willow the wonder pony
The Illustration Department at Maine College of Art believes in drawing, big time. This year (almost) every class began with observational studies during the first fifteen minutes. The arrival of Willow the Wonder Pony on Tuesday brought the semester to an epic finale, complete with hay. Meaghan Martin and illustration senior Molly Blyth-Olson brought their miniature pony from the Gorham Equestrian Center to a third floor drawing room via the freight elevator. Willow calmly munched while students drew from all angles. Molly said, “Willow’s 10 years old, and we rescued her from a...
Read MoreMECA elves
Once again, Maine College of Art is holding their annual Holiday Sale! My junior illustration majors have nimbly lept from working on Summer Ale packaging to the Holiday Sale project, in which they are making illustrated products to sell at the Illustration Showcase table, located on the 3rd floor, right outside the elevator. Taylor Mirabito has her lovely cards all wrapped up. And she’s busy assembling her Nutcracker ornaments. Jesenia Santana‘s got a series of playful cards. Ashley Palmer is adding final touches to delicate watercolors. Senior Dee Weigand is felting up some...
Read Morewhat 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 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 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 Moretbt: RISD redux
That crisp feel in the air? It’s the smell of back-to-school. I personally love autumn the best. It brings new rhythms and sometimes uncanny flashbacks. As the semester’s about to begin again at Maine College of Art while my own daughter faces her senior year and college applications, I went back a few decades to find my application slides for RISD. They still ask for a drawing of a bicycle. Back then, a drawing of boots was also required. I’d taken a life drawing class at Plymouth State College, so included this, done in 1975. Today I attended a life drawing session on...
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