Ninon Pelletier's THE SILENCE SLIPS IN

With a New Year, our thoughts tend to turn to self-care as we set resolutions of how to become a better form of ourselves in the months ahead. Here steps in Ninon Pelletier's THE SILENCE SLIPS IN by Alison Hughs for Orca Books. It's a lovely reminder of how to find peace within ourselves, even in the midst of life's distractions - a wonderful introduction to mindfulness for kids. Ninon stopped by to talk about her peace-inducing images... e: Hi Ninon, Thanks for visiting all the way from Montréal! What is your creative process/medium, can you walk us through it?
Ninon: I work with charcoal and pencils, I realize all the final with these, I scans and it is in photoshop that I will select the parts I want to change in color



e: What do you think makes an illustration magical, what I call "Heart Art” - the sort that makes a reader want to come back to look again and again?
Ninon: Unfortunately, I do not have the recipe because otherwise I would win all the pice of illustrations! :) But, on the other hand, I know the importance of white and texture in an image and the balance between the illustrative details and the more airy funds in which they gravitate so that I can slip in... e: Is there a unique or funny story behind the creation of THE SILENCE SLIPS IN?
Ninon: In fact it's not happy at all, I realized the artwork when my mother entered the hospital definitively, this book allowed me to immerse myself in places where I felt well, where I felt happy. e: I'm so sorry, Ninon. It sounds like your book brought you some peace.
     How do you advertise yourself?
Ninon: I have an online portfolio on the website of the association of illustrators of Quebec and I must admit that Facebook gave me some job opportunities. I also have a blog that I have been updating for ever ten years. e: What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a creator?
Ninon: When I start a new book project, I have to imagine characters and the sets, it requires all my concentration, in this period, I isolate myself, I work in silence and I see almost no one, for 2-3 weeks I am a real hermit! e: Is there something in particular about THE SILENCE SLIPS IN you hope readers will take away with them, perhaps something that isn’t immediately obvious?
Ninon: To contemplate a beautiful landscape is appeasing, as it is precious, it is a great wealth that one must protect. e: What are you working on next or what would be your dream project?
Ninon: I feed on illustrations projects. I need them, thanks to editors and texts of the authors I can travel, learn and grow while working by drawing, that's what I always wanted to do. On my work table, I have 3 beautiful book projects to illustrate very different from each other, one humorous, the other spiritual and the last fantastic. e: We can't wait to see them! Thank you, Ninon!