Take something like a star
I have stars on my mind. It never fails that I am working out of season when illustrating a picture book. Last July I was feverishly drawing deep snow for A Porcupine’s Promenade. As the ice forms outside, I am drawing a summer day at the beach for Ana and the Sea Star (for Tilbury House, coincidentally located on Starr Street in Thomaston, Maine) When we decorated our tree, I noticed how many star ornaments we have. This one, from former island neighbors Deb Deatrick and Scott Vile, is a joy to rediscover every year. The letterpress poem by Robert Frost always shines a light on...
Read MoreLibrary Love
Happy National Library Week! I’m still floating from last week’s Maine Library Association’s 27th Annual Reading Round-Up of Children’s and Young Adult Literature. No better place to be than in a fine flock of kidlit advocates. Winning a Lupine Award with Eva Murray for our book Island Birthday is a spectacular honor. Inspired by Maine artist, Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius, the Lupine is presented to a living author or illustrator who is a resident of Maine, or who has created a work whose focus is on Maine, shown through the characteristics, plot, or setting....
Read Morelong live lunacy
Have you heard? There will be a full moon on Christmas for the first time since 1977. I’m well versed in lunar cycles, thanks to my contributions to the Lunar Calendar since 1983. Over the years, I’ve had the honor of creating the color cover several times, always a treat. These are a few of the ideas I presented to publisher Nancy F. W. Passmore for the 40th edition. The calendar is a vertical format with a fold, and I like to cross that, if possible. Nancy is fond of the idea of keeping her moon boat afloat, so she picked the bottom left. I was happy to develop the one idea...
Read MoreWarm wishes
What a full and fruitful season this has been. I’m happy to announce my new website and shop, Jamie Peeps Island! You’ll find select originals, prints, and books that I can sign and ship directly to the darling of your choice. When I saw this at the First Friday event for the Wake Up Alice exhibit, I thought yes, fill my cup please! Besides enjoying a steady swell of viewers to the show, I connected with hearty Tilbury House editor, Audrey Maynard. And she bought my Alice! Thanks, Audrey! The entire weekend was abuzz with holiday spirit. Just the trigger for me to design my...
Read Moredrawing Miss Daisy
Our daughter Daisy has always had a keen eye. And she’s provided infinite inspiration over the years. She’s front and center with her tribe of island peers in Seven Days of Daisy. This original hangs now at the Portland Public Library in my exhibit, Storybook Waters. Peaks Island has provided a spectacular background for visual stories. This image of Daisy dreaming helped me land my first children’s book from Charlesbridge. Daisy’s love for Moonrise Kingdom found it’s way into my Sketchbook Project Shop Walk, many thanks to Find for the vintage dress....
Read MoreCelebrating summer reading
I was honored to be the guest at the final Summer Reading Program led by veteran story time maestro Pat Crowley-Rockwell at the Peaks Island Library last week. She introduced me with great flair, and I shared details of creating my illustrations for Island Birthday by Eva Murray, from story board sketches to final art. Pat’s Story & Craft program meets every Tuesday evening all summer long, pairing books and activities for a dedicated troop of island kids and visitors. Following the reading, she demonstrated the craft of folding paper planes. This artist is drawing a decorative...
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