Storybook Waters
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....
Read MoreIsland Birthday party
Thanks to the Friends of the Peaks Island Library, a swell party for Island Birthday took place on Friday at the Community Room, with the whole Peaks Island School in attendance. Woot! I shared a slideshow with some of the back story. One sharp-eyed student noticed that I printed “island” and used cursive for “birthday” in the illustration for the title page. Yes, that’s a real stamp on the envelope, which I placed over my pastel. I showed some of my reference photos, like this one in which my model, Nikolai, is pretending to swim in my yard. And his friend,...
Read MoreBloomin’ books!
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...
Read MoreIsland Birthday
When Tilbury House editor Audrey Maynard approached me with a manuscript by Eva Murray, right off I was intrigued. A picture book by an admired author that combines bad weather with a mopey kid on a remote island? It all sounded…familiar. I put together a pencil dummy book and asked the 8 year-old across the street to be my model. He gave me his awesome drawing of a plane! I’ve drawn this Peaks Island native before. He made an appearance in my 2011 Sketchbook Project, counting chocolate eggs. His whole family is a great source of inspiration, in fact. I used their colorful...
Read Morematinicus island
Tilbury House editor Audrey Maynard asked in April if I’d illustrate a picture book set on an island? YES. Written by Eva Murray? DOUBLE YES. I’ve enjoyed her colorful voice since reading her local columns and hearing her speak on Peaks Island about her book, Well Out to Sea a few years back. I handed over my book dummy for “Island Birthday” in mid-July, and now seemed a good time to combine research with a family field trip. The contrasts between Peaks Island and Matinicus abound: Peaks gets 16 ferries every DAY, each trip about 15 minutes one way. Matinicus gets 30...
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