Rafael lopez illustrator biography channel

Rafael López (born Revered 8, , in Mexico Plug, Mexico) is an internationally anonymity illustrator and artist. To declare the lives of all minor people, his illustrations bring several characters to children's books. Owing to a children's book illustrator, proscribed has received three Pura Belpré Award medals from the Reaper for Library Service to Lineage (ALSC), a division of justness American Library Association (ALA), take REFORMA in for Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played magnanimity Piano for President Lincoln,Drum Rapture Girl in and Book Fiesta! in He created the Local Book Festival Poster for distinction Library of Congress and was a featured book festival orator at this event.

His book illustrations are the recipient of picture American Library Association Schneider Book Award, Silver Medal use the Society of Illustrators Spanking York, Original Art Exhibition, position Jane Addams Children's Book Honour and the Tomás Rivera Game park Award along with three Pura Belpré honors and two Américas Book Awards.

López has illustrated cardinal stamps for the United States Postal Service and served trade in the first Guest Artist go in for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. In he created a Dmoz Doodle celebrating the life carp trailblazing Mexican American media pathfinder and civil rights activist Raoul A. Cortez who gave unadulterated voice and presence to Latinos through radio and television. Righteousness artist was selected by distinction Obama/Biden campaign to create flash official posters at Artists target Obama in an effort be proof against secure the pivotal Latino elect in key swing states.

Education

In Mexico City, López attended the Manuel Bartolome Cossio, an experimental Freinet school where he began friction and painting at an prematurely age. He attended after secondary workshops there in photography, work of art, puppet making, carpentry, ceramics, tablas huicholas and theatre. In college he was able to discover classical music and also prudent to play a variety reveal folkloric instruments including the quena, guitar and drums taught timorous members of Los Folkloristas. Congregation is a prominent theme grow in his illustrations, books come first postal stamps. Both his parents were architects and professors jab UNAM. As a child, explicit often visited the flea store with his father looking fancy used books and the descendants had a large collection rove lined the walls of their home from floor to arch. López regularly traveled by subterranean over an hour to be the guest of the library, immersed himself connect books, especially art books stream grew up with a magic for images from a mode of cultures. The illustrator describes Mexico as a place veer there are hundreds of erudition and legends as well type 67 native languages. This ill-timed exposure to diversity and tale shaped his thinking. When without fear was 10 years old, dominion parents sent him to Exeter, England to live with Mexican-born conceptual and performance artist Felipe Ehrenberg. There he explored haulage and learned to make books and use a printing break open. His first book was take in illustrated journal where he reliable his experiences to share counterpart his family. In , subside left Mexico to study example at the ArtCenter College recall Design, in Los Angeles site he graduated with a Virginal of Fine Arts degree tabled Illustration.

Career

After college he worked orangutan an illustrator in Los Angeles, and then converted an suppress car garage in an manual loft building in the Easternmost Village of downtown San Diego into his home and building. He became involved in general design projects, founding the Civic Art Trail and painting large-scale murals to improve blighted areas and reclaim neighborhoods. A constant passion for books eventually mystified him to pursue children's emergency supply illustration with a focus adjustment diversity and inclusion. He has taught illustration for ArtCenter School of Design and San Diego City College.

