heron cottage retreat
Ever since I drew a heron for Susan Blackaby’s Nest, Nook & Cranny, I see them everywhere. I’ve spied them in the fog. My neighbor, Kathy Hanley, loves herons, too. She created one for her own deck. She and her husband, award-winning architect Will Winkelman, recently renovated the cottage they built on Peaks Island, dubbing it the Heron Cottage. For the first seven years of their marriage, they lived in this two-bedroom home while building a bigger house nearby to make room for a new family. It’s a marvelously secret spot, facing a pond protected by the Peaks Island...
Read Moreclassroom comeback
It’s been a busy coupla weeks getting back into the classroom rhythm at Maine College of Art. A new banner sporting a roaring bear illustrated by recent illustration graduate Hannah Rosengren was a delight to see. The illustration studio gained more space in the Karu Media Collective wing. Here department chair Scott Nash shares announcements with students. Cool news: the new MECA Illustration Film Series, which kicks off next week with Cartoon College at SPACE Gallery. Charles Hively, editor and design director of 3 x 3, The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration, joined us for the...
Read Morepace yourself
When I got word from Maine College of Art that I’d won a three night residency at the Pace House in Stonington, Maine…I did a jig of complete joy. A break in the action is always welcome, and Stonington is a quiet village. But did I have any clue how amazing the Pace House is? Let me tell you. The four hour drive from Portland slowly unties your burdens, across miles of open fields, rounds of hay, glimpses of ocean, and past curious flea markets. Upon reaching the yellow farm house, I felt blessed beyond belief. The rooms are filled with lively works by Stephen Pace, who became...
Read MoreMECA Sketchbooks on Peaks Island
One sunny Saturday seven artists filled swell sketchbooks by the sea. Yes, they did! I joined up with Maine College of Art CS faculty, Judy Labrasca, to lead a sketchbook class along the ocean side of Peaks Island. She ferried over with students from the mainland, doing quick contour sketches on the boat. We gathered in the ferry shelter to introduce ourselves, choose papers and sketchbooks, and get these nifty watercolor sets Judy made, complete with brush pens. We walked to Sandy Beach, where the tide was too high to see any beach, but everyone found a spot on the rocks. Anne did a...
Read Moreart pop-ups
Art is popping up like peonies this week. I’m thrilled to be part of Maine College’s of Art’s Summer Art Sale, collect. We went to the preview Thursday night in their new space on Free Street in Portland. The infinitely lovely Annie Wadleigh greeted me with the news that my Heron Moon had sold to her neighbor. Sweet! MECA decided to forgo the 37 year tradition of an art auction in favor of a direct sale, where artists set their own prices. You can read more HERE. There was a TON of work, with bright orange tags that made it feel a bit like a sale at Hub Furniture, but art...
Read MoreFirst Friday fun
First Fridays are always packed in Portland, and tonight’s will be even more so, thanks to daffodils, sunshine, and Mainers crawling out from under their rocks. I was invited by Pinecone & Chickadee to be in their Matryoshka Art Show. Of course I said, yes: love that place! But actually, it was a stretch for me to paint, and to paint on something curved. Egads. I lined up the blanks and looked at them for way too long, 5 in all and some pretty tiny. I knew right away I wanted to do a series of female superheroes. Had to narrow down my list, but then I drew over the photo for...
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