Pastels

crossing waters

Posted by on Sep 8, 2015 in Book: Tiger Boy, Children's Book Illustration, Collage, Illustration, Pastels, Peaks Island, Portland Public Library | 2 comments

Great news! Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins is among the books chosen by Waterbridge Outreach, a non-profit literacy organization dedicated to providing both books and water development to under-served areas around the globe. How cool is that? The original illustration for the book jacket is in the exhibit The Storybook Waters of Illustrator Jamie Hogan, in it’s final weeks at the Portland Public Library. If you haven’t seen it yet, please do! Thanks to Fran Houston for this panorama of the show, 20 originals from 7 books, and all involve water. Waters run through much of my work,...

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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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Drawing with Color at TEIA

Posted by on Jul 20, 2015 in Art Classes, Drawing, Pastels, Peaks Island | 0 comments

Last week, I headed down the hill to the TEIA, also know as “the club” to lead a 2 day class in Drawing With Color for kids aged 8 – 12. The last two summers, I’ve done this class with adults. Kids’ turn this time. We began a discussion of terms with a color wheel I inherited from my Uncle Roley. It’s one thing to talk color, it’s even better to draw. This is Mia’s curvaceous color wheel. I brought my stash of Color Aid paper so everyone could try their hand at a classic demonstration of the relative nature of color: Josef Albers’ ...

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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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Bloomin’ books!

Posted by on Jun 10, 2015 in Book: Island Birthday, Book: John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall, Book: Tiger Boy, Children's Book Illustration, Illustration, Pastels, Peaks Island, Portland Public Library, Publisher: Tilbury House | 1 comment

This is a super duper first: I have 3 new books recently published! They are written by different authors, and have very different stories to tell. BUT, they have a few things in common, besides featuring my work: Each book has lots of blue on the cover, yup! And there is water involved. And the moon plays a part in every story. Here’s a list of bookish events coming up:   June 27 at 10 AM Hello Hello Books  Rockland, Maine Author of ISLAND BIRTHDAY, Eva Murray, and I will have our first book event together. Two islanders’ ferry schedules converge, watch out. Eva will read and I...

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pastel playtime

Posted by on Nov 5, 2014 in Art Classes, Pastels | 4 comments

I closed out my favorite month with a gift to myself: a 3-day pastel workshop with Terry Ludwig, renowned artist and the maker of Terry Ludwig pastels. Hosted by the Boothbay Region Art Foundation, the workshop was held above a gallery in Boothbay Village. I was joined by BFF Kim Traina, and made new friends during the lively and inspirational class. Terry began by saying the first item on the supply list is a sense of humor. His self-deprecating wit and wise-cracking manner put everyone at ease, even though I felt under-equipped without an easel or an armload of pastels. He frequently...

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