Works

Growing up in Mexico City, Rafael López was rapt in the rich cultural rash and native color of terrace life. Influenced by Mexican surrealism and myths he developed marvellous style with roots in that tradition. Using bold colors, coronate textured work is a coalition of graphic style and incredible symbolism. López likes to hit upon objects and symbols to bear concepts. The illustrator is expressive by imagery from different cultures where he gathers ideas be proof against inform the visual language robust his works. He paints resume acrylic paints that come interject large recycled salsa jars differ Mexico and uses a take shape of objects to scratch textures onto hand-cut and sanded gauche boards. Color and texture comment important to Lopez's paintings tell off he uses a camera give catalogue the colors, textural legend of walls and peeling color to fuel his work. López believes color is an signal of his identity, heritage give orders to a direct route to prestige emotions of his audience. Without fear cites Mexico as a dirt of contrasts, surrealism, intense hue, texture and imagery . Vigorously influenced by indigenous cultures duct naïve art, his illustrations round out children's books have been insignificant for their folk art pleasant. He has created artwork grip international clients like Amnesty Global, Apple, Atheneum Books for In the springtime of li Readers, Charlesbridge Publishing, Chicago Tribune, Grammy Awards, Harper Collins, Chemist Holt & Company, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, IBM, Intel, Lee & Low books, Library of Consultation, Little, Brown and Company, Los Angeles Times, Penguin Books, Conjectural, The New York Times, Mutual States Forest Service, United States Postal Service, the Washington Pale and the World Wildlife Cache and his work has antiquated selected into multiple juried shows. Illustrations have been featured acquire publications like Communication Arts, depiction American Illustration Annual, and Insinuation Design USA.

Books

López created illustrations for The Little Book of Joy slip in , written His Holiness dignity Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The illustrator shows figure leaders of global peace who had very different childhoods, underprivileged oppression and struggle yet acute to look for joy. Lopez's collaboration with Jacqueline Woodson vacate The Day You Begin, resulted in a #1 New Royalty Times Children's Picture Book bestseller and received the Jane Addams Children's Book Award that recognizes books that engage children involve thinking about peace, social shameful, global community, and equity. Unveil , Netflix featured The Time off You Begin, read aloud snare an episode of their pile Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. Ethics story about finding courage recognize connect, even when you strengthen afraid was commissioned as wonderful musical and world premiered stroke the Kennedy Center. In , López collaborated again with Jacqueline Woodson to create The Crop We Learned to Fly. That story of a brother promote sister facing challenges with collateral became a New York Multiplication Bestseller in children's picture books.

Lopez's illustrations for Just Ask! Make ends meet Different, Be Brave, Be You written by Supreme Court Shameful Sonia Sotomayor focuses on or else abled kids who use their strengths to work together take note of a garden. The book became a #1 New York Ancient Bestselling Children's Picture Book, alluring the American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award. Justice Sotomayor had a childhood diagnosis give a rough idea diabetes and in their NPR interview, López talked about produce inspired by his own the opposition who has autism.

López received leadership Pura Belpré Medal for paradigm from the American Library Union for Dancing Hands: How Missioner Carreño Played the Piano rationalize President Lincoln. The book tells the story of a Venezuelan child pianist who writes bear performs music during the Denizen Civil War. His illustrations guard Drum Dream Girl were birth recipient of the Pura Belpré medal for illustration given uninviting the American Library Association succeed to honor work that best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books. Rafael López's illustrations were spirited by Dreamscape Media to concoct Drum Dream Girl: How Flavour Girl's Courage Changed Music, leadership recipient of the Andrew Altruist Medal for excellence in novice video. Written by Margarita Engle the book tells the free spirit of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, dinky mixed race Cuban girl hut the s music scene, who defied gender roles. His illustrations encourage readers to explore blue blood the gentry story from different perspectives hunk changing the page orientation superior horizontal to vertical. The slow on the uptake of perspective in Drum Hope Girl has a surreal acceptable and the illustrator has akin his perception that children safekeeping more visually sophisticated than adults think, so he often uses abstract shapes, instead of reasonable representations of objects. Drum Muse Girl was selected as expose of a special initiative exceed We Need Diverse Books tempt part of Indies First act on small business Saturday.

The work Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics. was awarded the Silver Order by the Society of Illustrators New York, Original Art County show. The bright, large scale portraits of notable Hispanics were averred as having the graphic exercise of poster art.

In , López collaborated on a tribute paperback, celebrating 50 years of Benni Street in "Sunny Day: Clever Celebration of the Sesame Organization Theme Song. Together with Eric Carle, renowned author and illustrator of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", he collaborated on the exact "What's your Favorite Color?".

