THAT IS NEXT ON CHRONICLE.
NEW HAMPSHIRE LOST A GREAT TELL LAST WEEK.
TOMMY DIPAOLA -- TOMIE DEPEAOLA PASSED AWAY AFTER TAKING A FALL AT HIS HOME.
HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS BOOKS.
YOU WILL HEAR WHERE HE GOT THE IDEA FOR HIS CHARACTER.
WE SPOKE TO HIM MARKING HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY.
HE SHOWED HIS EARLIEST HER DRAWINGS AND HOW HE BECAME ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ADORED CHILDREN’S BOOK OFFERS.
CLICK HERE IS WHERE TOMIE DEPEAOLA -- >> HERE IS WHERE TOMIE DEPEAOLA ’S WHIMSICAL CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE.
AS THIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED CHILDREN’S AUTHOR PUTS THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON HIS LATEST BOOK IN HIS NEW LONDON STUDIO DOWNTOWN ON THE CAMPUS OF COLBY-SAWYER.
AN EXHIBIT CALLED TOMIE DEPEAOLA THEN.
>> THOSE ARE SOME OF YOUR FIRST RUNS.
>> THOSE ARE DOODLES AND SKETCHBOOKS.
TOMIE DEPEAOLA -- >> WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF YOU, THEY THINK OF STREGA NONA.
>> WHEN I DID IT, SOMEONE SAID I DID NOT KNOW YOU COULD DRAW BUT I THOUGHT YOU DID CHILDREN’S BOOKS.
I SAID I DO.
>> HIS LOVE OF ART STARTED AT A VERY EARLY AGE.
WHEN HE WAS FOUR YEARS OLD, HE REMEMBERS ANNOUNCING TO HIS FAMILY THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE AN ARTIST.
>> WHEN YOUNG CHILDREN SAY WITH CONVICTION WITH HER WHAT TO SAY -- WHAT THEY SAID THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR LABS, WROTE NOTES -- DO WITH THEIR LIVES, ADULTS SHOULD LISTEN.
I WAS AROUND 10 OR 11, ALL I GOT THAT CHRISTMAS WERE ART SUPPLIES.
THEY TOOK ME SERIOUSLY.
I WAS VERY LUCKY.
MY FATHER DID NOT SAY "OH, HE’LL LIVE AT HOME FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE." MY FATHER WAS THRILLED THAT I ALWAYS HAD DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR.
THAT I WAS IN SEVENTH GRADE AND MY SISTERS WERE WATCHING HOWDY DOODY ON TELEVISION AND I DECIDED THAT HOWDY DOODY NEEDED A NEW CHARACTER.
WAS VERY AHEAD OF MY TIME.
I WANTED TO BE A LITTLE HISPANIC BOY FROM MEXICO AND HIS NAME IS JOHNNY JOSE AND PABLO WAS HIS TOUCAN.
I WROTE HOW DOODY TO SAY HERE IS A SKETCH FOR NEW CHARACTER.
NOTHING EVER CAME OF IT.
>> IN JUNIOR HIGH, HE DABBLED IN FASHION DESIGN.
>> THIS IS MY THREE MINUTES OF BEING A FASHION DESIGNER.
>> IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE MADE SENSE FOR CHRISTMAS SHOW.
>> I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO DRAW HORSES.
>> YET.
>> YET THE TALE OF A MERMAID WAS -- YET.
>> THE TALE OF A MERMAID WAS A PRESENT FOR HIS SISTER.
>> I DID THE STORY ON INDEX CARDS.
IF I MADE A MISTAKE, I WOULD RUIN THE PICTURE.
VERY SMART.
>> ALSO ON DISPLAY IS THE MOTHERS DAY GIFT HE MADE IN SHOP CLASS.
HIS MOTHER TAPED A NOTE TO THE BACK.
>> READ IT TO US.
>> SHE WROTE THAT THIS HAIL MARY WAS MADE BY TOMIE DEPEAOLA.
HE GAVE IT TO ME, HIS MOTHER WHICH I KEPT CHERISHED.
I KNOW HE WILL BE AN ARTIST AND A GOOD ONE.
>> SHE KNEW.
MOMS ALWAYS NO.
>> MOMS ALWAYS KNOW.
>> HE WENT TO ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS ART SCHOOLS.
>> I THOUGHT I’D DIED AND WENT TO HEAVEN.
>> ONE OF MY INSTRUCTORS TURNED 93 JUST YESTERDAY.
I SAID WE HAD TO TIE OUR EASELS TO THE RAILINGS BECAUSE THE WIND WAS SO STRONG.
>> EVEN WHEN NOT IN CLASS, HE WENT TO THE STUDIO TO PRACTICE THE TECHNIQUES BEING TAUGHT.
>> YOU CAN SEE THE LEG GOING BACK.
OUR INSTRUCTOR SAID IMAGINE YOU’RE GOING INTO THE PAPER.
IT WORKED.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SKETCHES OF THE FIGURES, DO YOU THINK I AM GOOD?
>> I DO.
I SAY YOU ARE ALL RIGHT.
I CAN ALSO REMEMBER -- ALMOST REMEMBER HOW I DID IT.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS FOUNDATION BEFORE YOU CAN DO ABSTRACT THINGS AND STYLIZED THINGS WITH KNOWLEDGE.
THAT IS MISSING, A LOT OF CHILDREN’S BOOK ART.
BY TEACHERS WOULD HAVE HAD -- ONE OF MY TEACHERS WOULD HAVE HAD A FIT.
HE WOULD SAY THERE IS NO BONES AND THOSE ARMS, THOSE ARMS LOOK LIKE SPAGHETTI.
I DON’T WANT HIM HAUNTING ME BY DRAWING SPAGHETTI ARMS.
>> ON DISPLAY ARE HIS FIRST SELF-PORTRAIT, A NUMBER OF PAINTINGS DONE FOR CHURCHES AND THE TWO BOOKS HE COMPLETED FOR COLLEGE GRADUATION.
ONE FOR CHILDREN ABOUT ANGELS AND ONE THAT WAS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL.
>> I CAN’T SAY THIS WITHOUT LAUGHING.
THIS IS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE OF VISITING A MONASTERY.
THEY PRINTED THIS AS A VOCATIONAL BOOKLET.
THEY USE THIS LITTLE DRAWING HERE.
IT WAS GREAT.
I AM ALL OVER THE PLACE HERE.
>> THIS PAINTING OF TWO BROTHERS WAS HIS FIRST TO APPEAR IN AN ART SHOW IN THE LATE 50’S.
>> I WAS ASKING $150 FOR IT.
>> NOW IT IS PRICELESS.
>> 145, DISCOUNT.
LOOKING BACK ON SOME OF HIS EARLY WORK HAS BEEN LIKE A FAMILY REUNION FOR THE 79-YEAR-OLD.
>> MAYBE I CAN CHANNEL OLD TUMMY OR YOUNG TOMMY.
>> IT IS AWFUL.
TERRIBLE.
>> HE WILL BE FOREVER THANKFUL TO THOSE WHO HELPED HIM BECOME THE ARTIST HE IS TODAY.
>> I AM JUST THE LUCKIEST MAN ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET.