{"id":2133,"date":"2011-05-10T00:01:44","date_gmt":"2011-05-10T06:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2133"},"modified":"2011-05-10T07:45:05","modified_gmt":"2011-05-10T13:45:05","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-nikki-mcclure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2133","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Nikki McClure"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I suppose it’s not often I’ve featured papercut artists here at 7-Imp, but I’m happy to have one such illustrator, Nikki McClure<\/a><\/strong>, visiting 7-Imp this morning. Nikki—a self-taught artist, who began her work in 1996—cuts illustrations away from a single piece of black construction paper with an X-Acto knife in a process that, to say the very least, is time-consuming and intricate. <\/p>\n

Nikki produces her own merchandise (posters, books, note cards, tee shirts, and yearly calendars), designs covers for records and books, and has contributed illustrations to The Progressive<\/a><\/strong><\/em> and Punk Planet<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. <\/p>\n

But in the realm of children’s literature, Nikki has also brought us her delicate, beautiful papercut designs. In 2009, she illustrated Cynthia Rylant’s<\/a><\/strong> All in a Day<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, followed by her own two titles, 2010’s Mama, Is It Summer Yet?<\/a><\/strong><\/em> and this year’s To Market, To Market<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, just released this month (and all three published by Abrams). About Nikki’s illustrations for All in a Day<\/em>, School Library Journal<\/em> wrote, “Astonishingly detailed, the artwork evokes the feel of classic 1940s and ’50s picture books…. They successfully capture the magical childhood sense that a day can go on forever.”<\/em> Kirkus<\/em> added, “McClure’s bold cut-paper illustrations make such nebulous concepts as hope and renewal accessible to young readers. Her touching black-and-white tableaux, satisfying and solid with thick lines and sharp reliefs, offer simple scenes of rejuvenation.”<\/em> With bold lines and textures and complex, meticulous papercuts, McClure’s artwork delights. <\/p>\n

Nikki’s husband is going to treat us to pancakes while we chat this morning. “Every morning,” Nikki told me, “my husband {Jay T, pictured right} gets up early and makes blueberry pancakes<\/font>. Giant ones that fill the whole pan, with blueberries that we gathered by picking every day in August and September. Sometimes I break with tradition (he\u2019s been doing this for years and years and years) and make some kefir smoothie concoction. But today it will be pancakes again. They are so good, you really don\u2019t mind the same thing everyday. Someone in Japan once made a movie about it.”<\/p>\n

Well, I thank Nikki for visiting, and I thank Mr. Nikki for the breakfast treat. Without further ado, let’s chat a bit more with Ms. McClure about her work…<\/p>\n

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

Nikki<\/font><\/strong>: Illustrator\/Author. The pictures usually come first and are the easiest part. I do look forward to the next book where I am just illustrator. It will be so relaxing! But first a wordless story is in the line-up. Does that make me just an illustrator for that one? Maybe it will be relaxing as well.<\/p>\n

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


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Cover art for <\/em>To Market, To Market<\/center><\/p>\n

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Cover art for Cynthia Rylant’s<\/a><\/strong> <\/em>All in a Day<\/center><\/p>\n

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