{"id":1115,"date":"2008-02-12T00:01:41","date_gmt":"2008-02-12T06:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1115"},"modified":"2015-10-17T18:39:26","modified_gmt":"2015-10-18T00:39:26","slug":"seven-impossible-interviews-before-breakfast-65-authorillustrator-eric-rohmann","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1115","title":{"rendered":"Seven Impossible Interviews Before Breakfast #65: Author\/Illustrator Eric Rohmann"},"content":{"rendered":"

7-Imp is particularly excited to be chatting today with author\/illustrator Eric Rohmann, who — in the words of Publishers Weekly<\/em> — “has perfected the art of letting the pictures tell the story.” In this author spotlight<\/a><\/strong> at Random House, Eric writes, “I wasn\u2019t a very good student. I remember my high school guidance counselor suggested I consider a trade: ‘Perhaps ship-fitting or something in a lumber yard?'” Well, we’re glad he chose illustration over a lumber yard after all, because he has brought the world of children’s literature some beautiful, unforgettable picture books and “magnificent oil paintings {which} masterfully mix reality and fantasy” (Los Angeles Times<\/em>). <\/p>\n

Eric — or, Theophrastus von Sparkenpumpe<\/a><\/strong>, if you’re Philip Pullman<\/a><\/strong> — made his children’s book debut in 1994 with Time Flies<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Crown), a surreal, wordless tale of one bird’s journey back to the time of living dinosaurs (“the scientifically minded will be wowed by Rohmann’s oil paintings, which capture the textures of bone, tooth, eyeball, etc., with as much attentiveness and morbidity as, say, an 18th-century still life of gamebirds,” wrote Publishers Weekly<\/em>). Time Flies<\/em> was awarded a Caldecott Honor<\/a><\/strong> in ’95. In 2002, My Friend Rabbit<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (Roaring Brook Press), brought Eric a Caldecott Medal<\/a><\/strong>. This story of friendship — a “dramatic visual romp,” in the words of Pat Scales, chair of the 2003 Caldecott Award committee — was rendered in bright, hand-colored relief prints. In this Q & A<\/a><\/strong> with SCBWI in Southern California, Eric explained, <\/p>\n

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My Friend Rabbit<\/em> would not have worked using the more elaborate, naturalistic oil paintings of my other books. With Rabbit<\/em>, I needed the change to stay interested. A few years ago I made a painting for a book jacket and when I had finished I hardly recalled making the painting. I had become so facile, so practiced at my way of painting that I had stopped inventing and began to copy myself. I answered every question with an answer I had used before. I felt I needed to try something different, to shock my system. It\u2019s what Ray Bradbury once called, \u2018Jumping off a cliff and making wings on the way down.\u2019<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the years between Time Flies<\/em> and My Friend Rabbit<\/em>, Eric brought his fans King Crow<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, written by Jennifer Armstrong<\/strong><\/a> (Crown, 1995), the story of a king jailed by an evil foe who receives invaluable help from a crow; The Cinder-Eyed Cats<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Crown, 1997), what School Library Journal<\/em> called a “bedtime piece with flair”; and The Prairie Train<\/a><\/em><\/strong> by Antoine O\u0301 Flatharta (Crown, 1999), the story of a young Irish immigrant boy, who travels by steam-engine across the American prairie to a new life with memories of the old country pulling at his heart. Pumpkinhead<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Alfred A. Knopf, 2003) and Clara and Asha<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Roaring Brook Press, 2005), the latter named a 2006 ALA Notable Children’s Book, followed My Friend Rabbit<\/em>. In their review of Clara and Asha<\/em>, School Library Journal<\/em> praised Rohmann’s “characteristically spare story line and larger-than-life visuals.”<\/p>\n

Philip Pullman, in his memorable tribute<\/a><\/strong> to Rohmann after he won the Caldecott for My Friend Rabbit<\/em> and whose cover for The Golden Compass<\/em> was painted by Rohmann, said:<\/p>\n