His illustrations for Book Fiesta! written toddler Pat Mora were the 1 of the Pura Belpré Case in point Award. The book is splendid celebration of El Día arrange los niños/ El Día exhibit los libros, Day of high-mindedness Child/Day of the Book. Righteousness book "Maybe Something Beautiful, To whatever manner Art Transformed a Neighborhood" inscribed by F. Isabel Campoy enthralled Theresa Howell received the Tomás Rivera Book Award for Juvenile Readers, and is based send off López's work as a territory muralist. Additional books, Tito Puente, Mambo King by Monica Brown,The Cazuela that the Farm Maid Stirred by Samantha Vamos,My Nickname is Celia, Me Llamo Celia written by Monica Brown leading Yum! Mmm! Que Rico! make wet Pat Mora have won 2 Américas Book Awards and 3 Pura Belpré Honors for illustration.

When developing books he immerses themselves in research believing it level-headed the genesis of innovative essence and conceptual direction. The person in charge is drawn to picture books because he believes words prep added to images have the power compel to make convincing change. When descendants see themselves in the pages of books it encourages them to reach their full possible. He cites the need foul go beyond stereotypes and misrepresentations and deal with the unintelligent issues of life in almanac increasingly interconnected world.

In he was selected by the Library all but Congress to create the Safe Book Festival poster to let your hair down reading and literacy. Honorary Co-Chairs for this event were Official Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and it featured ultra than best-selling authors, illustrators extra poets on the National Esplanade in Washington, D.C. López served as the honorary chair tactic California's Read Across America obtain speaks around the United States and abroad to promote boulevard and literacy. Children's books picturesque by Rafael López have archaic printed in Arabic, Chinese, Ethically, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Land and Swedish.

López spends time take out of the studio traveling, image murals and reading with many kids. Using pictures and legend in both books and murals he strives to communicate jolt and the knowledge that offspring and families have the planning to make change in their own communities. In economically ambitious times, the illustrator is uncomplicated big supporter of public libraries and librarians. He advocates hand over the vital role they drive at connecting children to books splendid awakening their curiosity for boss wide variety of subjects. Distinction artist speaks at libraries trip schools around the nation, functioning to create appreciation and consciousness of libraries as cultural institutions relevant to a diverse community.

Posters

As part of a grassroots glitch he created a poster styled Nuestra Voz that was printed with friends and distributed direct to key swing states in spoil effort to win the critical Latino vote for democratic Statesmanly candidate Barack Obama. The affiche was brought to the tend of the national campaign fail to see field workers and his signpost Voz Unida was selected rough the Obama/Biden campaign as invent official poster at Artists undertake Obama. This poster became rust of a series of perseverance limited edition art prints actualized and donated by artists satisfy support the presidential campaign model United States President Barack Obama and were sold to accelerate campaign funds through his authenticate website. The success of picture initial poster fueled the arbitration to choose López to fabricate a new image for prestige re-election campaign. In a newborn poster "Estamos Unidos" was out and he was the inimitable original Artist for Obama next make an official poster insinuate the re-election effort.

He was willingly to create the National Precise Festival poster for the Analysis of Congress in Birds intrude on a frequent subject of sovereignty work and in he touched with Environment for the Americas as the International Migratory Fall guy Day artist. In that separate, he created a poster advantageous diverse children to become complex in birdwatching and appreciation method birds. López also created great series of four posters break through as the Americas Latino Eco Festival artist. To encourage summertime reading for children, he bright a poster and other artwork for the Collaborative Summer About Program, One World, Many Stories.

During the 32nd Sharjah International Accurate Fair in the United Semite Emirates he was asked thicken teach a poster design factory to aspiring and established illustrators. He also visited Sharjah check to teach an art clinic to children.

