Fred Koehler 'Flashlight Night,' 2017, Pencil, digital coloring, Image courtesy of the artist.

Hi. I’m Fred. I write and illustrate children’s books. For me, art is synonymous with story. When I set out to create art, it’s because I’ve read the words to a story and I think specific visual representations can enhance that narrative. Art and story together make a “third thing,” an intangible dance between words and images.

To that end, this exhibit is only one third of a whole story. Debut author Matt Forrest wrote the words to FLASHLIGHT NIGHT, and I spent nine months creating this art to illuminate his text. The research took me backpacking across the United Kingdom, having many of the same adventures as the characters from the art. 

The third thing is the finished book, FLASHLIGHT NIGHT. I hope the dance between Matt’s poetry and my artwork will take viewers on an extraordinary journey. I hope kids are inspired to have their own adventures, both real and imaginary. I hope grown-ups recall the sense of wonder that accompanies something so simple and yet so extraordinary as night... and a flashlight.  

This exhibition is part of the Arts on the Park series.