Wonders at the Weymouth Waterfront Library
Last Tuesday I visited the Weymouth Waterfront Library on the last day of my MECA residency. What a blast! The library sits, literally, at the edge of a salt marsh on the Sissiboo River in Nova Scotia. I visited the day after my arrival to meet their gracious library clerk, Margaret Thibault, who invited me to share my children’s book illustration with two grades in Azure Thurber’s French Immersion classes from the nearby Weymouth Consolidated School. I made a quick flyer from my pastel of the view from the Jenny Family Compound. It was a kick to find that Margaret had posted it...
Read MoreRISD by Design 15
There’s no harder evidence of time flying than considering your 35th college reunion. Whaaat? Upon finding my RISD 1980 yearbook, I wondered if I’d find any former self at RISD By Design 2015. I headed to Providence in time to meet up with classmate Rika Smith McNally. Hadn’t seen her in five years, since the last reunion. We headed over to the Inauguration of Rosanne Somerson, the 17th President of the college, and the first alum. What a graceful, thoughtful, and moving ceremony. I was delighted to spy MICA’s President, Sammy Hoi, in the throng of Visiting Delegates...
Read MoreStorybook Waters
The Storybook Waters of Illustrator Jamie Hogan opened last week, with a swell flock of peeps gathering to see my originals from 7 picture books, and hear Eva Murray read Island Birthday. It’s not every day two island girls make a book. We both deal with crossing water; I was delayed leaving Peaks Island because of capacity crowds on the Casco Bay Lines ferry. Eva flew from Matinicus, thanks to clear weather. Smiles abound when serendipity brings us together, in the Sam L. Cohen Children’s Library at the Main Branch of the Portland Public Library....
Read MoreOceans away!
Today is World Oceans Day! Now’s a good time to share my recent visit to Portland’s Reiche Elementary School at the invitation of Side x Side, an arts integration program. I felt right at home upon seeing this lively mural: I came to draw ocean creatures with three second grade classes, and talked about using the long horizontal for this illustration in Here Come the Humpbacks! by Caroline Arnold. I brought along my handy humpback toy for reference. This artist made great use of his page area, lower left. Everyone was provided with a line drawing of their chosen creature to look...
Read MoreLong Live Longfellow!
What a blast to visit Longfellow Elementary School in Portland, Maine last week. It’s a great haven for young artists and visionaries. A bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow looks over the library where I installed my presentation during three days. Many thanks to librarian Christine Fricke who helped untangle my humpback banner, as only a master knitter could. Kudos to library ed tech Catherine Ferguson for crafting this awesome poster, it made me feel so welcomed. I quickly talked about being an illustrator, sharing the early story board sketches done for Here Come the Humpbacks! by...
Read Moresecrets of the sea
What an honor to be in another show at USM’s Atrium Art Gallery in Lewiston, Maine, curated by Robyn Holman, one very devoted fisher of art. She’s gathered in her net a spectacular catch of wonders in Secrets of the Sea. My three pastels from Here Come the Humpbacks! hang beneath a bladderwrak raku by Anne Alexande and next to an oil titled Tidal Dance by Wendy Newcomb. Since today is Happy Hump(back) Day, here are better views: The non-fiction picture book by April Pulley Sayre includes the epic journey humpbacks make as well as their obstacles. All marine life in Federal...
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