This December, Poplarville High School art teacher and artist Katrina Clark will not only celebrate Christmas but also the release of her second illustrated children’s book with author Suzanna Stamboulieh entitled “A to Z With the One True King.”
Clark first met Stamboulieh in 2013 when she lived in Jackson, Mississippi and shared studio space with artist Bob Thompson.
“She was looking for an illustrator and Thompson invited her to view the work in the studio,” Clark said. “She saw my work and picked me because she liked my style.”
Clark primarily works with oil-based paints but finds watercolors more suitable for illustrations, which is what she used for the second book and the front cover of the first book, “Scarlett Gray Joins the Parade.”
After unsuccessful attempts at finding children’s books with Christian morals and scriptures, Stamboulieh decided to write her own, Clark said.
In “Scarlett Gray Joins the Parade,” a young girl and her friend become separated from their parents during a parade and ask a police officer for help, Clark said.
“The message conveyed is that parents will always be there for their children no matter what and rules are given for their own protection,” Clark said. “Just as God gives us the Ten Commandments. There are moral and biblical references in the book. When you can use your talents to honor God, you better do it.”
Clark drew 19 black and white images for the first book utilizing a graphite pencil. The front cover was painted with watercolors.
In “A to Z With the One True King,” Clark illustrated 27 watercolor images, which took her about a year to complete.
“The book teaches children memorization skills and there is a scripture for each letter of the alphabet,” she said. “After they learn the alphabet, they also learn how to use scripture and associate the image with the verse.”
For inspiration and models, Clark turned to family and friends. Throughout the book, there are images of her nephew, stepdaughter and other people who are close to Clark.
Each image took about 10 hours to complete and Clark said it was a big learning experience for her.
“I never knew what the image would be from day to day,” she said. “I learned how to draw anything the author asked me to. It really helped with my growth and drawing ability. It was a tough but positive experience. You never know what God will ask you to do. If you told me five years ago I would have two books out, I wouldn’t believe you. It’s a good accomplishment to be published. It’s also a very humbling experience. Suzanne is a great author with a good heart. It has been a blessing to work with Suzanne and use my talents to honor God through illustrating a book that can help children memorize God’s word.”
Both books are available for purchase on Amazon.com.