Featured Illustrator

CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW

How did you become involved in the KidLit world?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the genre of the picture book. As a child I loved the world of words and art and how a singing alligator could live in the middle of New York City, or how a boy in a striped shirt could go on a journey to the end of the earth with a penguin, or that it was fine to be quiet and mischievous and brave, all in one fell swoop. In some way, I’m certain reading and contemplating the illustrations in so many picture books as a child (and as an adult) has shaped the way I experience the world around me and how I move through it.

In my previous careers as a journalist and a middle school teacher, I sought out all sorts of literature and often found myself surrounded with YA authors and graphic novels. As a park ranger, field guides and stories of  great adventure to uncharted territories ended up in my backpack, along with my nature journal. My involvement as an illustrator in the KitLit world arrived on roller skates - and more specifically, a rhinoceros on roller skates. As a graduate of the Natural Science Illustration program at the University of Washington, I had been diving deep into the natural world, creating illustrations in the space where science and art intersect, drawing the skeletal structures of flamingo skulls, the cross-sections of glacier lilies, ammonites, octopus tentacles and the intricate vertebrae of green sea turtles - often unusual, yet beautiful things. One afternoon after spending heaps of time drawing the maze of wrinkles that give depth to the tough, layered skin of a rhinoceros, I decided to take a somewhat whimsical detour from the precision that often characterizes scientific illustration and switch up my technique and style. I fashioned some roller skates to the hooves of the rhino I was drawing, I added a disco ball to her horn and I started building the world of Ruby . . . the Rhino. I fell in love with the freedom of gesture sketches, bright, bold colors and whimsy, immersing myself in the imaginative stories and worlds I had already created as a writer. Stories of heart and humor emerged as well as those of environmental and cultural advocacy. I decided to learn the art of storytelling and see if I could make a go at writing and illustrating children’s books. I’m excited about the opportunity to continue on a journey of imagination that started so long ago and to see what future worlds and possibilities show up in this space. 

Juliet's tips learned along the way:

• Share stories that resonate with your heart. 
• Be disciplined. Put in the time. Create. Write. Draw. Keep sketchbooks. Learn. Listen. Know when to reflect. 
• Recognize when the moment chooses you, then act on it.
• Be resilient in adverse situations when your creative work doesn’t resonate with others. The concepts of “no” and “yes” exist in the same universe. An authentic critique and reflection can shift a thought or story. Equally important is the honesty found in the first raw gesture sketch.
• Find a creative community to work with and be open to change. When new voices and perspectives enter into a creative realm, amazing stories take hold.

Juliet Yenglin is an author/illustrator living in Portland, Oregon. She is currently seeking representation for her work.

Visit our past Featured Illustrators by clicking the member cards below.