{"id":3426,"date":"2014-06-10T09:12:34","date_gmt":"2014-06-10T15:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3426"},"modified":"2014-06-10T18:51:32","modified_gmt":"2014-06-11T00:51:32","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-jennifer-yerkes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3426","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Jennifer Yerkes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

This interview has been several years in the making. <\/p>\n

Back in 2012, when I juried<\/a><\/strong> for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, I was delighted to see a little book called Dr\u00f4le d’oiseau<\/em>, published by France’s \u00c9ditions MeMo in 2011. The book went on to receive a Mention for the Opera Prima Award that year. (The Opera Prima Award is given to debut artists.) It also received here in the States the 2013 Gold Medal<\/a><\/strong> for the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art award, as it was released in the U.S. by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky as A Funny Little Bird<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Jennifer, as you’ll read below, was born here in the U.S. but now makes her home overseas — and has for many years. (So, yes, her debut picture book was published in French yet translated later into her mother tongue, as she notes in a response below.) <\/p>\n

The book was described by professional reviewers as fresh, innovative, highly-original, thought-provoking, infinitely clever … I could go on. To say the artwork is spare is an understatement. Yerkes’ protagonist in the book consists of primarily negative space, as you can see in some of the spreads below. Pictured above, in fact, in the spread opening this post is the cover art. (It pains me to put a border around it, but I want you to be able to click on it and see it in more detail, if you’re so inclined, and if I don’t put the border, I think cyberspace adds a big, ugly thick border. Also, please note that if you click on it, the colors in the larger version are slightly off. They’re brighter than they appear in the book.) <\/p>\n

Where was I? Oh, it’s a delightful book on many levels, and I’m glad Jennifer’s here to talk about it, to share lots of art, to let us know what’s next for her, and to give us a peek into her sketchbooks. We’re going to have lots of coffee. A typical breakfast for her involves that and then, “about two hours later: four slices of well-buttered toast. Or if I’m lucky enough to make it to the bakery, a cinnamon ‘cross.'” I say we splurge and have all of the above. <\/p>\n

I thank her for visiting. Let’s get to it … <\/p>\n

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

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

Jennifer<\/font><\/strong>: Author\/Illustrator, as of a couple years ago. Graphic designer\/Illustrator first, though.<\/p>\n

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

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