Lincoln School knows the way

I woke up this morning at 3 AM to the deep blasts of a fog horn. Fog is a familiar creature to coastal folks and plays a significant role in this story by Robin Hansen.

Last week, the Lincoln School in Augusta, Maine was a lively destination. I joined their intrepid art teacher, Robin Brooks, for a quick talk about the making of Ice Harbor Mittens, complete with sketches to share, a few original pastels from the book, and even my grandfather’s buoy, which makes an appearance in the story.

A ship in their lunch room seemed a fitting symbol for our exchange.

I also brought along a model boat from Shipwreck & Cargo, since models are good resources for observational drawing, as this artist demonstrates.

Robin’s classroom is based on choice, so everyone tackled what inspired them. Pastels may be dusty, but they do provide an instant tactile approach to color. Just choosing a colored paper sets up optical dynamics of warm and cool. Great bold marks enliven this abstract color statement:

Robin always allows time for that important part of creation: display! Here’s an evocative skyscape:

I’m curious to see who draws with the colors they are wearing.

I also talked about point of view, and trying to vary the angle of images in a story, from eye level to above or below. This artist has multiple perspectives in a single image, serene yet complex.

My visit was the culmination of a school-wide Read-a-Thon. It made my day to face a sea of such eager artists and readers. Thanks, Lincoln School for being a colorful place of learning!