This Island Life

For the past two weeks, I’ve been up to my salty eyeballs with all things Illustration, largely thanks to the Illustration Institute’s second season of incredible programming. I’m excited to co-lead a Nature Sketchbooks By the Sea Workshop with author Lyn Smith this Thursday on July 26! Details HERE.

On July 10, my MECA colleague, Judy Labrasca, joined me and several kidlit friends for Gregory Christie’s Illustration Institute bookmaking workshop at the Fifth Maine.

Gregory is an award-winning illustrator and author with a special interest in book-binding. On the breezy back porch, he walked an all-ages class through every step of making a miniature bound book!

With just a single sheet of paper, folded again and again, and trimmed just so.

Presto. Look at these bookies!

Judi Clancy, Judy Labrasca, Maryann Cocca-Leffler, and Lyn Smith

These are my two creations. I have plans for filling them with a miniseries of sketches, perhaps from my nature objects collection.

Gregory also gave a short drawing demo. I’m always eager to hear another illustrator’s methods of observation and technique. Gregory breaks his view into two letters for mark-making, an i or a c.

I discovered that fellow student, Jessica Esch, is a master note-taker! Her visual distillation is perfect.

This gang of bookmakers left happy as clams, and with time for a beach stroll, too.

Leticia Plate, Maryann Cocca-Leffler, Judy Labrasca, and Lyn Smith

Judy stayed a couple of hours longer to sketch with me in the shade.

We have co-taught a Sketchbook on Peaks course for the last five years. We decided this year to take time off and simply draw together. Here’s Judy’s serene watercolor.

I was drawing rocks until my neighbor, Candy, walked into view with her dog.

On July 12 I visited the Louis T. Graves Memorial Library in Kennebunkport with my Ana and the Sea Star picture book. Thanks to Children’s Librarian, Terri Bauld, for this montage of reading, drawing, and pretending to be sting rays and hermit crabs.

I brought along a pretend beach, and this little one had fun gathering the sea life.

Before returning to Peaks Island, I met up with fellow illustrator Liz Long for a Ladies Drawing Night on the Eastern Prom. She’s ready to christen her new sketchbook! 

Thanks to the Friends of the Eastern Promenade, we enjoyed a free concert by Muddy Ruckus while drawing.

Here’s my sketch.

Meanwhile, I’ve begun final illustrations for a new book by Lyn Smith. Details to come!

Our friends from Curious City braved the Sunday crowds to share happy hour on the rocks with us. Just minutes before boarding the boat, this intrepid duo restored a derailed website for us. Thank you, internet ninjas!

Mark Mattos and Kirsten Cappy

Children’s book author and illustrator Lizzy Rockwell stopped in during her Marilyn Faison Artist Residency with the Illustration Institute. She saw where her art hangs in our studio, top center!

We biked over to Daveis Cove to draw in the dreamy fog.

Lizzy did this amazing ink and watercolor!

I couldn’t resist sketching her, right down to her silver toes.

Later that evening, she made a stellar presentation at the newly renovated Community Room at the Peaks Island Branch Library, about her community art project called Peace by Piece:The Norwalk Community Quilt Project.

As the daughter of the prolific children’s book maker, Anne Rockwell, Lizzy grew up in a creative atmosphere. In adulthood, she realized what a privilege she’d had, coming home to make things after school. She founded a non-profit inter-generational after school art program that mentors young people through the craft of quilting.

She said, “When you’re making art, conversations happen.” She discussed the positive outcomes such as FUN, followed by mentoring, engaging seniors, cultural exchange, the passing of skills, personal expression, promoting giving, and the beautifying of spaces. Lizzy had a gorgeous bounty of sketches and process on hand.

So inspiring!!! Looking for my fabric scraps NOW.

I was back in the same spot the following evening when Pat Crowley Rockwell read Ana and the Sea Star for her Story and Craft Program.

After the story, kids made paper sea stars by stapling two together and stuffing them with tissue.

Pat brought in a bucket of island sand and seaweed, so everyone could add texture to their ocean collage.

This one is by Avery!

One decided to wear his sea star souvenir.

The next day, two of my former MECA students popped in for a visit while biking around the island.

Emily Hepler and Sam Myrdek

So great to catch up with these busy ladies for a bit! I squeezed in an hour of work before heading out for another happy hour on the rocks, this time with Caldecott winner and current Marilyn Faison Artist Resident, Melissa Sweet. She was fresh back from ICON 10 in Detroit, and told tales alongside her trusty dog, Ruby.

Honestly, this island life fills me to the BRIM. I get back to the drawing board between these encounters, embracing the happy magic in my sketchbook.

Ever so grateful for the company I keep in this wild field of illustration. Thank you everyone and everything!

Now I await the arrival of Lyn Smith for her Marilyn Faison Artist Residency, which begins tomorrow, just in time to prepare for our Nature Sketchbooks by the Sea workshop this Thursday. Stay tuned!