Robert's Snow Illustrator - Mark Teague

My teacher, Ms. Danielson, assigned us an interview paper for language arts. My job is to find out as much as I can about the author and illustrator Mark Teague. Since we just finished reading Dr. Mr Henshaw, she wants each of us to write a letter and then share the response. Letter? Doesn't she know that no one really communicates this way any more? I'll bet if I tried hard enough, I could learn everything I needed to know on the Internet and Ms. D. would be none the wiser. Are you with me? Okay, here's my draft of the letter from Mark Teague.

Dear Tricia,

Thank you so much for your kind letter. I am very busy with work, but never too busy to respond to one of my many fans. I hope you'll forgive the fact that this note is typed, but in order to maximize my time in the studio I dictate letters while I paint. As you can see, it may save time, but it doesn't keep the printed copy safe from drips and splatters of paint. Without further ado, here are the answers to your questions.

1. How were you trained as an artist?

I received no formal training whatsoever. Nada. Zip. Zilch. The down side to this is that there is still a lot I don't know, and some stuff that has taken me years to learn that I could have picked up in the first semester of art school.

2. Which illustrator's have influenced your work?
At first I was inspired by the work of Chris Van Allsburg, Richard Egielski and William Joyce. Now I find inspiration in the stuff produced by David Shannon, Kevin Hawkes, Mary GrandPré, Paul O. Zelinsky and Stephen Johnson.

3. What medium do you work in?
Acrylics

4. What process do you use in creating your artwork and how long does it take?
It takes me about 4 months to illustrate a book. I wrote a short article on how I illustrate picture books. It's pretty cool and has pictures that show the whole process. Check it out!

5. Did you like to read when you were a kid? What were your favorite books?
My mom took us to the library every week, so I loved to read. As for my favorite books, I loved Where the Wild Things Are. I also liked Dr. Seuss and Babar.

6. How is illustrating a book that someone else has written different from one you've written yourself?
It is very different working with another author, but challenging, because I'm sort of borrowing someone else's imagination. I really like this kind of work, and I get to make art for amazing authors, like Audrey Wood, Cynthia Rylant, and Jane Yolen.

7. What do you think of your editor?
My editor is a tough critic. In fact, she often finds flaws in my very best stories-sometimes major flaws. And when she finds them, she points them out. I've had stories come back from her so covered in small, written comments that I could hardly read my own words anymore. It's a terrible thing she does. What makes it really awful is that she's usually right.

8. Do you have any kids? If yes, do you want more?

Yes, I have two children. Do I want more? Have you not read any of my books? (Baby Tamer, for example?) Did you not notice the I depict children as dinosaurs? Just kidding! I think kids are great and I'm very happy with the ones I have.

9. What are you working on now?
Here's a hint!
10. I hear you've made a snowflake for Robert's Snow. What can you tell me about it?
Robert's Snow is an online auction that benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over 200 children's book illustrators have created art on individual snowflake-shaped wooden templates. My snowflake shows the character from one of my favorite books. The title of this snowflake is "Larue Skating."

I was really fortunate to be able to participate in each of the last two auctions. These are the snowflakes I created in 2004 and 2005.

I think that's it. Thanks again for writing. I hope you get an A on your project.

Sincerely,
Mark Teague

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If you are interested in bidding on this wonderful Larue snowflake, be sure to follow the link for Auction 3. Don't forget that 100 percent of the proceeds from this online auction will benefit sarcoma research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. While you are there, be sure to view all the snowflakes up for auction. Each and every one is a unique and amazing work of art.

Finally, be sure to check out the other snowflake illustrators being featured today.

• Rose Mary Berlin at Charlotte’s Library
• Christopher Demarest at Writing and Ruminating
• David Macaulay at Here in the Bonny Glen
• Sharon Vargo at Finding Wonderland

**Please Note - At the time the Blogging for the Cure event was organized, not all snowflakes were in the hands of the folks at Dana Farber. As a result, not all of the illustrators were available for selection as part of this effort. This in no way diminishes the work of any of the illustrators that will not be highlighted. It is our hope that these features will encourage readers to visit Robert's Snow and look at ALL the wonderful snowflakes up for auction.

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In case you're wondering, here's where I found the answers to the questions. Some of the responses are direct quotes from these links.
1 and 2 In the Studio with Mark Teague
3 and 4 In the Artist's Studio: Illustrating Picture Books with Acrylics
5 Reading is Fundamental: Meet the Authors and Illustrators
6 Reading Rockets: A Video Interview with Mark Teague
7 CBC Magazine: Meet the Author/Illustrator: Mark Teague