flowers. Excellent. I’m ready for spring.
Hey, Little Willow, I bet you could use orange syrup for the Cointreau in your vegan hot cocoa, and maybe vanilla extract for the bourbon? Mmm, that sounds pretty good, actually. And I’m glad the t.v. schedule is so sensitive to your needs.
Congrats, Jone, on another grandbaby to spoil!
Adrienne, good luck on the mural repair/deshelving project. And I hope you bring me daffodils on my 87th birthday, too. Very thoughtful.
Jama, those deer! They were like right up next to your house!! Thanks so much for sharing the pics. And no, I haven’t thought of cutting up a bar of dark chocolate, but I absolutely will the next chance I get.
Jules, that t-shirt rocks. So does that article about Rachel. And the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Your week was pretty darn kicky, too.
I’m still laughing over the Inigo Montoya tee. CLASSIC. Priceless.
And I LOVE the phrase “crunchy teachers.” I think I want to be crunchy.
I love that shirt, Jules! Very clever.
Wow, Eisha, I’ve been digging my walk to work each day but I’ve got waterfall and icicle envy. But I’ll forgive you as you do a great job at providing the cute baby photos for the blog each week. And I’m looking forward to seeing your cute addition to the family in October, Jone – congrats!
I’ve had a really long week where lots of stuff didn’t go the way it was planned. But I’m glad I made myself do up a list, because there were some good moments in there:
1. After a work trip to Brussels in which very little was fun, I was cheered by eating a hot waffle with chocolate sauce at the train station. Yum!
2. Our train home was very late but a young couple in line near me were really interesting people who made the time seem like fun rather than utterly annoying. This is now the second time in recent memory that talking to people near me has turned out to be positive rather than a very regrettable mistake!
3. I gave a lecture to a very large group of students, many of whom still managed to overcome the whole lecture theatre atmosphere and ask interesting questions.
4. We had found out a few weeks ago that we weren’t actually the registered owners of our car, which was obviously not a good thing to find out. But now it’s all sorted! Phew!
5. To celebrate legally owning the car we went for a drive to England’s oldest pub (I should note that there are several of these “oldest” pubs) in Cambridgeshire yesterday and had a nice lunch
6. On the way home we visited a new local farm store and bought a free range chicken that is roasting in the oven right now, and some very local honey (apparently this is supposed to help with hayfever. I say why not try out such a yummy solution?).
7. To go along with the other spring flowers I’ve been enjoying, there are also pretty pink flowered trees (cherry?) and white flowered Hawthorne (possibly?) hedges and trees everywhere.
Jules and Eisha,
Happy Sunday! Tiffany comes from my neck of the woods. She lives in the same area of Massachusetts that I do. I’m situated just a five-minute drive from the Montserrat College of Art. I like her illustrations.
I don’t have seven kicks today. I’ve barely been out of the house in the past week because of a stubborn respiratory infection.
But we had a great family gathering at my house last Sunday to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday! Having my mother alive and healthy at that age is seven kicks to me!
The Carolina Chocolate Drops snail mail address is very very very close to where I live!
My kicks (posted with commentary here: http://lectitans.livejournal.com/56238.html) –
1. At last week’s music rehearsal for my current production, I was ready to put down my score and sing from memory. This meant I was ahead of the game, as we didn’t have to be able to do that until just today.
2. I got to rehearse my half a line on Monday night.
3. On Tuesday, I relaxed in the afternoon.
4. On Wednesday, I had a very productive meeting with some colleagues from across the whole school system.
5. Also on Wednesday at a curriculum fair, I talked to several potential new students and their parents, as well as meeting some parents of former/current students. What was especially nice was being able to talk to a parent of a student who struggled in classes with me last year who is doing very well with the other Latin teacher this year. It was nice to be able to tell her how genuinely pleased I am that he’s doing so well.
6. On Friday I had some amazingly delicious vegetarian pot pie.
7. Last night I went to the theatre and it was phenomenal.
TadMack, I’d like to be crunchy, too.
