7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #315: Featuring
Up-and-Coming Illustrator, Gabriella Barouch

h1 January 27th, 2013 by jules


“There was an Old Man with a beard, / Who said, ‘It is just as I feared! /
Two Owls and a Hen, / Four Larks and a Wren, /
Have all built their nests in my beard!'” — (Edward Lear)

(Click to enlarge)


 

Lately I’ve been featuring quite a few student illustrators or illustrators new to the field, haven’t I? I guess it’s because, as I noted the other day, it’s still January, and I still have a lot of new F&Gs and picture books to go through, and until then, I’ll shine the spotlight on the young ‘uns. Plus, I really enjoy seeing their work.

Today, I welcome Israeli artist and illustrator Gabriella Barouch, who works digitally. I emailed her, after seeing the artwork she shares here today, to clarify: “You mean that you start out with pencil on paper, right? And then you muck around with the art, using your computer?” Nope, she said. It’s all digital. Even her sketches.

 



“There was an Old Man, who when little, / Fell casually into a kettle; /
But, growing too stout, / He could never get out, /
So he passed all his life in that kettle.” — (Edward Lear)

(Click first image to enlarge)


 

Gabriella—who loves “vinyl toys, vintage toys, Pez, Paris, children’s books, patterns, nature, amusement parks, and life” and who is inspired by poetry, nonsense, music, and much more—majored in Illustration at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and has been doing editorial work, commissions from folks all over the world, books, and various projects. She showcases her work at the international 3×3 Gallery in New York.

 


Editorial piece for Revue 21 magazine


 

In 2012, Barouch won the Hiii International Illustration Competition — 2,574 pieces of works from more than sixty countries and regions around the world, she told me. You can see here at her site the other awards and honors she’s received. She was also chosen “Artist of the Season” last year for the Jerusalem Season of Culture.

 



 

Gabriella also lists her clients here. Impressive. I don’t see picture books or YA covers on there. YET. I can imagine it, dear Imps. Can’t you?

Let’s take a look at some more of her artwork. The ones with Edward Lear’s nonsense poetry in the captions are from this project of hers.

 


“There was a Young Lady of Clare, / Who was sadly pursued by a bear; /
When she found she was tired, / She abruptly expired, /
That unfortunate Lady of Clare.” — (Edward Lear)

(Click to enlarge)


“There was an old man of Dumbree, / Who taught little owls to drink tea; /
For he said, ‘To eat mice / Is not very proper or nice,’ /
That amiable man of Dumbree.” — (Edward Lear)

(Click to enlarge)


Gabriella’s portrait of Edward Lear
(Click to enlarge)


Piece for a 2013 calendar from Specialday.dk


Poster illustration for Ume; Rock en Seine in Paris, 2012



Two illustrations inspired by Porcupine Tree (rock band)


 

All images are © Gabriella Barouch and used with her permission.

* * * * * * *

Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on 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. New kickers are always welcome.

* * * Jules’ Kicks * * *

1) Well, this post from Jama Rattigan, which features a Mary Oliver poem, just brightened my week:

…But I also say this: that light
is an invitation
to happiness,
and that happiness,

when it’s done right,
is a kind of holiness,
palpable and redemptive.
Inside the bright fields,

touched by their rough and spongy gold,
I am washed and washed
in the river
of earthly delight—

and what are you going to do—
what can you do
about it—
deep, blue night?

Ah.

2) Did you see Lee Wind’s interview (over at I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?) with author/illustrator Shaun Tan? Lee asks really great questions, and Shaun says: “I think all of us are vaguely aware that the ‘real world’ we live in happens to be just one of many possibilities.”

(Bonus: Don’t miss the conversation Travis Jonker hosted between Caldecott winners Chris Raschka and Erin E. Stead.)

3) We Danielsons watched Frankenweenie. At one point towards the end of the movie, Mr. Frankenstein says to his son, Victor: “Sometimes adults don’t know what they’re talking about.” I love that this line is in the movie.

