{"id":2338,"date":"2012-04-24T00:01:22","date_gmt":"2012-04-24T06:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2338"},"modified":"2012-04-24T10:28:38","modified_gmt":"2012-04-24T16:28:38","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-john-hendrix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2338","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with John Hendrix"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JohnI’ve written about author\/illustrator John Hendrix<\/a><\/strong> previously at 7-Imp. Today, though, he’s joining me at the breakfast table, his breakfast-of-choice being only “about five gallons of coffee.” (I can go for that. I’m sturdy with my coffee intake. I feel confident I can handle it.) <\/p>\n

And I believe I’ve previously used the word “galvanic” when describing his art. <\/p>\n

Well, it is. Have you seen his artwork? <\/p>\n

His sweeping spreads are indicative of an artist who started out in editorial illustration — with spreads, Kirkus<\/em> once wrote, that “combine the iconic and the realistic to compress the visual storytelling into one heightened image.” Or “larger-than-life,” if you’re School Library Journal<\/em>. And it’s true: John knows how to get your attention, as you can see below in the mixed-media illustrations featured today. There’s an edgy, sometimes darker side to his art, too, that makes you look twice. (And, I must mention, he often hand-draws his text, as you can see in some examples below.)<\/p>\n

Most recently, John has brought readers the illustrations for Deborah Hopkinson’s<\/a><\/strong> A Boy Called Dickens<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. That was published by Schwartz & Wade in January, and back then I invited John over for a breakfast chat. I may just now be getting to it, but better late than never. He shares art and early sketches below from Hopkinson’s book, as well his other three previously illustrated titles and other art from here and from there. <\/p>\n

So, let’s get right to it, and I thank him for visiting. <\/p>\n

* * * * * * *<\/font><\/center><\/p>\n

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

John<\/font><\/strong>: Author\/Illustrator and Illustrator, depending on the book. <\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n

John: “[This] Harry Potter image was commissioned for Gallery Nucleus<\/a><\/strong>.
They had a show celebrating <\/em>Harry Potter when the final movie came out last summer. Everyone got to pick a scene\/theme from the books. I love <\/em>Harry Potter,
so it was a great thrill to actually imagine some of the characters.”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

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

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