Gregory Christie
Don Tate
(each artist is connected to a picture book written by a friend and I love the art created for the texts)
-Pamela
p.s. who once (long ago enough to repeat the anecdote) obnoxiously said to Floyd Cooper: “You’re going to illustrate one of my picture books someday.”
p.s My friend Muriel’s WHEN LOUIS ARMSTRONG TAUGHT ME SCAT was JUST published; Christie’s work is so unbelievably fabulous and I am not just saying that because I love the author of the book. Her text is spectacular (and librarians and reviewers agree with me out the wazoo!) but oh my g-d that art! Who KNEW someone could DO those things with “just words” to guide him?! Here’s a recent review I JUST found in a quick Google: http://www.denverpost.com/books/ci_11409933
Oh yeah, Gregory Christie rocks. I’d love for him to illustrate one of my poetry books sometime. He is one of a kind. I’d actually love to own some of his fine art. Love it!
And Don Tate is incredible too. I love that he was true to his own style and didn’t go for the realism that everyone told him he should develop.
I love artists. I wish I could paint.
Neither Christie’s nor Tate’s style, though, works for what I’m looking for. I need someone who does a painterly style, slightly realistic but with soft edges (I like the hard edges taken off my reality!), kind of like E.B. Lewis in Coming On Home Soon.
Floyd Cooper does what I’m talking about too. And Kadir in some of his books. Sigh. I wanna take art lessons from these guys. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
And Pamela, sweetie, you keep believing that Floyd will illustrate one of your texts one day. I am. 🙂 In a related anecdote, at Chautauqua at 2005, at the book signing, Patti Gauch was telling us about an author that she had met 10 years earlier at Chautauqua and she was just about to publish her book. I then heard myself say, “Well hang in there for 10 more years for me and I’ll be in touch…” and I walked away and realized that it had sounded like I’d told her not to die before she published a book of mine. I turned twenty shades of red. Buuuuuuut, my book with Patti comes out on May 14 of this year. 🙂
Kristy Dempsey 
EB Lewis
the Dillons
Of course, they are some of my favorite illustrators, period.
Oh, yes, I loooooooove E.B. Lewis. I could stare at his illustrations for days.
I’m also a big fan of Floyd Cooper. And Kadir Nelson. But isn’t that just like stating the obvious? 🙂
What about Jerry Pinkney?
Yes, love him too. These are all some big names we’re talking about here. I’m wondering if there are some newer artists too.
Have you talked to Paula? She’s involved with that terrific Brown Bookshelf endeavor–they might know some people.
Here’s a link. The illustrators’ names are in italics.
http://thebrownbookshelf.com/28-days-later/
Gregory Christie
Don Tate
(each artist is connected to a picture book written by a friend and I love the art created for the texts)
-Pamela
p.s. who once (long ago enough to repeat the anecdote) obnoxiously said to Floyd Cooper: “You’re going to illustrate one of my picture books someday.”
I could kill myself! The moxie!
http://www.dontate.com/ Don Tate’s web site
http://www.gas-art.com/ Gregory Christie’s website
p.s My friend Muriel’s WHEN LOUIS ARMSTRONG TAUGHT ME SCAT was JUST published; Christie’s work is so unbelievably fabulous and I am not just saying that because I love the author of the book. Her text is spectacular (and librarians and reviewers agree with me out the wazoo!) but oh my g-d that art! Who KNEW someone could DO those things with “just words” to guide him?! Here’s a recent review I JUST found in a quick Google:
http://www.denverpost.com/books/ci_11409933
Oh yeah, Gregory Christie rocks. I’d love for him to illustrate one of my poetry books sometime. He is one of a kind. I’d actually love to own some of his fine art. Love it!
And Don Tate is incredible too. I love that he was true to his own style and didn’t go for the realism that everyone told him he should develop.
I love artists. I wish I could paint.
Neither Christie’s nor Tate’s style, though, works for what I’m looking for. I need someone who does a painterly style, slightly realistic but with soft edges (I like the hard edges taken off my reality!), kind of like E.B. Lewis in Coming On Home Soon.
Floyd Cooper does what I’m talking about too. And Kadir in some of his books. Sigh. I wanna take art lessons from these guys. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
And Pamela, sweetie, you keep believing that Floyd will illustrate one of your texts one day. I am. 🙂 In a related anecdote, at Chautauqua at 2005, at the book signing, Patti Gauch was telling us about an author that she had met 10 years earlier at Chautauqua and she was just about to publish her book. I then heard myself say, “Well hang in there for 10 more years for me and I’ll be in touch…” and I walked away and realized that it had sounded like I’d told her not to die before she published a book of mine. I turned twenty shades of red. Buuuuuuut, my book with Patti comes out on May 14 of this year. 🙂