![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/willquinn_clouduse.jpg\")
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I got a postcard in the mail this week with the image above on it. It was a happy surprise and a note from a RISD<\/a><\/strong> graduate, named Will Quinn<\/a><\/strong>, who told me he reads and enjoys my blog. I was taken with the image and then visited his website to see more of his artwork. <\/p>\n I’m pleased that today he’s visiting 7-Imp to talk about his work and share even more art. It’s not the first Sunday of the month, when I tend to feature student or brand-new illustrators, but since I’ll be out of town next weekend at the beginning of February, I’m switching things up and posting that this week. (I will<\/em> be posting next Sunday, though, for the record. Would I ever leave my kickers down? Nope.) <\/p>\n I see good things, and even more potential, in his illustrations. And I wasn’t at all surprised to read about his influences and the artists who inspire him. <\/p>\n Let’s get right to it. I thank him for visiting. <\/p>\n I studied at RISD, where I became a better artist and hoarder of books (I didn\u2019t bring a computer, so it helped pass the time,) and so I eventually decided on book illustration as a career. I would love to make comics, too — someday, if I ever get the chance. Pen is my favorite medium to use (often, but not always, the Hunt 102 nib). My style is inspired by an older generation of artists. I actually think my work is very whimsical, but I\u2019ve also been told it\u2019s somber and serious. Turning a smile into a semi-circle is something I simply can\u2019t do: sometimes we need to see human faces instead of emojis. <\/p>\n My favorite things in art are often the things that are hidden or which people overlook; a particular patch of moss, perhaps. Or the way mist comes apart. Mostly the stories are just for me, but in my senior year of RISD I made my first dummy book about a girl who gets lost in the mist — and sees different people who are made of mist. Right now, I\u2019m working on another dummy book about a mad scientist who lives alone on a mountaintop. And another story keeps showing up in my doodles—about a boy who watches birds from his bedroom window—which I\u2019m sure will completely reveal itself eventually. 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 1)<\/strong><\/font> I think Will Quinn is on to something. <\/p>\n 2)<\/strong><\/font> This interview<\/a><\/strong> with Patty Griffin is so good. I kinda can’t get over how fabulous her new CD is. Why can’t she<\/em> run for President? <\/p>\n 3)<\/strong><\/font> This interview<\/a><\/strong> with Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes<\/a><\/strong> is also pretty great. (“Y’all do you. I’m gonna do me.”)<\/p>\n 4)<\/strong><\/font> A big stack of new novels I’m eager to read. <\/p>\n 5)<\/strong><\/font> I told Ann Patchett<\/a><\/strong> on Friday in her bookstore in Nashville that a quote from Bel Canto<\/em> (the quote here<\/a><\/strong>) guides my blog and has for ten years now. I don’t know if she’ll remember this, but I will. <\/p>\n 6)<\/strong><\/font> Seeing two good friends this week. <\/p>\n 7)<\/strong><\/font> As I type this, my daughters are making chocolate truffles. <\/p>\n What are YOUR<\/font><\/strong> kicks this week? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I got a postcard in the mail this week with the image above on it. It was a happy surprise and a note from a RISD graduate, named Will Quinn, who told me he reads and enjoys my blog. I was taken with the image and then visited his website to see more of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seven-good-things-before-monday","category-picture-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3980\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nWill<\/font><\/strong>: In my house when I was young, we didn\u2019t have cable or internet, and my parents had a lot of older books and comics lying around. So, that explains how I came to like more traditional art. <\/p>\n
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\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/WillQuinn_Forestz.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/wquinn3.jpg\")
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\nI\u2019m absolutely crazy about Maurice Sendak<\/a><\/strong>. In particular, I consider Outside Over There<\/a><\/strong><\/em> and Dear Mili<\/a><\/strong><\/em> to be two of the best children\u2019s books ever written — and the best examples of what the art form can be when taken seriously.
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\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/ootherecover.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/dearmili.jpg\")
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\nI like a lot of novel illustrators, too, such as Edward Ardizzone<\/a><\/strong>, Tove Jansson<\/a><\/strong>, and Rockwell Kent<\/a><\/strong>. And I love Attilio Mussino\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> Pinocchio<\/em>, Blake\u2019s Book of Job<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Thurber’s<\/a><\/strong> and Simont\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> The 13 Clocks<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, and Arthur Hughes\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> pen drawings. There\u2019re too many great things to name. Of the newer illustrators, Peter S\u00eds<\/a><\/strong> is my favorite for his ability to convey abstract concepts through illustration.<\/p>\n
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\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/wquinn1.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/wquinn2.jpg\")
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\nI try to be leave some ambiguity in my work — to create emotions that are more complex than just happy<\/em> or sad<\/em>. I believe that the tendency to aim for immediate comprehension leads to overly simplistic images. We\u2019ve invented a reductive visual language, in which a human face is treated like a logo or street sign, valued for its readability.<\/p>\n
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\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/willquinn_eveninguse.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/willquinn_halloweenuse.jpg\")
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\nAll of my pieces have stories to go with them. I often draw from stories or poems that I like. If not, it\u2019s from a story I made up. I started out making images in order to tell stories, so I\u2019m very drawn to narrative illustration. <\/p>\n
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\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/willquinn_overcoat1use.jpg\")
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\nCurrently, I\u2019m teaching an art program at a public middle school. Working with kids has a big impact on my work, and it can be really enlightening for anyone who wants to make children\u2019s books. And of course I\u2019m still looking for freelance jobs, agents, and everything else. Drawing for a living is my dream.<\/p>\n
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\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/wquinn4.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/7pics\/2016\/01\/willquinn_leavesuse.jpg\")
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\nAll artwork used by permission of William Quinn.<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/Cazuela_sun_72.jpg\")
2\u00bd)<\/strong><\/font> The CD is filled with sun imagery. I like suns. (I think, in fact, for my birthday in May, I’ll get a tattoo of this sun pictured here. Rafael L\u00f3pez<\/a><\/strong> created that sun and told me it was fine with him if I did. I think it was even his idea. Where on me should I get it?)<\/p>\n