I’m thrilled to be working on a picture book for Tilbury House written by Eva Murray of Matinicus Island. I’ve been a fan of her writing since discovering her columns in local publications, and hearing her speak about Well Out to Sea, as part of the Peaks Island Lecture Series, a few years back. When editor Audrey Maynard asked if I was interested: a story set on an island? YES. By Eva Murray? DOUBLE YES.
It seemed only fitting to combine research with a family field trip. As an islander for 22 years, I have boundless curiosity about other islands, and what huge contrasts between Peaks and Matinicus! Peaks gets 16 ferries a DAY from Portland, a 15-minute trip one way. Matinicus gets 30 ferries a YEAR, a 2-hour trip one way. You can get there from here, with planning, cash, and some groceries.
The Maine State Ferry in Rockland, Maine has day parking, since we were heading one-way. The MV Everett Libby was our vessel.
We passed Owl’s Head Light during a break in the clouds.
Once we left the coast, I sketched another passenger who’s obviously done this trip before.
I drew Marty, too.
Matinicus is a rather flat island upon approach.
The harbor is all about lobstering.
Eva kindly gave us a lift to the Tuckanuck Lodge, owned by Bill Hoadley, a native of Nantucket who also spent many years living on Peaks.
It’s a charming old house filled with antiques of all shapes.
I enjoyed dialing on this rotary.
It’s no small luxury to simply curl up and read amidst the peace and quiet.
There’s no store on the island, so we brought ham, cheese, and apple juice. We set out in search of Eva’s Bakery, passing this sign along the way. Sums up the island ethos, a motto we could all use.
How can a kid resist the real jungle gym at the island school?
Gotta love public art.
We stopped to buy stamps to see what the post office is all about. The old Post Office burned down, and this PO is a couple of rooms in a house owned by the church, where the minister lives.
The real hub is Eva’s bakery, where her sweet goods draw a crowd.
Armed with her bread and cookies, we set off for a picnic, past colorful trees and billowing grass.
We marveled at snowy mosses while nibbling berries along the path.
Sweet reward for finding the Southwest Point:
The clouds parted and we found another trail to follow.
After a warm social hour at Eva’s, we returned to our lodge for a hearty dinner.
There are no street lights on Matinicus, so we strolled in the darkness.
Bill’s call to breakfast is opera music, a heavenly start to a clear Saturday. Each mug at the table features one of his beloved dogs. The current resident, Sandy, keeps Bill on his toes.
Here’s my sketch of 16-year old Emma, a snuffly pug who keeps fellow boarder, Peter, loyal company.
We headed to Markey Beach with our drawing supplies. We had all this beauty to ourselves.
I started a small pastel with a new travel set, but abandoned it in favor of beachcombing.
We climbed around to the breakers sheltering the harbor.
Now and then, the sound of a plane drew our attention. We’d be taking one of them back to Rockland the next day.
Meanwhile, Marty did this drawing.
It was pretty quiet over at the wharf.
We returned to the Tuckanuck for lunch and lolling about.
We decided to trek to the air strip, another scene I’ll be illustrating. Along the way is the church, which also doubles as a phone booth.
Wild flowers are abundant.
The narrow strip faces north towards Rockland.
With no planes in sight, we found another trail. A single fairy house is a good sign.
These are NOT blueberries, but rather an inedible feature of some forest lilies.
Plenty of flora to document.
Planes flew over now and then. Bill said the lobstermen were taking their paychecks to spend in Rockland.
We reached the shore again, and clambered over these cool rocks.
What’s the secret of this ancient boulder?
Back on the main road, stunning patches of dahlias, first brought to the island in 1903, dazzle the landscape.
Drowsy dog and dusty road by the PO..
We got more cookies at the bakery and checked out the cemetery, where stones are adorned with golden lichen.
We made it back to the lodge in time for lobster and more stories from Bill.
With fog rolling in, we browsed his ample library, finding this antique novelty from 1889.
Daisy documented a ton of startling illustrations, such as these.
With no electronic devices for distraction, we retired early and slept like logs. In the morning, after one last trip to the bakery for donuts, Eva’s husband, Paul, brought us to our plane, the cheerful Island Spirit.
This was the one piece of our trip that gave me anxiety.
Yet, it was by far the smoothest and best flight I’ve ever had.
Thanks to Penobscot Island Air pilot, Roger, the 12-minute trip was splendid. Look, there’s the boulder out on West Point.
More islands closer to the mainland:
Upon landing at Knox County Airport in Owl’s Head, we took a Schooner Bay taxi back to our car in Rockland. Heading back down Route 1, we stopped at a favorite landmark, which I included in my sketches for Eva’s book.
The truck is a great icon of that Waste Not ethic on Matinicus, and is the work of amazing sculptor Jay Sawyer. For the first time in our travels, his sculpture garden was OPEN. I sketched this scene.
He showed us what he’s working on in his shop. Seeing his art was the best way to complete our trip.
Now it’s back to work here, with our hearts full of Matinicus magic. Thanks to Eva for delicious hospitality and to the Tuckanuck for sweet dreams.
