I have known Teresa for quite a while now through social media and would most definitely consider her a friend. Teresa is a cheerleader in the very best sense of the word and supports her close and wider illustrating and writing community with boundless energy. It is my pleasure to interview her today on Miss Marple’s Musings.
Also, don’t miss the rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post where the winner will be able to choose The winner can choose either a print at my Society6 site – http://society6.com/teresarobeson – or an e-copy of each of the four SF anthologies I’m in (the links to the Goodreads descriptions are at my website at teresarobeson.com .)
[JM] Illustrator or author/illustrator? If the latter, do you begin with words or pictures?
[TR] Author/illustrator because I’ve been writing children’s lit for publication since the early 1990s but only started illustrating in the past couple of years. I begin with words, often being inspired by the nature around me on our property, science magazines I read, or educational videos that I watch with my family as part of our homeschooling.
[JM] Where are you from/have you lived and how has that influenced your work?
[TR] I was born in Hong Kong and lived there until the age of 8. I spent the next 17 years in Vancouver, British Columbia, before moving to the U.S. 26 years ago. I have used both the places I’ve lived in, as well as my life experiences in those places, in some of my writing, though not as much yet in illustration.
The first story I sold was autobiographical about my kindergarten graduation in Hong Kong. 
A time-travel story I wrote for my sci-fi group’s anthology (the profits of which are donated to Doctors Without Borders) was set in Vancouver and based on my mother dying of cancer. I think imbuing those stories with my experiences and the places I know well gave them extra heart.
For art, it’s more my cultural background than the places I’ve lived in that has influenced my work. My dad taught me how to do Chinese paintings:
and I experimented with creating a Chinese girl character during last year’s Inktober Challenge. 
[JM] Tell us a little of your beginnings and journey as an artist.
[TR] I think most of your guests profess to drawing ever since they could hold a pencil, but I’m not one of them. I rarely drew or painted in my childhood
I took an art class in high school but I don’t think I stood out as having exceptional talent, though I was probably better at rendering than the most of the class. Once I realized I was good at rendering, I drew a lot of portraits, many of hockey players, as I was quite a hockey fan at the time. 
It wasn’t until I signed up for a fine arts class for non-art majors in my late 20s at the University of Delaware (where I worked while hubby was finishing his Ph.D.) that I got actual feedback from a professional that I have talent. The instructor didn’t praise my work in class. “That’s not bad, but you might want to try this instead,” he’d say. But one day, I was waiting for hubby to pick me up after class, and all my classmates had left, a bunch of art majors came into the studio to hang out with my instructor. As I was about to leave, the instructor turned to the other students and said, “you guys are lucky she’s not an art major, or she’d blow you all away.”
Since then, other professional artists I’ve met have told me I have talent, so I guess I am a late bloomer.
[JM] Do you have a preferred medium to work in?
[TR] I have tried most media except for oils, but I love the feel of chalk pastel and charcoal best. I recently dipped my toes in digital art, using the Art Studio app for iPad that my good friend and critique group partner, Sylvia Liu, told me about. I like it a lot because it’s portable and not messy. I tend to accidentally smear paints all over my face.
[JM] Do you have themes or characters you return to in your art?
[TR] When I was doing fine art, I focused on portraiture. There is something intriguing about the human face, and I like the challenge of making a portrait resemble its subject. You can fudge a landscape or still life mostly, but you can’t fudge a portrait.
But with illustrations, I love doing animals. I started drawing lots and lots of squirrel cartoons to chronicle the funny/awful squirrel stories my friends were telling me.
Then, I did a “One Day in the Life of a Squirrel” theme for Sketchbook Project.
[JM] I know you also write MG and YA, have you done illustrations for these too?
[TR] Not yet, but I would love to! I grew up adoring the line art of Garth Williams, Mary Shepard, N.M. Bodecker, and Vera Neville and want to do illustrations like those in my novels. Also, I’ve always been interested in comic books/graphic novels and want to try my hand at creating them for both fiction and nonfiction. I’m inspired by my agent-mate, Erik Thurman, who does wonderful political cartoons and social commentaries in graphic-novel form.
[JM] Can you share a piece or two with us, maybe of a WIP, and the process of creating them?
[TR] To prepare a portfolio for the NYC SCBWI conference, I brainstormed some ideas for illustrations. I created a narrative piece of a penguin and a bear starting with a very rough doodle of the penguin [photo 11] to an equally rough sketch of a scene [photo 12] to the final piece that I did on the iPad. [photo 13]
Also for the portfolio, I have an illustration of a squirrel (what else, right?) riding a heron. The idea formed fully in my mind for this one so I don’t have a rough sketch. I started right away with a pencil sketch on watercolor paper because I planned on using colored pencils or watercolor pencils to fill it in.
