what the dickens
Once again, Portland Stage Company debuts another season of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ holiday classic written over 170 years ago. I was thrilled to create the marketing visual, back in July 2014 when Christmas felt a century away. This is a return of post I made in November of that year. They are using the illustration again; some things bear repeating, right? At the time, a new look was at hand, allowing a half-circular space for illustration. I couldn’t get the idea of ornaments out of my head, and these preliminary sketches all played a part in the final image. In...
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 MoreMECA: Now With More Pulp!
Have you seen THE PULPS? This astounding exhibit of pulp fiction art from the collection of Robert Lesser is on view at the Portland Public Library until Dec. 26! The opening on First Friday in October was a gathering of the illustration tribe, and then some. The works glisten with dynamic compositions, exaggerated expression, and powerful painting chops. Is it curious that there’s a whole section of Ladies in Terror? The implied violence to women was good bait for the times. With the exhibit as inspiration, I asked my illustration juniors to create a pulp fiction cover in their own...
Read Morepastel playtime
I closed out my favorite month with a gift to myself: a 3-day pastel workshop with Terry Ludwig, renowned artist and the maker of Terry Ludwig pastels. Hosted by the Boothbay Region Art Foundation, the workshop was held above a gallery in Boothbay Village. I was joined by BFF Kim Traina, and made new friends during the lively and inspirational class. Terry began by saying the first item on the supply list is a sense of humor. His self-deprecating wit and wise-cracking manner put everyone at ease, even though I felt under-equipped without an easel or an armload of pastels. He frequently...
Read Morecha- cha- Charlesbridge
O October, how I love thee! This month has been super full of everything: deadlines, events, travels. And the San Francisco Giants just won the World Series. How much better can it get? Well, today my advance copy of John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall arrived from Charlesbridge Publishing. This non-fiction picture book details a single episode in Muir’s youth. I learned a ton about him, and sharpened a pile of pencils illustrating it. Last week I received a new version of the book jacket for Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins due out in spring 2015. I wrote about the cover process here. This is...
Read MoreHenrik Drescher workshop at MECA
The renowned illustrator Henrik Drescher gave a public lecture last week at the Portland Public Library, followed by a 3-day workshop at Maine College of Art, thanks to stellar advance work by our new Co-Chair of Illustration, Mary Anne Lloyd. As a long-time fan of Henrik’s quirky books, what a thrill to meet this charming and well-traveled artist. His talk centered around his recent book, China Days, a Visual Journal from China’s Wild West. Henrik’s been living in Dali, Yunnan with his wife/artist Wu Wing Yee for over a decade. In a province that borders Burma, Laos, and...
Read MoreVisit JamieHogan.com
