Cheerio! I'm braving the snow and chilly temps this morning to pay a visit to my dear friend Brian Lies. He's the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of all those glorious BATS books (Bats at the Ballgame, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Beach, and the forthcoming Bats in the Band) along with many other wonderful books for young readers.
Oh! And he has a bats mobile! A BATS MOBILE!!!! Do you think he'll let me drive it?
We're here! Greetings, Brian!
Welcome to my studio, Mr. Pig!
Thank you for having me. It's so warm and cozy. Lovely little nook you have here.
That's my writing and computer desk, with a wall of built-in
bookshelves and cabinets, which I built when we moved into this house. I thought a window seat was a nice touch, but
it seems like it’s usually piled high with junk, so it’s not very good for
sitting. At least the junk gets a good
view! The door to the left of my desk
leads to the upper hallway of our house.
I like to write facing a solid wall, so that I can’t see
moving things which might distract me. Writing takes so much concentration that I can only write for a few
hours at a time.
It's quite tidy.
Well, Mr. Pig, I have a confession: I cleaned my studio. I finished Bats in the Band a few months ago, and have been gearing up for my
next projects and for book promotions, and piles of papers had built up
everywhere. I feel better when I’ve got
some uncluttered spaces, so what you’ve seen is a slightly idealized version of
what it’s usually like here. Maybe it’ll
inspire me to keep this place neater!
I always say, there's a time for a messy and there's a time for neat. (Trust me, I'm a pig, I know about these things.)
I agree. Here's a photo of is what it really
looks like when I’m working on a book (these are most of the paintings for my
next book taped on the wall in order, so I can see how the images / colors
progress).
Out of chaos... comes creativity. I forget who said that. Oh, wait, it was me. I'm quite clever. Um... you were saying?
I was just about to point out a few items on my writing desk. I used to do stained glass, and the lamp is
one I made while I was in college. The
Egyptian cat is a muse, reminding me of a story idea I’d like to work on, and
the pen holder was made for me by my daughter.
And what's that saying you have hung up on the wall, there?
One day, I heard a hymn and thought its lyrics described the effect of
words and pictures in a picture book perfectly. I posted it on my wall:
For the joy of ear and eye
for the heart and mind’s delight
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight.
Ha, sadly, no. That's the felt fishing hat
that sits on top of my “cool old books.” It belonged to my late father-in-law, Sam Keith, who wrote a bestselling
nonfiction book, One Man’s
Wilderness. If you’ve ever seen the
PBS documentary "Alone in the Wilderness,"
about a man named Dick Proenneke, who built a cabin in Alaska with hand-tools
and lived there alone for many years, you’ve heard Sam Keith’s words.
Fascinating! I know a little something about remote cabins, myself. And those are very cool books. Jules Verne, Howard Pyle... classics.
I have quite a few books in the studio as you can see...
And over here is where you draw?
That's right. This is my drawing table. It looks out onto the road. When I’m painting, I usually spend so many hours at work that it’s nice to know that life is going on outside. It makes me feel as though I’m a part of the world.
On the right there are two pieces of children’s book art—at
top is an original pen-and-ink by Kurt Wiese (illustrator of Ping and the Freddy the Pig books), and the lower one is a woodblock print from Drummer Hoff (one of my favorite books
growing up, and winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal), which Ed Emberley sent me
after I met him and his wife Barbara at a Cricket
Magazine party.
Yes, and I also use them for drawing
demonstrations during my school visits. I buy dozens of boxes of Crayons at a time. The internet is a great place.
Here’s a sneak pig—er, peek—at
an illustration from my upcoming book, Bats
in the Band. Here’s a rough sketch from one page of the book, of a
one-bat band...
 |
| Copyright © 2014 Brian Lies, sketch from "Bats in the Band" (HMH Books, August, 2014) |
And here’s the finished illustration...
 |
| Copyright © 2014 Brian Lies; illustration from "Bats in the Band" (HMH Books, August, 2014) |
The book is coming out in August, 2014, and I’m looking
forward to hitting the road in a new BATSmobile to do book readings and
signings across the country!
Wait, did you say, BATSmobile?
Yes, why?
I was just wondering, is it pig-sized?
I'll tell you what, Mr. Pig, I'll take you for a spin. But, um... I'll drive.
It was worth a shot.
Brian Lies has created
more than two dozen books, including his New
York Times bestselling bat books, Bats
at the Beach, Bats at the Library
and Bats at the Ballgame (Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt). His most recent illustrated books are Bats in the Band, coming in August,
2014, More (text by I.C. Springman) and a middle-grade
novel, Malcolm at Midnight (written
by W.H. Beck). Brian’s books have been
nominated for numerous state awards and have won several, including the Bill
Martin, Jr. Award (Kansas). They have
been translated into eight languages. He has also won many awards for his
political illustrations in newspapers and magazines. His work has been featured on The Martha Stewart Show, and shown in
galleries around the country.
Brian nearly stopped reading in the third grade, but was
encouraged by his local librarians and rebounded, becoming an avid, lifelong
reader. A 1985 graduate of Brown
University with a degree in British and American Literature, he feels very
strongly about the importance of getting young people reading. Brian spends part of the school year
traveling throughout the United States to work with students and encourage them
in their goals. He lives with his family
in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
He posts sketches and finished illustrations on his new
blog: Getting Into Character at http://brianlies.blogspot.com.
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