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Welcome to 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks, 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. <\/p>\n
Since I like to highlight student or brand-new illustrators to the field on the first Sunday of each month, that was my plan for last week, but I was out of town and shifted things around<\/a><\/strong>. Instead, I welcome a student illustrator this week, and her name is Rozalind Best<\/a><\/strong>. Pictured above is her rendering of Captain Hook’s ship. Roz is set to graduate soon from The University of Plymouth<\/a><\/strong> in the UK, and here she is tell us all a bit more: <\/p>\n Roz:<\/strong><\/font> “<\/font>I’m very fond of children’s books and capturing characters in an innocent and humorous way. I believe escaping into your own world and maintaining a sense of humour is important in illustrations for children — on par with a good imagination! Facial expressions are key aspects I focus on, and I like to use a dip-pen with ink to achieve quick, expressive marks. Watercolours and gouache are also my favourite mediums to use.<\/p>\n I’m nearly a graduate from The Plymouth University and have studied illustration here for three years. I aspire to illustrate for children, having studied children’s book illustration specifically and in depth, but I would also like to write as well.<\/p>\n I’m currently building my portfolio and working on a non-fiction book about wild flowers and continuing to develop my story book Granny Green and the Amazing Cough Syrup Cake<\/em>.“<\/font> <\/p>\n Maybe we’ll see Roz in children’s books over here in the States one day. I particularly like the opening image, especially Roz’s use of light in it. Best of luck to her in her career. <\/p>\n All images \u00a9 2011 by Rozalind Best.<\/em><\/p>\n 1).<\/strong><\/font> Last weekend’s conference<\/a><\/strong> on children’s lit at the Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature<\/a><\/strong> (CCYAL) at UT was wonderful and invigorating. Author Jack Gantos<\/a><\/strong> was a great speaker, as always. (He is wicked funny.) And, for the first time, I got to meet Steven Withrow<\/a><\/strong> and Richard Michelson<\/a><\/strong> in person. Both were genuinely friendly and so smart, not surprisingly, and I really enjoyed talking to each of them. Here we are pictured with some of the very talented board members of the CCYAL. (Steven is the second from the left; Gantos, fourth from the left; and that’s me and Rich on the right. Photo credit: The One and Only Robin Smith.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Also, for that trip to East Tennessee, I stayed with a friend who let me sleep in her THREE-STORY TREEHOUSE. I’m yelling that in excitement. And, no, I’m NOT EVEN MAKING THIS UP. It’s the coolest place I have ever slept, let me tell you what. Three levels. Wee stairs. A little bathroom that works. BUNK BEDS. I could go on. <\/p>\n 2).<\/strong><\/font> Extended deadlines. <\/p>\n 3).<\/strong><\/font> Finally started the first Harry Potter<\/em> book with my girls, and the seven-year-old is falling head over heels—there is no passing go and no collecting $200—with the book. She literally whoops and squeals and jumps up and down at the end of each chapter. Reading books that make them this<\/em> excited is The Best Thing Ever, as I may have mentioned a few billion times here at 7-Imp. <\/p>\n 4).<\/strong><\/font> I noted on Facebook that Friday would have been illustrator Trina Schart Hyman’s<\/a><\/strong> birthday, mentioning that I read—and wrote a bit—about her for the book I’m currently writing and have decided she was a real maverick and that someone needs to write her biography. And the responses, though not many, were rather poignant. One friend<\/a><\/strong> even sent me a heartfelt email about how hearing about Trina’s death years<\/em> ago really shook her and moved her to tears. She wrote, “Who knows, maybe we wouldn’t have connected in person, but I always felt she was making her drawings for me. And if that isn’t a testament to art, I don’t know what is.”<\/em> That gave me chills. The good kind. <\/p>\n 5).<\/strong><\/font> Three music kicks-in-the-pants: <\/p>\n I’ve been sitting on this one a while, one of my new favorite songs and I’ve yet to mention it. You may not be up for one impossible ass-shake in your face before breakfast (the back-up dancers), but I think Jenny O.<\/a><\/strong> herself has some great moves (not to mention bike). And how great is this bass line? I ask you: <\/p>\n
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