4) Speaking of a Stead (as I did above) … Phil and Erin Stead not only make great picture books, but they’re also smart, thoughtful, observant people with good taste in others’ picture books. Witness the 4th annual Phildecott and Steadbery Awards. The tribute to independent bookstores in their opening is especially lovely.

5) Thanks to Eisha for pointing this out to me. It’s Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite, and it’s gooood:

6) Remember when author/illustrator Susan Gal visited last year? I’m happy to see she has a new blog.

7) Okay, I know I said this last week. Excuse the redundancy, but it remains a kick: I’m still listening (over and over and over again) to Lost in the Trees’ Time Taunts Me, re-released in 2011. This song below makes me happy with the surprises inside it. I call them the Scary Movie Moments, I strike my best Bela Lugosi stance, and my girls laugh:

I've Always Loved the Fall by Lost in the Trees on Grooveshark

BONUS: I’m looking forward to the announcement tomorrow morning of the ALA Youth Media Awards, especially the Caldecott. This is an understatement, I suppose, as I’ve had it marked on my calendar for a while now, cleared my work schedule for 10 a.m. CST, and have been counting down the days in my head.

I really love how Phil says (in the aforementioned Phildecott post): “Books mean different things to different people. One book can mean drastically different things to the same person across the span of a lifetime.” So, yes, annual best-of picture book lists are super hard, and I don’t do them (or 7-Imp Caldecott predictions) myself — well, unless Kirkus comes along and asks me to, as they did in 2011, more than once. That said, if you’re a picture book fan, Caldecott day is, I think, a big deal in that the award beats the drum for picture books. So, even if my personal favorites in my own little head aren’t recognized/awarded, who cares? It’s still an exciting day for celebrating picture books, for recognizing them as the art form they are.

Also, this year I volunteered for the ALSC Grant Administration Committee, so it will be neat to hear those winners announced.

What are YOUR kicks this week?





17 comments to “7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #315: Featuring
Up-and-Coming Illustrator, Gabriella Barouch”

  1. Some gorgeous images here today, Jules. It’s a public holiday here tomorrow so I will read all the links and listen to the songs tomorrow.

    1. Crazy wet weather here in Queensland, with high winds and torrential rain sweeping the state after a tropical cyclone visited the north west. It’s like our delayed wet season has arrived all at once. Thankful we are safe and dry (unlike some people, unfortunately). (and at least the bushfires I talked about recently have died down…so it’s one disaster at a time!)
    2. Before the weather turned completely crazy, and was just nicely raining, I was delighted to be able to use a beautiful umbrella I got for my birthday last July but have barely had a chance to use since. Love walking to and from the station in the rain, and a gorgeous umbrella makes it even more fun.
    3. A surplus of passionfruit led to some cooking of passionfruit curd this afternoon, yum.
    4. Australia Day lunch with friends yesterday followed by board games
    5. Seeing ultrasound pictures of my new niece who is due to arrive in a month or so
    6. I managed to pop into the giant Lifeline Bookfest after work one day and snagged some bargains. I also donate books back to them (they do great work with free counselling services) so I like the feeling of possibly bumping into my books there.
    7. After a day of running in and out of the rain (unavoidable chores and visits) we remembered we had some home-made spaghetti bolognaise in the freezer we can eat for dinner. Perfect.


  2. Masterful and unique work, Gabriella! Thank you for sharing her this week, Jules: I agree: definitely would be a delightful asset to children’s books. And all digital? Oh my pencils…


  3. Gabriella’s work is stunning. Bears, teacups and a teapot? *swoon* Very hard to believe it’s all digital.

    Love today’s music — I saw CM once! And Time Taunts Me is really lovely. I like picturing your scary faces, J.

    Belated Congrats, Emmaco, on the impending arrival! I can just picture you with that pretty umbrella, too. Passion fruit curd? Have mercy!

