Illustrator Here is our chat with Neesha. What do you love most about kids books? In picture books I love the way that images and text work together to tell the story. A great picture book wouldn’t work with just the text alone, and vice versa. I also love the impact that books can have on children. Watching my young kids feel happy, sad, excited, etc. from a book is a special thing. Then watching them have an emotional reaction reading a book I’ve illustrated? Or a dummy I’m working on? Well it doesn’t get much better then that. Did you have a favourite childhood book? When I was very young, nearly every night before bed I would ask my dad to read MONKEY TROUBLE by Lisl Weil. That’s one of my earliest memories involving books. I still have it and read it to my kids. I also loved THE GIVING TREE by Shel Silverstein. Although that book currently makes me cry like a baby every time I read it, haha. Does it take long to complete a book? Yes. Much longer then most people would think. Especially when picture books can seem so simple, like WALK YOUR DOG. We spent more then a year working on the text and pictures and making them work well together to tell a fluent story. Most picture books take at least six months to over a year to illustrate. Some take multiple years! There’s sketches, waiting on feedback from the publisher, revisions, more sketches, more waiting, more revisions, more waiting... it’s a process. How many books have you done? I’ve done two picture books and an anthology. I’m working on my fifth early reader book for an educational publisher. And I’ve had my illustrations in a few magazines. Whats your favourite food? Oh man this is tough. I don’t really have a specific favorite BUT I do get giddy any time we go to the Olive Garden (insert sheepish smile). All you can eat breadsticks and salad and pasta? C’mon. When did you start drawing? When I was too young to remember. My mom tells me I was always drawing as a child, and just never stopped. I thank them a lot for being the type of parents to encourage it all along the way. Do you have a pet? We have a six year old Chinese Crested named Napoleon. If you don’t know what a Chinese Crested is google it, you won’t be disappointed. Then we just got a puppy named Penny! She’s 15 weeks old now and like a lovable furry shark that will bite your face off as soon as kiss it. We also have four chickens: Mama June, Toaster, Peeper, and Mini Toaster. Where do you live? I grew up in Maine and left for awhile as an adult but found my way back. As most of us Mainers do. We live in an old little town on the coast that has plenty of playgrounds and a great local farmers market. We wanted our kids to grow up in an area thats a little slower paced and it’s been perfect for us here. Where do you like to go for holidays? I’m a Jehovah’s Witness so I don’t celebrate holidays. During those times we usually plan fun activities with the kids, or get together with friends and family. It’s always low key and relaxing. My favorite vacation spot is Disney World though. I went a lot as a child, we would drive every year from Maine! We can’t get there often, because it costs a bajillion dollars now, but it will always be my favorite. Do you play a musical instrument? I wish! Can’t play to save my life, but I enjoy music so much. Watching musicians play and really feel their music is so inspiring to me. If I could choose any talent it would be to sing and play piano or guitar. If you could do anything, what would you do? See my above answer, maybe? Also travel and explore new places. I’d love to visit a different country every year. What inspires you to draw? Kind of cliché but taking a walk outside. My favorite park has hiking trails that border the ocean and it’s a very inspiring place to walk and connect with the outdoors. Also other illustrator's work. My Instagram feed is an endless supply of inspiring artwork by other artists old and current. My kids as well. It’s easy to pull illustration ideas from the funny things they say and do. Do you have a favourite thing to draw? Kids, animals, and vegetation. If that wasn’t obvious, haha. My favorite WAY of drawing is to sit at my desk with a blank piece of paper, my mechanical pencils with HB and B lead, Pinterest, good music, and the opportunity to draw whatever I want. It’s rare I have the opportunity to spend serious time drawing something for myself. Do you enjoy drawing with your kids? Would I be a terrible mom if I said no? Just kidding. My seven year old is very creative. Loves to draw, paint, build, create. She goes outside with a notebook and draws the things she finds. My four year old is wired a different way. He is very analytical and draws some, but will often say he’s “not very good.” However I LOVE his people drawings and really try to encourage him. They’re just different creatively speaking, and I find that really interesting. This summer I plan on taking my daughter plein air painting and am really looking forward to that. Any new up coming titles coming out soon, that we should be looking out for? I’m working on like three dummies right now to send off to submissions. So nothing at the moment but look out 2020! Thanks for taking the time to answers our questions, it been great getting to know you a bit more. More Information. neeshahudson.com Shop here. Neesha is offering - 20% off all prints with the code KIDSBOOKSWELOVE Instagram @neeshas_art Facebook @NeeshaHudsonIllustration
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