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Genevi\u00e8ve is a French-speaking Canadian, who lives in Montreal, but she’s joining me way down here in Tennessee for lots of coffee. Lots. See? Her breakfast-of-choice is: “Fruit, toast and coffee. And coffee. And coffee.”<\/font> Best. Answer. Ever. <\/p>\n (You all do<\/em> know that I just like to pretend, right? And that all these interviews are cyber? I’ve had more than one illustrator ask me once, prior to an interview, how exactly we’re supposed to meet up in person. I wish there were an actual 7-Imp Central with a 7-Imp Breakfast Nook and actual breakfasts with actual coffee brewing, but alas, I’m not magic enough to pull that off. In fact, sadly I’m not magic at all. But, hey, imagination is a beautiful thing. And that will suffice. Onwards, then.)<\/p>\n I can certainly make pots of coffee for the two of us, while she gets out her sketchbook and paintings to share this morning. I thank her for visiting and gracing the blog with her illustrations today. Let’s get right to it…<\/p>\n [Quick note about the rest of the many interviews happening in the Summer Blog Blast Tour: You can see the master schedule here<\/a><\/strong> at Chasing Ray<\/em>. Colleen Mondor is doing a wonderful job of linking to all the interviews going on this week at that ginormous schedule. At the bottom of this post is the rest of today’s schedule, too. Enjoy.]<\/em> <\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Are you an illustrator or author\/illustrator?<\/font><\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: Author\/illustrator. <\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date?<\/font><\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: There have been many over the years, so here is a selection of picture books (the first four written and illustrated by me): <\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: What is your usual medium, or–\u2013if you use a variety—your preferred one?<\/font> <\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: I use a variety of media -\u2013 watercolors, crayon, pastel, sometimes collage, and Photoshop.<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: If you have illustrated for various age ranges (such as both early readers and picture books) can you briefly discuss the differences in illustrating for one age group to another?<\/font> <\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: I think it really depends on the story more than on the targeted age group. I like to make sure very young readers will easily follow the story by looking at the image, while chapter book illustrations can be a little more elliptic without confusing the reader. But the difference is quite slight, I believe.<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Where are your stompin\u2019 grounds?<\/font><\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: I live and work in Montreal. That\u2019s in Quebec, Canada\u2019s mostly French-speaking province. <\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Can you briefly tell me about your road to publication?<\/font> <\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: After an early unfortunate experience illustrating a chapter book featuring a bulldozer as its main character, I decided children\u2019s books were not for me. <\/p>\n I had worked as an editorial illustrator for ten years when a publisher approached me with an offer I couldn\u2019t refuse: total freedom to illustrate a classic tale or legend of my choice — my first picture book. I enjoyed the process, the publisher was happy with the result, and afterwards, for a while my work was split between children\u2019s literature and editorial illustration. <\/p>\n Then, editorial work became scarce, and during a lull I wrote a story I\u2019d been thinking about for some time. Writing instead of drawing felt like playing hooky. I made sketches and mock-ups, visited a few publishers, and Kids Can Press signed me on for What Elephant?<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, as well as for a book in their gorgeous Visions in Poetry<\/a><\/em> series. <\/p>\n I still like to illustrate other authors\u2019 stories, as well as my own -\u2013 and writing still feels like playing hooky…<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Can you please point readers to your web site and\/or blog?<\/font> <\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: www.genevievecoteillustration.com<\/a><\/strong> (badly in need of updating).<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: If you do school visits, tell me what they\u2019re like.<\/font> <\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: I\u2019ve been meeting mostly first-graders. I usually start by saying a few words about picture books, illustration and general information, then the students and I create a story together. I choose an opening, let the kids decide how the story unfolds and I sketch it step-by-step in their wake, using those sketches to say a few words about perspective, layout, etc. When we get to the end of the story, each kid draws a favorite scene. <\/p>\n Sometimes with very young kids, like preschoolers, I cheat a bit and lead them along more than I usually do. But improvised sessions tend to be more exciting for everyone (although sometimes it becomes a bit of a zoo).