Rachel Henson, the 17-year old niece of Carol Keesee who
wrote The Angry Thunderstorm, took some time out of her summer vacation to help
us get to know her better.
#1. When did you know
that you wanted to become an artist?
It was only in the past two or three years actually.
I started drawing in the eighth grade and it just sort of spiraled on from there.
#2. What was your inspiration for the drawings in the Angry
Thunderstorm?
My little sister Sarah.
She's deathly afraid of thunder
and lightning, so I wanted to draw a character who could look mean but still be
cute and fluffy at the same time.
#3. Were you frightened of thunderstorms when you were
younger?
I think I was, but only because of tornadoes. Storms
frightened me because I associated them with tornadoes. If it was just rain and thunder I would have probably been
outside playing in it, worrying my
Grandma to death. Any mention of a
tornado and I was laying on the
bathroom floor with every blanket in the house reading books to my
dollies.
#4. What is your
favorite medium to express yourself?
It really depends on what I'm drawing, but I always start with pencil & pen outlines then I
make copies so I can experiment with
other mediums without messing up the original drawing. Pastels are
fun. I hate charcoal with a fiery
passion, but only because I have no
patience. I like pretty much
everything.
#5. What advice would
you give to others who may want to become an artist?
Just go for it, even if you don't think you're good enough.
Rome wasn't built in a day and artistic skill doesn't just happen overnight. It takes practice and passion and accepting
that sometimes you're going to mess
up. You have to keep at it if it's
what you want. At the risk of sounding like a Disney movie,
you have to follow your dreams because even if you aren’t that good in the beginning (like me). If you keep practicing and wait awhile you
can churn out some masterpieces that
will blow all previous attempts out of the
water.
#6. What do you like
to do when you're not drawing?
Playing X-Box or Nintendo is depending on my mood or hanging
out with friends, discussing serious things and completely random things.
#7. What subject(s) do you like best in school?
I like Chemistry and English (and art of course) the most.
I would like math, but it's basically memorization and I don't do that well. Plus, I'm one of those obnoxious kids who
wants to know why the rules exist
instead of just accepting that A x A + B x B =
C x C just because some dead guy (no offense Pythagoras) said so.
#8. What was one of your favorite books as a child and why?
Dr. Seuss is still my all time favorite just because I love
the pictures and the stories are so cute, quirky, and they rhyme! What more can a child ask for?
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