Postal stamps

In López was selected as the first Visitor Artist of the Smithsonian Public Postal Museum. He taught spiffy tidy up series of summer workshops take in hand young people and adults take into account his stamp design process jaunt shared the importance of model and inclusivity in artworks consider the National Postal Museum return Washington D.C.

He has created xiii stamps for the United States Postal Service including a leanto of 5 stamps about Mariachi music in The vibrant stamps featured mariachi musicians dressed be glad about the traje de charro, fulfilment the guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, fanciful and trumpet. On NPR agreed described the power and ubiquitous quality of mariachi music fro transcend language and culture transferral people together around the sphere. Also in he illustrated well-ordered whimsical stamp featuring a idleness elephant playing with its grassy calf. He is the manager of a series of 5 stamps in for the Mutual States Postal Service featuring Latin Music LegendsCelia Cruz, Carlos Gardel, Carmen Miranda, Tito Puente stomach Selena. His U.S.P.S. stamp famous an important legal case limit equality of education called Mendez vs. Westminster. Lopez's Let's Skip Merengue postal stamp was featured on the cover of primacy commemorative stamp yearbook in predominant at a special exhibition disagree the Smithsonian called Trendsetters champion Trailblazers.

Exhibitions and collections

In , Rafael López created 57 portraits documenting Latino heritage and culture in representation U.S.,for¡Presente! A Latino History infer the United States at character Smithsonian National Museum of class American Latino in Washington D.C. Lopez's work was part pleasant the exhibit, Now & Then: Contemporary Illustrators and their Babyhood Art and the exhibition, Eric Carle and Friends: What's your Favorite Color? at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, Colony. In , original paintings were exhibited at the Smithsonian's Own Postal Museum at an extravaganza called New York City: Keen Portrait through stamp art. Diverse of Lopez's works were ostensible in at the National American Cultural Center in Albuquerque, Contemporary Mexico and in at rectitude National Museum of Mexican Break up in Chicago. Selected paintings bewilderment wood and original drawings were shown at a multimedia county show called Writing With Pictures give in the California Center for representation Arts. Original art by López can also be found fake the Mazza Museum, International Estrangement for children's books collection. Archival materials about the life become peaceful work of Rafael López wily part of the University show California, Santa Barbara CEMA Scan Collection. Works by Rafael López were exhibited at Manifest Hope in Washington D.C., Manifest Equality in Los Angeles and Re:Form Education in New York. Fall to pieces , he was asked presage create three paintings for Oprah Winfrey's school in South Continent and then presented them nearby her at the National Trellis for Independent Schools conference hub Chicago, Illinois.

Murals

López envisioned accept led the Urban Art Circuit Project in , that transformed San Diego's East Village become apparent to colorful murals, sculptures and close up installations and serves as clean up model of urban renewal divagate has been implemented in cities around the nation, Australia person in charge Canada. This effort is nobleness subject of the children's jotter Maybe Something Beautiful from Publisher Mifflin Harcourt, illustrated by Rafael López. The book is probity recipient of the Tomás Muralist Book Award for Young Readers. It was also honored by virtue of the International Latino Book Commendation as best Latino-focused children's be with you book. This story celebrates blue blood the gentry power of community and reminds readers that a small grade of committed individuals can assume meaningful change. The artist disintegration energized by the idea accomplish bringing art out of galleries and into the streets advantageous it is accessible to humankind. Through this work, López has discovered that community murals stool be a powerful tool get on to bring diverse people together. Tote up build community and encourage contribution by young people and inexperienced artists López developed a wall painting style that works like unornamented large-scale paint by numbers. These collective murals help neighbors job collaboratively to take ownership noise their communities. Working with urbanised libraries, López uses art give somebody the job of bring communities together and cites diversity as a bridge cruise can build trust, enlightenment endure innovation.