    Cannot wait for tomorrow!! Fingers crossed for my fave PBs. 🙂


  4. As Susan said, “oh my pencils,” to Gabriella’a work. I can’t imagine all digital. I loved the the illustrated Edward Lear’ poems, especially the owls cuz’ I love owls.
    Jules, I took oldest grandgirl to Frankenweenie and cried. Loved that line as well.
    Emmaco, sounds like you survived the rain. It looked dreadful. Congrats on the new niece.
    Jama, I look forward to tomorrow as well.
    My kicks:
    1. Florida (which was why I missed last week).
    2. Visiting my aunt and uncle in Key West. Uncle has cancer and is 83 so it was bittersweet.
    3. Dinner with a cousin I hadn’t seen in over 50 years.
    4. And the evening was so comfortable with cousin, we were up until the wee hours of the morning.
    5. Walking the beach.
    6. Returning home.
    7. Grandgirl, “I’m dying for a sleepover, grandma.”
    Have a great week.


  5. It’s hard to believe so much delicate detail can be done digitally but what elegant illustrations. The bird/hands…oh my.

    The interview between Erin E. Stead and Chris Raschka was spellbinding. And I always enjoy the Steads award selections.

    Jules: I think I need to see Frankenweenie. 🙂

    Emmaco: I was worried about all the heat and fires but now you’ve the wet. Do take care.

    Hello Jama!

    Jone: Children without even knowing it, can utter such sweetness…love the sleepover comment

    My kicks:
    1. Sunrises and sunsets because it means no clouds
    2. Skype visit with students in another state doing a Mock Caldecott
    3. Warm temperatures finally arrived
    4. My plow man came back from Florida
    5. Walks with Xena
    6. Beautiful full moon last night
    7. Anticipation of the ALA awards


  6. Gabriella, looking forward to your illustrations for children’s and/or YA books!

    Jules, thank you for sharing the Shaun Tan interview. I had missed that. And I hope we can (virtually) fangirl together tomorrow!!!

    Emmaco, sounds like you had a lovely week. I especially like kick #4. :o)

    Susan and Jama, hiiiiiii.

    Jone, WHOA and Yay! to kick #3, and awww to kick #7.

    Margie, Skype visits are cool!

    My kicks:

    1. Watch an amazing K-pop concert. Four hours! Six hot acts! Including my obsession: Exo.

    2. New friends made at the concert!

    3. KakaoTalk (a messaging app) and all its cute emoticons.

    4. My cousin moved in with me and my brothers. :o)

    5. Children and teens blowing my mind Every. Single. Day.

    6. Coffee and a stack of pancakes while finally read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. Frankie is my new role model!

    7. Monopoly Deal.


  7. Welcome, Gabriella! Thanks for sharing your work with us. I like the owls and mice and kitty especially.

    Howdy, Imps! Hope January is treating everyone well.

    Hi Jules! Hi Eisha!

    emmaco: Kudos for donating books.

    Jone: My thoughts are with your family.

    Margie: Hi Xena!

    Tarie: I dig The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Go, E. Lockhart!

    My kicks from the past week include:
    1) Good books by good people
    (The final volume in The Waking trilogy by Thomas Randall is now available, and they’ve re-released all of The Menagerie books by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski a la e-books!)
    2) Soup and vegetables
    3) Rehearsals
    4) Costumes
    5) Singing, always
    6) Laughter
    7) Movies


  8. Gabriella is expanding my beliefs about what digital art can be and do. Wow. Special thanks for sharing these, Jules.

    I have yet to see Frankenweenie. Must get to that.

    Emmaco, I will be thinking of passion fruit curd for the rest of the day.

    Little Willow, As always, your Kicks make me want to run and DO something.

    My Kicks have been time off work this week and a weekend trip to visit a dear friend in Durham. I am now on an absurdly long layover at JFK, which has given me an excellent opportunity to sit in an out-of-the way sunny spot and catch up on Kicks. So it’s a good day.


  9. Oh my, the detail is incredible, I love the owls too, but also the portrait of Edward Lear and his cat.

    Jules – have not seen Frankenweenie yet, but now it’s on my list. The Ben Harper is good! I’ve got Lyle Lovett on now so I’ll listen to Lost in the Trees later.

    emmaco – a beautiful umbrella in the rain is a wonderful thing.Passionfruit curd, oh my! Lunch and board games with friends sounds delightful. Sounds like a great week!

    jone – what a lovely and full week. That quote from your grandgirl must have been so sweet to hear.

