Meeting kidlit writer / illustrator Alice Provensen

My kidlit group (Studio 5) and I had lunch today with the talented writer / illustrator Alice Provensen.  She ranks up there with Mary Blair and Richard Scarry as picture book royalty.  The books she and her husband Martin produced together (beginning in the 1940's) as a team are lessons not only in illustration but book design (Animal Fair, Aesop's Fables, The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends, etc.)  I was definitely feeling a Waynes Worldian "We're not worthy!"  But, and it should come as no suprise, Alice is just as charming as the books she creates.  And quite humble about her body of work.  

One idea that came from the afternoon was this:  I noticed this morning, looking over some of her books before the lunch, qualities that reminded me of some other books I'd been collecting by the artist Ben Shahn.  I asked her if that was a possible influence at the time.  She said it was possible and that  they were friends of Shahn back then.  An "aha!" moment for me that will have me studying the work of both illustrators more.  I usually thought of the Provensens as masters of shape and Shahn a master of line but the commonalities are where I want to go digging.  Okay. Enough nerdy artist talk.  

Nothing compares to meeting your heroes and today was magic.  

Comments

[Marilyn Scott-Waters]

Oh gosh yes, Andy! I'm still on cloud nine!

I want to know more about how she does composition... and a hundred other things!

Magic.

[Janet Takahashi]

Meeting Alice Provensen and finding out that she knew Ben Shahn! Wow. I am also a collector of Shahn's books. His lettering, linework and shapes he creates with mastery. I have Alice's Big Golden Book, The Color Kittens. How does Alice work?

[aj mitchell]

Confidently! :) Seriously, I think it's oil on board or canvas. But definitely oil. And then in many cases ink line on top of that. And the lettering in their books was mainly Alice. Her work in the mythology book is a personal favorite and a good example of that.