Art Classes

Illustration Feast

Posted by on Jul 12, 2019 in Art Classes, Drawing, Illustration, Illustration Institute, Peaks Island | 0 comments

Thanks to the Illustration Institute, my summer is off to a bountiful beginning. A little jet-lagged from our Ireland travels, we still made it to the first lecture on June 24 by Chris Raschka who was a Faison resident two summers ago. This time he shared wisdom on keeping travel journals, such a timely topic! His hand-lettered agenda covered all the bases at the Portland Public Library’s event. He discussed the need to work fast, as travel companions may not want to linger for the long looking that sketching or painting requires. With a pot of ink in his pocket, he captures moments...

Read More

Pace Yourself, Class of 2019

Posted by on Oct 19, 2018 in Art Classes, Drawing, Illustration, Maine College of Art, Travels | 4 comments

What good fortune to chaperone the Illustration MECA field trip to Stonington along with fearless Department Chair Mary Anne Lloyd! Maine College of Art’s Pace House is a splendid destination even under overcast skies. Our troop arrived in four vehicles, 13 students in all. After grilled cheese sandwiches and soup, they set out for the nearby Lily Pond. A downpour brought them dashing back, where they gathered around a toasty wood stove to dry off, sketch, and play games, surrounded by Stephen Pace’s paintings. Nothing finer than breaking bread together! I made a couple of MECA...

Read More

Illustration Parade

Posted by on Aug 21, 2018 in Art Classes, Children's Book Illustration, Drawing, Illustration, Illustration Institute, Peaks Island, Publisher: Tilbury House | 1 comment

This summer has been a marvelous parade of illustration. What a life! On August 14 Ricardo Siri, an Argentinian cartoonist known as Liniers, gave a talk for the Illustration Institute. Even a rainy day couldn’t keep the illo peeps away. He brought his adorable daughters up on the Lions Club stage to sing and warm up the crowd before his presentation. He is well known in Latin America for his cartoon Macanudo which has recently been syndicated and will appear in the US. With the news in Argentina so often miserable, he aimed to feature a little bit of something positive every day. He...

Read More

Anita Kunz

Posted by on Aug 11, 2018 in Art Classes, Drawing, Illustration, Illustration Institute, Peaks Island | 2 comments

When an internationally acclaimed illustrator lands on your little island, the sun shines so much brighter. Anita Kunz arrived for a residency at the Illustration Institute in early August and my family eagerly attended her workshop at the Fifth Maine last Tuesday. Anita’s presentation began with the claim “Art has power” and her show of illustrations by others from history and contemporary culture made that point brilliantly. Art can incite violence, recruit people to war, or to resist war. Art can challenge the status quo or invoke worship, provide satire or remind us of...

Read More

Marilyn Faison Artist Residency

Posted by on Jul 29, 2018 in Art Classes, Children's Book Illustration, Drawing, Illustration, Illustration Institute, Pastels, Peaks Island | 5 comments

Many thanks to the Illustration Institute for a week’s artist residency a mere five minute walk from my Peaks Island home. So close, and yet so far away. The dirt road winds up into the woods where tall pines make you forget the summer hubbub that is now Peaks Island. The chance to be in a place apart brings a new awareness for any artist. I found so many objects of affection around the house, and drew some into the little book made in Gregory Christie’s Illustration Institute Workshop. Fallen petals urged me to capture the welcoming bouquet. too. I chose a work space on a second...

Read More

This Island Life

Posted by on Jul 20, 2018 in Art Classes, Children's Book Illustration, Drawing, Illustration, Illustration Institute, Maine College of Art, Peaks Island, Publisher: Tilbury House | 1 comment

For the past two weeks, I’ve been up to my salty eyeballs with all things Illustration, largely thanks to the Illustration Institute’s second season of incredible programming. I’m excited to co-lead a Nature Sketchbooks By the Sea Workshop with author Lyn Smith this Thursday on July 26! Details HERE. On July 10, my MECA colleague, Judy Labrasca, joined me and several kidlit friends for Gregory Christie’s Illustration Institute bookmaking workshop at the Fifth Maine. Gregory is an award-winning illustrator and author with a special interest in book-binding. On the...

Read More