Tag Archives: Erika Meza

Aug 9 2021

Spotlight on Latinx Illustrators: Erika Meza

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By Cecilia Cackley

This is the eleventh in a series of posts spotlighting Latinx illustrators of picture books. Some of these artists have been creating children’s books for many years, while others will have their first book out soon. They come from many different cultural backgrounds, but all are passionate about connecting with readers through art and story. Please look for their books at bookstores and libraries!

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Erika Meza

Erika Meza is a Mexican Migrant: colorful, bubbly, and a taco connoisseur. After studying graphic design back home (and moving house nearly 30 times) she lived in a dungeon with a princess in Paris to attend the Illustration (Image Imprimée) program at ENSAD, which got her addicted to chocolate éclairs and 2 am bike rides by the river.

She now lives with a cat in the UK where she works with ink, gouaches, and watercolor pencils as an author and illustrator.

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Q: What or who inspired you to become an artist? 

A: I remember vividly being four or five years old, and watching a making-of my parents had recorded for me on a Betamax cassette (for the younglings, that’s the grandfather of the VHS tape) about the ink-and-paint girls in the Disney studios. All those women having access to all of those paint colors, and creating all those beautiful and precise paint strokes, was for me the equivalent of a dream-world: it quickly became one of the most rewinded tapes of my childhood. Later on, becoming a children’s illustrator turned into the obvious choice: it meant I could write, design characters, and my own little universes: in short, to wear all of the creative hats I wanted.

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Q: Tell us something about your favorite artistic medium–why you like it, when you first learned it, etc. 

A: Oh gosh, watercolor pencils and inks. I love drawing, I love sketching – the messier it is, the better. But when I paint, I have a tendency to go clean and precise. As a result, people often told me that my final artwork lacked the energy and the vibrancy I had in my sketches.

It took a lot of patience and confidence, but watercolor pencils solved that problem for me. I sketch in my usual way directly on the final watercolor paper, and then allow the splashes of watercolors and inks to flow and help me discover the illustration as I go. It means letting go of a certain amount of control, which is hard for my perfectionistic brain to accept (and probably nerve-wrecking to the art directors who have never seen me work, haha). But the end result keeps being a surprise, and retains all the joy I have in making it, even if I have to paint it again from scratch if something went wrong. And I very much think it shows in the final result.

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Q: Please finish this sentence: “Picture books are important because…”

 A:…because they establish the relationship we will have to books growing up, as well as start helping us understand the world we live in. They are the first window we have to other cultures, other stories, and to our own imagination.

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Cecilia Cackley is a Mexican-American playwright and puppeteer based in Washington, DC. A longtime bookseller, she is currently the Children’s/YA buyer and event coordinator for East City Bookshop on Capitol Hill. Find out more about her art at www.ceciliacackley.com or follow her on Twitter @citymousedc

Dec 3 2020

Cover Reveal for My Two Border Towns/Mis Dos Pueblos Fronterizos by David Bowles, illustrated by Erika Meza

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Like a bear briefly coming out of hibernation on a warm day, we are coming off hiatus today for a very good reason–to host the cover reveal for My Two Border Towns, written by David Bolwes and illustrated by Erika Meza. The picture book will be published simultaneously in Spanish: Mis Dos Pueblos Fronterizos. Both will be released by Kokila on August 24, 2021.

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First, here’s a description of the book:

Early one Saturday morning, a boy prepares for a trip to the Other Side/el Otro Lado. It’s close—just down the street from his school—and it’s a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they’re greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup. On their final and most important stop, they check in with friends seeking asylum and drop off much-needed supplies.

My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, with illustrations by Erika Meza, is the loving story of a father and son’s weekend ritual, a demonstration of community care, and a tribute to the fluidity, complexity, and vibrancy of life on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ahora, en Español:

Un sábado por la mañana, un niño se prepara para un viaje al Otro Lado / the Other Side. Está cerca, solo bajando la calle y pasando su escuela, el pueblo gemelo de la comunidad donde vive. Su padre maneja su camioneta sobre un puente para cruzar el Río Grande y llegar a México, donde son recibidos por la estatua gigante de un águila. Sus visitas siempre incluyen almuerzo en su restaurante favorito, una plática en la joyería del tío Mateo, una paleta bien fría, y una vuelta a la farmacia. En su parada final y más importante, pasan tiempo con amigos que buscan asilo y les entregan los suministros que tanto necesitan.