MICA Art Walk 2019
With delight and pride, we returned to Baltimore recently for our daughter Daisy Braun’s culmination of four fruitful years of study at Maryland Institute College of Art. We heard many, many phone calls about the obstacles and stress of getting through the demands of a rigorous program. Recognizing the hard parts, it’s gratifying to see Daisy’s work mature and manifest. Students made proposals for their thesis installations. Daisy printed this of hers: She was granted the space she wanted, a classroom in the...
read morePeaks Island Book Celebration
My beloved library invited author Lyn Smith and me to present our latest book this past Saturday, What Makes an Opossum Tick? How delightful to see my books lining the front window. Thank you, Peaks Island Library! Lyn brought cookies from the 1690 House in Wells. Someone else got a photo before me! These tasty cuties were a big hit. Kids snacked on gummy worms, too, getting into the opossum spirit. Lyn talked about her writing process, based on real events at her family’s nearby summer cottage in Moody Point. As Literacy...
read moreKidlit Con Providence
A week ago today I was in the thick of children’s books everything at Kidlit Con Providence, and I’m still unpacking all the goodness. I checked into the Hotel Providence with my travel mates, Lyn Smith and Kirsten Cappy. Author and illustrator Jarrett Lerner joined us in the hotel bar for dinner. He got our robot groove going. This year’s organizer, Charlotte Taylor, gave welcoming remarks and thankful applause to author and blogger, Mia Wenjen, who gathered the panel participants last fall. I learned about the conference...
read moreAwesome Opossums in Orono
Author Lyn Smith and I traveled north to Orono on Monday to visit the awesome Asa C. Adams Elementary School. What a warm and welcoming learning place filled with color and history! The knotty pine halls are lined with fantastic art by students from Pre K to 5th grade. Librarian Diana Smart and art teacher Nancy Fitch had prepared well for our visit, with an Arts and Literacy celebration prior to our arrival. We were tickled by this decorated door to the library! Lyn read aloud What Makes an Opossum Tick? to each of the 6 groups who gathered...
read moreWhat Makes a Book Tick?
I’m so excited What Makes an Opossum Tick? by Lyn Smith is now published!! She and I will be guests of the Graves Library’s Pasco Lecture Series next Sunday, March 3 at 2 PM. Hope you can join us! We’ll also be celebrating our book at the Peaks Island Library on Saturday, April 6 at 10 AM. After illustrating Lyn’s first book, A Porcupine’s Promenade, I knew she had another story up her sleeve. I blogged about it HERE after I delivered the illustrations last September. Now that it’s out, here’s more...
read moreArt Expedition
I followed my daughter, Daisy, last week to another World Languages Art Expedition Kick-off at King Middle School in Portland. I first participated as a visiting artist in 2009 when she was a sixth-grader there. It was like old times heading to the bus from the 7:15 ferry. The language arts project asks 8th grade students studying Spanish or French to choose a Spanish or French artist to research and then create written and visual work based on that artist. In 2011, Daisy did this animation inspired by the art of Marc Boutavant. She’s...
read moreTis the Season
Did those early snowstorms jump start your holiday spirits? They did mine! I kept thinking about that time I tapped my inner deer… and worked out an illustration for this year’s holiday card. This Deer Spirit is a cross between Ba from Hans Christian Andersen’s Snow Queen and a sister in Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen. On a starry solstice night, our wild selves shine on, with some cut paper snowflakes for good measure. Shortly after I sent off my image file to be printed, we gathered for an intimate Thanksgiving here...
read morePastels ici!
I am thrilled to share that my pastel, Regatta, is included in Paintings of Portland by Carl Little and David Little. The book spans two hundred years of art in all seasons featuring my pretty city across the bay. Check it out! I did this pastel years ago for a show on Peaks Island, and it’s in the collection of Bill and Patty Zimmerman, wonderful patrons of the arts. That’s Fort Gorges, which I pass on every ferry trip, and I love seeing it under clouds of all shapes. Pastel studies of seascapes and changing light have kept me...
read morePutting the A in STEM
I was invited to be a volunteer exhibitor at the 5th Annual STEM Expo sponsored by Portland Public Schools and Envirologix last Friday. Since many of my children’s books are nature-themed, I brought my collection of nature objects and some life-like toy models for nature studies with students. The event was held at USM’s Sullivan Gymnasium, and it was like a trade show for careers in science. Over 50 exhibitors, ranging from ecomaine to Maine Total Weather to Engineers Without Borders to IDEXX Labs to the Electro Toy Company drew...
read moreOpossum Tails to Come
I met Wilbur well before I began illustrating a picture book story about opossums! Last October the Center for Wildlife brought him in as a wildlife ambassador to my junior illustration class at Maine College of Art. We were all smitten by his toothy grin. This was my first sketch of many. By the spring of this year, author Lyn Smith sent me her manuscript for What Makes an Opossum Tick? and another journey of illustrating a picture book began. I gathered all I could on opossums and traveled to Moody Point for a creative retreat in late May....
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