Adventures in Ireland
Ever since a brief visit to Ireland in 1980, I have yearned to go back. Somehow, the years piled up until recently, when Marty, Daisy and I enjoyed two weeks of travels there. On May 22, we flew to Shannon Airport, during which the dusk to dawn was sped up, like a time lapse into the next day. We landed at 6 AM, sleepless, and rented a diesel powered Renault in which Marty bravely took the wheel to find our first lodging. The Carrygerry House is a mere 15 minute drive from the airport but felt far away in another time, situated above rolling fields. The inn’s pastoral views relaxed us...
Read MoreWomen’s March
You know it’s serious when an introverted, crowd-averse, middle-aged peep decides to go to the NYC Women’s March. But how could I not? I joined my neighbors, Nicole d’Entremont and Eleanor Morse, both writers and veteran activists for civil rights, peace, and the environment. Nicole and I left serene sunshine on Peaks Island, crossed Casco Bay, and took the bus to NYC, where a soft drizzle greeted us. We walked to Chelsea where I met our host, Fran, and her friend, Shirley, who is a Raging Granny. Here’s my sketch of Shirley in her Pucci scarf. She invited us to join...
Read MoreIllustration, How Do I Love Thee!
Illustration is literally all around right now. I just realized I’ve been doing it, living it, and breathing it non-stop for the last month. My talented kin, Mati McDonough, an artist, illustrator, and teacher visited Maine in November. She gave me a long, hard hug the day after The Election, the results of which were still sinking in. We went straight to the Portland Museum of Art, sure that art could lift our spirits. She signed her latest children’s book, How Do I Love Thee? an illustrative telling of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem. We then browsed the Matisse show,...
Read MoreFresh Eyes in Luna Land
Nancy F. W. Passmore is the venerable editor of Luna Press, which has published it’s 41st annual edition of the Lunar Calendar: Dedicated to the Goddess in Her Many Guises. I sketched her after our recent visit in Boston, which I will always consider Luna Land. I’m honored when it’s my good fortune to do the cover! These are some of this year’s sketches, done in June. In this rough idea, I have referenced my goddess figure sculpted by Peg Astarita. I tried a collage approach. This mosaic of blues was inspired by the work of Paul Klee. How about simplicity? This is...
Read MoreWayne’s quiet world
Last week I traveled to Wayne, Maine to visit a beloved friend, Katherine. She is laying claim to her father’s retirement home, the kind of legacy that some of us have faced, and for one reason or another, have sold. In her case, she is making way for a new relationship to her father’s land and all that he left behind. Jack Mahoney was an avid fisherman and salty outdoorsman. Kathy shares his Yankee humor, so we spent most of our time laughing our guts out. We walked around the property, which borders Androscoggin Lake. We later identified this peculiar fungi with a guide found...
Read MoreMICA major
We flew last week to our second Parents’ Weekend at Maryland Institute College of Art. Daisy is majoring in Printmaking, where we began with hugs galore. The former printmaking studios are under renovation, and have relocated to 1515 Mount Royal Avenue. Daisy showed us her recent monoprints made with a cut Mylar stencil. We also toured the silkscreen studio, where she laid out recent editions. I didn’t see it at first, but this is a family portrait. We went back to her dorm to find this papercut Daisy did of her roommate, who was dreaming in the next room. She proudly showed us...
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