Katie Mazeika Talks About Annette Feels Free

A meeting in collaboration with Katie Mazeika
The Kid’s Publication Evaluation

We’re enjoyed beam the limelight on author-illustrator Katie Mazeika and also her image publication bio Annette Feels Free: Real Tale of Annette Kellerman, First-rate Swimmer, Style Leader, and also Real-Life Mermaid (A Junior Collection Guild Choice). Depiction issues! You’ll be shocked by this item of females’s background and also just how it’s designed your time in the pool– just how one girl with a handicap has actually favorably affected the civil liberties of females and also women today. Continue reading!

Allow’s start with the celebrity of guide, Annette Kellerman. In your writer’s note, you state: “Annette considered her special needs to be a transformative experience, presuming regarding call it her ‘best true blessing.'” Exactly how did you initially become aware of her, and also what linked you to her remarkable tale?

Katie Mazeika: I initially stumbled upon Annette Kellerman’s tale in the summertime of 2017. At the time, I was checking out intriguing females from background for a collection of pictures. I believe I connected to Annette’s special needs, having actually shed my eye as a kid, therefore I proceeded investigating her.

Why was it crucial to you to inform her tale in image publication layout?

I seemed like an image publication can get to a more youthful target market and also there were a lot of occasions in her life that equated magnificently right into vibrant, comprehensive pictures.

Annette Feels Free has a lot to use visitors: Conquering misfortune, the power of innovative expressions, and also the guts to combat for females’s civil liberties that have actually led the way for our youngsters. Exactly how did you choose which of the lots of components of Annette’s life you intended to consist of?

I recognized I intended to consist of the occasions that affected our background– Annette’s affordable swimming was a huge part of her life, and also she took place to make swimming a sporting activity prominent for females all over. Annette’s water dance came to be balanced swimming, and afterwards ultimately integrated swimming, which came to be an Olympic sporting activity in 1984. There is her bikini, which was essentially a guy’s match. After she was provided authorization to put on that match, she manufactured them as the “Annette Kellerman Sun-Kist” bikini, which was the beginning of a swimsuit change for females.

Will you share your study procedure for your tale’s message and also pictures?

I invested months looking into Annette. I explored paper archives, reviewed both of her publications, and also her sibling’s account of her life. As I looked into the message, whenever I stumbled upon a photo I assumed could be helpful for guide, I waited. I likewise underwent the Sydney Concert hall collection of her outfits. These outfits are classified with the days she used them. I can locate just one childhood years image of Annette. She remains in a tutu, dance. There were a number of late teenager and also grown-up images of Annette. I also located video clips of her. In one she is educating her Kellermanettes to water dancing. In one more she is 70 years of ages and also still dancing undersea.

Of every one of Annette’s accomplishments, which one talks with you one of the most?

That she defended the right to use her bikini. She was just two decades old, staying in an international nation. I believe she was extremely endure to not pull back.

Your attractive pictures– full with glowing cheeks for individuals and also slender water streams and also bubbles for the water scenes– were provided electronically. Can you inform us concerning your imaginative procedure?

I operate in Photoshop. My preliminary of illustrations is frequently done by hand however after that I check that and also revise and also layer on shade and also structure. The majority of my photos are more than 1000 layers when I’m done.

Exists a specific art spread that is your preferred or possibly tested you one of the most while producing it?

I like the dive and also the cover wrap. I like producing groups and also both of those have huge group scenes. The dive spread was specifically tough since I desired the emphasis to be on Annette, so I needed to make the group intriguing however refined.

Your commitment is so pleasant: “To my mama, that revealed me that females can do anything, and also to my papa, that constantly recognized I was an author (also when I really did not)” I would certainly like to recognize just how your mama showed the view of females having the ability to do anything. And also just how did your papa recognize you would certainly constantly be an author?

My mama was an instructor since her household would just spend for university if she sought an occupation ideal for a girl. My moms and dads separated when I was young, and also a friend motivated my mama to return to institution. My mama showed center institution throughout the day and also went to legislation institution at evening while elevating me and also my bro on her very own. She wound up finishing initially in her course and also has actually exercised legislation since.

When it comes to my papa, he constantly motivated my writing. I enjoyed to compose and also won a couple of honors in secondary school. When it came time for university, I was torn in between examining art and also writing. My papa recommended creating institution– he made certain that was my future. I went to art institution. I uncovered image publications there, an ideal method to incorporate both!

I discovered that you reside in Ohio. Have you ever before been to Annette’s indigenous nation, Australia? Otherwise, do you have strategies to go?

I have actually never ever been. I would certainly like to go at some point.

Exists anything else you would certainly like us to understand about Annette Feels Free, on your own, or any type of upcoming publications?

I am presently dealing with a 2nd image publication bio with Coastline Lane Books. It has to do with Beulah Louise Henry, one more groundbreaking lady. She was a creator called “Girl Edison.” She had much more mechanical licenses than any type of various other lady in background, which is remarkable because she never ever had any type of college past ending up institution. I likewise have a publication showing up concerning Sears package residences; and also one concerning the females that operated at NELA park, an Edison plant near my residence that was the first-ever commercial park. The females in guide are based upon participants of my household that functioned there in the 1910s to 1930s.

Composed and also Illustrated by Katie Mazeika

Ages 3+|40 Pages

Author: Coastline Lane Books|ISBN-13: 9781665903431

Author’s Publication Recap: Discover the amazing real tale of “The Initial Mermaid,” Annette Kellerman, a lady that intended to dance, swim, and also do not hesitate– and also that became a lady that defended the right to do simply that!

Annette enjoyed to dance and also twirl and also pirouette. When she obtained unwell and also had to begin using dental braces on her legs, Annette quit dance. Till, eventually, her papa took her swimming. Annette can ultimately dance once more– in the water! She water danced her method to England, where she executed water dancings, tried bold dives, and also contended in swim races. When she contended versus males (and also won!), she understood it had not been reasonable that females needed to swim in complete skirts, so she made her very own bikini, and also defended the right to use it.

Experience the trip of an independent and also established girl, that swam, danced, dove, and also made so she can live her life doing not hesitate.

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Concerning Katie Mazeika

Katherine Mazeika is a writer and also illustrator with a BFA from the Columbus University of Art and also Layout. When she isn’t in the workshop, she suches as to hang around at the movie theater, in her yard, or obtaining shed in a great publication. She stays in Ohio with her partner, 2 children (Lillian and also Jack), and also 2 canines.

For more information, and also download and install a complimentary educational program overview, see her site at katiemazeika.com

This meeting– Katie Mazeika Talks About Annette Feels Free– was carried out in between Katie Mazeika and also Bianca Schulze. For comparable publications and also posts, adhere to together with our web content labelled with Bios, Style, Mermaids, Swimming, Real Stories, and also Female’s Background