11.11.2008

a visit from Paul O. Zelinsky







Paul O. Zelinsky also presented to RACWI Thursday night. Can you say "Caldecott"?
Always fantastic to hear someone speak who has a received such an honor, has studying under Maurice Sendak and has had a career that has spanned 30 years. Not too many of those floating around. A humorous tail he shared was about the mouse he got to study anatomy while doing Ralph S. Mouse...how would you get a real mouse to ride a toy motorcycle...not so easy. He also shared with us school photos that Beverly Cleary sent with the Ralph S. Mouse manuscript that were photos fans had sent to her. These faces were the inspiration for certain characters.
Here are some other points I jotted down:
~Copying existing art, is a good exercise to "see what is there"
~Action is the page turner
~illustrate the words that aren't there
~Jumping the shark...a Happy Days reference, to when we have gone to far.