Questions from
Children

 

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These are some of the interesting questions children have asked Elisa Kleven about her life as a children's book author and illustrator.
How do you make your books?
Before I make finished illustrations, I make what is called a book "dummy", which is really a rough draft of the book. I plan out the book in pencil and paste in the words. I send the book dummy off to my editor, who looks it over with the art director. Once we agree that everything is okay, I go on to make the finished pictures.

What are your illustrations made with?
I use all sorts of art supplies to make my pictures: watercolor, colored pencils, ink, even crayon. I also use a lot of collage- bits and pieces of paper or material which I glue on to my pictures to give them texture and pattern.


Rosalba and her Abuela flying from "Isla"
 



Why do so many characters fly in your pictures and stories?
I have always wanted to fly -- really fly, like Peter Pan, not just travel in an airplane. Making my picturebook characters fly is the second best thing. (My brilliant editor at Dutton Children's Books thought I'd be a good illustrator for the story ABUELA, by Arthur Dorros, because she knew I loved to draw angels and flying people.) Many of my own stories, such as THE PAPER PRINCESS and SUN BREAD, also feature figures that fly.

 


Elisa at age nine
Enraptured at Watts Towers
My mother loved Watts Towers -- and so do I. Here I am at about six, enjoying Simon Rodia's fantastic creation, which I would later illustrate in the book CITY OF ANGELS.

Etching by Elisa's mother
Etching by my mother 		  Eva Art

My Grandma, Eva Art (her real name!), was born in Ukraine. After working hard in tailor shops for much of her life, she became a sculptor. It was magical to watch her turn a lump of clay into person or an animal.
 

Did you go to art school?
No, I went to the University of California at Berkeley, where I studied literature. I also studied at the Graduate School of Education, where I received a teaching credential. After teaching for several years and reading lots and lots of books to children, I realized that I wanted to make my own books.

Book illustration seemed a natural choice for me: although I had never studied art formally, I had always loved making things with my hands. I was lucky to have had both a mother and a grandmother who were artists. My mother made etchings and prints out of bits of metal and ink, and my grandmother made statues out of clay. Both of these artistic women encouraged my creativity. They often took me and my sisters to museums, and gave us art supplies for birthday and holiday gifts.





Email Elisa at elisakleven7@gmail.com   Website designed by Mira Reisberg miraguy@earthlink.net
All images and text copyright Elisa Kleven. Site last updated February, 2011 by Andi Therrien