Posts by jamiepeeps

MICA Art Walk 2019

Posted by on May 30, 2019 in Travels | 3 comments

With delight and pride, we returned to Baltimore recently for our daughter Daisy Braun’s culmination of four fruitful years of study at Maryland Institute College of Art. We heard many, many phone calls about the obstacles and stress of getting through the demands of a rigorous program. Recognizing the hard parts, it’s gratifying to see Daisy’s work mature and manifest. Students made proposals for their thesis installations. Daisy printed this of hers:   She was granted the space she wanted, a classroom in the Interdisciplinary Sculpture major in the Station building. She...

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The Last Five Years

Posted by on May 8, 2019 in Illustration, Portland Stage Company | 4 comments

To those who know me, I’m a fan of bridespotting, a sport I coined living here on Peaks Island, which has become a wedding destination, like it or not. My rules are to 1) be uninvited and 2) not go out of my way and when I spot a bride, I post a photo. I’ve been married over 30 years, am a believer in marriage, weddings, and saying yes to the dress. So illustrating The Last Five Years poster for Portland Stage was an eager challenge. The script by Jason Robert Brown was confusing to me, though. The story between two lovers, Cathy and Jamie, arcs from beginning to end for Jamie,...

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The Welcoming Library

Posted by on Apr 29, 2019 in Peaks Island, School Visits | 6 comments

I am thrilled to contribute illustration to the Welcoming Library, a pop-up collection of children’s books that invites conversation about the new arrival and new American experience. The project is administered by Kirsten Cappy of Curious City and Librarian Kate Cutko of the Bowdoinham Public Library, and seeks to raise awareness and build sensitivity for all ages through children’s literature. This was my preliminary sketch for showing the library in use with two mothers and two children. I revised the sketch, with older kids, as well as the posture of the mother on the left, who...

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Skeleton Crew

Posted by on Apr 24, 2019 in Illustration, Portland Stage Company | 1 comment

April has been busy, if not with actual spring. We made it to Skeleton Crew in it’s final weekend. If you missed it, I’m sorry for you! It was one of the BEST shows of a quite fantastic season at Portland Stage. A year ago when I worked on the illustration, I began with character sketches of the four actors. My preliminary sketches are not at all pretty. I’m thinking as fast as I can sketch. By award-winning playwright, Dominique Morisseau, the story is set in the break room of an auto making plant in Detroit. Faye is the veteran, sneaking smokes. Shanita is pregnant,...

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Catalyst!

Posted by on Apr 17, 2019 in Fashion Illustration | 23 comments

We’re back from a spectacular swing to Baltimore to see our daughter’s collection in the 26th Annual Benefit Fashion Show at MICA. The show is sponsored by the Center for Identity and Inclusion and is open to students of all majors. Daisy applied last October and was thrilled to be chosen to participate. We arrived last Thursday evening and enjoyed a dinner view of the first Washington Monument from the Hotel Revival. Daisy was still busy adding finishing touches and awaiting the final rehearsal at 10 PM that night. I sketched an anthurium in the cafe Friday morning, eager for...

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Peaks Island Book Celebration

Posted by on Apr 8, 2019 in Book: What Makes an Opossum Tick?, Children's Book Illustration, Illustration, Peaks Island, Portland Public Library | 2 comments

My beloved library invited author Lyn Smith and me to present our latest book this past Saturday, What Makes an Opossum Tick? How delightful to see my books lining the front window. Thank you, Peaks Island Library! Lyn brought cookies from the 1690 House in Wells. Someone else got a photo before me! These tasty cuties were a big hit. Kids snacked on gummy worms, too, getting into the opossum spirit. Lyn talked about her writing process, based on real events at her family’s nearby summer cottage in Moody Point. As Literacy Specialist/Instructional Strategist for Kennebunk Elementary...

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