While in my Grade 3 school year, a new family moved into Tremont, N.S., a lovely little community in Nova Scotia’s King’s County, located approximately 10-15 minutes away from my childhood community of Melvern Square. While this moving event was not significant in itself, what made the whole thing so interesting was the fact that the family was British—and by that, I mean they came directly from England. The daughter, Sarah, a year ahead of me in school, had an English accent, a characteristic I was completely enthralled with because of its uniqueness. I had only ever pretended to be British while playing, never having met any Brits in real life. It was fascinating talking to Sarah. She and I attended school together until I switched schools in my Grade 10 year. And that was that. For all we both knew, our lives would probably never intersect again.
Sarah and I did quickly lose contact once I entered high school. She finished Grade 12 and later went to university in the States, while I attended post-secondary in Canada. Sarah married an American and I married an Islander. We lived our separate lives from two different countries. It wasn’t until Facebook arrived on the scene 16 ish years ago that we made a renewed connection, albeit virtually. We watched each other’s lives unfolding, doing so at a distance.
In time, we both became mothers. Sarah had two children, while I had four. Thanks to Facebook, I was able to watch her children grow and develop into amazing human beings. Emma, the oldest of her two, caught my attention early on, as she was unbelievably talented and creative with drawing. I watched with fascination as she developed her skillset as an artist, following her growth through her university years by way of Sarah’s posts. Finally, in 2021, I noticed a sweet illustration that Emma had posted online, with a touching caption attached. I immediately knew. This person would be my number one choice to illustrate a book.
On September 11, 2021, I reached out to Sarah, having never really connected with her in years, writing so as to inquire about the possibility of Emma being an illustrator for my book. Here is what I wrote:
“Sarah, I have followed your Em’s work for quite some time. She is beyond talented. What an amazing gift God gave her. I have been writing children’s books off and on over the years. I am at the point that I would seriously like to publish. I have sent out manuscripts to publishers here in Canada…when I saw Em’s most recent illustration today, I just fell in love with it. It is exactly the kind of illustration I would want for my books.“
On September 12, 2021, after getting the go-ahead from Sarah, I wrote Emma. After a few texts back and forth, she agreed to illustrate my book. I was over the moon! And that is the story, thus far. Still more to come…
Emma in her own words has this to say:
I am an illustrator, fine artist, and appreciator of all things whimsical. I love creating beautiful illustrations using all different types of mediums; oil paint, watercolor, digital painting, and linocut printmaking are a few of my favorites. My work often seeks to reflect childlike wonder, the feeling of nostalgia, and the expression of hope and joy.
I currently live near Detroit, MI with my family and our three cats. When I’m not making art you can find me working as a barista at a local coffee shop finessing my latte art skills.
Emma is amazing, and I am so very blessed to have snagged her before she makes it BIG. Emma is on Instagram under the handle toodlepiplou. To learn more about her work, check out her website: https://www.emmalouillustrations.com/
Depression
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