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6 minute read
Sydney Smith
Susanne Sandström
Who is Sydney Smith?
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Sydney Smith is 42-year-old boy who spends most of his time thinking about books and drawing. He illustrates children’s books mostly but spends a lot of time cooking and reading books to his two boys.
How did it all began… how and why did you start making art/illustrations?
It’s hard to say when and where it began. Perhaps it started when I was drawing pictures for my mom. I would hand them to her, and she would make a big deal about it, saying how beautiful it was. Or perhaps it was the first adult who encouraged me to use paint and set me up with a still life of fruit and left me alone. I can still smell the acrylic paint and flimsy cardboard. Maybe it began when I was in art school, while in a printmaking class, sitting at a desk on a sunny afternoon preparing a metal plate for etching and suddenly seeing my path ahead of me. I can’t say it was a decision I made. It was more like my calling chose me.
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Ur: Jag talar som en flod/I Talk like a River, Jordan Scott & Sydney Smith. Lilla Piratförlaget 2021/Walker Books 2021
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What does your (creative) working process look like? What techniques and tools are important for the process?
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I have always felt confident using watercolour and ink but lately I have welcomed in anyone who want to play. I bought an airbrush the other day because its something I have never used. I am at a place where all I want to do is play and be surprised by the results. I have a messy work space but that comes with job.
Where do you get your inspiration, or input, from?
I try to get inspiration from everything I can. On a good day I can extract something inspiring from a song, a reflection, or even a construction site. On bad days I need to jump start the creativity by exposing myself to paintings, photos, film, poetry, and the outdoors.
Challenges? On an individual and Market level - Which are they?
The challenges I have are all individual. They are my insecurities. They are the always the same. Lack of confidence or clarity. I need to find my conviction and remind myself that it is a privilege to able to create for readers and connect with people around the world.
Which books from childhood do you remember? Why do you think these specific books remain?
I remember Rupert books about a white bear with a red sweater and yellow pants. I remember The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Edward Gorey. I remember Mother Goose rhymes by Marguerite de Angeli. They all had a darkness and mystery that I found intriguing. I will always remember the books that leave me feeling something, anything. But books that left spaces for me to fill will always have a special place in my heart.
Do you have a favourite illustrator/artist?
I have many illustrators on my list. Beside me right now are books about Bonnard, Peter Doig and a Retrospective of Cape Dorset prints. I have always found inspiration in Jozef Wilkon, Felix Hoffman, and Ben Shahn. Sometimes it’s photographers like Saul Leiter, or Lee Friedlander. Or film makers like Ingmar Bergman or Andrei Tarkovsky. That sounds pretentious, doesn’t it. But it’s true. Storytelling is storytelling and there so much overlap in narrative, visual language between mediums. Innovation, no matter where it is found will always inspire more innovation.
The best and the worst when it comes to being an artist/illustrator?
The best being your own boss. The worst is that you are your own boss. My boss always tells me I could do better, and he is rarely encouraging. My boss is never satisfied until I am exhausted and burnt out.
Dream assignment – what would it look like?
I have already had many dream assignments. I can’t imagine anything more rewarding than getting to work with amazing people who are excited about the process of telling a story that speaks to the humanity of every reader.
Can you also tell us something about your collaboration with poet Jordan Scott in I talk like a river? What are your thoughts about illustrating/working with an author’s text?
Jordan and I are made to work with each other, we are very similar in the way we think and approach our projects. He has a beautiful gift for poetry and wordsmithery (is that a word?). But more importantly he is a natural born collaborator. We both recognise that the book we make will be greater than the sum its parts.
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I find your books poetic, philosophical/ existential in intent - almost a characteristics of your books (in theme, as art) - is it only me or? by deliberate choice or does it come naturally?.
I think I am naturally drawn to themes that are hard to describe or label. I know that childhood is a jungle of emotions. I hope that the books that I create will work as map to help navigate the often-overwhelming experience of being a young person.
What would you say is characteristic of modern children’s literature/picture books?
I think that many modern picture books are very much about inclusion and acceptance. They are about celebrating our differences and our similarities. Modern picture books are continuing on the path to be valued as works of art, a jewel to be cherished, and a friend to embrace.
What message would you like to forward to the child reader?
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To every child reader I would say: Poop, Toot, Junk, Dorf, Flumpf, Twinkle and lastly Doink.
What are you currently working on? (I saw it being This is a Sunrise - could you tell us something about it?)
That book is a project that has been on my back burner and front burner for the past two years. It’s been a passion project of mine that deals with memory, and family. It has been called many names and has worn many hats and spoken with many accents but it has yet to settle .
Since we (meant to) look at translation in this issue we would like to ask your reflections on this?
Translation has always been a special privilege of working on picture books. Translators are an important part of the aggregate that allows the stories to travel and reach further than we could dream. I only wish I could hear and understand those foreign words. I have been told before that my stories are sometimes better in other languages. To that I say, thank you, my gifted translators. You make our stories even better for the young readers.
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Ur: Min stad vid havet/Town is by the Sea, Joanne Schwartz & Sydney Smith. Epix 2022/Walker Books 2018
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Ur: Min stad vid havet/Town is by the Sea, Joanne Schwartz & Sydney Smith. Epix 2022/Walker Books 2018
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