drawing Miss Daisy

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.

That’s our girl in the ponytail on the left in this illustration for my latest, Island Birthday by Eva Murray.

Here she’s an acorn girl in another of my Sketchbook Projects, Tree House.

Meanwhile, Daisy has been making her own inspired art. She surprised us at an early age, making fun pieces in Appleworks.

She got more serious once she enrolled in art classes at Portland High, under the wings of Barbara Loring.

Marty showed her how to use an air brush, perfect for her cut stencil designs.

After a stencil class at the TEIA with island artist Jane Banquer, Daisy began making t-shirts for her friends.

She loved Gerry White’s clay classes at PHS.

In a Continuing Studies class at Maine College of Art last summer, Martha Miller had Daisy drawing big and bold figures. Yeah!

Taking a break from figurative work, Daisy spent many hours in the halls creating a tape mural during an Independent Study last fall at PHS.

Fast forward through a hectic spring of AP exams and college tours to Daisy’s vintage spin at the prom.

photo by Jolene McGowan

My collage card for her graduation says this: she’ll always be my little girl.

Congratulations to Daisy, on being in the top 10 of her Class of 2015 and acceptance to Maryland Institute College of Art.

The summer has been a whirl of events and she’ll be heading to Baltimore soon, where she’ll continue to inspire us with her island spirit and dynamic presence. Go, go Dreamer!