summah at last
The daisies are in bloom, along with my daughter, who took this photo en route to my nephew’s high school graduation. Tis the season of culminating events, completion, honors and awards. I was commissioned by the Peaks Island Elementary School’s PTO to create a piece for Gayl Vail, retiring after 30 years of teaching, promoting literacy, and fostering good will and excellence at Portland’s oldest school. Guided by fellow staffer and cousin Kathy Newell, I drew a portrait of the family’s summer cottage. Named the Marion, it is an antique dwelling typical of Peaks...
Read Morebusy bookish bee
It’s been a hectic couple of weeks, all revolving around books and bookmaking. There’s moaning about the death of print, but the tangible satisfactions evoked by the simple turning of a page will not perish. Not in my world! I had good news about Rickshaw Girl, a book that has brought me many connections and inspirations. The publisher sold translation rights in India! This doesn’t mean much in the way of money for me, but more importantly, way more readers will become familiar with the story. Very cool. This is the title page from the book. I was also interviewed by the...
Read Moremeca in may
The spring semester at MECA came to it’s perennially manic culmination. Even though I didn’t teach this past semester, I participated in a critique panel, a workshop for incoming students, and reviews, keeping half an eye on things. It’s a frantic time for students, finishing projects, papers, flipping out. It’s a feast for viewers. The halls are alive with fresh work. I’m partial to wordplay, and this piece by Regis Biron says the most about being creative. And I applaud direct methods, like this graphic mural by Drew Romeo. Students are adept at playing with...
Read Morepuzzling together history
Memorial Day seems like a good time to mention that I recently worked on a puzzle activity for the Fifth Maine. Built as a reunion spot for Civil War veterans, now it is a museum and community hall, site of countless weddings, concerts, and educational outings. I’ve visited the Fifth Maine on Peaks Island many times for events over the years, but learned plenty during the research for this assignment. Marty designed this sharp logo awhile back that captures the clean lines of this antique structure. I browsed around the cases of artifacts, all of them locked and in the actual...
Read Morecomic art fans unite
Not even a rainy morning could keep us comic fans from heading over to the first ever Maine Comics Arts Festival in Portland on Sunday. The fact that kids 12 and under, PLUS librarians and educators, were FREE was undoubtedly a draw. My daughter is a fan of Kean Soo’s Jellaby and was dying to get her hands on the next story. He obliged her with not just a signature, but a little sketch, too. Sweet. She found out from her teacher the next day that she was on TV, in the brief bit on a local channel. I was happy to see several MECA students in attendance, and exhibiting. Here’s Liz...
Read Moreopen house hoopla
Three cheers for Charlesbridge! I buzzed down to Boston on Wednesday with fellow island illustrator and diva, Annie O’Brien, to celebrate our favorite publisher’s 20th anniversary. We shared good parking karma all day, and schmoozed with a bevy of creators, staff, and bookhounds. I’m not new to illustration (egads, almost 30 years!) but am relatively new to this children’s book world. It was a surprise to encounter some familiar faces from my distant early days, such as Leslie Evans, Robin Brickman, David Biedrzycki, and former student (from my brief chapter teaching...
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