Carson Friedman Ellis (born October 5, 1975) is a Canadian-born American children's book illustrator and artist. She received a Caldecott Honor for her children's book Du Iz Tak? (2016). Her work is inspired by folk art, art history, and mysticism. [1]
Ellis grew up in New York and studied painting at the University of Montana, [2] where she was influenced by art history, particularly Egon Schiele, Max Beckmann, and German Expressionism. She has written poetry since she was a teenager, though she didn't study writing in school. [1]
She began her career as a fine artist in San Francisco and exhibited a solo show of oil paintings at a gallery in San Jose, California. [3] Her first illustration work began when she met Colin Meloy at the University of Montana and designed gig posters for his college band Tarkio. [2]
Carson Ellis | |
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| Born | October 5, 1975 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Montana |
| Known for | Painting, drawing, printmaking |
| Spouse | Colin Meloy |
| Awards | Caldecott Honor (2017) E. B. White Read Aloud Award (2017) Society of Illustrators Silver Medal (2010 and 2014) Grammy Nomination for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package (2015 and 2018) |
| Website | www |
Ellis is an illustrator of several children's books, including the New York Times bestseller Wildwood , written by Colin Meloy; [4] The Composer Is Dead , written by Lemony Snicket; [5] and The Mysterious Benedict Society , written by Trenton Lee Stewart. [6] She received a 2010 Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators for her art in Dillweed's Revenge, by Florence Parry Heide. [7] She collaborated again with Meloy on the second and third novels in the Wildwood Chronicles series, Under Wildwood (2012) [8] and Wildwood Imperium (2014). [9]
She is also well known for her work with the indie folk rock band The Decemberists, [10] for whom she has created album art, T-shirts, websites, posters, and stage sets. Her album and EP artwork for The Decemberists include 5 Songs (2001), Castaways and Cutouts (2002), Her Majesty the Decemberists (2003), The Tain (2004), The Crane Wife (2006), The Hazards of Love (2009), What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (2015), [11] and I'll Be Your Girl (2018). Ellis was nominated twice for Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package (2015 and 2018). [12] She has also created album artwork for other musicians, such as Laura Veirs, Beat Circus, and Weezer.
In 2015, Ellis wrote and illustrated her first solo children's book, Home, which explores different types of domiciles around the world, underwater, and in space. The book has been criticized for the manner in which it glosses over colonization and the stereotyping of various ethnicities. [13] [14] [3]
Ellis' second solo children's book, Du Iz Tak? , published in 2016, is written entirely in an invented "bug language". [15] The book received a Caldecott Honor Award (2017) [16] and an E. B. White Read Aloud Award (2017).
In 2016, Ellis collaborated with Portland-based wallpaper studio Juju Papers on a wallpaper design titled Barn Owls and Hollyhocks. The design was inspired by Ellis' move to a small barn outside of Portland. [17]
Ellis created the cover and interior illustrations for Meloy's 2017 middle grade book The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid, published by HarperCollins. [18]
The board game Illimat, for which Ellis created illustrations, was published in November 2017 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. [19] The game was written and designed by The Decemberists and Keith Baker of Twogether Studios. [20]
Ellis created illustrations for Susan Cooper's The Shortest Day, published in October 2019.
Carson Ellis is also an editorial illustrator and fine artist, having worked for The New York Times , The New Yorker , and Poetry .
The Wildwood Chronicles , illustrated by Ellis and written by her husband, musician Colin Meloy, was a bestselling series for middle-grade readers. [21] When creating illustrations for the series, Ellis was inspired by Pauline Baynes, illustrator of The Chronicles of Narnia , as well as drawings in The Wind in the Willows . [10]
Carson Ellis is Jewish. [2] She is married to Decemberists singer Colin Meloy, whom she met in college while designing posters for his alt-country band Tarkio. She and Meloy have two children, Henry "Hank" Meloy and Milo Cannonball Meloy. [22] Both parents have spoken openly about their son Hank's diagnosis with Asperger's syndrome. [21]
She lives on a farm outside Portland, Oregon with her family. [23]
Castaways and Cutouts is the first full-length album by The Decemberists, originally released on May 21, 2002, on Hush Records and reissued on May 6, 2003, on Kill Rock Stars. The album's title is taken from a lyric of the song "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade".
Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is an American musician, singer-songwriter and author best known as the frontman of the Portland, Oregon, indie folk rock band the Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica and percussion instruments.
Maile Meloy is an American novelist and short story writer.
