For Āé¶¹¹ū¶³ at Trumbull sophomore and visual communication design major Jason Liccardi, art is in the blood.
āMy grandfather was an artist and so was my dad,ā says Liccardi. āBut never anything like this. The majority of their works were just for the family. I guess I can say Iām the most successful of the three.ā
This past summer, Liccardi was chosen by Kent State Trumbull Associate Professor of Art Phillip Buntin as a nominee to provide illustrations for Michigan-based author Jane Hicksā first book, The Magic Potion: A True Fairy Tale With a Happy Ending, which is now available through Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.
The book is based on a true story and deals with the struggles of a family of lovebirds that are dealing with the hard feelings that separation and divorce can bring about. Hicksā goal in writing the book was to provide adults and children alike with a ārecipeā to help dispel some of the negativities that those types of situations often bring about.
āJason is an exceptional student with an exemplary work ethic, facility and creativity,ā says Buntin. āBoth my awareness of his conscientiousness and his natural skill and interest in illustration helped me realize that he would be perfect for this opportunity. I am very excited to keep up with what he does artistically in the future.ā
āThe whole process has been a bit surprising,ā Liccardi says. āI mean, even though Iāve been drawing since I was eight or nine years old, Iām really just a first-year student and didnāt really believe I had done anything to bring any attention to myself, and then all this happened.ā
For Liccardi, whose work normally mirrors more of a comic book or graphic novel style, Hicksā book represents a bit of departure in that the story is told in a fairy tale fashion.
āYeah, the reactions Iāve been getting when Iāve told friends and family about what Iāve done have come with puzzled looks,ā says Liccardi, better known for putting his renditions of superheroes down on paper than a family of lovebirds. āItās definitely been something different, as well as a bit of a challenge, but as an artist, thatās what I like to do; kind of put myself to the test, I guess.
āOverall, it has certainly been a departure from the usual stuff, thatās for sure,ā he adds.
But that departure is also providing both Liccardi and Hicks with potential for additional exposure and growth courtesy of Liccardiās employer, Target, which is looking into carrying the book at its Niles location.
This story was first published in Campus Connections, the Āé¶¹¹ū¶³ at Trumbull newsletter.
Kent State Trumbull Visual Design Student Lands Illustration Work With First-Time Author
For Āé¶¹¹ū¶³ at Trumbull sophomore and visual communication design major Jason Liccardi, art is in the blood.
POSTED: Monday, December 10, 2012 12:00 AM
Updated: Saturday, December 3, 2022 01:02 AM