Meneka Repka is an illustrator based in Victoria, British Columbia. She holds a PhD in curriculum and learning, an MA in art education, a BEd in education, and a BFA in drawing. In January 2022, Repka was named the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ (SCBWI) monthly featured illustrator. Simmy and Maddy’s Snow Day, written by Pawan K. Singh, (Owlkids Books, Nov. 3) follows two friends as they put their own spin on a snow-day tradition. 

Repka spoke with Q&Q about the challenges of illustrating a wordless picture book, her hopes for the future, and how she nurtures her love of illustration.

What sparked your interest in illustration? 
I feel like a lot of kids like drawing, but I loved drawing. I didn’t get a ton of exposure to art. I didn’t go to museums. No one around me was interested in art, so the only access point I had was picture books. My favourite part was getting immersed in the pictures and figuring out how the illustrator drew them, what technique they used. 

Who or what has been a major influence on your illustrating style? 
There are so many artists I am inspired by. Rebecca Green, she’s a big one for a lot of people, Júlia Sardà, David Sierra Listón. Then, in terms of old-school illustrators, I just love Michael Martchenko’s illustrations. They’re really chaotic and detailed. 

Simmy and Maddy’s Snow Day is your first wordless picture book. Can you speak about the challenges of illustrating such a book? 
What is easier is you can draw the image, the scene, without the limitation of leaving space for the text. When there’s no text, you can draw more freely. But it’s also more difficult because you have to tell the whole story. Everything becomes more important, from the expressions to the poses. 

Typically, when you get a manuscript, it will have the words, and oftentimes it’s already paginated. There are not a ton of image notes, unless there’s a scene where something in the image is essential to the storytelling. Here, the author or the editor will include an image note. With a wordless picture book, you only have image notes. The opening scene for Simmy and Maddy’s Snow Day was along the lines of ‘two girls are looking out their windows. They’re neighbours, and there’s snow falling.’ And some of the image notes were so detailed. For the ones that were highly specific, I did ask if I could change the colours to fit the colour scheme I wanted, which [the author] was okay with. The entire story is written that way, descriptions of what the author is expecting to see on each page. 

What’s your medium of choice?
Right now I work mostly digitally, but I do find it easier to sketch traditionally. The thumbnail sketches, which are the earliest, most scribbly of stages, I do on paper with pencil. But due to deadlines, it’s a lot faster for me to work digitally. I usually transfer the sketches to Procreate, and everything onwards is done digitally. 

How long does that entire process take you? 
A picture book takes six to nine months, sometimes longer because you’re going back and forth throughout the process, constantly revising based on the feedback from the editor. 

Is there a medium you’d like to try that you haven’t tried yet? 
Yes, I would like to try something traditional. When I was in high school, I loved acrylic. I also really love coloured pencils, and I see a lot of people working in gouache as well. At some point, I’d like to experiment with these mediums and see what happens, see what my style looks like. And I’m planning to do that because I don’t have a book upcoming yet for next year, but I do have a story that I’ve written and started to illustrate but keep putting off. I have to prioritize the work I’m getting paid for. Fingers crossed, I’ll have some time in the next few months to finish that and maybe illustrate it traditionally.

Is this a picture book? 
Yes, and my agent actually approved it. The written component is done, and now I’m working through how I want it to look. I really hope it turns into something. 

What do you do to nurture your passion for illustration? 
Ooh, no one’s ever asked me that before. Being good at drawing was never something my parents cared much about, and it seemed like most people didn’t. A lot of the messaging I got was that no one ever makes any money as an artist, and you need to have a backup plan. You have to be good at science, something that can easily translate to monetary success. I spent a lot of my time suppressing illustration, leaving it as my lowest priority. There were many years I didn’t draw at all, and that didn’t feel good. For a long time it was hard for me, but now I feel everything I do supports my illustration. I have a nice space. I make sure I set aside the time I need. I love to go to art supply stores and look at everything. I love looking at picture books for inspiration. I love bookstores and the library. 

I have a great relationship with many different libraries because I was so lucky to have worked with the BC Summer Reading Club a few years ago to create their marketing materials. They pick an artist every year to do the artwork for their program, and you get to design a poster and a reading record. And last year, I had a residency at the Calgary Public Library, which was really cool, too. Experiences like that, I find, are nurturing and help support my career. 

If you could illustrate any classic children’s book, which would it be and why?
Something kind of spooky and dark would be interesting to illustrate, such as Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood. I always loved Rapunzel as a kid. In terms of slightly older books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would be fun. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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