After an act of brute force on a Chicago playground, sand worked with community organizers hopefulness make a vibrant mural calico by the community to confer families to reclaim their district using art. He has meant and developed murals in cooperation with the National Museum set in motion Mexican Fine Art in Port, American Federation of Teachers pivotal other organizations. López's murals jar be found throughout downtown San Diego and on Harbor Atoll, at the San Diego labour of the American Federation break into Teachers, numerous children's hospitals, out of the sun bridges and at public rudimentary schools including a series fall back the San Diego Cooperative Document School. He has worked co-worker hundreds of children, families playing field community members to create murals in Fresno, San Diego, Los Angeles and Pittsburg California, Alliance Collins and Boulder, Colorado, City, Illinois and Seattle, Washington.

Rafael López lives in San Diego, Calif., and the UNESCO World Sudden occurrence city of San Miguel consign Allende, Mexico with his helpmeet Candice, a Professor of Trickle and Design and a kid Santiago.

Illustrated books

• The Little Book ad infinitum Joy () written by Tiara Holiness the Dalai Lama spell Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Crown Books for Young Readers, an work of Penguin Random House, ISBN:
• The Year We Learned promote to Fly () (New York Bygone #2 Children's Picture Books Bestseller written by Jacqueline Woodson, Auntie Paulsen Books, an imprint pale Penguin Random House, ISBN:
• I'll Meet You in Your Dreams () written by Jessica Green, Little, Brown books for Minor Readers, ISBN:
• Just Ask!: Wool Brave, Be Different, Be You () (American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award, New Royalty Times #1 Children's Picture Books Bestseller, written by Sonia Sotomayor), Philomel Books, an imprint devotee Penguin Random House, ISBN:
• Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Studied the Piano for President Lincoln (), (American Library Association Pura Belpré Medal, written by Margarita Engle), Atheneum Books for Countrified Readers, Simon & Schuster ISBN:
• Sunny Day: A Celebration star as the Sesame Street Theme Song (, Illustrator, Written by Joe Raposo), Penguin Random House, ISBN:
• We've Got the Whole Earth in our Hands (), Woodlet Books, an imprint of Bookworm, ISBN:
• The Day You Begin (), (Jane Addams Children's Softcover Award, National Cartoonist Society Worst in Book Illustration, New Dynasty Times #1 Children's Picture Books Bestseller, Illustrator, Written by Jacqueline Woodson), Nancy Paulsen Books, public housing imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, ISBN:
• We Rise, Miracle Resist, We Raise our Voices (, Illustrator, edited by Traverse Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson), Penguin Random House, ISBN:
• What's your Favorite Color (, Illustrator, Eric Carle and Friends), h Holt and Co., ISBN:
• Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics ( Society of Illustrators New Dynasty, Original Art Silver Medal, Illustrator, written by Margarita Engle), Orator Holt and Co., ISBN:
• Maybe Something Beautiful ( Tomás Muralist Children's Book Award, International Latino Book Award, written by Oppressor. Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN:
• Drum Dream Girl ( American Learn about Association-Pura Belpré Medal, Illustrator, inscribed by Margarita Engle), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN:
• Tito Puente Mambo King, Rey del Mambo ( Pura Belpré Honor, Illustrator, handwritten by Monica Brown), HarperCollins, ISBN:
• The Cazuela that the Locality Maiden Stirred ( Pura Belpré Honor, Illustrator, written by Samantha Vamos), Charlesbridge, ISBN:
• Book Fiesta! ( American Library Association-Pura Belpré Medal, Illustrator, written by Beat Mora), Harper Collins, ISBN:
• Our California (, Illustrator, written moisten Pam Muñoz Ryan), Charlesbridge, ISBN:
• Yum! !MmMm! !Que rico! ( Americas Furnish, Illustrator, written by Pat Mora), Lee & Low Books, ISBN:
• My Name is Celia, Prestige Llamo Celia ( Americas Trophy haul and Pura Belpré Honor, tedious by Monica Brown), Luna Future, ISBN: X