WHY SELL NOW?
Someone recently reminded me that the twentieth anniversary of Love You Forever was coming and it got me thinking that the art should be viewed and enjoyed instead of being hidden away in its sealed up box. Also, I moved recently and nearly lost the art when I left the box containing it behind. It was a close call that made me realize it deserves special treatment.
LOVE YOU FOREVER IS A VERY MOVING BOOK. DOES IT HAVE SPECIAL MEANING FOR YOU?
Absolutely. When I illustrated it my two youngest sons lived with me, and were great inspiration for the drawings. I had another son when I was seventeen who was given up for adoption, he was premature, weighing only two and a half pounds and the doctor said he would probably die. Even so, he was always on my mind. Then in 1998 I finally met him -- handsome and six-foot-four -- and the moment I laid eyes on him, thirty-one years of separation just vanished. So it's true, as long as I'm living, my baby he'll be. Even more astonishing, he's a very talented fine artist, a painter.
LOVE YOU FOREVER IS CONSIDERED A CLASSIC. DO YOU THINK THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE TIMELESS?
I do, although I suppose time will be the judge. In 1986 when I did the drawings I combined modern furnishings and fashions, which are still quite up-to-date looking with nineteen-fifties era nostalgic items, the old style fridge and kitchen cabinets, furniture and so forth. Together, I think these elements give the book an impression of timelessness.
WHAT DOES THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOOK MEAN?
It means I'm getting older, but aside from that it means it has an enduring message. Love You Forever was originally bought by parents to share their feelings with a child, or as a new-mom gift. Now the book has broader appeal. Copies are being bought by the children who were raised with the book, for their own children and also for their parents on Mother's day, birthdays and Christmas. That's the beauty of Love You Forever, it sums up both a parent's and child's love for each other so perfectly. The book has crossed to the next generation of readers, and that's what makes a book a classic.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE ILLUSTRATIONS WORK WITH THE STORY?
I think Robert Munsch's story and my drawings form a perfect partnership for Love You Forever. The book is both sentimental and funny which can be a difficult combination. To balance those two personalities and prevent the reader from becoming overwhelmed by the emotion of the story, I tried to create some tension using interesting perspectives, and cool colouring. If the pictures were more sweet or emotional, the sentimental side would have overpowered the humour.