However, I couldn’t get my colored pencils sharp enough to get the detailed coloring I wanted (we were vacationing in Arizona at the time and I only had one pencil sharpener with me that wasn’t working well), I ended up scanning the sketch and using the Art Studio App to color it. I was quite happy with the way it turned out.
As for a WIP, there is a story I’ve been working on for a while now about k?k?p?s, endangered New Zealand birds. I started with thumbnails on a storyboard. [photo 16] Then, from that, I made a dummy that’s about 1/3 size. [photo 17] Here are a couple of the spreads from the dummy. [photo 18] [photo 19] Some of the spreads changed a bit because I had revised the story several times since I made the storyboard.
16
17
18
And here’s a completed chalk pastel painting of one of the spreads.
I’m afraid I am going to have to redo a portion of this dummy, though. I’ve signed up for a workshop called Creating Your Best Dummy, and in the process have completely rewritten the manuscript…in poetry! Thank goodness for the invaluable help from my awesome critique group friend, the talented poetess, Renee LaTulippe.
[JM] Do you have a favorite picture book from when you were young?
[TR] I didn’t have any picture books growing up in Hong Kong, but my parents bought me this children’s magazine that I devoured.
It translates to “Children’s Happy Garden” and is the Hong Kong equivalent of Highlights Magazine. It has a mix of different stories from Western, Chinese and Japanese cultures, as well as news items, puzzles, occasional contests with prizes, and a showcase of artwork by readers. My favorite art was from the traditional Chinese stories.
After we moved to Vancouver, I was able to get a hold of real picture books, and one of my absolute favorites was, and still is, A SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats.
[JM] How has life on a hobby farm influenced your art or writing?
[TR] As I mentioned in the answer to the first question, the nature around us on the property has been an inspiration to some of my writing and ideas. Ladybug Magazine published a poem of mine about spring flowers, and I have a half-completed manuscript of nature poetry that I started two years ago. As well, I have a completed picture book story about growing one’s food that I need to revise and show to my agent.
For art, I want to start drawing all the great veggies and plants that hubby grows because there is tremendous beauty in vegetation and I’ve wanted for years to be a botanical artist. But a bigger influence has been the squirrels in our yard (naturally!). We have many species of oaks and hickories, which attract a lot of squirrels. I watch the squirrels scamper about to get a feel of their movements and anatomy to use when I do illustrations of them. I look forward to dedicating a book to the squirrels in my yard one day. Hah.
[JM] What does your workspace look like?
[TR] I have the messiest art/craft/sewing room. It’s like Entropy lives there (if there was a nameplate on the door, it’s say “S=k log W”…nerd joke). This room is where I work on non-digital art, soap-making, warping threads for weaving, sewing, jewelry-making, and more. A multipurpose room is going to be messy, I suppose.
If I’m writing or doing digital art (or knitting and crocheting), I am at my comfy chair or at the standing desk. Yes, that is my loom back there!
[JM] What artwork do you have hanging in your house?
[TR] I have some of my own art on our walls.
But my favorite pieces are 1) this lovely ink drawing we got from my in-laws of a statue of Caesar Rodney that’s in downtown Wilmington, DE (hubby is a 4th generation Delawarean),
2) pieces of Native American prints we bought while we were in Alaska,
3) an Edward Hopper print I scored at a yard sale,
4) old Chinese art that my father gave us.
Five Fun Ones to Finish? [JM] What’s your favorite park in the world?
[TR] I know my property is not a park, but it is truly beautiful. If I had to choose actual parks, I’d pick 1) Bryce Canyon National Park – we love it so much we named our older son after it, and 2) Stanley Park because it is an icon in Vancouver where I grew up; a huge green space with old growth trees in the middle of a large metropolis is a rarity.
[JM] Cats or dogs?
[TR] I’ve had two dogs and two cats in my life, but I’m definitely a cat person. Hubby says I get this goofy, euphoric look whenever I’m around cats. This was our first cat, Euclid, and our pretty English Shepherd, Gali, who died too young from a tick-borne disease.
EUCLID
Gali
[JM] Fact that most people don’t know about you?
[TR] I ate way too much Jello with evaporated milk (it’s a thing among Hong Kong Chinese, at least back in my day) as a kid.
[JM] What word best sums you up?
[TR] Worry-wort.
[JM] Go to snack/drink to sustain your creative juices?
