song of myself
I never take birthdays for granted, mine or anyone else’s. As Mel Robbins said recently on Ted, the odds of our birth is a 1 in 400 trillion chance of fate. Now that I have passed safely into middle age, I seem to have more blessings than I can count. I’ll start with the above, a handmade birthday card from my beloved, who so graphically captured my love of dots and red and ME. I also got this original portrait from the inimitable Kathy Mahoney, who I miss terribly since she moved from New England. I have quite a collection of portraits that capture certain pages of my life in...
Read Morepop up printmaking in IL 421
MECA’s senior illustration majors recently began a silkscreen assignment by visiting Emblem Studio, located in the nearby Artist Studio building on Congress Street in Portland. Front man Kris Johnsen was a MECA student once, too, and warmly welcomed my curious class into his work space lined with gig posters. He shared a bit of process, pointing out drawing layers for a recent print. After talking and answering questions, Kris escorted us over to Space Gallery, where the exhibit “Pulled” gave the class plenty of inspiration. The show features silkscreen prints curated by...
Read Moregood vibes
I am thrilled to have another illustration appear, the above, in the October issue of Maine Magazine. Genevieve Morgan’s stories always conjure up lots of imagery, and I enjoy visualizing topics with depth, and in this case color! I love working with them. I send a bunch of sketches, they always pick the best one, and off I go. Here’s a sneak peek at the one for November/December, about skin care, from the inside out. The premise is somewhat related to the above, in that our outward appearance benefits from good health at the cellular level. No matter the age, we are a gift, and...
Read Morewhale spotting
This impromptu gesture made by my daughter while we were browsing at Artists & Craftsman Supply made me think about keeping our eyes open. Since starting on Here Come the Humpbacks for Charlesbridge in June, I’ve been spotting whales everywhere. First I found them in our own toy bin. And this little life-like model pairs well with cocktail napkins found at Take a Peak. I couldn’t resist this platter from Velocity Art and Design. Perfect for a Sunday morning of warm scones, yes? And while traveling through Wiscasset, I had to stop and buy this porcelain white whale found at...
Read Moreback in the hive
Another semester has begun in the BFA program at Maine College of Art, with some refreshing changes. We have a new Interim Dean, Ian Anderson, who has worn many hats during his time with the school. He’s been both on faculty and in the administration. Yay for all of us.Above is my impromptu phrenology of a dean: one who makes art, listens, knows the bones of the institution, the students, the faculty, and the staff, and has a big heart. There’s a whole new studio space for majors in illustration, new media, graphic design, and photography. Kinda chaotic sorting out who got what...
Read Morelabors of love & seaweed soup
What a fast summer, full of sunshine and seaweed soup. Thanks to the brilliant bookings of Curious City, I had the honor of visiting another round of libraries, including my very own, the small but mighty Peaks Island Branch. A pretend delicacy from Seven Days of Daisy made it’s debut: jellyfish sandwiches! You can make yours with graham crackers, vanilla icing, red licorice string, and peach gummies. Yummy! It was the final evening of the Summer Reading Program, and the esteemed Pat Crowley Rockwell was a major addition, providing piano music and a song (days of the week, what...
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