Meet Judy Eidsvaag, Author and Illustrator
When I was teaching music, every year I collaborated with the third grade teachers to put on a patriotic program for Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day. One of the those teachers was the very creative Judy Eidsvaag, who designed easy-to-make paper costumes to transform the students into service members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.
One day, Judy brought some of her paintings to school. We teachers were blown away by Judy’s talent. I have prints of three of her paintings on the walls of my house.
Since retiring from teaching, Judy has pivoted to writing and illustrating children’s books. She graciously allowed me to interview her for ARHtistic License.
ARHtistic License: When did you first start making art?
Judy Eidsvaag: From the time I could hold a crayon, I remember enjoying art! Those fat Crayolas smelled wonderful and they felt just right in my chubby fingers. Growing up, whenever any of the 4 children in my family was sick my dad would go out and buy “the patient” a new coloring book and fresh crayons — such a loving and delightful way to recuperate! Elementary school offered many opportunities to create and showcase art and I recall receiving awards and attention for the quality of my work. I took several elective art classes in high school and remember it being the best part of my day.
AL: What did you study in college?
JE: Post high school, I earned an A.A. in Art from Nassau Community College then joined the workforce. Fifteen years later, I returned to college and earned my B.S. in Elementary Education from SUNY in New York, then moved to Florida and received my M.S. in Elementary Education from Nova Southeastern University.
AL: What jobs have you had in your life?
JE: My first job was working in the Claims Department at a Long Island insurance company. (Years later, my husband and I discovered we’d worked across the hall from each other during this same period but had somehow never met!) Subsequent jobs included a secretarial position for a mortgage company and working as an assistant in the TV commercial production department for 2 large NYC advertising agencies. I soon tired of being a “little fish in a big pond” and settled into a small-but-growing travel marketing company in NYC that had several big travel industry clients. In that environment, there were many opportunities available and I was able to gain experience in sales, marketing, promotional copywriting and international meeting planning and I have a nice portfolio of work from this period.
AL: What inspires you to paint?
JE: I do enjoy having a distinct idea of what I want to paint, however, these visuals usual occur in bed late at night right before I’m ready to doze off. Although I have been known to get up and actually paint at 2am, I often just do a fast sketch on a pad on my nightstand and hope I can recreate the feel and colors of my late-night ideas.
AL: What is your favorite medium?
JE: For the past 5 years or so, I’ve been painting with acrylics although I also dabble in watercolors and pencil sketches. I enjoy working in acrylics for their beauty combined with easy cleanup, quick drying time and how forgiving they are when making errors.
AL: Why did you decide to write and illustrate children’s books?
JE: I was driving alone to California one hot summer a few years ago. The vast stretches of open land combined with the oppressive heat, lack of shade, food and water sources made me wonder what creatures could possibly survive in this desert environment. After a bit of research, I found my answers and wrote a poem about it.
AL: Describe your creative process from idea to finished project.
JE: Usually for me, the words come first, then I create visuals to match the words. This is especially true for the This Desert’s Alive series which was originally written as a poem for a greeting card. However, with a greeting card, you only have space for one or two graphic images. But I had so many visuals in my head after writing this poem that I knew this had to be a picture book. So as far as my procedures, first I write the poem and the book’s introduction, then I choose 2 sentences at a time and illustrate them keeping in mind how they will appear as a 2-page spread. When all of these are finished, I paint a very large diptych painting that includes all of the creatures from the story in their natural surroundings as the grande finale ending to the book. Then, I do more research and write 2 or 3 interesting facts about the animals for inclusion on the Interesting Facts pages. The cover design and title page are created somewhere along the way. Finally, I create some activity sheets using the vocabulary and ideas from the book. The paintings are then turned over to a photographer and a production person for formatting and uploading to a large computer file. After careful review of the file, it is uploaded to a printing company, a proof of the book is created/approved and then the books are printed.
AL: How long does it take you to finish writing and illustrating a book?
JE: Since these books are non-fiction, there’s a certain amount of research involved, but since the sentences are so short, the writing happens in a day or so. Illustrations may take one to five days each of actual painting time with “life breaks” in between. One challenge I face with each illustration is coming up with a layout that shows the animals in their environment while leaving an area that will accommodate the unique “photograph and text” embedded into each page. So start to finish, the creative part of these books has been taking about 3–6 months to complete.
AL: What is the hardest part of the writing process?
JE: Authors are often their own worst critics! We read, re-read, then read again but are still never satisfied! Have at least 3 others whom you know will give you an honest opinion read your work. Consider both their compliments as well as their criticisms to finish your masterpiece.
AL: You’ve written two This Desert’s Alive books. What’s up next?
JE: I’m in the process of completing the illustrations for a third book in this regional series, This Sea is Alive, about the Sea of Cortez which is often called “the world’s aquarium” thanks to its varied and abundant sea life. I’m contemplating a second “sea” book after this one and also have a story book in the works.
AL: What advice would you give to budding artists?
JE: Paint frequently to improve your technique and don’t be afraid to try new approaches.
AL: What advice would you give to someone who aspires to write and illustrate picture books?
JE: We’re living in an age where anyone who truly wants to produce a book can do it by self-publishing. Invest the time and effort in your work and find a good support network of like-minded people for sharing ideas and advice. You may or may not earn millions of dollars from your product, but I can guarantee you the moment you feel your first book in your hand, you’ll feel like a million bucks!
Thank you, Judy, for this fascinating glimpse into your work.
All images are copyrighted by and the property of Judy Eidsvaag, used here with her permission.
To learn more about Judy’s books, check out her Anecdotal Artwork website.
Originally published at http://arhtisticlicense.com on June 6, 2023.
