Maine College of Art

drawing Miss Daisy

Posted by on Aug 14, 2015 in Book: Island Birthday, Book: Seven Days of Daisy, Children's Book Illustration, Collage, Illustration, Maine College of Art, Peaks Island, Publisher: Tilbury House, Sketchbook Project | 3 comments

Our daughter Daisy has always had a keen eye. And she’s provided infinite inspiration over the years. She’s front and center with her tribe of island peers in Seven Days of Daisy. This original hangs now at the Portland Public Library in my exhibit, Storybook Waters. Peaks Island has provided a spectacular background for visual stories. This image of Daisy dreaming helped me land my first children’s book from Charlesbridge. Daisy’s love for Moonrise Kingdom found it’s way into my Sketchbook Project Shop Walk, many thanks to Find for the vintage dress....

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Sketchbooks on Peaks Island

Posted by on Jul 27, 2015 in Art Classes, Drawing, Maine College of Art, Pastels, Peaks Island | 4 comments

On Saturday I partnered once again with MECA colleague Judy Labrasca to lead a Peaks Island Sketchbooks Workshop through Maine College of Art’s Continuing Studies Program. Every year the weather’s a little different, the day unfolds at an organic pace, and I meet the best artists with whom to spend a day drawing. Judy meets students at Casco Bay Lines and I greet them on island, where we make introductions and discuss materials for making books. Judy brings such bounty! I brought pre-cut pastel papers. We share the philosophy that sketchbooks are not precious, but vehicles for...

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Draw Off & Draw On

Posted by on Jul 25, 2015 in Art Classes, Book: John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall, Drawing, Maine College of Art, Peaks Island, Travels | 4 comments

When Scott Nash challenged me to a Draw Off, I didn’t know what I was in for. But I wasn’t gonna say no to my fearless leader in the Illustration Department at Maine College of Art.   It was a foggy morning at the Fifth Maine Museum but the crowd was eager for action. Scott has done these several times, and takes requests from the crowd, kids first. Our first challenge: draw your opponent! Another: draw yourself as your dog: We got a few requests involving chickens; this one about drawing yourself as a cat: The entertainment was enhanced by accordion music by Peaks Island’s...

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Storybook Waters

Posted by on Jul 17, 2015 in Book: Here Come the Humpbacks, Book: Ice Harbor Mittens, Book: Island Birthday, Book: John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall, Book: Seven Days of Daisy, Book: Tiger Boy, Book: Warmer World, Children's Book Illustration, Illustration, Maine College of Art, Pastels, Peaks Island, Portland Public Library, Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing, Publisher: Tilbury House | 0 comments

The Storybook Waters of Illustrator Jamie Hogan opened last week, with a swell flock of peeps gathering to see my originals from 7 picture books, and hear Eva Murray read Island Birthday. It’s not every day two island girls make a book. We both deal with crossing water; I was delayed leaving Peaks Island because of capacity crowds on the Casco Bay Lines ferry. Eva flew from Matinicus, thanks to clear weather. Smiles abound when serendipity brings us together, in the Sam L. Cohen Children’s Library at the Main Branch of the Portland Public Library....

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MECAF follies ’15

Posted by on May 19, 2015 in Comics, Curious City, Drawing, Illustration, Maine College of Art, Zines | 0 comments

I inexplicably missed the last couple of Maine Comic Arts Festivals, for shame! But the fog lifting over Portland pulled me right in this year. It’s important to check out the local peeps first. Here is the inimitable Fulton Beal, wacky dad and crazy cartoonist. Former MECA peeps here, Meagan Gibson and Declan McCarthy: Something about Murilo Martins book, I’m A German Shepherd looked familiar. When I found out he was from Brazil, I gave him one of my PDX zines, about the Other Portland. Lo and behold, he was at ICON8, too! Funny how tight the circle of illustration/zines/comics...

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Go, MECA illo Class of 2015!

Posted by on May 8, 2015 in Illustration, Maine College of Art | 1 comment

Maine College of Art is in celebration mode as seniors prepare for tomorrow’s commencement at the State Theater. We’ve been putting our illustration majors through their paces over the last month. Along with portfolio reviews, each student is required to write a thesis paper, make an oral presentation in Osher Hall, and install a visual display of work. During his talk, Paul Gray said he left behind his horrible angsty drawings from high school to concentrate on illustrations that bring happiness. This bear and fox are featured in his thesis display emphasizing moral values via...

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