Award-winning illustrator visits National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature
On Saturday, October 28, Raul Colón will visit Abilene’s National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) for their Family Fun Super Saturday. Colón is an award-winning illustrator who has illustrated 18 books to include Dr. Jill Biden’s book “Don’t forget, God Bless our Troops.”
This Saturday, the NCCIL will host a workshop with Colón for budding artists, young and old. It will also feature a meet and greet during this family-friendly event. Family Fun Super Saturday will include a book reading, treats, book signings, and time with the artist to ask him what really makes him tick.
Colón also happens to be the featured artist for the Fall display at the NCCIL. The last time that Colón visited Abilene was in 2012, and he has created much more artwork since then. Colón was so motivated to revisit Abilene that despite an accident just prior to his visit, he moved up his medical treatment just so he could visit the NCCIL and his youngest fans.
Colón got his start when he decided to risk it all with his career. While he had been in the educational television industry creating everything from puppets to short films, he could tell his heart wasn’t in it. According to Colón, he suddenly quit his job, uprooted his family to move to New York, and began work as a freelance illustrator.
Colón went on to win gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators, in addition to other accolades. He has also illustrated several inspirational books including “As Good As Anybody” written by Richard Michelson. The book is a moving book centered on Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s push for freedom. Some of Colón’s original sketches from the book are now on display at the NCCIL until mid-January.
“Child of the Universe,” by Ray Jayawardhana, however, was the book that changed Colón's life. This book is a look at how the universe and children intersect, and how vast the universe and a parent’s love can be. When Colón set about to illustrate this book, he remarked that the illustrations “flowed out of him like a water fountain.” And in a miraculous turn, he completed each sketch just once without any edits, which is very rare for an illustrator and demonstrates what a true artist Colón really is.
But, Colón doesn’t only focus on his own work, he also inspires others to pursue their dreams. At a book signing event years ago, a young man asked a number of questions about how to become an illustrator, and if Colón had any tips for an inspiring artist. That man, Mike Curato, went on to illustrate “Little Elliot” and win the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Founder’s Award.
In a similar fashion, Colón was on hand Friday at the NCCIL with the Honors Art Initiative. This program brought honors high school students from Wylie High School and Peak Christian Academy to the NCCIL to attend a workshop with Colón, as he continued to share his talents with aspiring artists.
In Colón's opinion, art is the gateway to communication. It is important to impact the children of this generation, so that they can realize that “technology is our friend and our enemy. But we are not digital, we are analog.”
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Award-winning illustrator visits National Children's Literature Center
