What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Renata Liwska

h1 December 20th, 2013 by jules


Renata: “When I was little, I used to enjoy looking up at the ceiling and imagine living up there. We had a small apartment and it was full with us and our stuff.
The ceiling was so nice and uncluttered!”


Final spread from the book and its early sketch
(Click each image to enlarge)


 

This morning over at Kirkus, I write about some 2013 books that got away. That link is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote about Once Upon a Memory, written by Nina Laden (who chatted with me a bit about writing the book) and illustrated by Renata Liwska. That link is here.

Today, I’m following up with some sketches and final art from Renata.

Enjoy.

Early sketches
(click each to enlarge slightly):


 


Renata: “I interviewed birds and ducks for this illustration. … The ducks got the job.”


Renata: “The beavers at the bottom of the drawing didn’t make the cut.”


Renata: “Once Upon a Memory was drawn in three different sketchbooks.
They were all the same type of sketchbook; it just depended on
what I was carrying when inspiration struck.”


 

Final art from the book:


 


Opening spread
(Click to enlarge)







(Click to enlarge cover)

* * * * * * *

ONCE UPON A MEMORY. Copyright ©2013 by Nina Laden. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Renata Liwska. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, New York. Sketches reproduced by permission of Renata Liwska.





6 comments to “What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Renata Liwska”

  1. Beautiful! And Renata’s style is so perfectly matched to Nina’s words. Like watching dry leaves dance in the wind!


  2. Thank-you!


  3. Yes, yes, love.


  4. Renata’s work has such a soft, magical quality. So glad you brought her work to our attention 😀


  5. That this is such a beautiful book is no surprise . . . having been written and illustrated by two beautiful people! <3


  6. […] (yes, she was an illustrator!), Ezra Jack Keats, Olivier Tallec, Julie Morstad, John Hendrix, Renata Liwska, Nikki McClure, David Small, Zachariah Ohora, Sergio Ruzzier, Adrian Tomine, Yuko Shimizu…. […]


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