lessons in learning
Yesterday’s MLK holiday felt like a day off from a day off. Snowed in, with plans cancelled, it was time to pray and ponder. Having been in San Francisco during the big 1989 earthquake, it is still difficult to grasp what Haitians are enduring. Even on a good day, they face poverty and corruption. I decided to reread Phil Hoose’s book, “Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice” which just won the Newbury Honor. Bravo to Phil, for bringing non-fiction to new heights. A brave Claudette Colvin tells it like it was, and often still is. My daughter was involved in a...
Read Moreangels sing
I want angels to make the world white. And peaceful. Now that Christmas has come and gone in a flurry of activity, another snow day would suit me fine. I drew the angel above many years ago, while living in San Francisco, where snow was just not gonna happen. I sent this angel out for another season of warm wishes and gold leaf prayers. This angel bears a heavenly resemblance to my daughter, what a surprise. I spent an afternoon last week gallery sitting at the Gem Gallery, where all manner of angels abound, like these paper ones by Diane Wiencke. This one was crafted by Suzanne Parrott, who...
Read Morehere a show
there a show, everywhere a show show….. I finally finished my Alice for the upcoming Maine Illustrators Collective show at the Freeport Library. The group dreamed up this idea in visibility back in August: re-imagining the classics. I knew immediately that I wanted to do my own Alice version. Coming on the heels of another project involving cards, I managed to work them in again, along with a huge mushroom, perhaps because another classic, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron, is in the house. Even though our daughter is 12, reading plenty on her own, we...
Read Moredark shadows
Ah, the crunchy leaf piles, the fragrance of woodsmoke, and eerie scratchings on windowpanes from gnarly branches. I so love this time of year. It’s also a blast to be part of a new show at the Gem Gallery, signage above. I was addicted to this show back in the 70’s, trotting off the school bus, opening a bottle of Tab, and flopping onto the living room couch to become mesmerized by the campy convolutions of Barnabas Collins. My inhouse framer put my recent Zombie Warrior into a crumbling frame while I worked on a new pastel, Big Night. This is a spot near my house, cleared of...
Read Morelupine land
My students are working on their first illustration project, Mixed Media Memory. It’s pretty wide open to interpretation. I like to start out with an open mind and see just where they are at, what they are fixated with, dreaming about, or eager to share/show off, how they pull together their drawing skills with materials and techniques. When I gave this assignment to a previous class, there were some very revealing results. I worked then on an image, too. This is my “Lupine Land.” I combined a variety of preoccupations at the time: a fantasy world not far from reality here,...
Read Moremy mermaid month
Yay, it’s my mermaid month! I was chosen by NPR last year to illustrate a page in their 2009 calendar and finally my month has arrived. Yeah, August is almost over already. Though the summer has been steamy and swift, I relish this month of mermaid friends. NPR asked illustrators to convey their listening experience and even wanted us to write about the inspiration for our illustration. Here’s mine: All Songs Considered, literally and metaphorically…..Living on an island brings me into direct contact with the ocean, but only skimming the surface. While listening to a book...
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