7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #425: Featuring
Up-and-Coming Illustrator, Haejin Park
March 29th, 2015 by jules
On the first Sunday of each month, I like to feature student or debut illustrators, but I’m doing things a bit early right now. I’m taking a tiny bit of a blog break this week, and since this means I will be posting on only a couple of days and also traveling, it would be harder to feature a student next Sunday. So, today it is.
Her name is Haejin Park, and she’s very close to graduating in Illustration at RISD. She talks about her work below, and she shares some art as well. (Most, but not all of it, is in watercolors.)
I thank her for visiting.
Hello! I am a senior, studying Illustration at Rhode Island School of Design. I am graduating in two months, and I am hoping to become a children’s book illustrator.
My favorite medium is watercolor, and I can say it will be for my life. It requires an attention and patience, but I love the special texture it makes. My first art teacher was a watercolor artist, so I remember exploring with it a lot when I was young. Also, I recently started using crayons, color pencils, and markers to create different marks.
Colors and patterns are important things that motivate me to keep working. My work is very colorful and happy, and I want the audience to feel cheerful and delightful by looking at my work. I like to draw people and objects in a whimsical way that belong in my illustration world.
I grew up with my grandparents in a suburban area in South Korea, because my parents were both working. I didn’t get a lot of chances to read or write as a child — but grew up hearing a lot of folk tales and stories from older people in the town.
Because of my background, the books and stories I grew up with are very different than American students. I try to read and study children’s books, and one of my favorite place to do that is the children’s book section in Athenaeum Library in Providence.
Surprisingly, I also enjoy writing children’s books, and I have lots of stories to tell. Most of my work is story-based, and I think they all come up from my personal experiences. I try to go out and also explore a lot of things to get inspired.
Right now, I love going to school, and I am enjoying my precious time at RISD.
My plan is to move to New York City and find an opportunity and talk to art directors for illustration and publishing. It is a bit scary to me right now, but I really feel passionate about my illustrations and style. One day, I want to be a full-time freelance illustrator, busy with multiple projects.
[Pictured below are some peeks into Haejin’s sketchbooks.]
All artwork here is used by permission of Haejin Park.
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.
I am getting ready to travel and take a bit of a break tomorrow, which means I have some packing to do — and some work to do in advance of my trip. For that reason, I’ll keep it short today. (My suitcase is givin’ me the ol’ skunk eye.) I’ll have to tell you about my trip when I return!
What are YOUR kicks this week?
Haejin, beautiful work. I can see you writing the folktales you heard Asa child and illustrating them.
by Jone March 29th, 2015 at 9:39 amJules, enjoy spring break and your trip.
My kicks:
1. Working in the yard.
2. Weather that allows working in the yard.
3. Another fabulous meeting with the district people regarding the ever changing landscape of our district.
4. Feeling heard.
5. Blogging everyday for the SOLSC at Two Writing Teachers.
6. Getting ready for National Poetry Month with a double L poem challenge.
7. The Blazers game with family and friends.
Have a great week.
Jone, kicks 3 and 4 make me happy to read. Glad that went well, and I hope things remain good and steady. Good to hear you have warm, sunny, yard-work weather too.
by jules March 29th, 2015 at 9:49 amHi, Jules!
I know I haven’t stopped by 7-Imp for a long, long time. Being a nanny granny has been keeping me busy. Your girls must be halfway to grown up by now!
I love Haejin’s watercolors. I think she has a bright future ahead of her in children’s books!
MY KICKS
1. My second grandchild, Allison Mary, was born on March 3rd. Of course, she’s beautiful…just like her big sister Julia.
2. My husband and I are so happy living next door to my daughter and her family. It’s wonderful being able to spend time with my granddaughters every day.
3. Julia really enjoys being read to. One of her current favorite stories is “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” I read her the versions retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown and Paul Galdone.
4. My editor Melissa Manlove gave me good news about my poetry collection recently. The book is scheduled for an early fall 2016 release…instead of a 2017 release.
5. Melissa also sent me images of the final art for my book. I LOVE the illustrations by Catia Chien!!!
6. I have poems that will be included in two anthologies that will be published next year: “One Minute Till Bedtime”–compiled by Kenn Nesbitt–and a book of space poems compiled by John Foster that will be published in the UK.