    Margie – sunrises and sunsets and walks with Xena sound wonderful. And wasn’t that moon amazing?

    Tarie – fun concerts are the best. I’m a fan of Frankie Landau-Banks too – love that book!

    LW – soup and veggies and good books are a great winter combination! The movies and rehearsals and singing sound about as full and fun as I imagine your weeks to be!

    My kicks this week:

    1) Made butternut & acorn squash soup from scratch for the week – perfect for the cold.
    2) My nephew liked the Bone books I got him for Christmas – always nice when you get the gift right. (Thanks LW for the recommendation!)
    3) Did a presentation at a local college for work yesterday – it was fun & the students were enthusiastic & had great questions.
    4) Soccer game yesterday afternoon – another really fun good game, but boy am I sore today! The good kind of sore though. We won.
    5) Watched “The Secret in Their Eyes” last night. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2010 & it was a beautifully told, intensely lovely, dark, haunting & hopeful story.
    6) Slow morning today with coffee, happy Cole, & Lyle Lovett playing in the background.
    7) The pep talk from this Kid President – what an awesome kid! http://youtu.be/l-gQLqv9f4o

    Hope everyone has a week full of smiles!


  10. Adrienne: Have a safe trip home!

    Rachel: I’m so glad to hear that he liked the books. Hurrah! Did he read the whole Spark trilogy?


  11. Really appreciate the Top 7 list. Recognizing the beauty in these little things really makes the big things all the more powerful.


  12. I’m here late this week but just want to say hi and as I read on Twitter today, “Happy Newbery/Caldecott Eve!” I can’t wait! Hope all kickers have a great week and I promise real kicks next week 🙂


  13. I spoke too soon about being dry – water has been seeping out of the ground into the area under the house (cement storage area mostly) overnight. But it’s not too hard to sort out and we have actually had SUNSHINE today.

    LW donating books is really a selfish act to make sure that I am not crushed by the piles of them around the house.

    Tarie I love Frankie Landau Banks! A great role model 🙂

    Rachel acorn squash sounds so cute! I think we have something similar but with another name. I will just start calling it acorn pumpkin (we tend to call nearly all squash pumpkins) anyway.


  14. Emmaco, I am scared for you, what with the crazy weather there. Thank goodness you all are okay.

    Hi, Susan! Yes, she says it’s all digital. Wild, huh?

    Jama, I thought of you when I saw the teacups image.

    Jone, so glad you had a good visit with family. Enjoy the impending sleep-over. My girls think sleeping over at Granny’s or Grandma’s is the best thing.

    Margie, which book won the Mock Caldecott? I’m so excited for tomorrow!

    Tarie, yes, fangirl we shall. I like how you made that a verb. I LOVE FRANKIE. I do. I do. I want to hand that novel to every high school female I meet. Feminism 101. … Your cousin moved in? I bet you all have so much fun together.

    LW, I like kick #1, in particular, though—as Adrienne said—your kicks always make me want to get up and go go go, too.

    Adrienne, safe travels, and let me know what you think of Frankenweenie. Piper is so Victor.

    Rachel: LYLE! … Congrats on the soccer game score. Also, a good friend tells me my oldest would like the Bone books, and I want to get her the volume of all of them together. … Thanks for the movie tip. I just added it to the Netflix queueueueeuue. … Thanks for the video. I agree about the boring in the world.

    Hi, Susan.

    Stacey, Caldecott Eve! I’m so excited!


  15. Thank you ever so much for introducing us to Gabriella Barouch…those images take my breath away. I can’t fathom how they are done digitally; I think that some magic spell is involved. What a treasure she is.


  16. Glad you enjoy the artwork, Sarah.


  17. […] reading 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast, I came across a post about an Israeli artist, Gabriella Barouch, and her illustrations for a book […]


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