JASNA-Southwest member Molly Maguire and her daughter, Kate Silverman, recently created the The Pride and Prejudice Coloring Book, and Molly was on hand at the Winter 2016 meeting to sign and sell her book. Here, she shares some of her thoughts on developing the project.
How long did it take you to produce the Pride and Prejudice Coloring Book?
MM: It took us two and a half years. We were planning my daughter Kate’s wedding at the same time!
What were some of your inspirations?
MM: We modeled Elizabeth’s face and expressions after my mother’s. She was a Powers model in New York City during World War II and had a long modeling career. This turned into a three-generational tribute to Jane Austen. All three of us have been lifelong readers of her works.
How did you come up with the illustrations?
MM: They are all drawn free-hand and about half are based on original concepts, while the rest borrow from (but tweak, combine and re-dress) early Pride and Prejudice illustrations and other sources. Kate did all the costume research and confirmed and expanded upon other research for Regency interiors and exteriors. She is currently in the public affairs MBA program of the University of Colorado with a focus on museum management. Her hobby is hand-sewing historical costumes with authentic fabrics.
What was your biggest discovery in working on the book?
MM: I was actually amazed at the range, depth and variety of emotions Elizabeth goes through — many of which I chose to draw. She’s an extremely emotional person, full of enthusiasms, quick to anger (and then quick to mostly humorous resolution). She’s also shy, embarrassed, hidden, skeptical, reactionary, protective, loving, bitter, warm, witty, devastated, ashamed, prideful — oh my gosh, she runs the whole gamut! This was the greatest gift and source of wonder as we worked through the book.
What else did you learn in the process?
MM: I hadn’t realized until I did this little book that the story takes place across a calendar year, so I did my best to emphasize the seasons.