Artist's Statement

I’ve almost always reached for the brightest colors on my palette, but I’m taking a different approach for We’ll Call You Susie: Japanese War Bride Stories. My technique of brushing soft layers of ink wash on watercolor paper helps me to create the feeling of slowly paging through a family album of vintage photographs. I not only want to represent the history of these women, but also honor their diverse experiences and amplify their voices. As the daughter of a Japanese war bride, Kitty Setsuko Honda Yarrington (1933 - 2000), this book project is deeply personal for me. My own memories, both painful and joyful, are meshed with those of my mother, and with all the Japanese women who have shared their stories. Our collective emotions are conveyed in the illustrations for this book.