A major project that our HPA works on each year is pulling in talented authors and illustrators to visit with our students to talk about the creative process. This past Friday, acclaimed author Rosemary Wells visited the Lower School to talk about how she has crafted the adored characters that we have come to treasure.
Some of the most fascinating aspects of her illustrations are her use of multiple mediums, many of which I would not have expected. She shared how she used photocopies of different types of grains to create backgrounds, utilized origami paper to create texture in fabrics, and her love of mixing and creating one of a kind hues for her paint. She also creates her own stamps.
It made me realize how important it is to teach our students to recognize that very little in this world- especially with books- is as it seems. Books, just as as the illustrations that Rosemary Wells shared with us, are multi- layered. However it often does not occur to the reader, if not taught how to do so, to recognize and appreciate this art of writing and reading.