hurly burly

 

Here's my "Moto Ood" for the Monsters show at Pine Cone & Chickadee, opening this First Friday in Portland.  He looks just like I feel this week.

Since our return from London, I've been vrooming. I shipped off 5 framed pieces for the

Children's Book Week exhibit at Charlesbridge Publishing next week. 

I'll be there on Monday, 2 - 4 PM and also for the reception. Do stop in!

I also dropped off 8 art works at Portland Stage Company. My illustration on the posters for

their latest production, "Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh" and an exhibit of my work will be in the lobby during the run of the show. C'est magnifique!

The semester has now ended at Maine College of Art. The day after my last class, esteemed colleague Mary Anne Lloyd brought her class to visit my island studio. Welcome, soon-to-be-seniors!

A year from now, I'll be ushering this band into the world of illustration. Time flies when you're juggling deadlines, students, and the fickle fauna of life.

I cranked out the last few sketches in my Limited Edition Sketchbook Project. I drew my Aunt Eleanor, favorite auntie of all time.

Meanwhile, my 2012 sketchbook will be on view in Chicago this weekend. Now that I've done 3 of these projects, I've gotten the hang of it. Fall in love with a blank book, fill it with your heart, and then fling it off in the mail. Brave, but liberating. 

Yesterday I met with a private art student and we made Sudden Color Studies, starting with a box of excess Color Aid, the time-honored staple from any 2D course.

First, we made 3 quick color collages on separate sheets of paper from:

3 warm colors

3 cool colors

warm/cool imbalance or contrast

Then we drew an object in simple line, copied it onto colored paper, cut it out, and added it to one of the above color collages. (I drew a ranuncula, from a bouquet at Rosemont Produce Company that I simply couldn't resist.)

Then, we added another random element from the “collage stash” pile.

Compose!

Here's a couple of mine. This began as a collage of 3 cool colors.

Now it's a birthday card, with the drawn flower and cut-out balloons.

Here's another, that began as 2 warm colors and a cool.

I added the scrap of tissue paper, and then the drawing. Voila, happy May.

Simple whimsy keeps me moving forward, into the perpetual hurly burly.