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Dominic Catalano
What is your connection to Ohio?
I came to Ohio two years ago to pursue a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. I had planned to go to Penn State, but when Dr. Kenneth Marantz said he would be my mentor, I had to come to OSU.
What inspired you to become an author or illustrator?
I remember when I was in third grade I was impressed with a new book called Where the Wild Things Are. As a high school student I continued to look at picture books. Names such as, Tomie Ungerer, David McPhail and Arnold Lobel come to mind. I wanted to do drawings for books because I love books! In ninth grade I made a career choice. I was in Mr. Graham's Special English class, Children's Literature.We looked indepth at picture books and made our own. Mine was about a little boy who didn't want war in the world.
What advice do you have for a young author or illustrator?
I teach a picture books class at Columbus College of Art and Design where I am a full-time faculty member in the Illustration Department. I think children need to talk about books, look at new publications and really study them as an art form. Picture books are powerful visual art form as well as a literary one. In high school learn to draw well. Work on composition, visual imaging and color. Know color and understand it. I was trained as a lithographer and like pen and ink and pencil. Color is complicated.Have another source of income for awhile. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Belong to professional organizations. Work for magazines. Get your name in print. Do trade and mass market covers.
What do you like to do for fun?
Believe it or not I like to draw and paint. I like to spend time with my family. My wife, Oksana is from the Ukraine and we have a new baby named Peter. I spend time with my married daughter, Sara and play chess with my stepson, Alex.We have two new kittens. I like to camp, cook, bowl and go out to dinner.
Some of your most popular books are:
- Mr. Basset plays (2003)
- Merry Christmas, Old Armadillo (1995)
- Santa and the three bears (2000)
- Bernard's bath (1996)
- Rabbit surprise (1993)
- Bernard goes to school (2001)
- Bernard's nap (1999)
- The Highland Minstrel Players proudly present Frog went a-courting : a musical play in six acts (1998)
- Rise and shine! (1993)
- Sleeping Beauty (1997)
Links:
Dominic Catalano