“{W}hat stood out at once for me was the draftsmanship. Anyone who can get a dog to look like a dog, a crow to look like a crow, or a hand to look properly articulated with an arm that in turn fits onto a shoulder that in turn looks as if it has a proper structural relationship with a backbone \u2014 is someone who deserves respect . . . When you look at a page of Mr. Rohmann\u2019s work, you see not only the expression of a great innate talent but also the consequence of solid work and study and thought. I mean toil<\/em>, the daily engagement with the tools, the never-ending struggle to make two dimensions represent three, the fresh-every-day effort to persuade the color to flow where you want it to and to preserve its warmth and brilliance all the way through the printing process.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Wow. What he said. He captures well the charm of Rohmann’s work, no?<\/p>\n

Eric’s newest title, A Kitten Tale<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, which I reviewed here<\/a><\/strong> with much enthusiasm and manic energy (’cause it’s that<\/em> good), was released this January. It has garnered starred reviews in Publishers Weekly<\/em>, School Library Journal<\/em>, and Kirkus Reviews<\/em>, SLJ<\/em> describing it as a \u201cplayful look at living life to the fullest” and “a natural for young children.\u201d Eric shared some art work from the book with us for a previous Sunday feature<\/a><\/strong>, which we’ll share again in this interview (I hope the colors on these illustrations are right; they look slightly<\/em> different than the ones in the ARC I have, but it could be an artifact of my computer). <\/p>\n

Perhaps the primary appeal of Eric’s work is this, captured in the last response he gave in this short 2005 BookPage<\/em> interview<\/a><\/strong>, the message he would like to send to children: “Look closely. Tell stories. Play. Make mistakes. Learn. Carry on.” Let us carry on with the interview then, and thanks to Eric for stopping by for seven impossible things before breakfast — rather, six (“I can only come up with six…but give me some time!” he told us).<\/p>\n

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7-Imp<\/strong>: A Kitten Tale<\/strong><\/a><\/em> is simply splendorous. Please tell us a bit about what made you want to write that particular story, how it came about, etc.<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Thanks for the kind words about the kittens. Always wonderful to hear.<\/p>\n

All of my books start with a little idea and then build into larger stories as I work. I suppose this is the way all writers and artist work: general to specific. Start with a small thing, have at it and see what happens. A Kitten Tale<\/em> began as a few sketches and the vague notion of writing about a reluctant kitten (a characteristic of kittens and why the book is not A Baboon Tale<\/em> instead). Somewhere in the corners of my mind I had a notion that the kitten would eventually finds his way to curiosity. There is some of that in the finished book, but it certainly changed, clarified and simplified over time.<\/p>\n

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7-Imp<\/strong>: In reading about you online, I stumbled across this quote attributed to you, which I remember reading in grad school and falling in love with:<\/p>\n

Children are the best audience: they are curious, enthusiastic, impulsive, generous, and pleased by simple joys. They laugh easily at the ridiculous and are willing to believe the absurd. Children are not ironic, disillusioned, or indifferent, but hopeful, open-minded, and openhearted, with a voracious hunger for pictures and stories.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Your bio says you taught drawing and printmaking for a while. For how long in your career as a visual artist did you work with adults before deciding to turn your attention toward a child audience?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: As a student, I thought I would follow the path of many of my friends: graduate and teach. We all figured this would give us plenty of studio time as well as a steady income (practical, and a bit hopeful). I did not find a permanent teaching position so I took a job at a summer arts program called Belvoir Terrace<\/a><\/strong> in Massachusetts where I taught art to girls ages 7 to 17. My pictures have always been narrative — each image like a still image from a longer film — so when I began teaching art to kids, I found my audience. Kids and pictures that tell stories are a natural fit.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: On the question of audience, it seems that my very favorite children\u2019s book illustrators, when asked who they have in mind when creating books, respond that they are making the books for themselves and not creating it with children specifically in mind. You have said the same (\u201cI make books for myself \u2014 it\u2019s the audience I understand most \u2014 and I\u2019m blessed that children seem to like what I do\u201d). Has that always been the case, or is that something you grew into as an illustrator as your work has evolved?<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Yes it has evolved. I wrote that statement early on, and as I\u2019ve made more books, read more books, and spoken to more kids, I have a better sense of what they look at, what they are curious about, what makes them laugh and think. I certainly can\u2019t think like a six-year-old (although I was one once and have the photos to prove it), but I\u2019m always thinking of them as I work.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What exactly is your process when you are illustrating a book, particularly when it\u2019s one you have written (as most of yours have been)? You can start wherever you\u2019d like when answering: getting the idea, starting to write\/illustrate, or even what it\u2019s like under deadline, etc. Do you outline or sketch a great deal of the book before you write\/illustrate or just let your muse lead you on and see where you end up?<\/font><\/p>\n

