Guest Artist: Illustrator, Animator & Sculptor Sabina Hahn
Welcome to Results Day!
We are so fortunate to have Sabina stop by this week. She is an incredibly talented freelance illustrator, animator & sculptor. I met Sabina and previous Guest Artist, Steve Light, at the same Highlights Picture Book Bootcamp. Sabina and I were not grouped in the same crit group, but still exchanged work during the workshop. Her animation background is evident in her dynamic storytelling, pacing and page layouts. Her stories were also sweet, fun and compelling.
The best part about having Guest Artists is I am always in awe of what they come up with! What they see in my crazy shapes is refreshing. It makes me feel like The Blob Blog is not only an exercise in creativity but a Vision-Builder too. A way to practice seeing the potential in things. Sabina went a completely different direction than I've ever seen or tried before and it reminded me of a Hidden Picture puzzle. Here's a quick look back at the sheet I sent to her Monday...
and here, is what she sent me Thursday...
Can you find the shapes? What a great kid activity, right? Thank you Sabina! Now on to our interview...
How did you get started in your career as an artist?
The simple answer is that I didn't want to do anything else.
I did study math for two years in college and I was just good enough to know that I am not good enough to really appreciate the beauty of mathematics. I decided to appreciate art instead. And although I moved on to art, I still love numbers.
Who was your favorite book character as a child and why?
Alice in Wonderland.
Ceramic bookends
I identified with her the most and still do. The absurdities of people, of rules, of language are so light hearted there but also sharply observed. I find myself quoting the book all the time. "...here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place" is my current favorite.
Which character has been the most fun bringing to life in your previous/current work and why?
Figuring out different monsters for a story I am working on was a lot of fun.
I identified with her the most and still do. The absurdities of people, of rules, of language are so light hearted there but also sharply observed. I find myself quoting the book all the time. "...here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place" is my current favorite.
Where do you find the most inspiration for your characters?
My kids. Books I read. Phrases I overhear. I keep an on-going list of snippets that I illustrate for my daily drawings.
Which Blob inspired you the most and why?
I enjoyed trying to connect all the blobs together and making it into a tiny (and very simple) story.
Thank you Sabina again for your time and creating memorable characters for us to enjoy!
You can follow Sabina's daily drawings and other work through Instagram, Tumbler, Twitter and Facebook.