The Remembering Candle: Conjuring Delight
There’s a special kind of magic that happens when art and memory intertwine.
In this post, I’m pulling back the curtain on my creative process for The Remembering Candle—a story about honoring loved ones through ritual, reflection, and family. From the first brushstroke to the final page, this project became deeply personal. I invite you into the journey—of remembering, creating, and conjuring delight.
I’ve always been a bit old-school when it comes to illustration. While so much of today’s art is digital, I still find joy in working by hand—with acrylic paint and collage. There’s something magical about mixing thick, buttery globs of color on a palette and brushing them onto paper. The surprise of unexpected textures or colors layered over words or painted backgrounds never gets old. Creating something real, something you can touch and hold–– brings me pure joy. When I began illustrating The Remembering Candle, I knew it would be a personal journey. The story follows a family as they remember their beloved grandfather, lighting a yahrzeit candle that burns from one sunset to the next. As I sketched, my thoughts turned to my own father and the too-few moments he spent with my children. Those memories—small but powerful—became a guiding light for me as I interpreted Alison’s beautiful text. I wanted the artwork to feel genuine, full of warmth, nostalgia, and love.
My creative process ended up mirroring the theme of remembering. I started by painting a variety of textures in my sketchbook—abstract backgrounds that I could build on later. From there, I drew candles, flames, stars, and light. I played with shadow and glow, letting the graininess and blur of imagined candlelight shape the mood. I wanted the illustrations to feel dreamlike, almost like memories themselves.
As I worked, an idea began to form: what if the candle slowly melted over the course of 24 hours, like a flipbook animation? That simple idea helped bring the story together. It gave me a sense of time passing and a gentle rhythm to build around.
I truly believe illustration adds an emotional layer to storytelling—sometimes without us even realizing it. My hope is always this: if I feel joy, warmth, and a little bit of sentimentality while creating the art, maybe readers will feel those things too when they turn the pages.
Illustrating The Remembering Candle was more than just a creative project—it was a personal reflection on love, loss, and the quiet power of memory. I hope these images help bring the story to life for you and your family, and maybe even spark a few memories of your own.
About the Illustrator
Selina Alko spends her days dreaming and remembering in her Brooklyn, New York, studio where she mixes collaged papers and acrylic paint to make richly textured illustrations for children's books.
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Selina often thinks about her Turkish father who taught her how to paint and encouraged her to become an artist.
About the Book
The Remembering Candle
Written by Alison Goldberg
Illustrated by Selina Alko
★ "A beautiful presentation of a custom that explores its many layers of meaning" – Booklist, starred review
★ "This is a first purchase not only because of its high quality, but also because of the scarcity of children’s books about the Jewish memorial custom of yahrzeit"– School Library Journal, starred review
"A meaningful and sensitive celebration of life." – Kirkus Reviews