The Crane Wife is the fourth album by the Decemberists, released in 2006. It was produced by Tucker Martine and Chris Walla, and is the band's first album on the Capitol Records label. The album was inspired by a Japanese folk tale, and centers on two song cycles, The Crane Wife and The Island, the latter inspired by William Shakespeare's The Tempest. National Public Radio listeners voted The Crane Wife the best album of 2006.
Her Majesty the Decemberists is the second full-length album by The Decemberists, released on September 9, 2003, by Kill Rock Stars. The song "Song for Myla Goldberg" was written years earlier, after Colin Meloy had been a media escort for the novelist Myla Goldberg during a tour following the publication of her first book, Bee Season.
The Hazards of Love is the fifth album by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released through Capitol Records and Rough Trade in 2009. The album was inspired by an Anne Briggs EP titled The Hazards of Love. According to the band, frontman Colin Meloy had set out to write a song with the album's title, which eventually developed into an entire album. Becky Stark, Shara Nova, and Jim James provide guest vocals throughout the album, while Robyn Hitchcock makes a cameo guitar appearance on "An Interlude".
Christopher John Rocco, simply known as John Rocco is an American illustrator of book covers and children's books. He is best known for illustrating the covers of books in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He is the sole creator of some children's picture books.
Mac Barnett is an American writer of children's books living in Oakland, California. He was born in Castro Valley, California but grew up in Castro Valley and Oakland.
Long Live the King is an EP by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released on November 1, 2011, on Capitol. The release is composed of out-takes from their sixth studio album, The King Is Dead. The titles of both combine to create the traditional proclamation, "The king is dead, long live the king!"
Wildwood is a 2011 children's fantasy novel by The Decemberists' Colin Meloy, illustrated by his wife Carson Ellis. The 541-page novel, inspired by classic fantasy novels and folk tales, is the story of two seventh-graders who are drawn into a hidden, magical forest, while trying to rescue a baby kidnapped by crows. They get caught up in an epic struggle, and learn of their connection to a magical parallel world while confronting adult authorities who are often cowardly or dishonest. The natural beauty and local color of Portland, Oregon, features prominently in the book.
Jon Klassen is a Canadian writer and illustrator of children's books and an animator. He won both the American Caldecott Medal and the British Kate Greenaway Medal for children's book illustration, recognizing the 2012 picture book This Is Not My Hat, which he also wrote. He is the first person to win both awards for the same work.
Under Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book Two is a 2012 children's fantasy novel by The Decemberists' singer-songwriter Colin Meloy, illustrated by his wife Carson Ellis. The 576-page novel, the sequel to Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book One, continues the tale of Prue McKeel and her adventures in the "Impassable Wilderness," a fantastical version of Portland, Oregon's Forest Park. The natural beauty and local color of the city figure prominently. Ellis contributed 80 illustrations to the novel.
Wildwood Imperium: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book Three is a 2014 children's fantasy novel by The Decemberists' singer-songwriter Colin Meloy, illustrated by his wife Carson Ellis. The novel, the second sequel to Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book One, continues the tale of Prue McKeel and her adventures in the "Impassable Wilderness," a fantastical version of Portland, Oregon's Forest Park. The natural beauty and local color of the city figure prominently. It was released on February 4, 2014.
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is the seventh studio album from The Decemberists, released on January 20, 2015. The album's title comes from a line in the song "12/17/12", a reference to the date of Barack Obama's speech in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and lead singer Colin Meloy's conflicting feelings about the shooting and his happy personal life.
Yuyi Morales is a Mexican-American children's book author and illustrator. She is known for her books Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book, Little Night, and Viva Frida, which received the 2015 Pura Belpre Medal for illustration as well as a 2015 Caldecott Honor. Morales is the first Latina to be a Caldecott recipient.
Holly Meade was an American artist best known for her woodblock prints and for her illustrations for children's picture books.
Florasongs is an EP by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released on October 9, 2015, on Capitol Records. The release is composed of five out-takes from their seventh studio album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World.
Du Iz Tak is a 2016 picture book by Carson Ellis. The story, told in an invented insect language, is about some bugs who discover a plant shoot emerging from the ground. The book was a recipient of a 2017 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.
Juana Martinez-Neal is a Peruvian American children's book author and illustrator. Her debut book as an author and illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name, was well reviewed and won a 2019 Caldecott Honor.
Wildwood is an upcoming American stop motion animated dark fantasy adventure horror film directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis. It is produced by Laika, making their sixth stop-motion animated film. It stars an ensemble cast featuring the voice talents of Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. The plot follows Prue McKeel and Curtis Mehlberg as they attempt to save Prue's infant brother Mac from the crows led by Alexandra, while drawn into a hidden magical forest.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
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