Touring In: British Columbia, Northern Region
Craft: Illustrator
Genre: Picture Books
Ideal Audience Size:
Diorama Workshop: 10-24
Dream Big! – Artist/Illustrator Talk: 15-50
Maximum Audience Size:
Diorama Workshop: 26
Dream Big! – Artist/Illustrator Talk: 50
Grades: Kindergarten-Grade 12
Special Equipment: Flip chart, overhead projector (if available)
Website: www.kimsoyeonart.com
Winner of the 2013 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award
Winner of the 2013 Parent’s Choice Award
Shortlisted for the 2013 Blue Spruce Award
Presentation Information
Diorama Workshop – Kindergarten to Grade 10 (90 – 120 min) *
Materials for Soyeon: flipchart
Materials for students: white printer paper (8 1/2x 11”), drawing and/or colouring materials (pencil or crayon – anything that makes mark will do!), paper clips, scissors and tape
Work together as a class to create a diorama inspired by Sukaq and the Raven, You Are Stardust, and Wild Ideas – Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking! The artist will be sharing her original sketches and dioramas from the books to inspire students.
The workshop will start with a brief introduction of the artist, how she became an artist/illustrator, and her illustration process of creating a diorama. Leading to demonstration, the artist will show how to use lines and shapes to create animals, plants or even magical creatures! Each student will be expected to create at least 2-3 drawings, which then will be cut and arranged in a diorama-like set (prepped by the artist in advance) using paper clips and tape.
Depending on time, students will explore how light can change the mood and final look of the diorama. The artist will take photographs of everyone’s favourite look, which she will send to the class after the workshop.
(* additional fees apply for 90-120 minute sessions)
Dream Big! – Artist/Illustrator Talk – Grades 8 to 12 (60 min)
Materials: flip chart, overhead projector (if available)
Why not dream big when dreams can come true?
Soyeon always loved to draw and paint. She knew that she wanted to be an artist, but wasn’t sure if she can achieve her dream. Now working as a freelance illustrator and Toronto-based artist, she shares her journey of how her dreams came true.
The artist will discuss about mastering skills through practice (no sweat, no gain!), developing personal style, building a portfolio, time management, importance of sharing and listening to second opinions (critique), and many more!
Book List
Sukaq and the Raven
Written by Roy Goose and Kerry McCloskey
Illustrated by Soyeon Kim
(Inhabit Media, 2017)
Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking
Written by Elin Kelsey
Illustrated by Soyeon Kim
(Owlkids Books, 2015)
Is This Panama?
Written by Jan Thornhill
Illustrated by Soyeon Kim
(Owlkids Books, 2013)
You Are Stardust
Written by Elin Kelsey
Illustrated by Soyeon Kim
(Owlkids Books, 2012)
Biography
Soyeon Kim was born on a snowy day in Seoul, South Korea. Ever since she was young, she loved to draw, paint, and create art with anything and everything that she can find. At the age of 8, she decides to become an artist. Chasing after her dream, she moved to Canada in 2000.
Graduated from York University with Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Education, she has continued her art practice at a residency such as the State Hermitage Residency in St. Petersburg, Russia. She has also exhibited in various galleries and group shows. Soyeon has twice been awarded the Winner of Best Student Drawing at Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Willowdale Group of Artists Award, and First Place Award for Outstanding Artist.
As a Toronto-based artist and educator, she specializes in work that merges fine sketching and painting techniques to produce three-dimensional dioramas. Her previous children’s books include Wild Ideas – Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking, Is This Panama? and You Are Stardust, for which she won the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award.
Her most recently illustrated book, Sukaq and the Raven will be published in October 2017. As an illustrator and art educator, Soyeon has the experience with school visits, a guest speaker and providing engaging art workshops based on her picture books. Recently, she has been invited to the Adelaide Writers’ Week 2017 in Australia for the Kids’ Weekend, where she created a giant collaborative mural based on You Are Stardust, working with kids and families.
Awards
You Are Stardust
- Winner of the 2013 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award
- Winner of a Parents’ Choice Award 2013
- Shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association’s 2013 Blue Spruce Award
- Shortlisted for the Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada’s 2013 Information Book Award
- Honourable Mention for the Green Book Festival Children’s Book Award 2013
Praise
“Impressively, Soyeon is able to inspire teenagers to strive for creativity and high standards technically. She is able to connect with the students, explain how to do things clearly, and get them excited to do their own artwork by sharing her creative process and her own beautiful and meaningful illustration dioramas.”
—Ginette Peters, I/S and IB Visual Arts Teacher, White Oaks Secondary School
“She held my rambunctious class in rapture, and quickly developed an excellent rapport with the students. She connected her talk to the two books she illustrated in a truly engaging way, and was able to reach each and every one of my students with her enthusiasm. My students learned a great deal about art, the process of illustrating a book, and a great deal about themselves and their talent.”
—Erin Malcolm, Grade 5/6 Teacher, Light of Christ School