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About the Art
Yes, yes they are oil paintings. You would have never guessed by looking at the pictures of Shake it, Morena! would you? After reading the manuscript
many times, I asked Carmen for photos of her childhood home, to see what I could add to what I already had in mind (now, the tiles of her beloved grandma’s house appear in one of the pictures). Then, I sketched a young girl and her close-knit family. I set her home in the Puerto Rican countryside, because Morena needed to be able to walk home from school.
Since I felt I needed the art to exude joy, to reflect the bubbly nature of the collection, I decided to try an entirely new technique. I wanted many textures,
bright colors, and a medium that would force me to be spontaneous. To achieve these effects, I applied a thick layer of gesso onto Bristol paper, priming it for painting in oils. Then, I painted the pictures with thin oil washes, leaving brush marks, and colors that bled into each other. The white of the gesso came through, rendering the colors as brilliant as I wanted them.
To add to the playfulness of this folklore, I also decided to have red hibiscus flowers present every time Morena appears. If you follow her through the book, you will notice the flowers hover and increase in quantity as she enjoys herself, and fade into the background once she falls asleep. Finally, I hid lizards in the pictures, creating yet another game.