My Friend Rabbit<\/em><\/strong><\/a> began as a doodle of a rabbit holding a giant paper airplane. A Kitten Tale<\/a><\/strong><\/em> was only a snip of story about a reluctant kitten. From there I made a drawing, looked at some photos, wrote a bit, made another sketch, researched, wrote, drew, and wrote more . . . you get it. The process is a bit chaotic, but it is the only way I can find my way. I must put something on paper, look at it carefully, before I know where to go next.<\/p>\n

The muse — what drives me forward — is the desire to tell a story. I think in narratives. I draw all the time. Together these become picturebooks. The process is simple trial and error, which includes many drafts and many sketches, storyboards and dummies. I keep working on something until it makes sense — both story and images.<\/p>\n

7-Imp: How does your work as a printmaker and fine bookmaker affect your illustration, if at all?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: The more techniques and methods you practice, the more extensive your toolbox. Different stories call for different kinds of pictures. Printmaking is important to my work, because it gives my images a different look. What I mean is that as I translate a pencil drawing into a woodcut, the line quality changes. Therefore, the feel of the images changes. This allows the books to look different from the painted images.<\/p>\n

Having made books by hand helps me understand the book form. The cover, the end papers, page turns, the gutter, the heft and shape of the book.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: I read the following from you online: “I don\u2019t think I create paintings as much as recognize them when I bump into them.\u201d I love that, and it makes me think of how a lot of authors tend to talk about characters they have created and stories they have written, that the characters found them and begged to be written, etc. Can you elaborate a bit on that statement you made, just because \u2013 as an art lover but not an artist myself — I think it\u2019s intriguing.<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: I\u2019ve never had a character speak to me — jeez, I wish they would and do some of the work — but what I meant is that I\u2019m never quite sure of what I\u2019m after until I see it there on the paper in front of me. I\u2019m not so much a creator as a discoverer.<\/font><\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: Can you tell us a bit about what it meant to you, at the beginning of your career in children\u2019s books, to have received such validation for your work (if that\u2019s how you perceived it, that is), a Caldecott Honor for Time Flies<\/a><\/strong><\/em> — especially since, as you stated in an online interview, it had been rejected many times by various publishers before finding a home at Crown?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: A number of breakthroughs occurred at the time. I managed to make a dummy — the visual story — that as clear and complete. I was published after many rejections. But the thing I\u2019m most proud of is that after Crown agreed to make Time Flies<\/em>, I had five months and made the eighteen paintings — which was about as many paintings as I\u2019d made up to that point in my life. That accomplishment feels like the most significant validation.<\/p>\n

