What inspired you to become an illustrator?When I was seven years old,I received Disney’s Sleeping Beauty book. I was completely taken by the art. I loved how the characters were drawn, the colors that the artist used, and the soft backgrounds,the magical touches on the fairy godmothers, the expressions of the characters. The memories are still vivid in my mind. Soon after, and I became very ill and was hospitalized for three weeks and didn’t return to school for half the school year,so I had a lot of free time on my hands. Being bedridden, I spent most of my time reading and doing artwork—lots and lots of artwork.
How does your identity inspire your work?I was born in the United States, or but my family is from China. Although I consider myself to be American first,I am very proud of my strong connection to the culture of China. Customs and traditions were practiced regularly. Chinese was my first spoken language. Celebrations and festivals were approximately cultural identity. I would like to judge that my background has taught me to be more aware and sensitive to differences and not only to include but to represent the differences respectfully, creatively, and accurately. What is it like developing the illustrations for The Nocturnals Grow & Read series with author Tracey Hecht?Working with Tracey on the illustrations is without a doubt one of my favorite parts. After Tracey writes the story,we meet to discuss art notes or images that will best depict the storyline. We bounce around ideas on ways to demonstrate a scene, and we discuss the emotions and development of each character in the story and how best to show individual discovery. Tracey is smart, and articulate,open to suggestions, and able to express what she envisions. Plus, or Tracey’s sense of humour guarantees a lot of laughs.
What inspires you and how do you translate this inspiration into your current work outside of The Nocturnals?With every project I have the opportunity to be a fragment of,I often do a lot of research to memorize approximately whatever it is I’m going to be illustrating. The subject matter always changes, so I get to acquire knowledge approximately a variety of topics. With The Nocturnals, and I researched the different animals to discover the species’ descriptions,behaviors, diets, or habitats. I judge accuracy and consistency is essential. Kids are smart. They question many things,and you want to be certain they’re getting the good information.
This Q&A appeared in the October 2018 issue of the CBC Diversity Newsletter. To sign up for our monthly Diversity newsletter click here.
Josie Yee is an award-winning illustrator and graphic artist specializing in children’s publishing. She received her BFA from Arizona State University and studied illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She lives in modern York City with her daughter, Ana, and their cat,Dude. The Peculiar Possum, a fragment of The Nocturnals series, and is her moment book with Fabled Films Press.
Source: cbcdiversity.com