[TR] I’m a tea sipper – tea of all sorts: black, green, white, and herbal. I would also eat Jelly Babies (look up “Doctor Who Jelly Babies” and you’ll know what I mean) all the time if I could. Nibbling on those helps me think.
social media links:
- http://teresarobeson.com
- http://twitter.com/teresarobeson
- https://www.facebook.com/TeresaRobesonAuthor
- https://www.goodreads.com/TeresaRobeson
[TR] Thank you so much, Joanna, for letting me blather on in your blog! I have loved your illustrator interview series for a long time and I am honored and thrilled to be an interviewee.
[JM] It was my pleasure. I know you recently signed with wonderful agent, Ella Kennen of Corvisiero Literary Agency, and I wish you great success in all that you are submitting to publishers right now.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Great interview, Joanna and Teresa! I really enjoyed learning more about Teresa and her illustration work. Love those squirrels!
Thanks, Dana! The squirrels love you, too. 😉
Wow, I thought I knew Teresa pretty well, but she’s full of surprises! I am lucky to have one of her bird drawings on my wall here in Italy.
I can’t believe you have a loom. You are hard core, lady. I love your craft room. If we were neighbors, I’d be on your property and in your craft room all the time. You’d have to sic the squirrels on me. LOVE the Chinese painting too.
Thank you for this in-depth interview, Joanna! 🙂
Hah! Renee, I’m not hard core just easily distracted with too many fun things in life. I’m glad you like my really messy art room. I have to tidy it yet again. I would love it if you were my neighbor! I could learn so much from you (I’ve never attempted woodworking) and we’d have fun sharing each other’s hobbies. 🙂
Awesome interview. I love everything Teresa produces, from her sci fi short stories to her awesome illustrations. We just recently became accountability buddies but I’m not sure how that’s working out since we work in similar ways (procrastinate, and then panic). 🙂 Thanks, Joanna, for sharing more about Teresa!
Aww, thanks, Sylvia! I’m grateful for your inspiration and knowledge that you generously share! Us, procrastinating and panicking? Never! Hah!
Here’s my procrastination brain at work: Hey, I should do a banner/badge for a new group that we could join called Procrastinators and Panickers. (Our motto: Keep Calm and Procrastinate. Then Panic.)
Thanks for the great interview! Teresa, I loved seeing your illustrations and portraits–and learning more about you!
Thanks so much, Susan! I’ve missed seeing you on FB. I hope we’ll get to meet again soon at the next SCBWI conference!
Great interview, Teresa and Joanna. Teresa, your property sounds really pretty. You ARE multi-talented!
Tina, thank you! I tend to be a homebody anyway, but it’s even harder to go anywhere when I live on a little piece of heaven. 😉
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That craft room must be a portal to mulitiple dimensions that even Dr.Who would envy! I feel blessed to have had my feet in Lum’s Pond, water Teresa has had her feet in too! Thanks for shining a spotlight on the wonder that is Teresa, Joanna!
Hahaha! You are so funny, Julie! You’re welcome to come dip your toes in my art room and property any day, too. 🙂
Even though I’ve known Teresa for nearly twenty years, I’m always learning new things about her and will never cease to be amazed at her many talents! I’ve always been partial to her portraits, but lately have gotten a great kick out of her squirrel illustrations. Plus, as a fellow critique group member, I’ve been able to personally benefit from her mad baking and soap making skills (claps wildly). Great interview!
Tanya, how did I miss your comment yesterday?? Thanks for your kind words! I am lucky to have you as a friend *and* a critique group partner! x
Joanna, I enjoyed reading your interview with Teresa. I loved looking onto Teresa’s beautiful world and art. She always raises my spirits!
You are so sweet, Manju! Likewise, you raise my spirits whenever I see you at a local SCBWI event!
What a pleasure to learn more about Teresa. (I already knew the part about her being a great cheerleader and all-around lovely person.) Her artwork is so full of joy! I love her Kakapo chalk pastel and the goldfinches on the sunflower, but her portraits and the chinese-inspired work are also amazing. Thanks for the great interview, Joanna!
Michelle, thanks so much! I’m glad you like my work and I’m even more glad we finally became friends on Facebook! 🙂
Great to hear more about you, Teresa. I’m a worry wort too I think it helps with ideas 😉 Your artwork is amazing and you have lots in the pipeline. I can’t wait for your squirrel book. You are the best!
Catherine, thank you! You are a sweetheart! That’s an interesting idea about worrying making us more creative. I sure hope so. 😀
I predict Teresa’s going to be one of those luminaries that we will all brag about down the road, saying “I knew her when…” 🙂 Fabulous interview!
