Art teacher illustrates her 13th children's book
Art teacher Rhian Brynjolson didn’t get much of a break from teaching last summer. She spent the time teaching herself.
To draw geese.
With latex house paint.
She succeeded, completing the illustrations for a children’s book, Goose Girl, recently released by Pemmican Publications.
It is the 13th children’s book illustrated by Brynjolson, a teacher at Wellington Elementary School in Winnipeg’s inner city. She has also written two other books.
The theme of the latest work follows in the footsteps of other books she has worked on, focusing on Aboriginal teachings and beliefs and family relationships.
“The stories have to have some connection for me to do them,” Brynjolson says. “When I first started out doing these, in 1990, there weren’t many Aboriginal faces in children’s books and it’s important that kids see themselves in these books.
“Fortunately, there are many more such books now.”
As a non-Aboriginal artist, Brynjolson researches Aboriginal culture and history to ensure that her images are accurate in terms of the time period, geography and beliefs.
“You have to do a fair amount of research to get your facts right. I spent last Canada Day going from place to place, from museum to museum taking notes and pictures.”
She has also had help from her students and families. The portrayal of the central character in Goose Girl is a student.
“I often illustrate using kids I know whose families agree to participate,” she says.
“The family has been very supportive.”
Born in Regina, Brynjolson has both a degree in economics and fine arts from the University of Manitoba. She has been a community worker and art consultant and illustrated shorts for Sesame Street as well as books.
She has worked in assorted media including oil, crayon, tempera and, in Goose Girl, experimenting with latex house paint.
She is currently updating her 1998 book, Art and Illustration for the Classroom, a comprehensive guide for teaching art to children and how to integrate art into core curriculum. That book won the Mary Scorer Award for best book by a Manitoba publisher in 1998.
She is also collaborating on a project with other artists, to include photography, music and writing, involving Lake Winnipeg.
