The Secret Shofar of Barcelona

I'm happy to announce that my 5th illustrated children's book, "The Secret Shofar of Barcelona", written by Jackie Greene, has hit the stores this month. I finished these paintings back in January and I've been anxious to see them become a real book. It has been published by Kar-Ben Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Lerner Books. My copy just arrived and I wanted to share some of the spreads from the book here.
The story is about a musician and his son who find a way to secretly celebrate their Jewish faith while living under the inquisition. The setting is 1500's Spain, so I looked to Renaissance and Baroque painters like Titian, Vermeer and Velazquez for inspiration. I wanted to have something of the mystery and moody, soft light that they have in their paintings. I looked at Piero Della Francesca as well, I love his simple forms and the spiritual quality they convey. When I'm working on a book I like to dive into old and new influences that I find relevant to the subject matter and which help me find colors, textures and shapes that evoke the mood and setting of the story. I hope you enjoy the results!