{"id":2484,"date":"2013-04-17T07:00:11","date_gmt":"2013-04-17T12:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendymartinillustration.com\/wordpress\/?p=2484"},"modified":"2013-04-18T08:34:03","modified_gmt":"2013-04-18T13:34:03","slug":"hazel-mitchell-crossed-an-ocean-for-kid-lit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendymartinillustration.com\/wordpress\/hazel-mitchell-crossed-an-ocean-for-kid-lit\/","title":{"rendered":"Hazel Mitchell crossed an ocean for kid lit."},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the troubles with making friends on the internet, is you don’t know what they sound like. I’ve been friends with Hazel for who knows how long, but I have never gotten to hear her wonderful accent. Please welcome Hazel Mitchell to the illustrator interview series.<\/p>\n

\"Hazel<\/a>Originally I’m from Scarborough in Yorkshire, England. I moved to America in 2000 and now I live and work as a children’s illustrator in Maine. I still miss fish and chips and mushy peas, but I’m learning to love lobster. I have two dogs, two horses, a cat and several snow shovels. See more of my work and books at www.hazelmitchell.com<\/a>.<\/address>\n
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Q: When did you start illustrating for children? What did you do before?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I really got serious about illustrating for children in 2004, when I moved to Maine. Before that I’d had a long and winding career path in art and design. I went to art college in England way back when, but didn’t enjoy it much. Illustration was a dirty word. I left art college and ended up in the Royal Navy, where, luckily enough, I worked in graphic design. When I left the Navy I ran a print and design business for 10 years. When I moved to America I did a mixture of fine art, teaching and commercial illustration. Then I finally got serious about my ambition to write and illustrate for children.<\/p>\n

\"51cy7mMA6PL._SX240_\"<\/a>Q: Your newest picture book release is \u201c1,2,3\u2026By the Sea\u201d by Dianne Moritz. You also have another book, \u201cOne Word Pearl,\u201d due for release in August. What are they about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: ‘1,2 3 by the Sea’<\/em> is a sweet counting book for young children, about a boy, his dog and his mom enjoying a day at the seaside and counting all kinds of different seaside things. ‘On Word Pearl<\/em>‘ is a picture book about a girl who loves to cut out and collect words and put them in her special treasure chest – until one day the words go crazy and chaos ensues!<\/p>\n