Illustrator Emily Fiegenschuh headlines her own program at TLA on Thursday, April 2, from 2-2:50 p.m. Emily is the illustrator for the 2009 Texas Teens Read! summer reading program "Time Twistin'". Check out her artwork for the manual and see our post about Texas Teens Read!

1. Have you attended TLA before? If so, what advice do you have for
new authors?

No, this is my first time. I'm honored to have been invited, but I think someone needs to give ME advice!

2. What is your preferred method for creating art and why?

My preferred method of creating art is using traditional materials. I have experience with Photoshop, but the "feeling" of painting on a computer is still very foreign to me. My favorite mediums are pencil, gouache and watercolor. When I have spare time (which is very rare these days) I like to sculpt using Super Sculpy, which is a polymer clay that can be found in craft stores and can be baked to cure right in the oven–just not at the same time as the chocolate chip cookies.

3. Favorite books of the past year

This is kind of embarrassing to answer because I have so little time to read these days. The last book I finished was Neuromancer, by William Gibson, which I enjoyed. I'm currently reading Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. It's fascinating to learn how such seemingly simple events in prehistory shaped the fabric of the world's societies today.

4. Favorite books from your YA years

I loved Roald Dahl as a kid and read almost anything by him I could get my hands on. I also enjoyed the Redwall series by Brian Jaqcues, although I never got through the entire series. One book that I will always remember was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. (What's up with me and literary rodents?) And Charlotte's Web is one that I will also always love. I read it a few times growing up and would actually like to reread it again in the future. I even liked some of the stuff they "made" us read in school. I read Brave New World in high school and it turned out to be one of my favorite books.

5. Finish this sentence. The perfect vacation is...

The perfect vacation is staying at a tranquil place with a lot of natural beauty, where I can see the sights but also relax. One of my favorite vacations ever was visiting Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York and staying in a cabin on site. It was so peaceful and we woke up to the crowing of roosters.

6. MySpace or Facebook?

Neither, actually. The only networking site I belong to is like Facebook for artists and it's called CG Hub.

7. BBQ or Tex-Mex?

BBQ tempeh and tofu are very tasty!

8. Finish this sentence. Libraries are...

Libraries are a great place to find reference and inspiration for my next piece of artwork. They're also a great place to work! During college I worked at the library on campus.

9. Do you have a blog, website, or other online presence that you
would like to share with us?

Yes, please visit my web site at www.e-figart.com! You can also check out my gallery at the aforementioned CG Hub at
http://emilyfiegenschuh.cghub.com/
Finally, if you would like to read about the guinea pig rescue my husband and I work with, please check out our rescue blog at
http://wisconsinguineapigrescue.blogspot.com/