2 minute read
Local Artist, OEC Member Selected to Illustrate New Children's Book
By Meredith Rasnic
Three years ago, Linda Kukuk received an email that she was convinced was a scam. After conducting further research online about the names and information mentioned in the email, Kukuk realized the information she had received was legitimate. Not only was it legitimate, but it would provide an incredible opportunity for her dreams to come true.
The email Kukuk received was from a publisher at the Disney company who had found Kukuk’s personal website. The Disney executive was so impressed with her work, the company wanted to hire her to illustrate a children’s book they were in the midst of publishing.
“They essentially told me that if I agreed to take on the project, they wanted to hire me to start working on the illustrations immediately,” Kukuk said.
An OEC member from Oklahoma City since 2007, Linda Kukuk is a member of the Choctaw nation and a self-taught artist. She was employed at Tinker Air Force Base for 38 years and has always enjoyed and sold art.
Kukuk has never had art lessons but has always experimented with crayons, pencils and paint from the time she was a young girl. Her watercolor art is what sparked Disney’s attention and paved the way for Kukuk to illustrate the children’s book, "Wilma's Way Home: The Life of Wilma Mankiller", written by Doreen Rappaport.
“I was initially very hesitant to take on the project, but after a lot of prayer and encouragement from family and friends, I decided to do it and now that it’s all said and done, I am so glad I did!”
The author of the book, Doreen Rappaport, lives in New York City, but came to Oklahoma in order to do research for her story. After spending some time in our great state, Rappaport knew she wanted an Oklahoman, specifically a native artist, to do the illustrations so the book was as authentic as possible. Thus, Disney went to work and found Kukuk to do the job.
“I was given the words and the layout for each page and then commissioned to create 25 paintings for the book in September of 2016,” Kukuk said. “Once I read the words, my mind immediately began working to find the best way to portray those images for children.”
Kukuk is best known for her detailed scratchboard art, but she also paints in watercolor, which is the medium she used to illustrate the book. She explained, “I would do a detailed pencil sketch of each page on paper, because each sketch had to be approved. Disney reviewed the sketch and typically, I had to make revisions. Once fully approved, I would complete the piece in watercolor on Aquabord (textured clay board). It is easier to make changes on Aquabord than on watercolor paper, so if Disney wanted some minor changes, even at this point, I was able to make them.”
The entire project took about a year to complete and the book was just released in February.
“It has been so fun to walk through a store and see a published book full of my artwork. I have also had two book signings, and meeting people who are excited about the book and what it means to Native people has been very enjoyable.”
She invites you to join her to learn not only about the life of Chief Mankiller in the new book, but about Native American culture as a whole.
“This has been an unexpected, yet great adventure and I am so glad I have been able to share my talents with the public and now, my OEC family."
Meredith Rasnic, OEC marketing and member relations intern, is a junior at the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes feature stories periodically for the Co-op News magazine.
