Meidell, whose most recent work is last fall's release of The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs by Silverleaf Press, has been illustrating children's books since ABCs of Uniforms and Outfits in 1992. Her love of art, however, goes back several more years than that.
"I've drawn and painted since the first time I could hold a pencil," said Meidell, who is also a member of the Utah Watercolor Society. "It was like I was born with that desire to create and do art."
A specific focus on children's book illustrations came much later in life, after a husband, small children and a career as a commercial artist in Salt Lake City. The first step came when she made a children's book for her sister, with the first professional work coming from Meidell's teacher Barbara Williams on the black-and-white book ABCs.
Meidell's first chance to use the color she so loved came on the covers of the magazine The Children's Friend, then on the book Emma Jo's Song, by Faye Gibbons.
"The publisher rejected it a few days after Christmas, but it turned out to be a good thing because the new publisher gave us much wider distribution," said Meidell. "Faye and I really formed a bond after all that and are still friends."
Most recently, Meidell has completed illustrations on the book Centaur, which will be released by Utah State Press. According to Meidell illustrations for an average-sized children's book take about nine months to finish, with the publisher generally taking about another nine months to get the book on the shelves.
Deadlines are a significant part of any illustrator's life, and Meidell has learned over the years to work out her own system. Used to snatching late nights and school hours while her five sons were younger, now that they're grown she has a little more time to work with.
"If you have a deadline that's looming you can be at the art table from first thing in the morning to midnight," said Meidell. "I used to be able to work through the night, but now if I'm up past midnight I can't function the next day."
Next month, however, Meidell's time will be taken up with a whole different art project. On May 9, she will be part of an Africa is Life Changing volunteer group heading to Nairobi, Kenya. Once there, Meidell will be painting murals on the walls of a local school, as well as painting the school's name and motto on the front of the building.
"It's nice to look at art -- it makes you ponder about things," said Meidell. "I think even just the process of watching me put the murals on the walls will help them.
'Oh look, she's doing art. I wonder how I can use it.'"
Art, Meidell feels, can be an educational benefit to any child. When her children were younger she used to hold art lessons and shows for all the neighborhood kids, a practice she wishes were more common in public schools.
"Kids who are visual learners tend to get pushed to the side, but if you could use the spark of art it would bring out even the more verbal end of their learning," said Meidell. "Art is very important, not just something to be done at the end of class."
As for Meidell, she plans on doing art for the rest of her life.
"The exciting thing about illustration is that you can do it as long as you can hold a pencil or paintbrush," she said. "The comic strip artist Johnny Hart (B.C.) died at his art table. I can see myself doing that."
jwardell@davisclipper.com
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