<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: If you teach illustration, tell me how that influences your work as an illustrator.<\/font> <\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: I haven\u2019t taught illustration but have taught to illustrators — a course called Techniques of Creativity at Coll\u00e8ge Salette<\/a><\/strong> in Montreal. At first it felt like teaching how to shovel clouds, but as we went along, I really enjoyed finding ways to bring students (and teacher), to wander out of comfort zones. It was also a nice opportunity to pass on some of the most helpful insights I\u2019d received from Marion Wagschall<\/a><\/strong>, a superb artist who also happened to be one of the best teachers I\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Any new titles\/projects you might be working on now that you can tell me about?<\/font> <\/p>\n Genevi\u00e8ve<\/font><\/strong>: I\u2019m really excited about Without You<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, released {in February}. It features two characters from my earlier book, Me and You<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. {Ed. Note: Some spreads from <\/em>Me and You are pictured below in this interview.}<\/em> I think this fussy bunny and exuberant pig appeal to me because they both accept—and sometimes struggle with—their shortcomings. Both books were published by Kids Can Press \u2013- and by Scholastic for the French edition. (I write in English and French.)<\/p>\n Also just released is a picture book by Heather Hartt-Sussman<\/a><\/strong> for Tundra<\/a><\/strong>, called Noni says No<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, about a little girl and her very bossy friend.<\/p>\n There are a couple books lined up for publication in the coming Fall and Spring, but I\u2019m more comfortable leaving all to the publisher at this point.<\/p>\nI\u2019m so pleased to be showcasing the artwork of Canadian illustrator Genevi\u00e8ve C\u00f4t\u00e9<\/a><\/strong> today for the 2011 Summer Blog Blast Tour<\/a><\/strong>, since I\u2019ve followed her career with interest over the past several years, even covering several of her titles here at 7-Imp. (If you\u2019re thinking \u201cblog blast tour\u201d\u2026hubba wha?\u2026 it\u2019s basically a whole bunch of interviews with authors and illustrators at a whole bunch of blogs during the week.) As I\u2019ve written before here at the site, there is a luminescence to Genevi\u00e8ve’s work that draws me in. (With You Always, Little Monday<\/a><\/em><\/strong> positively glows in more ways than one.) And I like her loose, delicate lines, the vibe to her work that seems both fragile and free-spirited, and her expressive characters. There is a lot going on in her art, yet she manages to make it look effortless.<\/p>\n
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Genevi\u00e8ve: “{This is} a very thoughtful (yet light) text about a little girl and
her grandma, who forgets words and faces.”<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n\n
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Tennyson’s <\/em>The Lady of Shalott<\/a><\/strong> (Kids Can Press, 2005);
Genevi\u00e8ve: “Kids Can Press signed me for this book, part of their gorgeous Visions in Poetry series<\/a><\/strong>, at the same time they accepted <\/em>What Elephant?<\/a><\/strong> I’d brought my editorial portfolio, along with the mock-up for <\/em>What Elephant? It was my first visit with them, and I was almost surprised—but very happy!—to find that the editor
was interested in different aspects of my work…. I didn’t do a mock-up {for this book} but sent many notes along with sketches.”<\/em>
(Click on each image to super-size and see in more detail)<\/center><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a>
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Genevi\u00e8ve: “{Farrar, Straus and Giroux} took me on, on Peter S\u00eds’s<\/a><\/strong> recommendation. Peter S\u00eds is a monument of children’s literature, I think,
and he also happens to be a really nice person!”<\/em><\/center> <\/p>\n
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<\/em>The Amazing Story of the Little Black Sheep<\/a><\/strong> (Dominique & Friends, 2000)<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n
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a first-nation legend, interpreted by Mich\u00e8le Marineau<\/a><\/strong>;
Genevi\u00e8ve: “I have a fondness for <\/em>L’Affreux and for <\/em>The Black Sheep (pictured above). Those were my first picture books. I’d been an editorial illustrator for ten years and had illustrated a few chapter books, but this is when
I fell in love with children’s books.”<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n<\/a>
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Genevi\u00e8ve: “Mock-up images are final sketches with text in place.”<\/em>
(Click on each image to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n<\/a>
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(Click each spread to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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