hearty peeps
G Ah, it’s the day to strut my favorite colors: red, orange, and pink, in that order. I love getting out handmade items, such as the felt runner above, made by Kathy Newell. The peeps are a little chewy, perhaps thanks to Valentine products being in stores since, um, the day after Christmas. It’s important to start such a lovey dovey day off right: warm heart-shaped scones for breakfast, one flies out the door with the middle schooler, and another is enjoyed with my heart’s desire. It’s been a week filled with work, events, travel, and as always, love. There are...
Read Moreode to joy
Joy is such a diminutive word, but it’s been showing up lately for me. I think if I carry the idea of joy around in my head, everything will be all right. I painted the little plate above at a recent girl party at a neighbor’s pottery studio. Without a whole lot of thought, out came this little tree and “joy.” But it didn’t come out of nowhere. I’ve been clipping little twigs with berries for decorating the house, bringing the outside in. I notice the twig is a metaphor for the tree, and the tree becomes anything looking to branch out. Noticing nature...
Read Morebeyond shopping
The time has finally come! MECA’s holiday sale begins tonight. The tenacious elves in IL 421 have been working on sale items for the Illustration department tables for the past month. While ideas were in the making, the busy and talented Betsy Thompson visited the class to share her wisdom and talents. She brought in lots of sketchbooks, portfolios, marketing tips, resources, you name it. Thanks, Betsy! She also gave feedback on early ideas for products and packaging. These are cute things by Bri Juliana will sell these felt toys that must be fondled: Seumas did some awesome...
Read Morevisions and views from MECA
The senior illustration students at Maine College of Art have had a busy fall: looking, listening, and drawing. As background for a sci-fi book jacket assignment, the esteemed Joshua Bergey gave a fascinating lecture on his grandfather, Earle Bergey, a brilliant illustrator of many genres in the 30’s and 40’s. Joshua never met his grandfather, who died when Joshua’s father was young. He’s piecing together a biography, and talking to models still living. He also shared a big collection of books and magazines with Bergey’s illustrations, as well as some of the...
Read Moretime travels
Time to play that Talking Heads song again: how did I get here? Can it BE 30 years already? Yes, it can. I went to RISD for my 30th reunion this weekend, and while the flashbacks were few, the chance to see familiar faces was grand. My fellow time travelers, Ged Kenslea, David Hicks, and Madeline Sorel, checked in with me here. So much is new, it was a bit disorienting. Back when we were students, Providence was a seedy mafia town. Now, it’s been rebranded as the Venice of New England, or something. OMG, gondolas! Thankfully, some things don’t change. Carr Haus is still a...
Read Morebook peeps
Wooooo! This just arrived via Charlesbridge Publishing. Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins is now published in Korea! It’s a thrill to see my illustrations paired with another language, and to know the book is getting a wider audience. And in other news: Seven Days of Daisy is scheduled to be published by Down East next May! My wee book about the passage of time, island-style, has come a long way since I wrote it back in 2002. Now Nana needs a walker and lives in assisted living in Portland. But some things don’t change, such as Daisy’s fascination with the little things. A...
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