Violet and Victor return (with unicorns and koalas and...cake!)

Whenever I have the opportunity to speak about the creative process—whether to children or adults—I usually offer up two pieces of advice:
1. Be a collector
2. Be an experimenter

I love Violet and Victor because they embody these directions. They collect and experiment with various forms of inspiration until they build a story that they both love. And from a personal standpoint, the illustrations I made for these books are some of the clearest examples of following my own advice (which, sadly, is not always a given).

I’ve spoken quite a bit about the first Violet and Victor book (Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book) in the past. More on that here—the link includes a video about my process including examples of the ephemera I collected and the many ways I experimented with the raw materials I had at hand. And, to learn more about the creator of Violet and Victor, you can read an interview with the author, Alice Kuipers, here.

The process for the second book also involved collecting and experimenting. And even though some of the style was determined by the first book, the second story required a new collection and new experiments! So, while Violet and Victor look the same (graphite pencil lines with collage clothing), their environment is very different. 

This is a story that merges traditional fairy tales and Australian animals. I collected inspiration from a variety of sources—19th century fairy tale books (ink drawings), 19th century cookbooks, antique maps, and Aboriginal art. I experimented with these raw materials, building three dimensional art out of books and creating all kinds of dot-based paintings. I also thought about Violet and Victor’s setting; I imagined them outdoors as they were concocting this story. I envisioned them collecting and experimenting with leaves and twigs and various other inspirations from their natural world. Below are examples of MY raw materials and experiments. 

And below are a few finished spreads from the book. The Publisher's Weekly review said, “Murguia creates extravagant visual representations of the possibilities that await readers (and writers) of stories...Entertaining, and likely to inspire readers to try putting their own stories together.” I’m thrilled that Violet and Victor Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale is a Winter 2015/2016 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick. Thank you Indie bookstores for your support!

LAUNCH PARTY and TOUR UPDATES

The Cockatoo, Too launch party took place on January 9th, and you can probably tell from the photos below that we had just a wee bit of fun. We made masks, we ate cookies, we wore tutus, we read, we sang, we danced. Many thanks to Diesel Bookstore and Little Bee Books for their wonderful support.

Speaking of support, I’ve been so touched by the positive reactions to Cockatoo, Too. There have been many wonderful reviews, but perhaps my favorite is this one from Margie Myers-Culver, librarian and incredible book advocate. And the very best quote? “It’s a wordplay wonder!” Ahhhh, LOVE that.

I’ll be at Book Passage in Corte Madera for the Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Conference on January 23rd and 24th (for adults). I’ll be doing an evening event at Books, Inc. on February 3rd (for children) and another at Book Passage on February 7th (for children). In early February, my book tour heads east to NY and then south to Los Angeles. Please have a look at the events page for more details.

I hope you enjoy the photos!