on the seven seas
July already? I turned the calendar and realized this month is…pretty bustling. When I saw this photo via author April Sayre, of an Indiana boy just home from the local library with our book, I remembered: summer is for lolling about with a good read. I’ll be signing copies of Here Come the Humpbacks this Friday from 1 – 3 PM at the Seaside Shop on Peaks Island. Stop in! Next week on July 9 I will join author James Hayman for a talk about how island life inspires our work, down at the TEIA (also known as the Trefethen Evergreen Improvement Association, or “the...
Read Morebreezy book spree
I’ve been riding the waves lately with a trio of book outings, three days in a row. On Saturday we zoomed past the ferry on our way to Diamond Cove on the water taxi. Marty’s likin’ it! I was the third and final speaker in the Fort McKinley Museum Summer Lecture Series on Great Diamond Island. Built in the 1890’s as a defense for Portland Harbor, the fort is now a private residential community. Our hosts, Richard and Jane Cullen, gave us a tour by golf cart. Peaks Island has similar batteries like this, but not as old as this: 1899! We stopped at the Fort McKinley...
Read Moreart roamings
I’m blessed to be immersed in art wherever I go. We visited the Portland Museum of Art last week to see A Cat in Paris, an animated film with a lush texture and fluid story-telling. LOVED IT, especially that some of the environments were done with pastel on Canson paper, a favorite paper in my stash. Where do artists always go in a museum? The shop, duh, to ogle books and goodies. Quelle surprise! Found my wee book there: From there I headed over to rendezvous with fellow RISD chum visiting from Brooklyn, Madeline Sorel. Caught her in a frenzy at Portland Fiber Gallery, fondling wool...
Read MoreWednesday is for wee ones
A sharp-eyed troop of little artists from the Peaks Island Children’s Workshop visited my studio on Wednesday, for a reading of Seven Days of Daisy. I gave them magnifying glasses, for seeing every little thing and more. They saw my messy, messy studio, my camera collection, and a sneak peak at my next book. They also worked on their own stories with energy galore. They know the days of the week, but maybe not the order just yet. But they know how to make every day count! Too soon it was time for them to head off to their next adventure, holding hands and noticing new sights all the...
Read Moresummer bookies
Happy 4th y’all! I’ll sneak in a post here, as we head outta Dodge tomorrow. I had the honor of visiting the Stewart Free Library in sweet Corinna, Maine last week. Past miles of hills and strawberry patches, I came to this venerable building from another era. Warmly welcomed by the Summer Reading program, I shared Seven Days of Daisy. A cute crowd of volunteers helped work the days of the week: This looks like it would make a very interesting story, “Seven Days of Summer” by Autumn: Librarian Director, Donna Lambert, shared her cool book of seven days, crafted from a...
Read Moreanimal power
I keep my eyes peeled at all times and a camera in my back pocket. I never know when my image bank will come in handy. I just finished a piece for the 2013 Lunar Calendar, illustrating a poem by Sarah Fuhro that mentions a heron. I found this shot, recently taken during our trip to London, at the Serpentine in Hyde Park. What a handsome fellow. And here’s a sighting on Peaks Island just last week: I made this drawing, using a bit of collage, and incorporating a feather found on the beach. Another bit of paper moon found it’s way into a card made for my friend, Susan, who makes an...
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