Deborah Hocking | United States
Food from Flowers was created out of my own desire to more fully understand mutualistic relationships in nature, and a wish to impart curiosity, wonder, and knowledge to a potential reader. I believe the more we understand the natural world, especially the tiny, difficult to see parts and processes that can easily go unnoticed, the more we may be motivated to respect and protect it.
Specifically, this project shows the reader the process of pollination and fertilization: how animals work mutualistically with plants so that plants are able to reproduce, and in turn animals receive nourishment. The human characters invite the child reader to participate, create a relatable connection for the reader, show that humans can engage with and care for nature, and reinforce the idea that we learn and grow in community. I hope this book will contribute to the understanding that we are all connected, both humans and nature, and that we need each other to thrive.
The artwork was created with a combination of monotype printmaking, colored pencil, crayon, cut-paper collage, digital collage, and digital editing. Paper flaps were utilized to augment reader engagement, encourage a sense of play, and reveal interior plant anatomy.
Please note: The attached pdf shows duplicate pages with subsequent pages revealing the text under the proposed flaps.
Education:
Anglia Ruskin University/Cambridge School of Art
MA Children's Book Illustration
Graduation: 2022
Published titles: 8