HAPPY SUNDAY TO ALL!!!!
I hope spring arrives in Massachusetts soon. We had some snow again this weekend. We got well over 100 inches this winter! It will probably be June before all the snow cover melts.
by Elaine M. March 29th, 2015 at 10:35 amELAINE!
So good to hear from you! Congrats on the second grandchild and welcome to Allison Mary! I’m happy to read you’re still living so close to your family. That is wonderful! Lucky girls to have you for a grandmother. Can’t wait to see the new book — and I always like seeing Catia’s work. … I’ll be in Concord, Mass, in a couple of weeks, Elaine, but it’s a quick work trip (so quick). One year, I hope to visit you. I hope it’s warm when I’m there.
Thanks for stopping by!
by jules March 29th, 2015 at 10:50 amGood morning, Imps and bunnies!
Haejin Park: Congratulations on your forthcoming graduation from RISD! Best of luck with everything to come.
Jules: Have fun and be safe on your travels!
Jone: “Feeling heard” is a WONDERFUL feeling. Hurrah.
Welcome back, Elaine! Congrats on your publications.
My kicks for the past week:
by Little Willow March 29th, 2015 at 10:57 am1) Goals
2) Conclusions
3) Empathy
4) Synchronized speaking
5) The X-Files news
6) High gear
7) Because of reasons
Little Willow: I love your mysterious last kick. Also, do you know that I never watched The X-Files, though ALL of my friends were huge fans of it? I gotta get caught up, especially since I loved seeing Gillian Anderson’s performance in The Fall.
Have a good week, and break a leg at any and all auditions.
by jules March 29th, 2015 at 11:38 amHaejin — your work is so jubilant! I can’t wait to see your books when they come out 🙂
by jill swanson March 29th, 2015 at 11:47 amJules: I have yet to see The Fall, but have heard good things, both from friends and critics/reviews.
by Little Willow March 29th, 2015 at 3:24 pmWow, beautiful work. Haejin’s a natural illustrator- each image has a story in it. Her sense of light is also just fantastic- deceptively simple and powerful
by Amy Lovvik March 29th, 2015 at 4:34 pmThanks for sharing your work Haejin – love all the happy energy and vibrant colors. Looking forward to seeing you published soon!
Jules – happy and safe travels! Hope your trip is a fun one!
Jone – congrats on the successful district meeting and feeling heard. Glad you’ve been out enjoying this wonderful weather! Go Rip City!
Elaine – congrats on the grandbabies, lucky girls to have you so close! And congrats on all the publishing news too!
LW – I like your kicks #4 and 7 best this week, And I’m like Jules, the only one of my friends to never watch The X-Files. Should I?
My kicks this week:
1) Giant delivery of wood chips came on Wednesday, and yesterday I finished spreading them on the entire front yard, so feeling very accomplished.
2) Started research into native plants for when the front yard is ready for planting/landscaping.
3) Went to Leach Botanical Garden this afternoon with a friend to stroll the grounds and get ideas for the yard project. Very cool house and garden that John & Lilla Leach left to the city of Portland.
4) Read my first Wodehouse novel “The Prince and Betty” and definitely found it fun. I’m up for more.
5) Saw a dark but well-done move I’d never heard of last night – Disconnect – Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Alexsander Skarsgard – great cast, and certainly timely about our ‘connected’ lives and what that sometimes means.
6) Daisy’s leash manners are steadily improving.
7) Playing in an intense soccer game (we lost), and coming home to eat dinner with Daisy outside on the back patio. This spring weather is wonderful!
Have a wonderful week everyone!
by Rachel March 29th, 2015 at 8:39 pmRachel & Jules: You will like X-Files if you like sci-fi, thriller, mystery, and procedural. Start from the beginning and watch the episodes in order.
Rachel, continued: Hi Daisy!!
by Little Willow March 30th, 2015 at 8:53 amRachel, my very belated response: Glad you had a good week, and thanks for the movie rec. I’ll have to check that out.
(I’m typing from a NYC hotel, sitting with a sick 9-yr-old. Fingers crossed for a germ-free night tonight, since we have tix to a show!)
by Jules April 1st, 2015 at 12:19 pm