Illustrating the children’s book Hammer and Nails was one of the most rewarding, memorable book projects of my career. What made it so important was the Flashlight Press art director/editor I had the pleasure of working with, Shari Dash Greenspan. I learned so much from this experience, and benefitted immensely from her patient vision, and keen eye for detail. I am proud to stand alongside so many talented illustrators and writers who have earned a spot on the Flashlight Press bookshelf, including the amazingly diverse, award winning Seattle artist Doug Keith.
I was recently asked to interview Doug about a new book he illustrated, Giant Island, written by widely celebrated author, Jane Yolen. Shari also joined in and shared some interesting insights about the making of this beautiful story:
Doug, let’s start with your career as an artist. How long have you been working?
After graduating art school in 1974, I worked at an ad agency in NYC doing some graphic design and production work. I moved on to similar positions in the NY/ NJ metro area until 1979. Then I was offered a full time position as an illustrator for an industrial design company, Walter Dorwin Teague Assoc., and relocated to Seattle, WA. Several years later I left Teague for a position as a graphic artist at a local television station KIRO TV (a CBS affiliate). In 1983, I started my career as a freelance artist, and the rest, as they say, is history!
What media do you work in? What are some of the unusual projects you’ve done?
I work in traditional medium, old school if you will, cause I'm old! Mostly gouache and colored pencil, as in Giant Island. I also use acrylics, oil, collage, scratchboard, clay, pencil, and pastels. As for unusual projects, I do occasional contract work for a local museum, MoPop, carving archival foam to fabricate custom mannequins and build mounts for their exhibits. I also did courtroom sketches for many years for KIRO TV news and other stations.
How did your move from the New York area to Seattle impact your art expression?
I found new inspiration from getting out to explore the region by hiking and camping, something I had not done to any great extent living in New Jersey!
What is your favorite way to connect with nature?
I bike on a daily basis, it's a great way to explore... and get some exercise!
I love the mythical creatures that so often appear in your work. I am also drawn to this theme. Since we are both Pacific Northwest artists, what do you think it is about this region that tends to inspire this kind of magic and folklore in our creativity?
The mountains, the coast lines, dramatic skies, even the rain (sometimes)! It was easy for me to envision hosts of mythical creatures that would thrive in an environment like this!
Do you have a favorite Pacific Northwest getaway spot that you feel is particularly magical and inspiring?
One of my favorites is the Oregon coast.
What is your favorite sea creature?
Well, let me say this, I was thrilled when the Kraken came to town!
I heard that Giant Island grew from a postcard series you created many years ago. What inspired you to create that series?
I did the postcard and several similar images for a local greeting card company. My inspiration was (and still is) the wondrous landscapes here in the North West! As a Jersey boy fresh to the Pacific Northwest, I was overwhelmed by the "gigantic" mountains all around me, and it was pretty easy to imagine them as sleeping giants! Same for the islands that drifted by as I took ferry rides across Puget Sound. This painting from years ago was inspired by a ferry boat ride. In fact, there is a ferry in the painting! And if you look closely in this image, Mt. Rainier can be seen in the background, and it too has a face!! This particular image was popular as a postcard and poster.
Shari: Many years ago, I received this postcard from Doug, promoting his artwork. I loved it, and replied telling him so. For years, it hung over my desk at Flashlight Press while Doug and I kept up an occasional email correspondence. Between 2015 and 2016, we tossed around possible storylines in which to include this island who is really a giant. In 2017, we starting trying to nail down a storyboard for a wordless picture book, and in 2018, we made the project official with a contract. Doug started painting, amid other projects that he was working on, and the wordless picture book started to take shape.
Doug, the grandpa in this book looks a bit like you. Tell me about that.
Well, I'll admit, it was easier and cheaper than hiring a model, LOL!
The kids in this story accompany Grandpa on a fishing trip. Did your grandfather take you fishing?
No, but my father did!
What techniques and/or processes did you use to create the art for the book?
I used traditional medium on Giant Island, Gouache and colored pencil on illustration board.
Shari: In late 2019, after most of Doug’s art for this wordless picture book was nearing completion, we had some concerns that the plot was not coming through clearly enough. I emailed the amazing writer and editor Jane Yolen for feedback. She replied that while the images were gorgeous, the book needed more structure, perhaps some text at the beginning and end, and kindly provided an example. That led me to ask Jane if she’d be willing to write a full text for Giant Island, and I’m thrilled that she agreed. Jane’s lyrical prose frames the story and helps direct the mystery and magic in Doug’s paintings, while leaving room for the reader to draw their own conclusions about this giant adventure on a tiny island.
Doug, once Jane’s text was added to the book, some changes had to be made to the art. Watercolor is not a forgiving medium when it comes to changes. How did you manage this?
For most of the revisions I was able to rework some of the original medium using Gesso to paint over the Gouache. There were however, several new illustrations needed and we re-negotiated my contract. 😊
It is often said about picture books that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts (words and pictures). Do you think this is true about Giant Island? What message do you hope readers will come away with?
I hope readers will spend some time looking for subtle things in the illustrations that are not so obvious. For example; the boy throws his hat in the water when he dives in. The hat appears on every page thereafter, and the giant hands it back to him at the end! Same for the walking sticks the kids use. Look closely at the background art as well, you might see a few of the giant's friends!
What are you working on now?
I started selling some of my illustrated guitars on Etsy, which has been a lot of fun.
Do you have any exciting art or illustration projects in the future you can share a little about?
I'm working on a new gargoyle sculpture for a client. A personal project tentatively titled "Legends" is a compilation of ideas/illustrations that I've collected over the years based on local landscapes. I'm hoping Giant Island does well so Shari will want to do a sequel!!!
Given your experience and success, what ingredients do you feel make a great illustrator?
"I've tried to be versatile. I enjoy graphic design, fine art, illustration, even sculpting. All of these things have helped me find work and come in handy when creating picture books!"
Anything else you want to talk about?
I will say this, working with Shari and Flashlight Press is one of the more enjoyable experiences I've had with a publisher!
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Couldn’t agree with you more, Doug! 🙌
A huge THANK YOU to Doug and Shari who so generously offered their time and behind the scenes info about this exciting book! Giant Island comes out August 1st 2022, but in the meantime you can check out the book trailer in the video below: