sweet MECA semester

The lights are bright at Maine College of Art, where the arctic vortex is no match for my intrepid illustration students. Here’s Molly Steinmetz, drawing BAREHANDED in zero degrees, for eager students from the Levy Day School during their outing to Monument Square for a story-telling flash mob.

Many students are performing outside the classroom in other ways. This is Molly’s piece for an exhibit, Crytpo-Fauna, Chimera- Flora that opens this evening at Sanctuary Tattoo in Portland, a brave nod to warm spring thoughts amidst the chill.

Liz Long’s piece, In Bloom, suggests sprouting imaginary forms.

I was inspired by her vertical dimensions as well as vintage botanicals and my collection of urchin shells in my pastel, Future Fauna.

Come see what students CeCe Cassidy, Miles Cook, Declan McCarthy, Hana Firestone, and colleague Michael Connor have added to this fauna fest! The show will be up through February and March.

Meanwhile, students in Scott Nash’s class are creating hot wares for their Sweet ‘Art pop-up shop, also making it’s debut tonight. These gnomes by Kiah Gardner await a new home.

Students have prepared an empty space at One Union Street from scratch, creating marketing, signage, decor, display, and their own product development.

I have a hearty First Friday ahead: beginning with valentine shopping at Sweet ‘Art, and then onto Crypto-Fauna, followed by a show at Portland Stage Company, where I’ll lose my cares with Words By: Ira Gershwin and the Great American Songbook. My illustration for the show’s poster, below, was inspired by Ira’s method of fitting words into music fragments, like a mosaic.

Hey, Sugar Lips, hope I’ll see you dancing among the snowbanks tonight!