I was, of course, aware of Caldecott, but didn\u2019t know how the award was given or when, so when I received the Honor I had little clue of what it meant. Suddenly people knew the book. Which meant kids got to see it. In the end, that is the happily ever after.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: In a previous interview<\/a><\/strong>, you talked about you strayed from the medium of oil and used relief prints for My Friend Rabbit<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, how you try to use the technique that works best with the story you\u2019ve created in lieu of a more easily-marketed signature style. Can you talk a little bit more about that?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: It works two ways for me. I get to try new things, keep it fresh, and I am not limited to the kinds of books one \u201cstyle\u201d would allow.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: The School Library Journal<\/em> review for Clara and Asha<\/em><\/strong><\/a> noted what they called your \u201csignature panoramic perspectives.\u201d What do you love about that perspective that takes our breath away, as readers, in your gorgeous paintings?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: I\u2019m a child of the movies. Notice how the open picture book is often the proportion of the movie screen. I was influenced by Robert McCloskey, Wanda Gag, Sendak and Van Allsburg, but also by David Lean, Steven Speilberg and John Ford. Look at the starry night in Sylvester and the Magic Pebble<\/em> and you\u2019ll see the power of the two page image.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: You\u2019ve said in interviews that you volunteered at a zoo in high school, studied biology afterwards, and loved (and still love) to visit museums. Do you attribute your ability to make \u201ca dog look like a dog\u201d and \u201ca hand to look properly articulated with an arm\u201d (in Pullman’s words) to those endeavors? Also, is that a piece of advice, by chance, that you\u2019d give any beginning illustrators who might be reading this -\u2013 to remember the toil, the \u201cdaily engagement with the tools,\u201d even when the studio might be the last place you want to be?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Needless to say I\u2019m humbled by his praise. As he might tell you, an artist gets better by making art. So when you start out you look at cats or fish, draw them, get to know them, how they move and what they do. Immerse yourself. Be aware. Look closely.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: Did you find it more or less freeing to illustrate another person\u2019s text (with the Jennifer Armstrong and Antoine O\u00b4 Flatharta titles), compared to the books you\u2019ve authored and illustrated yourself?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: For me, it’s harder to make pictures for another person’s story. I admire illustrators who do it well, because I have not. For me, there is a tacit lack of freedom that I’ve never been able to fully understand or deal with. Then again, I’m willing to give it a go. In fact, I’m illustrating a playful, action-packed book by Candy Fleming<\/a><\/strong>, called Oh, No!<\/em> Some great stories you just can’t pass up.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What do you think draws you to the spare -\u2013 or absence of any — text in many of your books?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: My stories begin with lots and lots of words. Then you rewrite, paring the story down to something interesting and clear. Pictures are a different language that also tells stories. Often pictures tell the story, and the words fall away. Pictures and words do different things and I try to use them for what they do best.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: Can you tell me about any new titles\/projects you might be working on now?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: I already mentioned, Oh, No!<\/em> with Candy, and I\u2019m also working on a book called The Bone Dog<\/em> with Roaring Brook Press. Now if I could only figure out how to make the books work . . . <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What books or authors and\/or illustrators influenced you as an early reader?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: I wasn\u2019t a great reader as a kid . . . my intro to books was comics. From there I moved to fantasy and sci fi, and then on to other books. Influences? Helen Sewell<\/a><\/strong>, Robert McCloskey<\/a><\/strong>, Ruth Krauss<\/a><\/strong>, Marcia Brown<\/a><\/strong>, Walt Disney<\/a><\/strong>, George Herriman<\/a><\/strong>, Charles Schultz<\/a><\/strong>, Maurice Sendak<\/a><\/strong>, William Steig<\/a><\/strong>, Wanda G\u00e1g<\/a><\/strong>, Virginia Lee Burton<\/a><\/strong>, William P\u00e8ne Dubois<\/a><\/strong>, the Provensens<\/a><\/strong>, Robert Lawson<\/a><\/strong>, Marie Hall Ets<\/a><\/strong> . . . got another three pages?<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: I keep a sketchbook\/journal with drawings, collage, notions, impressions, complaints, bits of found paper, other artifacts and ephemera. It\u2019s my way of always staying engaged in the world.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: If you could have three (living) illustrators or author\/illustrators — whom you have not yet met — over for coffee or a glass of rich, red wine, whom would you choose?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Lisbeth Zwerger<\/a><\/strong>, Maurice Sendak<\/a><\/strong>, Bill Watterson<\/a><\/strong> . . . hmmm? What makes the question so hard is that I have been lucky enough to have met many of my favorites.<\/p>\n

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* * * The Pivot Questionnaire * * *<\/center> <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What is your favorite word?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Today it is “Oodaaq”<\/a><\/strong> (I just read an article that mentioned this tiny bit of gravel in the Arctic Cicrle thought to be the smallest island on earth). I\u2019ll undoubtedly change my mind when I hear the next good word.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What is your least favorite word?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Today it\u2019s “overdue” . . . how did I neglect to return those books for so long?<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Drawing, traveling, lively evenings with friends, and being surprised by the world.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What turns you off?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Insincerity in work and in life.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What is your favorite curse word? (optional)<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: I can\u2019t choose just one — the great thing about cursing is that they arrive on their own power when most needed.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What sound or noise do you love?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: A fire crackling under a starry sky. The ruffle of leaves in the wind. Lennon and McCartney harmonizing.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What sound or noise do you hate?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: My own voice when I\u2019m cross or moody (others hate it too!).<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Architect or research librarian.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What profession would you not like to do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: Accountant (How do they do it? Bless them, so I don\u2019t have to).<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric<\/strong>: \u201cYou\u2019re early. Turn around and try again.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For more online information about Eric: <\/p>\n