{"id":3396,"date":"2014-05-04T00:01:13","date_gmt":"2014-05-04T06:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3396"},"modified":"2014-05-03T20:50:13","modified_gmt":"2014-05-04T02:50:13","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-380-featuringup-and-coming-illustrator-elizabeth-lilly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3396","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks #380: Featuring
Up-and-Coming Illustrator Elizabeth Lilly"},"content":{"rendered":"


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An illustration of Nikki Giovanni’s<\/a><\/strong> poem, “Migrations”
(from <\/em>Bicycles: Love Poems<\/a><\/strong>)<\/center>
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\nIt’s Sunday! It’s Spring! Hurrah!<\/p>\n

It’s also the first Sunday of the month, so today I welcome a student illustrator. Her name is Elizabeth Lilly<\/a><\/strong>, and she’s here to tell us all about her work, as well as share some of her art. <\/p>\n

So, without further ado …<\/p>\n

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

Elizabeth<\/font><\/strong>: When I was a kid, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I mostly just loved reading, so when I was eight I decided to be a librarian. How great would it be to be surrounded by books every day? <\/p>\n

In high school, I was drawing rabbits and animating dancing grapes while my friends were all applying to Ivy League schools, with promising lawyer\/doctor-type futures ahead. I applied to be an architect, went to a prestigious architecture program, and was miserable.<\/p>\n


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Abuelita Gallina (Grandma Chicken)<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

After two years of crying over elevation drawings and chipboard staircases, I left and transferred to MICA<\/a><\/strong> [Maryland Institute College of Art] as an animation major and finally settled in the General Fine Arts department. <\/p>\n


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Starting over in Baltimore was lonely, but soon I started to feel at home, as I wrote my own stories and made images to go with them. Crumbled brick buildings, rats in the train stations, geese that waddled between gravestones — everything in my new city seemed to swim with stories.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This year, my last year in school, I took my first illustration class, a book illustration class taught by the fantastic Shadra Strickland<\/a><\/strong>, and everything made perfect sense. I loved the thrill of telling a story with images, of composing pages, of making words and lines and colors all work together. <\/p>\n

<\/a>
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Nicaragua Bus<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m working on a new story about Geraldine Giraffe, who has a hard time fitting in (literally) when her family moves from a giraffe town to a human one. I\u2019m excited to show it to publishers this summer, and I\u2019m working with a friend to make an animated version of the story as well.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
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Character work<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n


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\nThank you, Jules, for featuring my work!<\/p>\n

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

Be sure to explore Elizabeth’s website<\/a><\/strong>, if you’re so inclined. Some of her narrative illustrations have a definite Thacher Hurd<\/a><\/strong> vibe. Best of luck to her in her career!<\/p>\n

All artwork is used by permission of Elizabeth Lilly.<\/em> <\/p>\n

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

Note for any new readers: 7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks is 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. New kickers are always welcome. <\/p>\n

* * * Jules’ Kicks * * *<\/strong><\/font>
<\/center><\/p>\n

1)<\/strong><\/font> The Tennessee Renaissance Festival<\/a><\/strong> — jousting, lutes, pirates, pixies, and people generally (and gloriously) letting their freak flags fly. <\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/font> The We Need Diverse Books campaign<\/a><\/strong>, which launched this past week. One of the best photos\/statements I saw is here<\/a><\/strong> at author-illustrator Grace Lin’s blog. <\/p>\n

3)<\/strong><\/font> I presented at the 2014 Tennessee Library Association<\/a><\/strong> conference on Friday, which went well, and I got to have breakfast with a dear friend, in town for the conference. <\/p>\n

4)<\/strong><\/font> This trailer cracks me up, and I love my Jemaine Clement<\/a><\/strong> sightings:<\/p>\n