Emmaco, sorry you had a bumpy week, but you’re right — there are some good kicks in there. What was your lecture about?
Elaine, oh no, I’m so sorry you’ve been ill. I hope you feel better, and congrats to your mom! Woo! 90!
Kimberly, a kick for each day of the week. I’m gonna try that some time. What show did you see last night?
Eisha, how cool that you get to walk over a creek on the way home—I’d always be stopping and throwing in sticks or something.
Jules, LOVE that shirt. Is your husband awesome or what?
I’m a bit late today, so I’ll just say that it was an extremely kicky week for me. Too much to list here, but Jama, we went to the restaurant, Heart in Hand, that you recommended and ate chocolate pie!!!
And I just got back from the inaugural meeting of the DC KidLit book group. It looks like it’s going to be awesome. And guess what we’re reading next, jules? The Princess Bride! Don’t shoot me ’cause I’ve only seen the movie and never read the book…
jules – the show was Top Dog/Underdog by Suzan Lori Parks. It was phenomenal and very intense. At the end of it I turned to my boyfriend and said, “If it were my job to perform in this show every night, I would have to spend the rest of my day doing absolutely nothing.”
Sara, I remember vividly reading that book in high school. It made me laugh out-loud. So good!
Kimberly, ooh, I just looked up that show, and I see that Jeffrey Wright was in the Broadway run. I think he’s so talented. I’ve only seen him in Angels in America and Broken Flowers (oh, and Casino Royale), but his performance in Angels made me want to see everything he’s ever done.
TadMack, I’m sure to WANT the crunchy is to BE the crunchy. Embrace the crunchy. Live the crunchy. Be as one with the crunchy.
emmaco, what can I say? Suddenly it’s like everyone I know has a baby and they’re all freaky cute. What else can I do? Anyway, I can’t get my mind around how they could screw up something like who owns your car, but I’m so glad it’s all straightened out. And your waffle sounds yummy.
Elaine, I’m sorry you’ve been sick! I hope you’re getting better, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your mom! You should see if Adrienne will send her some daffodils.
Kimberly, I like the day-by-day breakdown of kicks too. That veggie pot pie sounds delish. Did you make it? I’m always tinkering with my own “recipe” (a.k.a. the one on the back of the Bisquick box, but with fake chicken).
Sara, yay! I love that book too. Your book group sounds so fabulous.
I really like the Harvest Moon picture. Eisha, Kolbe is priceless. And Jules, I love the t-shirt. We watched that movie pretty recently – such a timeless classic. I am envying you the Penderwicks sequel. And Elaine, I hope you feel better soon.
I only have time for two kicks, because I’ve spent most of the weekend working on pre-move shopping (we’re moving later this month). But my kick is that today we ordered truly beautiful, semi-custom bookshelves. We’re making the living room in the new house into a library (since we can use that a lot more than we can use a formal living room), and the shelves rock!
My second kick is that I had tea this afternoon with the wonderful Justina Chen Headley, founder of Readergirlz, and all-around great person. We could have talked for days (except that I had to run out to do shop for couches). And she brought me some lovely chocolate.
And really, those two are enough for one week.
Jen, excellent! I wish we had a whole room — or two — that could be a library, and I already covet those shelves. And so glad you got to meet Justina. Those are pretty great kicks.
Good luck with the move!
Thank you all so much for the great Karma on my work! I’m just tickled! ‘Crunchy Teachers’ is not a patent pending and I encourage you all to eat granola and sing around a campfire while holding hands.
Please feel free to drop me a line on my site!
Thanks again!
Yay! So glad to see Tiffany featured. She was one of my favorite students, and she was always so positive and upbeat. Really excited for her and future possibilities!
And like everyone else, I so want that shirt.
Cheers!
Wow! Great illustrations! Great t-shirt! Awesome kicks.
Um, I’m answering this a week late, so hope you get email notifications of comments, Jules. My lecture was one my colleague used to give before I started on wildlife tourism economics. It’s very interesting (and I fitted in lots of cool piccies) so it was a good one to give!
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