Happy Summer loves. We’re in it - full steam Summertime with hot afternoons and bare feet and campfires and swims in the lake (as many as we can fit in). Winter here is hard but Summer always lures me back into loving Michigan.

This past month, I’ve been putting together a weeklong workshop to teach in Spain which begins July 5th. I’m over the moon excited to meet other artists, explore a new area, and nerd out over materials. As much as I don’t feel like a teacher, I love sharing information - especially in person - and the older I get, the more sure I am that teaching workshops should be part of my regular gig. That is of course, after a new baby wrangles my life into a new normal come October.

Exploring limited color palettes for my upcoming workshop.

I’ve also been painting for the Winter Book of Henri and Miko - the four book series that hums along in the background of my internet presence, but has a very solid role in my studio day to day. I’ve painted countless renditions of these finals, trying to nail down a subtle palette, keep the energy and movement of the characters, and do so in a way that will allow me to do an extraordinary amount of tiny paintings. I’m so excited for you to see these when they do come out…

Speaking of energy and movement in work - that’s what we’re talking about today for the 7th (!) installment of my Yearlong Celebration of Things I Love about Art. MOVEMENT is what we’re discussing today. All of the artists I’m sharing are picture book illustrators and I’m not mad about it. It was actually really indulgent to get to share these works which have given me so much inspiration throughout my career. Whether it’s movement in line or paint, I hope this brings you lots of inspiration as well…

Let’s dive in!

“I'm interested in the movement of the eyes across the painting.”
- Guido Molinari

GABRIELLE VINCENT

Gabrielle Vincent (1928 - 2000) was the pseudonym of Belgian painter Monique Martin. Martin was a successful fine artist and had shown in galleries exhibiting paintings, black and white ink/charcoal drawings and more. In 1980, she began to illustrate, though changed her name for illustrating because it was seen as a lower art in the eyes of her fine artist peers. In 1981, she created Ernest et Célestine, and went on to make 26 books in the series. I seriously can’t get enough of these drawings, I swoon and melt everytime I see the character in her lines and colors. The way she moves your eye right to the point of the scene is so masterful. To keep the freshness in the drafts of the finals, she did each illustration 20 times and then picked the best one which makes me want to give up entirely. hah.

“Ernest et Célestine”, Gabrielle Vincent/Monique Martin. Duculot/Casterman. Courtesy of Fondation Monique Martin

“Ernest et Célestine”, Gabrielle Vincent/Monique Martin

“Ernest et Célestine”, Gabrielle Vincent/Monique Martin

“Ernest et Célestine”, Gabrielle Vincent/Monique Martin

DOUG SALATI

YES - that Doug Salati who won the Caldecott this year for his wildly endearing book HOT DOG. His work moves - whirls, whips, and soars but is also jagged and restrained. It’s a great example of gestural work without getting too art school if that makes sense. I had the pleasure of meeting Doug as he co-led an illustration workshop that I attended last Summer at Milkwood and it was so cool to hear his process - the line work is all done by hand in pencil. Also he’s literally one of the funniest and most charming humans I’ve met.

© Doug Salati

© Doug Salati

© Doug Salati, interior spread from HOT DOG

SYDNEY SMITH

Sydney Smith is such a brilliant picture book illustrator. Each book feels a bit different in terms of line and painting technique but the movement (and attention to lighting) is stunning. In his awarding winning book, I Talk Like a River, the movement is portrayed through confident brushstrokes, splashes, and the loveliest dapples of light in the water. Water is so hard for me to paint and he seems to do it with such skill. His book Town Is by the Sea deals with movement in a more linear fashion with energetic black lines. Each book is lovely and I can’t wait to put some of these on little one’s bookshelf.

Cover for I Talk Like A River by Jordan Scott & Sydney Smith

Interior from I Talk Like a River, © Sydney Smith

Cover for Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz and Sydney Smith

Interior from Town Is by the Sea ©Sydney Smith

FELICITA SALA

I’ve been a fan of Italian illustrator Felicita Sala’s work since the beginning of my career when I found the animated music video she collaborated on with her husband. Since, I’ve loved seeing her work in the picture book world. I’m always delighted by her line work and how every part of the image seems to sway. She works in colored pencil and paint and has really lovely snippets of her process tests and sketchbooks on Instagram too. Her characters are always recognizably hers but not in a static way - just in a very pure way. Also she just seems like a super kind human!

Interior from Green on Green by Dianne White, Image © Felicita Sala

Be a Tree!, written by Maria Gianferrari, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021

Interior from Green on Green by Dianne White, Image © Felicita Sala

Cover Illustration for Andersen Magazine, Italy, June 2020

KATIE HARNETT

British illustrator Katie Harnett’s work has long been an inspiration for me. I love the way she portrays figures and spaces, but I especially adore all the movement she imparts in her painted textures. Using just the lines needed, they have this masterfully childlike quality to them that I’m envious of. Everything shakes a little in her illustrations! She is also part of Orange Break Studio, an amazing resource for picture book authors and illustrators. They host a range of events and workshops, one on one tutorials and more.

Monty and the Poodles by Katie Harnett

Interior from Monty and the Poodles ©Katie Harnett

Illustration from Moon Cat © Katie Harnett

If you want a little more, you can see this month’s Blog Painting come together in a timelapse on The Dessert Club! I also do a little digital warm up in procreate using vintage dance photos.

I hope your month is filled to the brim with strawberries and porch hangs and late sunsets and fireflies. I’ll see you back here next month with another post, as well as a little peek into the Spain retreat!

And of course, if you have any artists you love whose work celebrate movement, I’d love to hear about them! I always love reading your suggestions.

Stay sweet!
xo,

Becca