{"id":1759,"date":"2009-08-10T00:01:57","date_gmt":"2009-08-10T06:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1759"},"modified":"2010-11-15T08:27:52","modified_gmt":"2010-11-15T14:27:52","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-holly-meade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1759","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Holly Meade"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The illustrator of one of my favorite picture books ever, the 1997 Caldecott Honor<\/strong><\/a> winner Hush!: A Thai Lullaby<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Minfong Ho<\/strong><\/a>, is here this morning for a breakfast chat. Woodblock artist Holly Meade<\/strong><\/a> has illustrated almost thirty picture book titles in her career, launched in 1992, including what I thought was one of 2008’s most outstanding picture books, David Elliott’s<\/strong><\/a> On the Farm<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, published by Candlewick. (My ’08 review is here<\/strong><\/a>). <\/p>\n

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“Sleeps \/ with \/ one \/ eye \/ open \/ in the shady \/ farmhouse yard. \/ You might think \/ he’s keeping cool. \/ Beware! \/ He’s keeping guard!”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge.)<\/center><\/p>\n

But Hush!<\/em> put Holly on the map, showing us her expert sense of composition, her playful perspectives, and the warmth, humor, and uncluttered sophistication inherent in her artwork. That title was rendered in beautiful, brightly-colored cut-paper-and-ink illustrations, but these days Holly works in woodblocks — and has been for about seven years now. As you can see in that handsome On the Farm<\/em> spread above, rendered in woodblock prints and watercolor, Holly’s work is simply beautiful. I’m happy to have her here this morning over coffee to tell us a bit more about her prints, as well as share some from her gallery in Maine, Reach Road Gallery<\/strong><\/a>. She gave me free reign to choose images from the gallery site, and let me just say that it was very hard to narrow down my favorites. But I did — and included them in this interview. To start us off, here are two I really loved:<\/p>\n

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Don’t Shoot<\/em>, linoleum & woodblock print, 2008;
Click on image itself to be taken to Holly’s gallery.<\/center><\/p>\n

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To the Still Earth Say, I am Flowing<\/em>, woodblock print, 2002;
Click on image to be taken to more of Holly’s 2002 prints.<\/center><\/p>\n

Holly’s very latest illustrated title, written by Tom Brenner and released in July by Candlewick, is And Then Comes Halloween<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, which Kirkus<\/em> describes as “{t}he way Halloween should be.” As the title indicates, the book is a joyous sensory celebration of early Fall and the counting-down to Halloween (the children, having brushed candy from their teeth, even immediately dreaming of next year’s plans as they doze on Halloween night): “WHEN nighttime creeps closer to suppertime, \/ and red and gold seep into green leaves, \/ and blackberries shrivel on the vine . . . \/ THEN hang dried corn, \/ still in husks all crinkly and raspy, \/ sounding like grasshoppers. \/ WHEN Papa stacks firewood under the eaves, \/ and a<\/em> V of geese squawks its way south, \/ and chilly morning air turns noses pink . . . \/ THEN cut out paper witches on brooms and dangle skeletons in doorways…”<\/em> Holly’s watercolor and collage illustrations shine from the page. (Click to enlarge this spread.)<\/p>\n

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Holly’s breakfast-of-choice this morning for our short interview is a veggie frittata and coffee<\/font>. I think I make a pretty wicked-good cup of coffee, if I may say so myself, but I’ll be giving this frittata<\/strong><\/a> my first go. Let me get that started, while Holly gives us some of the basics. I thank her for stopping by. <\/p>\n

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7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Are you an illustrator or author\/illustrator?<\/font><\/p>\n

Holly<\/font><\/strong>: Author\/illustrator, with the emphasis on illustrator. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date?<\/font><\/p>\n


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Holly<\/font><\/strong>: <\/p>\n