Beginnings and Endings

On Sunday I leave for Santiago, Chile and really look forward to discovering a new part of the planet and connecting with children there about books and murals. Over dinner, our son, Santiago asked what I am most looking forward to. I told him the beginning as there is much to explore and the ending as I get to tell him all about my adventure.

As a children's book illustrator I spend a great deal of time thinking about beginnings and endings. 

Endpapers for MAYBE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL due out on April 12, 2016

Maybe Something Beautiful tells the story of a young girl and muralist who transform a gray neighborhood bringing their community together using art. The story is based on my own work creating the Urban Art Trail in the East Village of San Diego. I wanted to begin with actual buildings in the neighborhood and developed a technique that blended original photographs of local facades that morph into colorful endpapers. To finish the story the main character Mira’s painted bird is flying free up in the sky.

Endpapers for BOOK FIESTA! 2010

Book Fiesta! celebrates Children’s Day/Book Day and so the day begins and ends with a good book.

Endpapers are the start and finish line of a book. Vintage endpapers display an array of fascinating patterns that include marbled paper, geometric shapes and whimsical patterns. When I get a book deal I plead with the publisher to give me the chance to do a bit of extra storytelling to young readers as they open and close a book. If I can't convince them on the first round I will create sketches and even full paintings to plead my case. Many of my favorite endpaper designs never made it to print but I keep them in a flat file and open that drawer from time to time. The images on endpapers are much closer to personal paintings. As there is no text you feel great freedom to express your own visual take on a story.
You can find plenty of unique and beautiful endpapers online at places like Pinterest from innovative illustrators.

Patterns, textures, soaring imagery…what a way to start and end the day.