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With David Diaz

Illustrator of The Pot That Juan Built

David Diaz photo

While few artists remember the precise moment when they decided to make art their career, David Diaz is an exception. He clearly recalls the day in first grade when he completed a vowel worksheet that was filled with pictures of objects with incomplete words written below. A line drawing of a nose was accompanied by "n_se," and young Diaz compliantly added the "o" to the word. After that, he was inspired to use his thick red pencil to complete the picture of the face on the worksheet, and he has been drawing faces ever since. Because he did not know the term "illustrator," in a moment that he calls a mini-epiphany, Diaz realized he would become a "drawer."

Diaz grew up in southern Florida after his family moved from New York, his birthplace. Childhood ended abruptly with his mother's untimely death when Diaz was 16. His art then became an important emotional resource. A supportive high school teacher pointed the way for students to become artists by guiding them to competitions. His art blossomed as Diaz attained success in the contests.

Another opportunity proved to be invaluable for Diaz when he worked several years as an apprentice for hyper-realistic sculptor Duane Hanson. Following graduation from Ft. Lauderdale Art Institute, Diaz moved to southern California, where he eventually established his own design and illustration business, Diaz Icon. Gradually, he began to turn down design projects in favor of illustration assignments, because he did not want to look back with regret and wonder "What if I had just focused on my true passion--illustration?"

One of the many book cover illustrations the artist had completed for Harcourt, Inc., caught the eye of editor Diane D’Andrade, and she offered Diaz the chance to illustrate a picture book based on Los Angeles street riots, Smoky Night (1994), written by Eve Bunting.

Diaz approached Smoky Night with a desire to make an impact on the reader. Inspired by sketches made while on a trip to Brazil, he created gouache paintings framed by bold borders with intricate photographic collages as backgrounds. The relatively flat paintings are perfectly matched to the textured collages, vibrant when the action heats up, softened by the end of the story. To the artist’s surprise, his first picture book was awarded the 1995 Caldecott Medal.

Other books have extended Diaz’s horizons and guided him to try a variety of media and styles, including the vibrant computer art in The Pot That Juan Built (2002, by Nancy Andrews-Goebel). The Pot That Juan Built is a visual biography and tribute to Juan Quezada, the premier potter in Mexico. Diaz, who is also an accomplished potter, was personally drawn to the story of a man who was able to make a significant contribution (inspirationally, financially, and spiritually) to his community through his art.

Diaz has never tired of drawing the faces he first explored as a six-year-old, but his interests have grown to encompass reading for pleasure and studying history and science. He also enjoys collecting furniture and accessories from the American arts and crafts era and glassware from the 1960s. Diaz lives outside San Diego, where he finds his greatest joy in his children.

Learn more about The Pot That Juan Built

BookTalk with author Nancy Andrews-Goebel on The Pot That Juan Built

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