art roaming

The holiday season brought sweet joys: family time, baking, and wonderful things in the mail.

I was thrilled to land work from John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall in 3 x 3 Annual 12! My annual arrived just before the Certificate of Merit. YES.

Meanwhile, I was in the middle of a surprise commission. A secret Santa asked me to draw my former student/amazing illustrator Liz Long. Such an honor!

I drew this quick gratitude for my neighbor Eleanor Morse, who gave us a lovely paperwhite plant.

Right after Christmas, we began some art roaming, starting with the 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows at the PMA, as well as seeing the obligatory Star Wars movie. We made it to the Strandebeests before they left the PEM, whew!

I enjoyed Theo Jansen’s little concept sketches as much as the magical movements of the Beests.

The engineering is way over my head, but I marveled at their animated presence.

The Native Fashion Now exhibit was stunning! So glad I had my ever ready sketchbook on hand.

This paper top hat with dragonfly powers by Dwayne Wilcox was a favorite.

I fell for this dress, too, even though it’s by Isaac Mizrahi, not a Native American, but quite an example of cultural appropriation.

I’m sure the author of Owl Girl would want an elegant costume like this, right? I do. My sketch of “The Messenger” by Margaret Roach Wheeler.

A couple days later we caught the last half hour of Rich Entel’s Cardboard Menagerie at the Maine Jewish Museum. That’s us, just in the nick of time. Loved this owl with so much charisma and violin parts.

The presence and scale of Entel’s busts work so perfectly in this setting.

Every eye stared from complex surfaces, like this alligator.

Then this surprise: my favorite magazine Uppercase shared my Deer Bloom card in their Instagram feed. Aw.

During a snow day, inspired by my daughter’s photos of her MICA classmate, I drew Ellie wearing her very cool Sculptural Forms project.

Daisy and I both presented at the King Middle School World Language Art Expedition Kick-Off, the same project she did five years ago. We had a blast sharing our current work and thoughts on art-making.

Look who I ran into, the model for my first children’s book assignment, Maddie’s Magical Ride! She was but a wee thing back when I illustrated her, now a budding artist/athlete herself.

My next outing with kids’ books will be January 15, as part of the Nerd Camp in Falmouth, Maine. I’ll be in the esteemed company of 35 book makers, a happy hoedown. Can’t wait!

With a full year behind me, I’m excited for 2016 to roll out. Let’s play it for keeps.