Mis dos pueblos fronterizos de David Bowles, con ilustraciones de Erika Meza, es la cariñosa historia del ritual semanal de un padre y su hijo, una demostración de atención comunitaria y un homenaje a la fluidez, complejidad y vitalidad de la vida en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México.

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Now, here is some information about the creators:

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About the author: David Bowles grew up in the Río Grande Valley of South Texas. As a kid, he would regularly cross the border with his father to visit family, buy historietas, and watch movies. It’s a tradition he continued with his own children, making sure they became part of the transnational community he loves so much. David has written many books that center Mexican Americans in the borderlands, including the award-winning They Call Me Güero and the 13th Street series. My Two Border Towns, available in English and Spanish, is his debut picture book.

David Bowles creció en el Valle de Río Grande en el sur de Texas. Cuando era niño, cruza-ba la frontera con su padre para visitar a la familia, comprar historietas y ver películas. Es una tradición que continuó con sus propios hijos, ase­gurándose de que formaran parte de la comunidad transnacional que tanto ama. David ha escrito muchos libros que centran a los mexicano­americanos que viven en la frontera, incluidos el galardonado Me dicen Güero y la serie 13th Street. Mis dos pueblos fronterizos, disponible en inglés y español, es su primer libro infantil.

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About the illustrator: Erika Meza was born in Mexico, fell in love with animation on the border with Cali­fornia, and developed a taste for éclairs in Paris before moving to the U.K. As an adoptive Tijuanense, she took her first steps to find her visual voice at the border—forever fueled by tacos de birria. When Erika isn’t drawing, you’ll find her drinking coffee, tweeting, or plotting ways to bring her cat traveling with her.

Erika Meza nació en México, se enamoró de la animación en la frontera con California y desarrolló un gusto por los éclairs en París antes de mudarse al Reino Unido. Como tijuanense adoptiva, co­menzó a encontrar su voz visual en la frontera, siempre alimentada por tacos de birria. Cuando Erika no está dibujando, la encontrarás tomando café, tuiteando o tramando formas de llevar a su gato de viaje con ella.

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And, here’s what the author and illustrator had to say about the process of creating the cover:

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Erika: “Growing up in the center of Mexico meant that when my family moved to the border of Tijuana and San Diego, I was able to appreciate the uniqueness of the border, foreign to both the U.S. and Mexico. Two cultures have turned into one that is, at the same time, integrated yet distinct. My job was to make this integration seen and the difference felt: the chosen tool was color. Cool and warm tones are woven throughout the book to signify the two countries, equally applied on our main character—who can go back and forth. The Río Grande River subtly helped me bring duality into the cover: the reflection seems to be the same, yet it is different upon closer inspection. On the cover, my favorite Easter egg is the veterinary clinic. Like a lot of characters and places in the book, that giant dog really does exist!”

David: “As interior art rolled in, I started getting really excited about what the cover might look like. When Erika and Joanna, our editor, shared a few concepts (all variations on the idea of mirrored towns), we pretty quickly agreed that reflection in water was the most visually and thematically appealing possibility. Then I saw Erika’s stunning use of color and was utterly blown away. A border kid myself, I got teary-eyed looking at my transnational community so beautifully depicted.”

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Finally, here is the cover of My Two Border Towns/Mis Dos Pueblos Fronterizos:

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Ta-da!

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Beautiful!!

My Two Border Towns / Mis Dos Pueblos Fronterizos is now available for pre-order:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634231/my-two-border-towns-by-david-bowles-illustrated-by-erika-meza/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667520/mis-dos-pueblos-fronterizos-by-david-bowles-illustrated-by-erika-meza/

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Now, we’re going back into hibernation….See you all in the new year!