Please welcome Delphine Wolfe as my latest “Featured Blogger” this week from Delphine Wolfe: Educating with Illustrations.  You can read a little more about her through her Q&As below

LaChouett: Do you remember THE drawing that was the catalyst and made you decide to become an illustrator?

Delphine: It happened slowly. When I was a child, I remember a story I loved where two children after throwing sweet wrappings on the floor became covered with all the sticky wrapping paper that children dropped on the floor from all over the world. This made them realise how important it was to put their rubbish in the bin. I believe that this story amongst others influenced me to work for the protection of the environment. During most of my career, I worked with both children and adults to promote a better use of energy. I always thought that the information provided wasn’t fun enough, that it needed to be simplified, more appealing and this is how I started to think about developing illustrations and stories. Being an artist at heart, I felt I could use my talent to that end and that, in the same way I was influenced as a child by a compelling story, I could engage with children and adults alike about protecting our environment.

LaChouett: If you had to choose between writing children stories and drawing illustrations which one would it be? … And yes you have to choose one.

Delphine: I’ve always loved to draw and paint but I couldn’t see what career I could make of that skill. I needed to do something with a purpose in life and I still do, so few years ago I would have replied writing with no doubts. Now, however I’m very lucky to be able to use my talent for a specific aim. So as long as my illustrations can influence people to live a life more in harmony with the environment and each other, I would choose drawing. Hopefully my illustrations can speak for themselves like with Eric, the Electron.

LaChouett: Are there any cartoonist/illustrators who influence you career?

Delphine: There are so many artists I like, discovered through my children’s picture books. I particularly like watercolour work with ink or pencil such as the illustrations from Gaby Hansen, Anita Jeram and Nick Butterworth. It’s hard to develop your own style when there are so many great artists out there but hopefully my approach will ‘make’ my signature.

LaChouett: One word to sum you up?

Delphine: Creativity 🙂 I have so many ideas waiting to be put on paper!

LaChouett: What is your favourite book of all time?

Delphine: I really like stories where there’s an historical element in the background of a family story such as the books from Victoria Hislop (The Island, The Thread), Rosanna Ley (The Villa) and Kathryn Hughes (The Letter). I loved reading all those four books, they are entertaining whilst transporting you in another time frame, country, culture and traditions. One book that did move me a lot is ‘The Kite Runner‘ from Khaled Hosseini. I was glued to that book but a bit shaken by it, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it but maybe the one book that will stay my favourite ever is “Perfume” from Patrick Süskind.

Thank you Delphine,

You can read a few more of Delphine’s post by visiting the Featured Blogger page on Chouett.com