Cathy, you are making me blush! x I wish I had as high an estimation of myself. 🙂
Thanks for the wonderful interview, Joanna! 🙂
Teresa–I especially love your squirrels–so cute & the goldfinch painting. I look forward to reading your Kakopo book (resident bird nerd here 😉 )
Maria, I love meeting fellow bird nerds! 🙂 A Carolina Wren is chirping his approval. LOL! Thanks so much for the compliment and for stopping by!
Yay Teresa! So nice to learn more about you and so wonderful to read this today, especially after having visited with you, your family, and your chickens on your magical land only a few weeks ago! We must plan a botanical drawing retreat! Squirrel lovers unite!!! Hugs to both of you for this lovely interview and the smile it gave me.
Sheralyn, it was my pleasure to have you over! I’m glad you guys were able to stop by on your way through town. A botanical drawing retreat would be wonderful! Have you every been to the greenhouse at IU? They also have an arboretum with interesting trees. Or a spring retreat at McCormick’s Creek State Park to draw spring flowers would be great, too! I’ll have to talk to our local SCBWI RA about that. 🙂
Wow, Teresa, every guest interview I read from you, I learn a little more of your amazing journey. Your art is fab! You and Catherine are giving me jabs in the art stomach all the time – one of these days, you may even drive me back to illustrating!
I loved the pics of your workspaces too.
You’d be most interested I’m sure to natter to the newest member of our tribe over on Wana – Kathy’s doing a series of non-fiction books for kids about how food gets from the farm to our table as well!
Btw: awesome interview, Joanna 🙂
Thanks, Yvette! You really should do art if there’s a pull in your heart to do so. Even 5-10 minutes a day will feel good and flex your art muscles. 🙂 I wish I had time for the WANA forum. Like Maria, I find that I don’t have enough time to deal with the things I’ve been doing for a long time (like my Blogger blog) or things I really must do (like revise my MG novel for my agent). I need a time turner and to sleep fewer hours. 🙂
What a great interview Joanna and Teresa. I really loved hearing all about Teresa’s writing and art. I love your paintings. Your squirrels are just plain fun. Can’t wait to
hear the stories about them. I especially love your drawing of the trumpet player! Brava!
Thanks so much, Kathy! The squirrels have been incredibly fun to draw. 🙂 The jazz musician was a quick 15-20 minute sketch with charcoal but I like energy of it. 🙂
What a great interview! Even though I know Teresa well, it’s still interesting to hear her “public persona” and how she has progressed artistically.
Well, thanks, hon! What is a sister for but to be supportive, eh? <3
Wonderful interview, Teresa and Joanna! Teresa, I so enjoyed learning about your journey into writing and illustration. And I concur with Cathy, we’ll all be bragging very shortly about how we knew you back when. 🙂
Robin, you are always so sweet! I really have the best friends – online and in real life! x
I love all your work areas! The mixer on the floor made me giggle. I don’t know when you sleep! Thanks for sharing your work here and on FB and on the blog.
Stacy, you crack me up with the mixer comment! Rest assured that is not the mixer I use for baking. 😉 It’s actually a non-working mixer that I need to get fixed to make whipped soaps and whipped body creams with. 😀
I am hoping that mess is the sign of a creative mind, because I’m in the same entropy boat with you. Now I will be thinking “not the comfy chair!” for the rest of the day.
Hahaha, Wendy! But if course a messy work space is the sign of a creative mind. 😉 I cleaned up my chair area a little so tidy souls would not freak out when they saw the photo of my space.
Joanna, I just love your interviews 🙂
Teresa, thanks so much for sharing your process and I LOVE all your work spaces! They look WONderful! You have your hands in so many wonderful, tactile crafts, I just love it 🙂 Your animals are just too cute for words, too!
Donna, thank you! Glad my animals made you smile. They make me smile, too, when I’m drawing them. 🙂
I realized I don’t know Teresa very well. What a really interesting interview! I enjoyed learning about your writing and artistic process. Was surprised you consider yourself a late bloomer as an artist. I love your work. And, I’m always amazed when your posts appear in my reader that your making soap, cooking, knitting, drawing. You have so much energy. Oh, and the picture out your window almost looks like a painting.
LOL, Pat! I’m sure there’s much we don’t know about each other but I’m glad we’re friends so we can continue to get acquainted. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words!
So glad to see Teresa featured here. She has amazing talent, love those messy workplaces, though I don\\\’t know how you could get much done in that chair except for having creative naps!
LOL, Von! It helps that I don’t nap. 😉 I did occasionally fall back asleep when I used to get up at 5:30 or 6:00a.m. to write. I solved that problem by not getting up early to write anymore. Heh.
Another fun interview–and learned more about Teresa! Am intrigued by the jello and evaporated milk! 🙂
LOL, Coleen! I don’t really recommend the Jello-evaporated milk thing unless you happen to like both. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!