Why this Massena 6th grader loves illustrating her best friend’s poems

Could 02, 2024 —

Riot grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna is aware of finest mates rule: “You are the queen of my world. When [you] discuss, I hear the revolution coming!”

Makena Odjick, a sixth grader from Massena, says that is what her finest good friend, Vaishnavi, or V, is like. 

“I like how highly effective she is,” stated Makena. “She has written a letter to the president, and that is what I like. She’s so assured. She’s been there for me since fourth grade.”

She’s Makena’s “different half.” Vaishnavi’s vocabulary captivates her and the best way she makes use of language in her writing.

“I’d by no means consider the poems she’s written, simply the best way she hooks her reader,” stated Makena. “She loves it once I take her phrases and I flip them into my drawings.”

Collectively, they’ve written and illustrated numerous poems. Makena caught up just lately with Northern Gentle co-host, Monica Sandreczki, to speak about their inventive course of.

This dialog has been calmly edited for readability.

MAKENA ODJICK: “I’ve solely written a few poems. It isn’t my space of experience; that’s her space of experience. Her tradition mixes with mine and we create wonderful art work (her style drawings are flawless. The way in which her drawings look are simply so cool as a result of it is cool to see a special tradition being represented from my story).

It is simply actually enjoyable how our concepts combine and I simply actually prefer it.

MONICA: What’s one other poem that she’s written that you’ve got drawn for, or one thing that you’ve got written that she’s drawn for?

MAKENA: There’s so many examples. She had written a poem a few bunch of various sorts of cats. And, I took her phrases, her highly effective vocabulary and I drew this midnight black cat with vibrant inexperienced eyes. Oh my god, it was so stunning. I laminated it so I did not wreck it. It simply matches her phrases so nicely. She liked it. I liked how I used totally different shades of blue and black to make the colour, so it is a distinctive colour. It isn’t simply black or it is not simply Navy blue. It is a combine. That is our favourite story we labored on collectively.

MONICA: Do you keep in mind a number of the strains from her poem?

MAKENA: This was endlessly in the past. It was in fifth grade. I am in sixth grade now. It was like,

The way in which the coat sparkled

the best way the inexperienced eyes glimmered

the best way the coat made your eyes shimmer

the best way it glowed at the hours of darkness

the best way the inexperienced glowing eyes gave him his spark.

That is what gave me the thought of that cat, and that is what impressed the entire drawing. It was wonderful. It is most likely my favourite one I’ve accomplished to date together with her.

MONICA: You’d stated earlier than generally, on your drawings, you would possibly do 15 totally different sketches simply to essentially nail it. Did you need to do this for the cat drawing?

MAKENA: Oh, that cat took greater than 50, at the very least.

MONICA: Fifty? 5-0?

MAKENA: Yeah! Only for the define. It took endlessly as a result of I wished to get his hair texture excellent and I stored messing up! I went, “I have to take a break.” I took a break, performed some Roblox, went again to it, and had this concept. I drew the eyes and the eyes took at the very least 5 tries. I took it again to [V]. She liked it. Then, I coloured it in; the coloring took at the very least 30 tries, at the very least, simply to get the combo proper. Then I bought it, after which I used to be accomplished. So, altogether most likely took 85 to attract the cat. It was actually troublesome.

MONICA: That is dedication!

MAKENA: I like my artwork being respectable. Not excellent, as a result of nothing’s excellent, however adequate that it appears to be like skilled.

MONICA: I do know there is a sure method you want to make use of.

MAKENA: No mechanical pencils. I hate them: too costly, hate the lead.

I like utilizing the fundamental No. 2 pencil, or any pencil I can discover. As soon as it is sharpened, I’ll write a bunch of stuff down simply so I can get it used as a result of a used tip offers you extra management. It isn’t so darkish. You’ll be able to flip the pencil and the grooved tip offers you that texture. I do not sharpen my pencil till I am accomplished drawing. I press actually gentle, so the pencil final me at the very least a few drawings.

MONICA: Do you’ve gotten one with you?

MAKENA: No, really. I left it in my jean jacket, which I like as a result of it is bought six pockets. I often have a pencil in there. I haven’t got one with me now. If I did, I’d undoubtedly draw one thing.

MONICA: What do you like about working with [Vaishnavi] a lot?

MAKENA: She has been there for me since 4th grade. We simply actually join. And, I like her phrases. I’d by no means consider the poems she’s written, simply the best way she pulls you in, the best way she hooks her reader. How highly effective she is, and the way assured she is. She has written a letter to the president, and that is what I like. She’s so assured about it. She’s a strong younger girl and he or she retains me in line.